It’s one of the more unique designs in Topps history and there are many years where it wouldn't really work. However, considering that Magic Johnson and Larry Bird will forever be joined at the figurative hip, the 1980-81 rookie card they share seems oddly appropriate. The 1980-81 Topps basketball issue features three rectangular player photos per card, separated by perforations. Yes, 32 years ago, Topps decided you should be able to play ‘tear-away’ with your basketball cards. Putting Magic and Larry together on the same card—together with a Julius Erving Scoring Leaders—was quite a landmark moment for the hobby, even if we really didn't appreciate it for a few more years. At the time, basketball cards were basically an afterthought. In fact, after one more year of producing cards (this time with three ‘regional’ sets), Topps gave up on the NBA for a decade. This week, we’re offering via our weekly eBay auctions, a PSA 8-graded Bird-Johnson-Erving card. High grade examples of this iconic rookie card are difficult to find because it often shows a black mark from the printing process. The card we’re offering does have a bit of stray ink but unlike most of the Bird-Johnson rookie cards, it’s beautifully centered. Any card showing these two amazing superstars at the beginning of their pro careers—not to mention the addition of Dr. J—makes it one of the most highly collected cards in the hobby and one with a bright future. The George Mikan Bowman rookie card from the late 1940’s is often deemed the ‘holy grail’ of hoops cards and it’s very rare in high grade also. However, a lot of collectors believe this might be the best basketball card ever made since it represents the first Topps appearance of two of the greatest players of all-time along with the immensely popular Hall of Famer in Erving. We've seen some strong bids on this one early and we suspect it’ll continue. If you've been looking to add a higher grade example to your collection without breaking the bank, this one would fit the bill nicely.
