Andrew Pace
Basketball cards have been around since the early 20th century, with the first basketball card believed to have been printed in 1909 as part of the T51 Murad College Sports series. The first basketball cards were produced in 1910, in a series cataloged as College Athlete Felts B-33. The complete series included ten different sports, with only 30 cards associated with basketball. Since then, several companies have printed basketball cards, including Bowman Gum, Topps, Fleer, and, more recently, the Italian Panini Group, which became the NBA's sole licensor for cards in 2009. While the exact print numbers for many of these cards are not known, it is estimated that there are around 3,700 vintage basketball cards to collect, with some of the most valuable cards being those from the early years of the sport, such as the 1948 Bowman, 1957-58 Topps, and 1961-62 Fleer sets.
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What You'll Learn
Basketball cards were first printed in 1910 as tobacco advertisements
Basketball cards have been around for over a century, with the first basketball cards printed in 1910 as tobacco advertisements. The game of basketball itself is even older, dating back to 1891 when Dr James Naismith nailed a peach basket to a balcony, starting the ball bouncing. The first basketball cards were issued as cigarette redemption premiums by tobacco companies, featuring generic basketball players for colleges including Williams, Northwestern, Luther, and Xavier. These early cards were made from cardboard, silk, or plastic and were included in cigarette packs as collectibles.
The first basketball cards were part of a series called "College Athlete Felts B-33", which included ten different sports with only 30 cards associated with basketball. The complete series had 20 basketball subjects, and the cards were issued by tobacco companies as a way to promote their products and increase sales. The B-33 series was followed by two more series in 1911, the "T6 College Series" and the "T51 College Series", which also featured basketball cards.
It is worth noting that before 1910, some colleges produced postcards or "real postcards" that pictured basketball players. These postcards are considered precursors to the basketball cards that would come later. However, it wasn't until the tobacco companies got involved that basketball cards became more widely distributed and collected.
The production of basketball cards continued over the years, with new series being released in the 1930s, 1940s, and beyond. In 1932, C.A. Briggs Chocolate issued a 31-card set containing multiple sports, and in 1933, Goudy Gum inserted pictures of popular athletes, including basketball players, into their "Sport Kings Gum" packs. The first NBA cards were produced by Bowman Gum in 1948, and Topps and Fleer also became prominent manufacturers of basketball cards in the following decades.
Today, the NBA has licensed the rights to manufacture and commercialize basketball cards to the Italian Panini Group, which has been the official NBA licensee since 2009. Despite the evolution of the card manufacturers and the sport itself, it all started with those early basketball cards printed as tobacco advertisements back in 1910.
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Topps dominated the basketball card market from 1969-1980
Basketball cards have been around since 1910, when the first basketball cards were produced in a series called "College Athlete Felts B-33". However, Topps, a company that first sold basketball cards in 1957, dominated the basketball card market from 1969 to 1980. Topps' resumption of basketball card production in 1969 marked the first in a series of sets that continued until 1981-1982, with no real national competition.
Topps' dominance in the baseball card market allowed the company to define people's expectations of what a baseball card should look like. They established a standard size and developed design elements that are now considered typical of baseball cards. Topps also created football cards and cards for the short-lived United States Football League in the 1980s.
Collectors who bought every regular Topps set starting in 1969 would have 2,169 cards through 1980, constituting the bulk of vintage basketball cards at relatively affordable prices. Topps' sets from this period are popular among collectors, and the company's oddball three-panel set in 1980 is considered one of the best basketball cards in the history of the hobby.
Topps abandoned the basketball card market in 1982, missing out on printing the rookie cards of Michael Jordan and other mid- and late-1980s NBA stars. The company finally returned to producing basketball cards in 1992, several years after its competitors.
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Fleer's 1961-62 set is considered the 1952 Topps of basketball
Basketball cards were first printed in 1910, in a series called "College Athlete Felts B-33". The series included ten different sports, with only 30 cards associated with basketball. These cards were issued as a cigarette redemption premium. The next series of basketball cards were issued in 1911, in two separate series, "T6 College Series" and "T51 College Series". The earliest cards depicting basketball were printed as tobacco advertisements.
