Steph Curry’s rookie year was a significant one for NBA cards in general, because it was the year Panini won the deal to exclusively produce NBA cards.
His best rookie card is his 2009-10 National Treasures Patch Autograph card, but very few collectors have the budget to buy one of the few copies of it – It’s one of the most expensive basketball cards out there; He does have some other great alternatives, and I’ve covered them all below.
Although Panini’s deal started in 2009, other Manufacturers, like Topps and Upper Deck, did manage to release some Steph Curry rookies before their deals ran out.
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Quick Summary: Top 3 Picks
What Are The Best Steph Curry Rookie Cards?
There’s 27 different Steph Curry rookie cards, and they’re some of the most sought after NBA cards on the market.
There’s lots for collectors to choose from, with the higher-end and more valuable options being autographed and relic cards; Here’s the best 10 options:
2009-10 Playoff National Treasures Stephen Curry Patch Autograph #206
For me, and many others, Curry’s 2009-10 Playoff National Treasures patch auto card is without a doubt his best and most valuable rookie.
There are a few reasons why this card holds more value than the rest of his rookie cards – Firstly, there’s only 99 base copies of the card in existence, and some limited parallel versions.
The high-end National Treasures product also features a large relic patch which adds to the appeal, plus an on-card signature from Curry.
The card also shows an image of Steph Curry in the Warriors jersey, with the word ‘Rookie’.
The base card itself has sold for as much as $720k before (graded BGS 9.5), but the parallels are even more expensive; The 1-of-1 Logoman Patch parallel of this one sold for $5.9 million in 2021, which made it the most expensive basketball card of all time, and one of the most expensive sports card sales ever.
2009-10 Crown Royale Stephen Curry Autograph #103
The Crown Royale card ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to what collectors want from a rookie card, and that makes it one of Steph Curry’s more popular rookies.
Although the checkered background is a little random, the bold gold foil crown on the die-cut design and the on-card signature gives the card a lot of appeal.
It’s another which is quite rare, with only 399 copies.
2009-10 Panini Classics Stephen Curry Autograph #166
Although the Panini Classics Stephen Curry rookie card isn’t as scarce as some of his other auto rookie cards, with 499 copies released, it does hold more value than many of the others because of the on-card signature, which is a major selling point.
A lot of Curry’s auto rookie cards have signature stickers as opposed to this hard-signed option, so while it might be slightly easier to get hold of, the selling point is the signature, and therefore it tends to hold a higher value.
2009-10 Exquisite Collection Stephen Curry Autograph #64
As mentioned earlier, although Panini won exclusive rights to NBA cards in 2009, a few of the other manufacturers did manage to release a Steph Curry rookie before their deals ran out, and this card is one of those, released by Upper Deck.
Exquisite cards were some of the first high-end premium cards the basketball card hobby had seen back when they were first released in the early 2000s, and the 2009-10 Curry Exquisite rookie card is part of the last released set.
The brand and product carries weight, and this is a popular Steph Curry rookie card – Definitely one of my favorites, and I’ve been lucky to hold one in person.
It’s one of his rarest rookies as well, with only 225 copies. The on-card signature adds to its already high appeal.
This one has had multiple sales of well over $50k before.
2009-10 Playoff Contenders Stephen Curry Autograph #106
Another popular Stephen Curry rookie card entry is the 2009-10 Playoff Contenders card, which bears similarity to some other sports cards, particularly some we see in football.
While it isn’t a numbered card, it does have a big on-card signature, so it does hold good value.
You can expect to pay at least $10-12k for high graded copies of this one.
2009-10 Limited Phenoms Stephen Curry Autograph #156
The 2009-10 Limited Steph Curry rookie card is another of his rarest, with just 299 copies released.
The card uses a bold foil stock with a colorful design – The selling point for this card is the autograph, although it’s a sticker auto, and the jersey swatch.
2009-10 Absolute Memorabilia Stephen Curry Patch Autograph #144
The 2009-10 Absolute Memorabilia Curry rookie card has quite a lot going on – It’s a busy looking card, but has some nice touches.
