Vintage Basketball Cards
From All Over The World
Featuring my personal collection
A contribution of images and information for vintage and rare basketball card collectors
The collection consists of cards and memorabilia spanning from the 1890's until around 1970
Ask most collectors about early vintage basketball cards and they will typically mention the classics: 1948 Bowman, 1957 Topps, or 1961 Fleer. More acute hobbyists may note the 1910 Murad College Series, 1933 Sport Kings, or some of the small oddball sets of the 1950s.
Likely what's referenced are American cards, featuring American teams and players. All of these old cards are special, and in some cases extremely rare, with a avid niche of collectors hunting down the nicest and scarcest examples.
This collection features some of those remarkable and unique cards, although many elude me, due to their scarcity or price. I also have an affinity for pre-war cards (prior to 1940), for which there are limited U.S. examples. These realizations have led me to expand the focus of my collection to include International vintage basketball cards.
Since shortly after it's inception, basketball has spread across the world, with many countries actively playing the game for over 100 years. They too, have featured their favorite players and teams on sports cards. Some of the very early releases are generic, with just a simple illustrated image accompanied by a short description of basketball. Others highlight the sport at the Olympic games and various international tournaments. Many feature the Harlem Globetrotters on one of their many world tours. Some are humorous. Some have incredible design. Many were produced in shapes and sizes that are very different then our domestic releases. There are plentiful foreign star players and teams, with a lot of new history to take in. The diversity of what's out there is pretty astounding.
There were hundreds of worldwide releases between the 1920s and 1960s, and more continue to be unearthed. This website attempts to shine a light on these lesser known international cards and document them with images, release years, and whatever information I'm able to find. I have really enjoyed the challenge of hunting these cards down and the thrill of making new discoveries.
I hope that this site is informative, helpful, and inspires you to expand your own collection. Feel free to contact me with any of your own finds, questions, or any cards that you may be selling or trading. I'm always interested in adding cards to the collection that I don't already have.
Happy Hunting! - Adam
