Star Company basketball sets produced in the 1980's are very difficult to find and contain some of the most expensive and valuable cards in basketball history. Authentication and counterfeits are a concern though predominantly because the Michael Jordan rookie card in the regular 1984-85 Star Company set is worth a lot of money even in ungraded condition (significantly more than his 1986-87 Fleer rookie card).
The cards in this set are considered true rookie cards because they came closer to their first playing year and are truly the first rookie cards of the players. Many examples include Isiah Thomas, Michael Jordan, James Worthy, John Stockton and many more. Their rookie cards in Fleer basketball came after the year of their first Star Company cards. They are, hence, more valuable than their Fleer rookie cards. For example, the Isiah Thomas rookie Star Company card books at over $75 in the Beckett price guide if I am not mistaken. His Fleer 1986-87 rookie card books at $25.
The Star Company cards originally came in sealed team bagged sets. That is the best way to store these cards and collect them. I would recommend buying them that way if you buy them. Also, GAI is the best grading service for these cards in my opinion. They grade a large number of them and are widely recognized for their ability to grade these. They grade the Michael Jordan rookie card and even the sealed team bagged sets. Look up examples on ebay if you want to see pictures on them. See our other post for a link to ebay.
These cards are great investments. I personally cannot afford any of the big name rookie card sets, but I do have a couple of the sets put away that have good players in them and that were affordable. They are still affordable and if you do an ebay search for them, you will find a few that are not extremely expensive. Kruk Cards on ebay recently has been doing auctions with the cards and the ending price and their fixed price listings for the cards are very reasonable, and they have dealt with and sold the cards for many years. There are other collectors and sellers who are considered authorities on these cards. With this type of card, it is good to buy from a reputable source and to do some research on them because of the slight chance of you buying a counterfeit card by mistake.
In 1983-84 star company basketball cards, the rookie class is lead by Clyde Drexler, Isiah Thomas and Dominique Wilkins. 1984-85 star has the coveted Michael Jordan rookie, Akeem (Hakeem) Olajuwon, John Stockton, Charles Barkley in addition to some valuable olympic and special cards of Michael Jordan. 1985-86 star company has the rookie card of Patrick Ewing.
The bottom line opinion on these from me is, these are the best basketball rookies money can buy that are relatively close to the current era of basketball. Unless we are talking Oscar Robertson or Jerry West or Lew Alcindor or George Mikan or Wilt Chamberlein, there are no better sets of cards to have.
http://www.mybaseballcardspace.info/Star_Company_Bagged_Set
http://www.mybaseballcardspace.info/1984_85_Star_Company
http://www.mybaseballcardspace.info/1983_Star_Company
http://www.mybaseballcardspace.info/Star_Company_Listings
1989 Score Football 1989 Topps Baseball 1982 Topps Baseball 1983 Topps Baseball 1983 Star Company
Star Company Bagged Set 1986-87 Fleer 1993 Bowman 1992 Bowman 1985 Donruss
1981 Topps Baseball 1988 Topps Baseball 1980 Topps 1987 Topps 1985 Topps Baseball
vintage card 1951 Bowman 1953 Topps 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle 1980-81 Topps
Upper Deck Exquisite Basketball 1987-88 Fleer Basketball 1981-82 Topps