It has an autograph sticker instead of on-card, but it’s the relic pieces in the ‘NBA’ letters that take up the majority of the card, with only a small section devoted to the image of Steph Curry himself.
This is another that is quite rare, with only 499 copies, and some parallel versions; The most coveted 1-of-1 Logoman patch parallel sold for $492k in 2022, which makes it one of his best and most expensive rookies.
2009-10 Court Kings Stephen Curry Autograph #129
The 2009-10 Court Kings Stephen Curry rookie card offers an artistic design and a nice card.
Although quite subtle, the card includes an autograph, which is a sticker rather than an on-card signature. It is one of his more common autographed rookie cards, with 649 copies.
2009-10 Topps Chrome Stephen Curry #101
Topps did manage to release this Steph Curry rookie card as part of the 2009-10 Topps Basketball set, which was their last in the sport before Panini’s exclusivity deal.
While it hasn’t got an autograph or patch on the card, like most of Curry’s valuable rookie cards, it’s still one of his best and most valuable rookies.
The base card is numbered to 999, and you can expect to pay multiple thousands for it in high grades.
There are also some more scarce and valuable parallels, which are among his most expensive basketball cards ever.
A BGS 9.5 graded copy of the Gold Refractor parallel (/50) sold for $336k in 2022.
2009-10 Rookies And Stars Stephen Curry Patch Autograph #136
This card does have a large material patch, taking up pretty much the whole card, but it’s worth noting it is not match-worn jersey material, which is a downside to this one.
Having said that, it’s still an appealing card, which is limited to 449 base copies (and some parallel versions), and it can be bought for a reasonable price.
The appeal does come from the large signature which is signed directly onto the material, something that increases the demand for the card; The only issue with the signature is that it’s potential to fade over time is higher.
When Was Steph Curry’s Rookie Season?
Stephen Curry’s rookie season was the 2009-10 season – He was selected as 7th overall pick by the Golden State Warriors in the 2009 NBA Draft.
How Much Is A Steph Curry Rookie Card Worth?
The value of a Steph Curry rookie card depends on a number of factors. He has 27 different cards from his rookie year, with varying levels of rarity.
High graded copies range from a few hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands, and in some cases millions, for the rarest Steph Curry rookie cards.
Steph Curry is a popular player, and one of NBA’s greatest ever, so his basketball cards are in high-demand, his rookie cards do hold a lot of value.
What Is The Most Expensive Steph Curry Rookie Card?
The 2009-10 Panini Playoff National Treasures (#206) card is the most valuable of all Stephen Curry rookie cards.
It’s had multiple sales of well over $500k in high grades, and in 2021 the 1-of-1 Logoman Patch parallel version sold for $5.9 million, which at the time made it not only one of the most expensive sports cards ever sold, but the most expensive basketball card of all time.
Is A Steph Curry Rookie A Good Investment?
Steph Curry has established himself as one of the NBA’s greatest players of all time. He’s a popular player, with a clean image, and his rookie cards should do well over time.
Some of his rookie cards already sell for big money, but there are scarce autographed options, like a few that have been listed above, which are still good value, and could definitely rise in value over time.
What Year Were Steph Curry Rookie Cards Released?
Stephen Curry’s rookie cards were released in 2009, ahead of his debut 2009-10 season in the NBA.
Stephen Curry: A Background
Stephen Curry has established himself as one of the greatest players the NBA has ever seen – There’s no doubt he’s up there with the likes of Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, among others.
Not only is Steph Curry a likable character, with a clean image, he’s also an exciting player. As one of the best all-time three-point shooters, he’s got the whole package.
His popularity had a sharp rise in 2015, when he led the Golden State Warriors to the NBA championship for the first time, with subsequent NBA titles coming for Curry in 2017, 2018 and 2022.
The 2 time NBA Most Valuable Player award winner, and 8 time NBA All-Star has only risen in status and popularity since that first championship in 2015, so naturally his basketball cards are in high-demand.
