1986 Star Best Of The New/Old Set - Star Basketball Cards

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Fast Facts

Year(s) Issued: 1986
Number Cards: 8
Common Card Value (Ex Condition): $40
Estimated Production Run: ~440 (Best Of Old), ~4000+ (Best Of New)

Full 1986 Star Best Of New/Old Checklist

1986 Star Best Of New/Old On Ebay

KEYS FOR COLLECTORS

Small set of only eight cards, featuring four ‘Best Of The New’ players and four ‘Best Of The Old’ players
The cards were issued to dealers who purchased 85-86 Star Complete Sets (source Beckett)
While stated production of bagged sets was at under 1000, more of the Best of The New cards were printed and issued—likely on par with other major set issues (source Basketball Gold)
The Jordan card from the set is highly counterfeited…so beware.
The limited bags in supply should have a Ewing on top, there are many sold on eBay with a Jordan on top and these are not authentic bags (more on this below).

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1986 Star Best Of The New/Old – Summary

The Best Of The New/Old set was distributed to Star dealers who purchased complete 85-86 Star sets and was provided one for every five complete Star sets purchased.

The set features four “Best Of The New” cards featuring the younger star players of the day and four veteran stars –or “Best Of The Old” cards. The Best Of The New cards have a light blue front border, whereas the Best Of The Old cards have a yellow front border. See below:

The backs of both issues feature a white back with blue text. See this Jordan card from the set for an example. The cards are not numbered and do not feature any stat lines; instead, they provide highlights from the player’s career and/or collegiate career.

The Best Of The Old cards are much rarer with a stated release of only 440 sets. Notably the Best Of The New Issue was printed in higher quantities, likely due to the popularity of the Jordan issue. Estimated production runs for the Best Of The New set is on par with other regular issue sets–likely in the 4000+ ballpark.

Fake Best Of The New Jordans are very common, as are tampered or fake bags that show a Jordan on the outside of the bag. The Best Of The New bag should have a Ewing on top….such as the one below:

Bags like this are commonly found on eBay. Just know that bags were not issued with a Jordan on top. Since the cards were reprinted later on, this set is commonly re-bagged, so just understand that even if there is a Jordan on top of the bag, it’s possible that the cards inside are real—but caveat emptor.