TOP 10 HOT LIST
Basketball Cards On eBay
June 2010
1 – Kobe Bryant Autographs – Memorabilia Cards ~ Last Month (1)
Kobe Bryant capped off another brilliant season by winning the NBA Championship against the hated Boston Celtics in 7 games. It’s the 2nd straight title for the Lakers and Kobe’s 5th overall. Sales of high end Kobe Bryant autograph and game used cards were on fire during the NBA Finals and have remained so after the thrilling game 7 victory.
It remains to be seen if Kobe can equal or even surpass the 6 NBA Championships that Michael Jordan won during his illustrious career. With Phil Jackson returning to coach the Lakers in 2010/11, they are the early favorite to three-peat as league champions. Many of Bryant’s top auto/game used cards were selling for over $1,000.00, prices typically reserved for high end Jordan cards.
2 – Michael Jordan High End Cards ~ Last Month (2)
Whenever the NBA Playoffs get going, Michael Jordan’s name comes up a lot. Loyal fans still pay thousands of dollars for his autograph and game used cards. His name was at the top of the most watched basketball trading cards on eBay throughout the month of June, eclipsed only by Bryant cards.
If Kobe continues to win championships, it will be interesting to see the difference in price, if let’s say Jordan and Bryant both have 6 rings. My guess is that Jordan will always win that battle, even if Kobe wins a 7th or 8th title. The love for Michael runs deep, but Kobe is right on his heels in terms of popularity amongst younger collectors.
3 – Rajon Rondo Rookie Cards ~ Last Month (5)
Throughout the NBA Playoffs, Rajon Rondo proved he was amongst one of the elite point guards in the league. He is a threat to go off for a triple double on a nightly basis. Sales of his cards started to really pick up steam as the Boston Celtics made their charge in the playoffs. Prices were not overwhelming, but the pop in sales was enough to move Rajon up to #3 on the list.
4 – Kevin Durant Rookie Cards ~ Last Month (6)
Durant has appeared on the Basketball Hot List for the last several months. March #1, April #2, May #6, and this month he moves up to #4. He is on hobby radar screen now, and prices have remained steady after the Oklahoma City Thunder’s performance against the L.A. Lakers in the 1st Round of the NBA Playoffs.
The sky is the limit for Durant and the value of his cards. He has the potential to be one of the best players in the entire NBA. He does play in a very small market, but the exposure he got against the Lakers in the playoffs was enough to put his name on the map. Should he get his team deeper into the playoffs, it should push the value of his cards higher.
5 – High End Kevin Garnett Cards ~ Last Month (7)
Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett got the most love from collectors during the Boston Celtics playoff charge. Garnett in fact saw a nice pop in the sales of his high end autograph and game used cards. Collectors who got in the last couple years while Garnett has been hurt saw a nice up tick in the price of his cards. It’s interesting to note that Paul Pierce and Ray Allen did not see significant movement in the price of their autographs.
6 – LeBron James High End Cards ~ Last Month (4)
The season did not end well for the NBA Golden Child LeBron James. The Cleveland Cavs were ousted from the NBA Playoffs by the Boston Celtics and James did not play well during crunch time. Now the LeBron Free Agency Tour has officially begun and he has got teams such as the Knicks, Bulls, Heat, Clippers and the Cavs tracking his every movement hoping to woo his interest.
It will be very interesting to see where James ends up. If he does bolt out of Cleveland that will mean a whole new production of cards that will feature James in a new uniform. It could provide a boost to the basketball hobby if he does end up changing teams, but fans of the Cavs don’t want to hear that!
7 – 1999 UD Retro Wilt Chamberlain Inkredible Autograph ~ Last Month (NR)
One of the hottest cards on eBay during the month of June was this spectacular 1999 Upper Deck Wilt Chamberlain Inkredible Autograph. The auction was the most watched basketball card during it’s time on eBay. The final price was an astounding $2,011.00.
1999 UD Retro INKredible WILT CHAMBERLAIN Auto SP
Sold: June 2010
Watchers: 80
Final Price: $2,011.00
8 – Derrick Rose Rookie Cards ~ Last Month (8)
Derrick Rose has been creeping around the bottom of the Basketball Hot Lists for a couple months now. The idea of him teaming up with one of the top free agents on the market, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh get the collectors juices flowing. Sales of Rose’s rookie cards have remained steady, even climbing upwards just a bit. Depending who the Bulls are able to land this off-season, a deep playoff run could fuel his cards even higher.
The thing that worries me about Rose is that his jump shot is not the best. He can get to the basket almost at will, but his mid-range and of course his three point shot need a lot of work. If Rose is in the gym working on those aspects of his game then he could become one of the top 2 or 3 point guards in the league.
9 – Russell Westbrook Rookie Cards ~ Last Month (9)
Westbrook is still hanging around the bottom of the Basketball Hot List after peaking at #1 in April. He teamed up with Durant to challenge the L.A. Lakers in the 1st Round of the NBA Playoffs. Russell showed quickness and a willingness to take the ball to the rim. Like Derrick Rose, Westbrook needs to work on his outside shot, but that is typically something most players need to work on.
10 – 2009/10 Panini Timeless Treasures Basketball ~ Last Month (3)
Collectors are really liking the high end cards that have come out of this set. The Laundry Tags and NBA Logoman cards have been a huge hit. Several of Kobe Bryant’s autograph/game used cards sold for $1,000++ on eBay during the Lakers Championship run.
With the 2009/10 Panini Basketball product line finishing up, it looks like Panini has a winner on their hands with Timeless Treasures. Basketball collectors have waited patiently for Panini to put out more sets with high end cards and they were rewarded for their wait with 09/10 Timeless Treasures.
Dropped Out: Top 10 Basketball Hot List May 2010
- Tyreke Evans 2009/10 Rookie Cards ~ Last Month (10)
