Shaquille O'Neal
Born: March 6, 1972
College: LSU
Drafted:
1992 1st Round - 1st Pick
Shaquille signed a deal with Classic (which was the SA-GE or Press Pass of its day) and they were one of the first card companies to have his cards.
Classic was somewhat revolutionary for its time, as serial numbers and especially autograph cards had not become standard in products as they are today.
The Shaquille O'Neal autographs from this set are serial numbered to high ##'s for today's standards - but serial numbers and autographs of rookies were truly revolutionary at the time - as you don't see any of the major manufactures doing this regularly for several years.
I remember seeing Shaquille O’Neal rookies selling for very large amounts of money in 1992 when I was a young kid. In that day, people usually paid more for ‘insert’ cards of Shaq over the ‘true’ rookie cards as they were more rare. The 1992-93 Stadium Club Beam Team and 1992-93 Fleer Ultra Rejectors inserts were two of many I remember seeing for sale in the $300 range at hobby stores in 1992-1993. His Upper Deck “Trade” RC card was very popular at the time, partly because it was a redemption card.
To some, Shaq RC cards exemplify the ‘sports cards boom’ and subsequent bust of the 1990’s. Many people got burned paying too much for cards that ended up crashing in value even as Shaq had one of the greatest careers of all time.
No other player changed the game more that Shaq did during his reign in the NBA. Zone defenses, stronger backboards, 1st foul in the last two minuets, and other subtle rule changes were put into place because of Shaq’s dominance in the game. Compared to Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and other dominant players, Shaq’s cards seem like they have the most room to rise.
More Research
Card Show Calendar
Check out sports card show listings around the U.S. and buy, sell and trade cards in person.
Wholesale Distributor List
Buy unopened sports card boxes from wholesale distributors.
Where to Price Your Cards
Some different websites to price your sports cards.
I have a Shaq rookie card with his arm’s folded with a reebok tank top shirt on and signed by him. What’s the value of this card in mint condition as well