The beauty of collecting NBA cards is that it’s different for every hobbyist out there. Some collect cards of a particular All-Star, while others go for low-key rookies with high upside. There are those who go for rare patch autographed cards as the centerpieces of their collection. Among all of these preferences, there is one that most in the hobby gravitate to: collecting base cards.
While there isn’t anything wrong with collecting these base offerings, there are a lot of misconceptions connected to it. We take a look below at some details that will help collectors avoid these NBA base card blunders.
Most Base NBA Cards Won’t Be Valuable In The Future
Base cards, by design, are meant to be the most populous offering of any card manufacturer. They feature the majority of NBA players in most retail and hobby-format products. Because they’re made that way, collectors can expect tons of base cards to flood the market.
Using the law of supply and demand, anything that’s produced too much won’t be worth that much. That’s the same thought too when it comes to base cards. The sheer quantity of these cards will make them lose value, especially when a couple of years pass. The exception to this trend are some base cards that feature transcendent names, like Kobe Bryant or LeBron James cards.
Grading Base NBA Cards Is A Bad Idea
As mentioned earlier, base cards are produced by the thousands, which has a major effect on their worth. This thought can also be applied when having a base card graded.
TOO MANY CARDS: PSA has suspended most of its card grading submissions due to heavy demand https://t.co/1IkVy120ky
— Pre-War Cards (@prewarcards) April 1, 2021
For starters, the value of a base card won’t go up that much, even if it was slabbed by a reputable grading company. Having them graded will also increase the backlog of these companies and affect the card industry as a whole. In the end, there’s a chance you’ll be wasting money by having an ordinary base card that doesn’t feature the likes of LeBron or a rookie on it graded.
They Take Up Too Much Space In Your Collection
These days, having enough room for your cards is a luxury not many people can afford. Not to mention, one has to invest in sufficient boxes, toploaders, and sleeves to properly protect them. The addition of base cards will make this matter more complex.
Rather than discarding them, collectors may opt to sell them as a lot at a very tempting price. They can also be included as freebies to those who purchase your more expensive cards. In this way, you get to create more goodwill among other collectors while freeing up some much-needed space in your collection.
Focus On The Player You’re Collecting
In all of these NBA base card blunders to avoid, there’s one detail that is seen as the exemption: the player you’re collecting. It doesn’t matter how many base cards of the guy you have or how much more you’re planning to get. What matters is that you want to focus on this star and getting his base cards is a must for you.
This tip also applies to having these base cards graded. While grading them might seem like a waste of resources, the fact you want a slabbed card of your favorite player weighs more heavily.
All in all, base cards aren’t that bad at all. It’s the perception of some hobbyists that they are more valuable than they really are, which causes their worth to spike up without any foundation. Rather than be left with a stack of NBA cards that have no value, it’s better to figure out what’s really worth collecting in the hobby.
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