The Charles Barkley rookie card came out at a time when the hobby was simpler. That said, which card you choose to be is up for debate. Collectors have a couple of choices as to where they could assign the RC tag to Sir Charles. One’s a clear “first card” while the other meets all of the traditional criteria. Between both are a handful of other important Charles Barkley cards that can keep collectors busy.
Simple times, indeed.
Here’s a closer look at all of them so you can decide which (or both) Charles Barkley rookie card you’d go for.
Charles Barkley Rookie Card Guide
1984-85 Star Charles Barkley #202
The 1984-85 Star Charles Barkley is his first fully licensed NBA card. But is it his rookie card? That’s up for some debate. Under traditional definitions, the limited team set distribution of 1984-85 Star disqualified it. Still, it’s Barkley’s first NBA card. And while not plentiful like his first pack-inserted cards, it’s not overly rare either. It’s estimated that north of 3,000 sets were produced.
No matter the label you want to put on it, this is one of the most significant Charles Barkley cards, period. Collectors should be careful of counterfeits and reprints, though. This is the case for all major Star cards. For piece of mind, copies graded and certified by PSA and BGS are probably the safest route to go on this one.
Shop for professionally graded copies: 7 NM | 8 NM-MT | 9 Mint | 9.5/10 Gem Mint
1986-87 Fleer Charles Barkley Rookie Card #7
1986-87 Fleer Basketball is where most consider the Charles Barkley rookie card hails from. The iconic set has all the hallmarks of a mainstream release including licensing, wide distribution and packs. Because there was a lull of several years after Topps exited the sport, the checklist has a backlog of rookie cards including Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone and some guy named Michael Jordan. Barkley ranks second in value in the set after his 1992 Dream Team teammate.
Shop for professionally graded copies: 7 NM | 8 NM-MT | 9 Mint | 9.5/10 Gem Mint
Star Search: Charles Barkley Star Cards
Star released several smaller thematic basketball card sets in the mid 1980s that Barkley is a part of. They may not have the prestige of his main 1984-85 Star or 1986-87 Fleer releases, but they’re still significant when you look at early Charles Barkley cards. They can carry significant values as well.
1984-85 Star Court Kings 5×7 Charles Barkley #41
Barkley’s second 1984-85 Star card goes big — literally. Measuring 5″ by 7″, it brings a larger format. It’s part of a 50-card set that was split into two series. Barkley is part of the second installment that also includes Michael Jordan, Hakeem (Akeem) Olajuwon and Isiah Thomas. Card collectors can be fickle at times, particularly when it comes to size. Typically, anything modern that’s bigger or smaller than the standard 2.5″ by 3.5″ loses some appeal. When compared to his regular 1984-85 Star card, the Court Kings Charles Barkley is much more affordable. For those looking for a display piece, the larger size has some benefits as well.
And, yes, that same photo was used a couple of years later for Barkley’s 1986-87 Fleer rookie card.
Shop for professionally graded copies: 8 NM-MT | 9 Mint | 9.5/10 Gem Mint
1985 Star Gatorade Slam Dunk Charles Barkley
The 1985 Star Gatorade Slam Dunk Charles Barkley is one of his more interesting early cards. Complete sets were given to attendees of the 1985 All-Star Weekend Banquet. The thing is, Barkley wasn’t one of the nine cards in the set. The 76ers star was originally slated to compete in the Slam Dunk contest but didn’t. Terence Stansbury not only replaced him in the festivities but on the checklist as well. That said, Barkley cards did surface on the secondary market, albeit in understandably smaller numbers. The card is considered a short print.
Shop for professionally graded copies: 8 NM-MT | 9 Mint | 9.5/10 Gem Mint
1985 Star Team 5×7 Charles Barkley #8
Another oversized Charles Barkley Star card measuring 5″ by 7″, this one (sometimes called Star Team Supers) was sold as part of a ten-card 76ers set at the team’s arena. The print run is estimated to be around 5,000 copies. Like Sir Charles’ Gatorade card, the larger format means a lower value compared to some of his other issues from the company.
Shop for professionally graded copies: 8 NM-MT | 9 Mint | 9.5/10 Gem Mint
1985-86 Star Charles Barkley #2
Barkley’s second-year Star card is like a lot of other second-year cards — overlooked and maybe even underappreciated. Sure, it’s not first out of the gate like his 1984-85 Star release but it’s still a year prior to 1986-87 Fleer Basketball. Barkley is part of the set’s first series. Like past sets, it came is part of a polybagged team set.
Without the rookie debate attached to it, the 1985-86 Star Charles Barkley carries less value than both his 1984-85 Star and 1986-87 Fleer cards.
Shop for professionally graded copies: 8 NM-MT | 9 Mint | 9.5/10 Gem Mint
1985-86 Star All-Rookie Team Charles Barkley #3
This early Charles Barkley card is part of a small but loaded set honoring the NBA’s top rookies from the 1985 season. The checklist has just 11 cards and also includes Michael Jordan, Hakeem (Akeem) Olajuwon and John Stockton. It carries an estimated print run of about 5,000 copies.
Shop for professionally graded copies: 8 NM-MT | 9 Mint | 9.5/10 Gem Mint
1986 Star Court Kings Charles Barkley #3
Star Court Kings returns with another early Charles Barkley card. However, this time, it’s a standard-sized release versus the 5×7 from 1984-85. By Star standards, this is a larger mini set consisting of 33 cards. The checklist is a strong one, too, withBarkley joining Jordan, Olajuwon, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius Erving, Patrick Ewing and more.
Shop for professionally graded copies: 8 NM-MT | 9 Mint | 9.5/10 Gem Mint
Early Oddballs
1984-85 Al Rubin Appliances 76ers Charles Barkley
If you’re looking for obscure and rare early Charles Barkley cards, this is it. Measuring 4 9/16” x 7 1/16″, it’s part of a nine-card set dedicated to the Philadelphia 76ers. To this day, it’s still shrouded in a lot of mystery. The local sponsorship could suggest a team giveaway or some sort of local promotion at the store itself.
1985-86 JMS Game Charles Barkley #4
Long before Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon there was the JMS Game. The 1985-86 installment of the tabletop game included sheets from three teams: the 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. The team sheets came perforated so it’s expected that you’ll find this one with little nubs around the outside. This is a somewhat obscure card compared to Barkley’s more mainstream releases but they are out there.
Shop for professionally graded copies: 8 NM-MT | 9 Mint | 9.5/10 Gem Mint
