Top 10 Cards in My PC (2023)

As a collector, it is always good to take time to reflect on what you have built. So, with a new year starting and some inspiration from Packman’s annual top 10 list, I am taking time to enumerate the top 10 cards in my personal collection. My criteria for this ranking is based on a mix of value, rarity, and appeal.

10. 1986 Topps #53 Patrick Roy (BGS 8.5)

Coming in at number ten is a classic card for any hockey collector: 1986 Topps #53 Patrick Roy. As one of the greatest goalies of all time, Roy’s rookie card is highly sought after. The condition of this card is solid for 1986 Topps. According to the BGS Pop Report, there are only 43 with a higher grade and no BGS 9.5 or 10s. According to the PSA Pop Report, there are 315 with higher grades. The O-Pee-Chee version of the card is much more sought after (and has some BGS 10s), but I am happy with to have this one in my PC.

9. 2015 Panini Revolution Basketball #114 Sunburst /75 Nikola Jokic (BGS 8.5)

At number nine on this list is one of my favorite Nikola Jokic rookie card parallels: 2015 Revolution #114 Sunburst parallel number out of 75. While Revolution is not a high end set, a numbered parallel of a future HOFer’s rookie card is always a great find. I was lucky enough to pick this one up before the MVPs and championships (much less than its going for now!). I bought this card raw and sent it in the Beckett earlier this year. The grade is not awful, but not the best. There are 6 graded higher than this one and this one is the only 8.5 BGS. There are 10 higher PSA graded copies. Nevertheless, I think this card has great eye appeal and is rare relative to many other Jokic RCs.

8. 1996 Skybox Z-Force #165 Ben Wallace Autographed (BGS Auto 10)

I don’t exactly know why I love this card, but I do. Coming in at number eight is an autographed and inscribed copy Ben Wallace’s rookie card from 1996 SkyBox Z-Force. I picked this card up at the National this year, but had been watching an autographed copy on eBay for some time before. Growing up, I loved Ben Wallace on the Pistons and always selected him in NBA video games (maybe because his name is also Ben? maybe because he had an awesome afro?), despite being a die-hard Nuggets fan. Further, across all sports, I have always been partial to great defenders. Obviously, 90s cards are a dime a dozen (raw copies of this card go for 5 bucks). This card isn’t even the only Ben Wallace rookie card from SkyBox, let only the many other card brands of 1996. However, as a child of the 90s, this card has it all: the 90’s abstract design, autographed, and an RC of one of the most dominate defenders of the era. This card is a favorite within my HOF Big Man RC collection.

7. 2002 Topps Chrome #146 Chinese Refractor Yao Ming (BGS 8.5)

Number seven on this list is a card I spent multiple days of the 2023 National search for: The Chinese Refractor parallel of 2002 Topps Chrome #146 Yao Ming. Parallel rookie cards from the early 2000’s Topps Chrome sets are highly sought after. While there are rarer parallels from the 2002 set, the refractor’s with different languages are relatively rare and super cool in my opinion. This copy is not in the best shape and doesn’t seem to have as noticeable shine as other refractor copies I have seen (there are 82 better BGS copies), but still an iconic rookie card.

Originally, I bought this card to be a part of my HOF Big Man RC collection, but I have since started a Yao Ming rookie year collection given my love of early 2000’s basketball cards and Yao Ming. I will have to buy another copy for the HOF Big Man RC collection.

6. 2001 Topps Chrome #131 Refractor Pau Gasol (PSA 9)

Okay, so its clear that I really love early 2000s Topps Chrome. This one might be the best in terms of eye appeal: Pau Gasol’s refractor rookie card from 2001 Topps Chrome. This card pops off the cardboard. The mix between the bright color choice of Topps Chrome that year, the high condition surface refractor, and the color match with the old Grizzles uniform is beautiful. There are some PSA 10s out there (48 of them) and I know there is a copy signed in matching teal paint pen that looks amazing, but I am very happy to have this in the HOF Big Man RC collection.

5. 2002–03 SP Authentic SP Signatures #YM Yao Ming (PSA 9)

Another Yao card makes the list! Yao Ming’s RC from SP Authentic SP Signatures. The eye appeal of this card alone made me debate putting it much higher than number 5. The crisp white background contrasting with the large blue signature is so clean (not unlike the cards produced in many high end sets like National Treasures today). This card is surprisingly not numbered and its a bit difficult to gauge just how rare it is. There are 15 total graded by PSA (only 3 higher than this one) and 34 total graded from BGS. The Beckett price range ($400 and $800) suggests that demand is relatively high compared to supply. And given there are so many great Yao rookie year cards, this may reduce overall the demand. No matter the rarity, its currently the top card in my Yao Ming RC collection.

