Frequently Asked Questions
With so many companies making basketball cards, it’s often hard to determine which brands deserve your attention. The following brands are low-to-mid-tier brands:
• Donruss
• NBA Hoops
• Optic
• Select
• Revolution
• Prizm
• Mosaic
These are fine for collecting purposes. But investors may find that they can’t make a huge return on even the rarest cards from these brands.
Instead, investors will probably find more value in cards from the following companies:
• Flawless
• National Treasures
• Immaculate
• Opulence
Each brand produces sets annually to align with the NBA season. You’ll generally find that the low and mid-tier brands release their cards early in the season, with the high-tier brands generally releasing later.
Several factors determine a basketball card’s value. On a general level, you should find that the following types of cards rank as the most valuable.
Rookie Cards
A top player’s rookie card will almost always have more value than a card released when they’re a full-fledged star.
Rarity
The rarer the card, the more valuable it will be. Serial numbers help you to determine the rarity of a card.
Condition
If your card is torn or has visible damage, its value decreases. If you keep it in perfect condition, to the point where you can get it graded, you can expect to achieve a higher return on your investment.
With condition being such a crucial part of collecting cards, you need to protect yours in any way you can. Several supplies help you do this.
Penny sleeves are cheap and transparent plastic sleeves that guard your cards against surface damage. They’re fine for semi-valuable cards. However, they don’t provide the impact resistance needed to protect your most valuable items.
Binders, top loaders, and one-touch storage cases provide more protection. They can also prevent your cards from bending or folding, which penny sleeves don’t do. As a general rule, use penny sleeves for less valuable cards and invest in stronger storage options for your high-end cards.