Top 4 Best Basketball Card Manufacturers (2024)

With basketball cards quickly becoming one of the most popular cards on the market, you should familiarize yourself with the best basketball card manufacturers before making a purchase. While each manufacturer is unique in its own way, all four have evolved into industry standards over the years. Here they are.

Panini

Panini is the world’s largest and most successful sports card company. Topps was the previous sports card manufacturer before losing its license in 2016. Panini was founded in 1961 and has grown into a multi-billion-dollar corporation.

Most people believe that Panini is the biggest brand for NBA basketball cards because of the company’s emphasis on quality, artistry, and reputation. Panini entered the basketball space after negotiating exclusive trading card licensing deals with several top sports leagues.

Panini is currently the only company that is fully licensed by the NBA. They make a wide range of products in various price points. Some of their well-known products include Hoops which is a basic product, as well as high-end products such as Prizm and National Treasures which are highly coveted by collectors.

Upper Deck and Topps

While Upper Deck no longer has an NBA license, they were once one of the highly sought-after companies and they still hold player autograph rights for some of the NBA’s biggest names including Michael Jordan and Lebron James. This makes their products popular amongst autograph collectors as well as those collecting cards from previous years when they were licensed.

Topps is also no longer licensed for the NBA but was once a leading producer of these cards. As a result, cards produced by Topps during their licensure are popular and sought after by collectors.

Fleer

Finally, there is Fleer. Fleer is now owned by Upper Deck but was once its own company. Fleer was popular in basketball especially in the 1980’s and 1990’s. One of the most sought-after cards in all of basketball is Michael Jordan’s 1986-87 Fleer rookie card. This card commands significant value in the right condition and is considered Jordan’s “official rookie.” Fleer also made sticker sets in these years are popular amongst collectors.

Bottom Line

We hope that the information on these four manufacturers can help narrow down your search. Collecting basketball cards should be fun and economically wise. You always want the best quality for your money and the card’s brand is a critical quality factor.

Of course, besides the manufacturer, you need access to a reliable sports card expert that can help you find the right card, keep it in optimal condition, and sell it for the highest price. We at American Legends do all of that. Just get in touch and let’s get started.