Magic Johnson is both one of the greatest point guards and one of the greatest winners in NBA history. The Los Angeles Lakers legend won a total of 5 titles with the team and was the MVP of 3 of those series.

Collectors are always seeking to get their hands on Magic's cards. His rookie card, however, is shared with his all-time rival Larry Bird. That doesn't mean, however, that there aren't awesome individual Johnson cards to collect. Here are some intriguing options.

 1981 Topps 

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For several years, Topps produced the only licensed basketball cards on the market. Their last set for a while came in 1981. They would not produce another set until 1992. Magic Johnson had his first individual card in this set. The issue features the point guard charging to the rim and splitting two defenders.

At this point, Magic was already a shining star in the NBA. In his rookie year, he led the Lakers to the NBA championship and showed his versatility by playing guard, forward, and center during the finals. The card is sought after by collectors and sells for $850 in a PSA 9.

1983 Star 

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There was a big gap between the 1981 Topps set and the landmark 1986 Fleer set. During that time, though, Star basketball cards filled the gap. The cards came in bagged team sets rather than packs. Johnson has several cards, but the most sought-after comes in the 1983 set.

Johnson's '83 card is bordered by Lakers' gold making for an attractive issue. If you do look to purchase Star basketball cards, make sure to look for graded issues as there are issues with counterfeiting. Prices can vary for the card, but a BGS 9.5 copy sold for close to $2,000.

1986 Fleer 

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The 1986 Fleer set, which includes rookie cards for Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and many others, is one of the true landmarks of the hobby. Since the off only includes 132 cards, many collectors have attempted to build complete sets.

Johnson's card, though not a rookie, has still been heavily sought out over the years. And as a result of that fact, the card is not cheap. Expect a PSA 9 copy of the card to set you back around $600.

1995 Topps Finest Refractor 

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As sports fans know, Johnson retired in 1991 after contracting HIV. He stayed retired for four years but returned in 1995 to play 32 games for the Lakers. During that age 36 season, the legend was still plenty effective. He averaged 14.6 points per game to go along with 6.6 assists and 5.9 rebounds.

During the mid-90's Topps began releasing their Finest set, a premium offering. These cards were popular and much nicer than the ones produced during Johnson's earlier career. The refractor parallels also gave hobbyists chase cards to collect. A PSA 9 version of Magic's 1995 Topps Finest card sells for a little under $100, making it a nice option for the budget-conscious.

2003 Ultimate Collection Auto

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In Johnson's playing days, unlike today, pulling an autographed card out of a pack was quite uncommon. But nowadays, there are purchaseable packs that include 2 or 3 signed cards. Still, a card signed by one of the great players in NBA history is highly sought after.

One of several available Magic Johnson's signed cards comes in the 2003 Ultimate Collection set. Collectors can expect to spend between $500 and $1000 depending on the card's condition.

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.