4. 1969 Topps #56 Wes Unseld (PSA 8)

At number four is one of several 1969 Topps cards in my HOF Big Man RC collection. In general, 1969 Topps is one of the most iconic sets in the hobby with its unique tall boy design and the many HOFers in the set. While Wes Unseld is not the most desirable HOFer in the set, the condition of this card shoots in up in this list. PSA 8’s for the 1969 set are difficult to get. There are 22 higher graded than this one (with only 1 PSA 10). Further, in my opinion, Wes Unseld is an underrated HOFer in this set. Unseld was a dominate rebounder, defender, and passer who played for 13 seasons in Baltimore/Washington. He won both NBA Rookie of the Year, an NBA MVP award, and a Finals MVP award. I probably could have put some other 1969 Topps cards from my PC in this spot (in particular my signed Elvin Hayes rookie card from the set), but the condition is too good to pass up.

3. 1969 Topps #25 Lew Alcindor (PSA 1.5)

At number three is a card that easily would be number one if it wasn’t for its condition: 1969 Topps #25 Lew Alcindor. This card is arguably the most desirable card in the 1969 set. A BGS 8 of this card is valued at $12K and PSA 6’s regularly go for $1.5K to $2K. The card itself is not that rare, but the conditional rarity and the fact that it is the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar rookie card makes it highly collectable. I didn’t think I would have this card in my collection for some time, but ended up getting a great deal on it at the 2023 National. Surprisingly, there are 209 in worse condition than my PSA 1.5 according to the PSA Pop Report.

2. 2015 Limited #199 Silver Spotlight /49 Nikola Jokic (BGS 8.5)

It may be controversial to put a modern card of a current player at number two after just listing two exemplary vintage cards of HOFers. However, Nikola Jokic is my guy and has been a key focus of my collection for years now. Coming in at number two is the Silver Spotlight parallel of 2015 Limited #199. There are only 49 total copies of this card, none higher graded than this one. In my opinion, given the high contrast between the nuggets jersey and the background, this is one of the best looking Jokic rookie cards made. Again, I was lucky enough to buy this card raw before Jokic cards got so expensive.

1. 2015 Panini Black Gold #22 Rookie Jersey Autograph /157 (PSA 8)

Coming in at number one is another Jokic rookie card: 2015 Panini Black Gold #22 RJA numbered out of 157. While this card is not as rare as the Jokic card ranked at number two, it has an autograph and player worn jersey swatch. There is only one higher graded copy by PSA. It’s a sticker auto and perhaps not the most appealing Jokic RC out there (although it looks way better in person than the picture), but one I will always remember getting. Running low on cash at the 2023 National, I traded a bunch of lower end Jokic rookies I had duplicates of in my PC. Because the Nuggets had just won the championship, my trade in value versus what I paid for them years prior was at its peak, allowing me to go from base rookie cards to a high end RJA rookie card. Looking back, I probably could have done even better on the trade given the Jokic hype in that moment, but I am still very happy with the outcome.

Honorable Mention:

It would be really difficult to choose the 11th ranked card on this list, but as a big Cale Makar collector, I need to mention a couple of the best Makar cards in my PC. The problem with Makar rookie year cards is that there are way too many. There are some really nice ones, but many mediocre designs that have been overprinted.

11. 2019 Upper Deck ICE Rookie Ice Buckets Autographs #IBRCM /99 Cale Makar (BGS 9)

There are many rookie year Makar autos, many with nice designs. Currently, I do not have many in my collection, but of those that do, I like this one the most and its in great condition.

12. 2019–20 Upper Deck Series 2 Hockey Young Guns #493 Cale Makar (BGS 9.5)

In modern hockey collecting, Young Guns are the key rookie cards, despite having fairly high print runs. With Young Guns, the player and condition really matter. Makar is arguably the top 2019 rookie. Just like with many of my Jokic cards, I was lucky to get this Makar raw well before the Avs Stanley Cup run and it graded out nearly perfect (only 5 graded above it by BGS).