Steve Taft: Counterfeits, Grading + The Truth About Star Basketball Cards | Sports Cards Live

Steve Taft has been collecting, dealing, researching, and studying sports cards since the 1960s, making him one of the hobby's true veterans and one of the foremost experts on Star basketball cards. In this wide-ranging conversation, Jeremy and Steve explore the evolution of the hobby from the early card shows of the 1970s through the modern grading era. They discuss how collecting has changed, whether investing has overtaken collecting, the rise of third-party grading, and why condition standards evolved the way they did. Steve also shares the remarkable story behind the original production transparency used to create the iconic 1984-85 Star Michael Jordan #101 card. A newly formed LLC is attempting to sell the one-of-one piece of hobby history with a reported **$25 million asking price**, raising fascinating questions about provenance, rarity, and value. The conversation then dives deep into the history of Star basketball cards, the Type 1 versus Type 2 controversy, counterfeit detection, PSA's decades-long decision not to grade Star cards, Nat Turner's role in changing that policy, and Steve's own work consulting with grading companies and NBA attorneys. They also tackle one of the hobby's longest-running debates: Is the 1984-85 Star Michael Jordan #101 truly Jordan's rookie card? Whether you're a longtime collector, a vintage enthusiast, or simply fascinated by hobby history, this episode offers a rare perspective from someone who has spent decades at the center of one of the hobby's most enduring debates. Sports cards is a lifestyle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices