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PSA to begin grading more Star Basketball cards, artist ‘sketch’ cards
PSA began grading the popular and controversial Star Basketball cards last year, beginning with the renowned 1984-85 set that includes the first official trading cards of NBA Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Now, through a policy change that affects three types of trading cards, PSA is now accepting submissions for the remaining balance of Star sets released between 1983-1986 to be graded.
PSA stopped grading Star cards in the early 1990s due to issues surrounding the legitimacy of several cards that surfaced after the card manufacturer lost its NBA license and started liquidating assets. But after reviewing the Star situation last year, PSA has decided that enough information is now available to allow PSA personnel to properly examine and grade the cards.
The move is expected to be a big boost for basketball card collectors who have been waiting for years to get their Star cards authenticated and graded.
Star Basketball sets now eligible for grading include: 1983 Star All Stars; 1983-84 Star; 1984 Star Larry Bird; 1984 Star Celtics Champions; 1984 Star All Stars; 1984 Star Slam Dunk; 1984 Star All Star Game Denver Police; 1983-84 Star All Rookies; 1983-84 Star Sixers Champions; 1984 Star Award Banquet (label 1984); 1984 Star Arena Sets (Label all 1984 sans Celtics, which is 1984-85); 1984-85 Star Julius Erving; 1984-85 Star Mr. Z’s Pizza; 1985 Star Miller Lite; 1985 Star Coaches; 1985 Star Kareem Abdul Jabbar; 1985 Star Gatorade; 1985 Star Crunch ‘n Munch; 1985-86 Star All Rookies; 1985 Star Rookie of the Year; 1985 Star Schick; 1985 Star Bucks Card Night; 1986 Star Bucks Lifebuoy; 1986 Star Nets Lifebuoy; 1985 Star Team Supers 5x7; 1985 Star Slam Dunk Supers 5x7; 1984-85 Star Court Kings Supers 5x7; 1986 Star Best of the Old; 1986 Star Court Kings’ 1984-85 Star Franz Bread; and 1985-86 Star Franz Bread.
PSA is also expanding its card grading services to include two other previously restricted releases.
Starting this month, PSA also will be accepting card submissions that contain metal Pokémon cards and confirmed “sketch” cards from major manufacturers.
“Due to new, verified discoveries by our Research team, as well as advancements made to our card holders with the recessed area, we’re now allowing these types of cards to be submitted,” PSA President Ryan Hoge said. “We are confident these new offerings will be met with great enthusiasm from countless members of the collecting community.”
Metal Pokémon cards were released in only a handful of sets, but the most popular ones come from the 2021 Celebrations Ultra-Premium Collection, which included metal reprints of the classic Charizard and Pikachu base set cards.
PSA initially stopped grading these cards because the encapsulation process was causing some of the paint on the cards to chip. But after reassessing the sealing process, adding protective Mylar padding and expanding the inner design of the holder to accommodate these types of cards, PSA is now accepting metal Pokémon cards for grading.
PSA is also now accepting rare artist renderings known as “sketch” cards. It previously discontinued grading sketch cards because many unlicensed examples surfaced that could not be verified as authentic.
PSA is now accepting sketch cards released from a major manufacturer such as Panini, Topps, Upper Deck, Cryptozoic, Rittenhouse, etc. if the card is part of a set checklist. PSA will not grade the card if the artist cannot be identified.
