Sports Card Targets - Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant

I’ve been a member of RG since 2012 and have done content on and off for many of those years. Some of you might remember me from my MLB and NBA articles from several years ago. I started the series that turned into the “Starting 5” series and was also a member of the NBA projections team for several years. DFS has been harder to manage over the last few years as my family has grown to three kids, ages 7, 5 and 1.

In early November 2019 I started to see more and more people talking about sports cards. I follow Gary V and he started posting videos about LeBron and Giannis cards. More and more YouTube channels were popping with sports card content and it was around this time that I found RG’s new partner Sports Card Investor, Geoff Wilson, on YouTube. Go back and watch his content from the last six months, as it’s an incredibly valuable resource for those getting back into the hobby. (Editor Note: Get 20% off your first payment for a SportsCardInvestor.com subscription by clicking here or using the promo code: GRINDERS)

My story is similar to many that I’ve heard over the last few months. A mid 30s guy with a family who collected cards as a kid but got out of the hobby after high school. He’s now getting back into it because of things like social media or their kid is interested in cards. I collected all three major sports but MLB and Ken Griffey Jr were my main interest at the time. Junior was my idol and I collected anything I could get my hands on. I have roughly 600 Griffey cards and several boxes of memorabilia stashed away. Maybe someday down the road I’ll break everything out and do a recap video.

My interest in today’s market is the NBA. It’s my favorite sport and NBA players are some of the biggest stars in the world. The NBA market is more global compared to MLB and NFL too so I believe it makes NBA cards a more stable long term investment.

Here are two cards/players that I’m looking at for potential short and long term profit.

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Kevin Durant could very well be the best offensive player ever. He’s a first ballot Hall of Famer and multiple time champion. He’s also hasn’t played since 2018 and his card prices are reflecting that. Let’s take a look at his Topps 2007 Base Rookie card in PSA 10 and PSA 9.

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Chart courtesy of SportsCardInvestor.com

When compared to LeBron James Topps Base Rookie PSA 10 and PSA 9, you can see that Durant’s rookie card is drastically cheaper. You can purchase a Durant PSA 9 for under $100 when LeBron PSA 9s are going for over $700. Should Durant PSA 9s be $700? No! However they are clearly under valued for less than $100. I can certainly see them 3x in value along with his PSA 10 both short term if he comes back strong next season and almost certainly after his career is over and he enters the Hall of Fame. You could also make significant profit if you’re able to purchase this card even cheaper as a raw card to potentially grade at a PSA 9 or 10.

Cards To Target

2007 Topps Base Kevin Durant Rookie card PSA 10 – Target Under $350

2007 Topps Base Kevin Durant Rookie card PSA 10 – Target Under $95

Kobe Bryant’s 1996 Topps Base Rookie Card is another card to take a look at for those with slightly deeper pockets. The price of this card in PSA 10 has dipped since his tragic passing and the PSA 9 has stayed pretty flat. However there should be an uptick in price now that the hall of fame class has been officially announced and the hype for that ceremony builds.

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Chart courtesy of SportsCardInvestor.com

There has also been recent news about a documentary about Kobe’s final season. Factor that in with Kobe being an all-time great and this card should be an excellent long term hold.

Cards To Target

1996 Topps Base Kobe Bryant Rookie Card PSA 10 – Target Under $1200

1996 Topps Base Kobe Bryant Rookie Card PSA 9 – Target Under $350

I’m excited about the future of sports cards and I look forward to not only providing content for you but also learning from you and others in the community.

About the Author

Socky21
Josh Wysocki (Socky21)

Josh Wysocki has been a member of RG since October 2012. Over that time he has been a part time contributing analyst for both MLB and NBA products. He has had several four figure scores and made an NFL live final experience on DRAFT. In November of 2019, Josh dipped his toes back into his childhood hobby of sports cards. He’s been hooked ever since and is ready to share what he has learned about the hobby and it’s new landscape. Feel free to reach out to him on twitter @Socky21.