The 1961 Fleer basketball card set is considered one of the greatest NBA sets ever seen. The set includes 66 cards, with the first 44 being regular base cards and the last 22 being "In Action" cards featuring players who also appeared in the main lineup. The key card in the set is the Wilt Chamberlain rookie card, but it also includes rookie cards for several other NBA superstars, including Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor, and Len Wilkens (misspelled Wilkins). The 1961 Fleer set is also notable for its outstanding layout and design. The cards are arranged in alphabetical order by the players' last names, and the design is clean and simple, with a posed shot of the player against a solid background and the team logo and name in a box at the top.
The 1961 Fleer set is considered the "1952 Topps of basketball" by many collectors. This is likely due to the significance of the rookie cards included in the set, as well as the overall quality and rarity of the cards. The 1952 Topps set is one of the most iconic and valuable baseball card sets ever produced, and the 1961 Fleer set is considered its equivalent in the world of basketball cards.
The 1961 Fleer set was the first official full basketball release for Fleer, and it marked the company's entry into the basketball card market. It was also the only Fleer set issued for 25 years, until the famed 1986-87 Fleer Basketball set was released. The 1961 Fleer set is highly sought-after by collectors, and it is considered a valuable and important piece of basketball history.
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Panini Group has been the NBA licensee since 2009
Basketball cards have been around for over a century, with the first basketball cards produced in 1910. The earliest cards were printed as tobacco advertisements, with the first dedicated basketball cards featuring players released in 1933. Since then, several companies have produced basketball cards, with Topps dominating the market for a long time.
In 2009, the NBA licensed the rights to manufacture and commercialize basketball cards to the Italian Panini Group, marking a shift in the industry. This company, founded in 1961, produces books, magazines, trading cards, and other items. With this deal, Panini became the only licensor for the league and players, taking over from Topps and UD cards, which had previously been the dominant brands in the basketball card market.
The NBA's partnership with Panini provided a foundation for future growth and a long-term commitment to the trading card category. Panini's spokespeople included NBA stars such as Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Blake Griffin, whose rookie card sold on the secondary market for $38,000. The company also held exclusive deals with other sports organizations, leveraging its position in the industry.
However, Panini's license to produce NBA trading cards is set to end in 2025, with the company suing Fanatics over the rights to NBA trading cards. The competitive market and fan demands have contributed to this change, with the NBA seeking partners who can bring fresh ideas and engage younger audiences through digital platforms. Despite the upcoming loss of the NBA license, Panini's impact on the basketball card market has been significant during its tenure as the NBA licensee.
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Rare cards from the 1990s are now highly sought after
Basketball cards were first printed in 1910, with the first NBA cards released in 1948 by Bowman Gum. Topps, another card manufacturer, dominated the basketball card market from 1969 to 1980. Fleer, another company, had its peak in 1961-62, releasing a set of cards that included rookie cards of NBA Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and Charles Barkley, among others.
The 1990s might not have had the same NBA rookie power as the 1980s, but the decade still produced some great rookie cards. The 1990s also saw an increase in the number of brands and basketball card products, with most new players having anywhere from three to 20 different rookie cards. This variety gave fans many new options for building their collections.
Some of the most popular basketball rookie cards from the 1990s include those of Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, and Michael Jordan. The 1990 Score Bo Jackson card, which features one of the most iconic images in trading card history, is another notable card from this decade. It's not a rare card and can be found in high grades, but its importance lies in the iconic image it captures.
Rare cards from the 1990s, such as those featuring Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson, are now highly sought after by collectors. The value of these cards has increased over time, with a PSA 5 example of the rare "Now" parallel Iverson card selling for more than $700,000 in February. The 1993-94 Finest NBA card set also stands out for its bright colors and shiny finish, featuring players like Anfernee Hardaway and Chris Webber.
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Frequently asked questions
The first basketball cards were printed in 1910, with only 30 cards associated with basketball in a series of 10 different sports. Basketball cards then disappeared until 1932, when C.A. Briggs Chocolate issued a 31-card set containing multiple sports. The first NBA cards were produced in 1948 by Bowman Gum, with a 72-piece set.
Some of the most valuable basketball cards include the 1961 Fleer rookie card of Wilt, the 1969 Topps card of the NBA's all-time leading scorer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the 1957 Topps basketball set, with Bill Russell's rookie card. The 1968 Topps Test issue is also a rare basketball set as it was never distributed to the public.
Some notable companies that have produced basketball cards include the Panini Group (present-day), Bowman Gum, and Topps (early days). Fleer, Skybox, and Upper Deck are also companies that released many sets during the 1990s.
