[user_3n5kp]

I know the majority of the members around here are focused on the newer modern cards but I wanted to see what the overall attitude toward these cards are, especially for the MJ collectors and other player collectors (Ewing, Wilkins, Barkley etc) who have their first licensed issues in these sets.

I have long been a fan of these cards and collect most of my basketball in BGS (baseball prefer PSA). I don't really go past 93-94 so Star are a pretty big deal for me. Seeing as how this is the BGS board and they are taking the lead in grading these cards, do many of you recognize these as RCs? Is there a major demand?

Looking at the pop reports is amazing and checking sites like jordancards.com and other blogs, it appears that some serious misinformation and rumor has tainted public opinion. No doubt these are very important card to our hobby. It is shocking that the MJ #101, OLY and #288 from that set are not WAY more expensive.

Do you MJ collectors focus on Star at all?

There is an amazing thread over on the PSA boards discussing these for anyone interested.

[arabiansnowgriz]

I love the Star sets and are way under rated in my opinion. I have been searching Ebay for some time now for the OLY and SPEC cards from 1984-85 as well as the base card from 1985-86 #117. I can’t seem to find a good deal because most of the actions are BIN and are very high. (Looking for BGS 8+)

I think they should be considered RC for the fact that they were the player’s first card, and license by the NBA. The only thing that takes away from it being a RC is that the set was released in team bags.

[hegotgame1515]

Anyone that was a collector in the early 90's will always think the fleer 86-87 MJ is the one and only MJ rookie card...
Its not until you/they do some research and come to find out that the STAR 84-85 were the first MJ cards to be printed...
I think the Fleer 86-87 will always be known as MJ's rookie card to most collectors and it will continue to be the most iconic basketball card ever made...
How ever!
To the serious MJ collectors, the 84-85 Star rookie card is a "must have" and not too many people will ever get the chance to own one (in any condition)...
I for one want both, but i'm happy to own the 86-87 rookie for now....

[bengu]

I love the Star cards & I definitely believe the values (especially on the MJ's) are ridiculously low with all things considered! There are currently less than 10 BGS 9's out there of the XRC #101... Yet I've seen a few on eBay with a BIN of only 10,000 that nobody bought!?!?!? That's insane to me!!! Jordan is pretty much universally regarded/remembered as the absolute GREATEST OF ALL TIME, yet somehow his VERY FIRST CARD in its top grade can't get 10k??? But we're willing to spend 10k++++ on overrated wannabes like LeBron & his Exquisite RC!?!? LMAO... I do hope it stays this way though so I can get a BGS 9 XRC soon though lol

[user_3n5kp]

Great to see some opinions. I just feel the Star cards are such important cards and collectors may have misconceptions about them.

I for one love these and feel that is PSA ever reversed their current stance and started grading them we would see a massive explosion in value. The pop reports are really telling, roughly 20k graded examples of the Fleer between PSA and BGS yet not even 300 of the 101 XRC. The 288 and OLY are even tougher.

I agree the 86 fleer is the more iconic of the two and was my first purchase this year when I got back into collecting. The Star just always had this mysterious aura attached to it since the early 90s bball boom. After researching and finding the real story behind the reprints etc I snagged my Star. Its only a 6.5 (3 8.5s and an unfortunate 6 for subs) for 1k. Seems like nothing considering how scarce these are in ANY grade. One would think any examples out there would have found there way into slabs by now...

Just picked up my OLY and 288 and waiting for them to arrive. There is the only 9 of the 288 being auctioned on eBay by PWCC and it is fetching SERIOUS coin.

Great MJs in the above post BTW!! Once my recent pick ups come I'll share my very small collection. Its only been a year for me so I'm getting there

[quavis]

I think a lot of the undervalue is because they were Faked even more than the Fleer RC. It was so common that collectors didn't want to bother with it and it lost value.

[user_3n5kp]

I think a lot of the undervalue is because they were Faked even more than the Fleer RC. It was so common that collectors didn't want to bother with it and it lost value.

The problem is not that they were faked, its that there is such a misconception surrounding this issue that people shy away from Star. In reality, the Jordan 101 and all the 83-84 and 84-85 cards were not reprinted and the fakes are actually rather easy to spot. Hopefully over time more collectors learn about these cards and they get the attention they deserve...but hopefully not until I get all the ones I want!!

[arabiansnowgriz]

Just picked up my OLY and 288 and waiting for them to arrive. There is the only 9 of the 288 being auctioned on eBay by PWCC and it is fetching SERIOUS coin.

If you don't mind me asking. What did you end up paying for the OLY and SPEC? What grade did you get them at?
Thanks

Oh and when they come in I woould love to see some scans

[user_3n5kp]

If you don't mind me asking. What did you end up paying for the OLY and SPEC? What grade did you get them at?
Thanks

Oh and when they come in I woould love to see some scans

No problem at all. I picked up the OLY in a 7.5 but with some great subs (Centering 6.5/Corners 8.5/Edges 9/Surface 9.5.). I think the centering was given a really tough sub and if regraded it would come back 7-7.5.

The 288 is a BGS 7 (Centering 6.5/Corners 8.5/Edges 9/Surface 9). Same issue. I think these were graded early on and graded very harshly. Centering is a serious issue on both of these cards and IMO, the difference between a 6.5 sub and the 8.5 sub on my #101 is not huge. Stars are the only cards where I'll take centering under a 9 because the grading for centering is all over the map.

Also threw in the Ewing XRC in 8.5 on the same buy and was under $600 delivered. I felt it was a great deal.

[arabiansnowgriz]

No problem at all. I picked up the OLY in a 7.5 but with some great subs (Centering 6.5/Corners 8.5/Edges 9/Surface 9.5.). I think the centering was given a really tough sub and if regraded it would come back 7-7.5.

The 288 is a BGS 7 (Centering 6.5/Corners 8.5/Edges 9/Surface 9). Same issue. I think these were graded early on and graded very harshly. Centering is a serious issue on both of these cards and IMO, the difference between a 6.5 sub and the 8.5 sub on my #101 is not huge. Stars are the only cards where I'll take centering under a 9 because the grading for centering is all over the map.

Also threw in the Ewing XRC in 8.5 on the same buy and was under $600 delivered. I felt it was a great deal.

Ewing XRC! Nice pickups!
Yeah, the centering is all over the place. I picked up The #101 BGS8 with centering 7.5, 9C, 8.5E, 9S. The centering seemed to be better than that when compared to other graded cards, so I sent it back to BGS and they gave the centering an 8 to bump the overall grade to an 8.5! You should send them in and see what happens.

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This makes me think...When you send a card to be re-graded, do they take the past grade off the population report??