Top 15 Most Valuable Kevin Garnett Rookie Cards
Kevin Garnett, one of the greatest PFs of all-time, played 21 seasons in the NBA and won a NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008 alongside HOF greats Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.
He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and basketball card investors aim to complete the entire 15 card Kevin Garnett PSA Registry Set.
KG’s ROOKIE CARDS is the only complete PSA 10 gem mint set in the world and won the 2022 award for best overall collection. The estimated value for this entire PSA 10 collection is $2,600.
In this article, I’ll cover the best Kevin Garnett rookie cards for sports card investors and how much money Kevin Garnett’s rookie cards are worth.
New to the sports card industry? Read my beginner’s guide to sports card investing to learn the basics.
Best Kevin Garnett Rookie Cards (September 2022 Price Guide)
Set | Card No. | Ungraded Value | PSA 10 Value |
---|---|---|---|
1995-96 Topps Finest | 115 | $70 | $700 |
1995-96 Topps Gallery | 41 | $5 | $474 |
1995-96 SP Championship | 62 | $5 | $274 |
1995-96 Topps | 237 | $6 | $90 |
1995-96 SP | 159 | $10 | $45 |
1995-96 Skybox E-XL | 49 | $10 | $120 |
1995-96 Flair | 206 | $5 | $170 |
1995-96 Metal | 167 | $5 | $89 |
1995-96 Skybox Premium | 233 | $3 | $70 |
1995-96 NBA Hoops | 272 | $5 | $200 |
1995-96 Fleer | 293 | $3 | $79 |
1995-96 Fleer Ultra | 274 | $2 | $81 |
1995-96 Upper Deck | 273 | $2 | $105 |
1995-96 Stadium Club | 343 | $2 | $56 |
1995-96 Collector’s Choice | 275 | $2 | $65 |
1. 1995-96 Finest Kevin Garnett Rookie #115
The 1995-96 Topps Finest Basketball Kevin Garnett basketball card is KG’s most valuable and expensive rookie card due to its high quality and rarity. This card comes in 1995-96 Finest Series 1 Basketball Packs, which were sold in 24-pack hobby boxes.
Finest released this set with a clear protective peel that many collectors removed.
The idea was that they would protect the surfaces, which were prone to scratching. Today, many cards still have the peel, even though it makes the card less attractive as the labels run diagonally throughout the card. Taking the peels off can be risky as it requires picking at the edges. They can be removed without damaging the card, but it is a risk many collectors aren’t willing to take.
Finding a gem mint 10 with the coating is difficult, adding to this card’s value. This card comes in a coated refractor version although it’s extremely rare and hardly available for purchase online.
There are 459 PSA 10 versions (w/o coating) out of the 2,600+ cards graded. 343 PSA 10 version (w/ coating) out of 3,000+ cards makes the coated version more valuable and expensive for collectors.
The PSA 9 sold for $90 while a PSA 10 sold for $700 (August 2022).
2. 1995-96 Topps Gallery Kevin Garnet Rookie #41
This card is the 2nd most valuable Kevin Garnett rookie behind the infamous Topps Finest issue. The Topps Gallery raw ungraded base sells for cheap online but it’s become almost impossible to obtain a PSA 10 in gem mint condition. There are only 5 PSA 10 versions out of 312 cards graded. Most of these Gem Mint 10’s are on showcase in the PSA set registry, making it even more difficult to find them available online. The PSA 10 version sold for $474 (November 2021).
3. 1995-96 SP Championship Kevin Garnett Rookie #62
This card is the 3rd most valuable Kevin Garnett Rookie and features in Upper Deck’s SP (Short Print) Championship set. These cards sell for low price in the raw ungraded version but carry high values in the PSA 10 Gem Mint version. That’s because the PSA population for the PSA 10 is extremely low. There are only 8 PSA 10 version out of 277 cards graded. Most of these Gem Mint 10’s are showcased on the PSA set registry, making it difficult to find them for sale online. The PSA 10 version sold for $274 on eBay (June 2022).
4. 1995-96 Topps Kevin Garnett Rookie #237
Kevin Garnett’s Topps rookie is the 2nd most valuable after card for investors. The PSA 10 version is somewhat rare on eBay with only 700 PSA 10 versions out of the 4,000+ cards graded. This card is a good investment for value collectors who cannot afford the holy grail, Topps Finest version. The PSA 10 sold for $90 on eBay (August 2022).
5. 1995-96 SP Kevin Garnett Rookie #159
Kevin Garnett’s SP rookie was Upper Deck’s limited edition set back in the 90’s. It’s one of my favorite cards and one of the hardest to find PSA gem mint 10. There are currently only 600 PSA 10 versions out of 5,000+ cards graded. This is one of the better long term investments in my opinion. The PSA version sold for $45 on eBay (August 2022).
