


But in the 1990s, most new players had anywhere from three to 20 different rookie cards. Previously, collectors were lucky if just one major card company covered the NBA each season. From there, more young talent added to the mix and ended with serial-numbered base rookie cards.Īnother new development was the increased number of brands and basketball card products. The early-to-mid-'90s saw the move to higher quality cards and brands, but the decade began to shift dramatically in 1996-97 basketball products based on a loaded rookie class and popular new products. The end result is that there are tons of early-1990s cards and generally low values across the board. However, the decade started off with a whimper, as the "junk-wax era" carryover from the 1980s combined with only a few top rookie players. Autograph and memorabilia cards became much more common and even rookie cards were treated as inserts. New technology and rare inserts transformed the industry and the way people collected. This period was also part of the collecting revolution that eventually resulted in a hobby geared more to the high-end realm. But the period also saw the emergence of several young players and a whole new collecting world.īasketball rookie cards from the 1990s have it all: current and future Hall of Fame players, perennial All-Stars and the hobby elite. In the following decade, Michael Jordan was the main name for fans and collectors, and he helped carry the league to new heights. The influx of rookie talent in the 1980s led to considerable growth for the NBA. The top 1990s basketball rookie cards offer key options for the biggest NBA names to debut during the decade. The 1990s were an interesting period for sports cards in general, but especially for basketball cards.
