Introduction
In 2009, Panini took over the basketball card market producing nearly all of the product. Because Panini was new, many collectors are unable to determine what sets from 2009 are the best. This article contains a checklist and price guide of the most valuable Stephen Curry rookie cards to invest in and collect.
2009 Panini Prestige
Panini’s first officially licensed NBA basketball set is their 2009 Prestige set. It is full of inserts, Bonus Shots parallels, autograph parallels, jersey swatches, RPAs, and a three-tier rookie card system, which was their primary focus. However, even though Panini made a set with many options, the design fails to meet the eye-appeal collectors’ wants.
Despite not having a tremendous eye appeal, the Panini Prestige set is home to one of the greatest NBA players of our generation, Steph Curry. So, which rookie cards are his best to collect? Regarding the rookies, the set consists of three versions, including #157, #207, and #230. Each card highlights Curry in his home and away jersey.
Base set parallels to consider.
When deciding on which Stephn Curry rookie to purchase, consider looking into the Bonus Shots parallels or Draft Picks Light Blue. They are all sequentially numbered and offer a lower supply than the base rookie cards. However, if you are on a budget, then PSA 10 examples of base rookies will be a great option because this is Panini’s first NBA set.
Here is a list of parallels with their respective print runs: Bonus Shots Orange (/300), Bonus Shots Green (/25), and Bonus Shots Black (/10) with autograph parallels from each. Moreover, there are the Draft Picks Lights Blue (/999), Draft Picks Rights (/699).
2009 Panini Prestige #157
Stephen Curry Draft Picks Light Blue (/999)
PSA 10 sold for $975
Curry’s rookie card #157 is the only card from the base set featuring him in his Warriors uniform. Even though he is at practice and not a live game, photos with players in their NBA uniform are often preferred when collecting rookie cards. Moreover, this version sells for about the same as his card #207, possibly due to his being in his Warriors jersey.
2009 Panini Prestige #207
Stephen Curry Draft Picks Light Blue (/999)
PSA 10 sold for $912
2009 Panini Prestige #230
Stephen Curry Draft Picks Light Blue (/999)
PSA 10 sold for $1,475
2009 Panini Prestige
Stephen Curry Draft Class Auto RC #7
PSA 9 sold for $2,850
2009 Panini Court Kings
The 2009 Panini Court Kings set has one card per rookie. Each card contains an autograph and has a print run out of /649. The photo of Curry has a watercolor effect which offers tremendous eye appeal; however, the signature is on a clear sticker in dark blue ink and is poorly placed, making it difficult to see.
Because this is the only Stephen Curry rookie card in the Court Kings set and has a small supply of 649, they sell for between $6,500-$8,000 when in PSA 10 conditions.
2009 Panini Court Kings
Stephen Curry RC Autograph #129
PSA 10 sold for $4,920
2009 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection
2009 U.D. Exquisite Collection
Stephen Curry RC Autograph #64
PSA 10 sold for $20,400
2009 Playoff Contenders
For a few reasons, the Playoff Contender’s rookie ticket autographs are some of the most valuable rookie cards to collect. First, the signatures are prominently displayed over a white background and are easily visible from a distance, unlike the Court King’s auto. Secondly, they feature on-card signatures and not sticker autos. Lastly, Players are in their respective NBA uniforms, not their college ones.
2009 Playoff Contenders
Stephen Curry RC Autograph #106
PSA 10 sold for $13,200
2009 Panini Crown Royale
2009 Panini Crown Royale
Stephen Curry RC Autograph #103
PSA 10 sold for $28,800
2009 Panini Absolute Memorabilia
2009 Panini Absolute
Stephen Curry Signature Materials #144
PSA 10 sold for $4,100
One of Curry’s more underrated rookie cards is his 2009 Absolute Memorabilia Signature Materials card. They feature three pieces of memorabilia, including basketball and jersey pieces, sticker autographs, low print run out of /499, and well-crafted designs. A PSA 9 example sold on eBay for $3,297, which is very affordable for what you’re getting.
2009 Panini Absolute
Stephen Curry RC #144
Signature Materials NBA Logo 1/1
PSA Authentic sold for $492,000
Stephen Curry’s signature materials, the NBA logo 1/1 rookie card, was sold at auction in May 2022 for $410,000 by Goldin Auctions. The owner of this card had PSA authentic the card and give the autograph a grade, which was a clever play because of the file edges and thicker cardstock; they are relatively challenging to grade.
2009 Panini Absolute
Stephen Curry RC #144
Signature Materials NBA Logo 1/1
PSA Authentic sold for $492,000
2009 Topps
2009 Topps
Stephen Curry RC #321
PSA 10 sold for $6,500
A PSA 10 Topps Stephen Curry rookie card sold at auction in November 2022 by Goldin Auctions for $6,500. PSA graded 3,873 of Curry’s base rookies, with 367 grading gem mint 10, 1,350 mint 9, and the remaining PSA 8.5 or less. PSA 10 examples are relatively rare, with only 367 in PSA’s population report.
2009 Topps
Stephen Curry Gold RC (/2009)
PSA 10 sold for $28,800
2009 Bowman ’48
2009 Bowman ’48
Stephen Curry RC #106
PSA 10 sold for $4,433
2009 Bowman ’48
Stephen Curry Blue RC (/1948)
PSA 10 sold for $8,400
2009 Bowman ’48
Stephen Curry Black RC (/48)
PSA 8 sold for $120,000
2009 Topps Chrome
The last year of Topps Chrome basketball is 2009, which is great news for Stephen Curry collectors because he just made the cut into the most significant modern-day set of all time. He has a rookie card in the collection of Hall of Famers such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, and so many more. If you’re looking to invest in Stephen Curry rookie cards, start collecting his Topps Chrome rookie cards because this is the go-to set for investors.
2009 Topps Chrome
Stephen Curry RC #101
PSA 10 sold for $26,400
2009 Topps Chrome
Stephen Curry Refractor RC (/999)
PSA 10 sold for $84,000
2009 Topps Chrome
Stephen Curry Refractor RC (/50)
PSA 8 sold for $204,000
2009 Playoff National Treasures
The most valuable modern-day rookie cards are found in the Panini National Treasures set. In 2009, the set was Playoff National Treasures; however, in 2010, Panini switched to “Panini” National Treasures. So, technically 2010 is the first year of Panini National Treasures, but most collectors consider it to be in 2009 despite having Playoff in the name.
Because National Treasure cards have substantial multi-color patches, short print runs, on-card autographs, and elegant designs, they have the highest demand. Moreover, the product cost is the highest of any product in Panini’s sports card line. Simply put, they are the best and a must-have for any serious sports card collector.
2009 Playoff National Treasures #206
Stephen Curry RC Autograph (/99)
PSA 9 sold for $1,080,000
A PSA 9 example of Curry’s National Treasures rookie patch auto was sold in August 2022 by Goldin Auctions for $1,080,000. This is his base set rookie and is his actual rookie from this set; therefore, it fetches the highest selling price of any of his National Treasures cards. His base card has three parallels: Gold (/25), Platinum (/5), and a Logoman 1/1.
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From a young age, Matt dove deep into sports card valuation, turning to esteemed price guides like Beckett and Tuff Stuff. Eventually he extended to Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, and Yu-Gi-Oh!. With a vision to sustain and nurture the hobby he loved, Matt established the ‘Graded Card Investor’ YouTube channel and website. He aims to foster a healthy community and offer invaluable insights to those entering the world of sports cards and TCGs. His depth of understanding, from the card market’s 2020 pinnacle to its 1990s valleys, is consistently fortified by meticulous research.