6. 1995-96 Skybox E-XL Kevin Garnett Rookie #49
The Skybox E-XL featured a portrait-like version of KG’s rookie card as he holds another classic pose. This is one of the more beautiful Kevin Garnett rookie cards and is very popular with collectors. The PSA 10 version sold for $120 on eBay (August 2022).
7. 1995-96 Flair Kevin Garnett Rookie #206
Fleer was a dominant basketball card company in the 90’s and they produced another premium set called Flair. KG is featured backing down a defender into the paint along with another defensive pose in the lower bottom corner of the card. There are only 115 PSA 10 versions out of the 1,336 cards graded. The PSA 10 version sold for around $170 on eBay (August 2022).
8. 1995-95 Metal Kevin Garnett Rookie #167
Metal was another Fleer product that was printed in large numbers compared to KG’s more rare rookie cards. There are only 569 PSA 10 versions out of 3,500+ cards graded. The PSA 10 version sold for $89 on eBay (August 2022).
9. 1995-96 Skybox Premium Kevin Garnett Rookie #233
Skybox released 2 separate sets in 95-96 and Skybox Premium was the lower end offering. KG is featured grabbing a rebound with the word “Rookie” spelled in big letters. There are only 57 PSA 10 versions out of 934 cards graded. This is one of the more difficult cards to own in Gem Mint 10 condition. The PSA 10 version sold for $70 on eBay (August 2022).
10. 1995-96 NBA Hoops Kevin Garnett Rookie #272
NBA Hoops was a popular, low budget set in the 90’s and KG is featured holding the basketball with a photoshopped background. There are 71 PSA 10 versions out of 700+ cards graded. There aren’t many gem mint 10 versions for sale online, making this one of the harder cards to obtain. The PSA 10 version sold for $200 on eBay (April 2022).
11. 1995-96 Fleer Kevin Garnett Rookie #293
This set featured 2 different KG rookies: a base rookie and FF version in the same set. #293 is the only card in the set that shows “Rookie” on the card so that’s my focus for this set. The card features KG going up for a rebound. There are only 77 PSA 10 versions out of 700+ cards graded. The PSA 10 card sold for $79 on eBay (August 2022).
12. 1995-96 Fleer Ultra Kevin Garnett Rookie #274
This card features KG dunking over a defender and stands as another lower end Kevin Garnett rookie. Fleer Ultra was a step above the basic Fleer set but not as rare as the 1995-95 SP Basketball set. There are 331 PSA 10 versions out of 1,500+ card graded. The PSA 10 went for around $80 on eBay (August 2022).
13. 1995-96 Upper Deck Kevin Garnett Rookie #273
This particular card is one of Garnett’s lower end rookies that’s available for cheap online. The card features KG grabbing a rebound off a miss. This card comes in 3 different versions: Base, Electric Court, and Electric Court gold. There are only 47 PSA 10 base versions out of 685 cards graded. The PSA 10 version went for $105 on eBay (August 2022).
14. 1995-95 Stadium Club Kevin Garnett Rookie #343
This card is another one of Kevin Garnett’s lower end rookie card. The card features him posing with his hands on his hips. This card comes in 3 different variations: Base, Member’s Only, and Orange Gold Foil.
There are only 92 PSA 10 versions out of 630+ cards graded. The PSA 10 version sold for $56 on eBay (August 2022).
15. 1995-96 Collector’s Choice Kevin Garnett Rookie #275
This card is the cheapest Kevin Garnett rookie card on the official PSA Kevin Garnett rookie set list. The card features KG posting up in the paint. Upper Deck produced Collector’s Choice as an affordable low end brand for pure collectors. Thus, these KG cards have some of the lowest resale values on eBay.
However, there are 3 different variations of this card: Base card, Player’s Club, and Player’s Club Platinum. The Player’s club variation has a silver-grey border while the base version has a white border.
The PSA population for the PSA 10 base version is 316 out of 836 cards graded. This card is one of the easier KG rookies to obtain in Gem Mint 10 condition. The PSA 10 base version sold for $65 on eBay (August 2022).
Where to Buy Kevin Garnett Rookie Cards
eBay is the best place to buy Kevin Garnett rookie cards for investment. You can search raw, PSA, or BGS graded versions easily or invest in raw ungraded cards and send them in for grading yourself.
Tracking Your Kevin Garnett Rookie Card Investments
Market Movers is the best sports card investment tool for tracking your Kevin Garnett basketball card collection. You can start managing your collection for as little as $9.95 per month.