Reggie Miller was one of the best natural shooters in the history of the game. He was also one of the fiercest competitors and trash talkers in living memory. Miller was a player who made the game come alive. The Athletic ranks him as #47 on their all-time list. You either loved or hated the guy, but no one could be indifferent to his excellence and larger-than-life personality.
Of course, Miller had the misfortune of playing through the Michael Jordan era NBA. That meant he had few chances to win a ring and returned (like many of his contemporaries) without a title. But there were few better or more ferocious teams than the Miller-era Indiana Pacers.
The sensational shooting of Reggie Miller earned him 5 All-Star appearances (that is criminally few considering his quality) and a place in the Hall of Fame. He was a career 39% three-point shooter before being an outside marksman, which was cool. But Reggie was best known for a remarkable amount of quality in the clutch. For example, in the 1992 playoffs, he shot 62% from beyond the arc and 58% from the field.
If there is one moment we will forever associate with the greatness of Reggie Miller, it was the way he took down the Knicks in 1995. The sharpshooter scored 8 points in 9 seconds to deliver a crushing blow in a tight game at Madison Square Garden. It wasn’t just any game, either. It was Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals. No one who watched that will ever forget it. Especially miserable Knicks fans like myself.
Collecting Reggie Miller Basketball Cards
Though Miller is an iconic player - Reggie Miller cards are not all that sought after. There are a few reasons for that. First, Indiana is not a particularly great market. Sure, Reggie is a legend there. But it isn’t a big money or population center. He also annoyed fans in many big markets (like New York), and they aren’t big on collecting him.
Then, there is also the question of timing. Reggie came up when there were few options for basketball cards. Indeed, there is only one rookie card for the legendary Reggie Miller. Things pick up later in his career, and there is a broader variety. But by then, Miller was a veteran player in a small market. Therefore, our friend got a surprisingly short stint in the hobby.
1988 Fleer Basketball Reggie Miller Rookie Card #57
A PSA 10 sold for $7,041
The 1988-89 Fleer Basketball Reggie Miller Rookie Card #57 is Reggie Miller’s only rookie card. As such, it has a good deal of importance in the hobby. The picture is a bit weird, and the color scheme seems somehow off. But hey, it's the rookie card of Reggie Miller. There are no other options that guarantee a good value.
The highest price for a gem mint was paid in the heady days of the 2021 COVID bubble. The price for a PSA 10 has gone down significantly since then to around $1,600. That is still reasonably high. It helps that this is the only Reggie Miller rookie card. This is not a rare card by any means, which is why the price went down. There are 9,723 graded copies, of which 183 are PSA 10s.
1988 Spanish Panini Sticker Reggie Miller #106
A PSA 10 sold for $119
Wait, did I say the Fleer 1988 card was the only rookie for Reggie Miller? I lied. Sort of. You have this very cool and rare 1988 sticker NBA series released only in Italy. It has the biggest NBA players of the time in a version that will be very familiar to soccer collectors. Of course, the problem is that the 1988 Spanish Panini Sticker Reggie Miller #106 has easily the worst Reggie Miller picture I have ever seen. That said, it is still a beautiful collector's item, even if it is unsightly.
1988 Kenner Starting Line Up Reggie Miller
A PSA 10 sold for $202
Fine, so I lied again. This is also a Reggie Miller rookie card. In the 1980s, there was a series of sports action dolls called Kenner Starting Line Up. It was basically the best basketball players made into G.I. Joe-style dolls of the era. Incredibly cool. I still can’t believe my parents didn’t get me one. I was about the right age. The package came with a little sports card. Of course, most kids hurriedly threw it away. But they actually weren’t bad-looking. If you have the 1988 Kenner Starting Line Up Reggie Miller in good condition, it's worth grading. However, keeping it in the original box is even better.
1989 Fleer Reggie Miller #65
A PSA 10 sold for $89
Is it just me, or was young Reggie kind of funny-looking? His early cards are weird as a result. Nonetheless, I like the 1989 Fleer Reggie Miller #65 card a lot more than the rookie. The 1989 Fleer Basketball design nicely captures that junk wax aesthetic without going over the top. There are 1,130 PSA-graded copies of this second-year card, about a ninth as many as of the rookie. Yet the number of PSA 10s is about the same, at 176. It grades a lot better.
1990 Hoops Reggie Miller #135
A PSA 10 sold for $80
It's 1990, and Fleer is no longer our only option. Now we have Hoops. They bring us the 1990 Hoops Reggie Miller #135, easily the most attractive card of the Pacers player yet. This is also the year Reggie hits his stride and averages 24 points per game, a massive jump from the 16 he had the year before. Few have graded these cards, so there are only 145 on the PSA books. But that doesn’t mean it will ever have real value.
1991 Upper Deck Reggie Miller #256
A PSA 10 sold for $69
Upper Deck entered the hobby with a vengeance in 1989 and produced the best basketball sets of the early 1990s. The 1991 Upper Deck Reggie Miller #256 has a great action shot and an iconic Saved By The Bell style design. Also, that haircut is so fresh from the early 90s. There's little value here, but it's a great card to have.
1991 Hoops Reggie Miller #84
A PSA 10 sold for $22
The design for 1991 Hoops couldn’t have been any simpler. White borders with a thin blue line surrounding an action shot. But who needs a lot of hoopla with an action shot as evocative as the one in the 1991 Hoops Reggie Miller #84? Reggie looks utterly insane as he tries an elegant, underhanded shot. The awesome haircut on his head makes the Pacers guard look like a character in a Mad Max movie. And who knew Miller was so ripped? This is a great-looking card, though a pretty common one.
1992-93 Skybox Reggie Miller #97
A PSA 10 sold for $31
There is no question that as Reggie gets more mature, he starts to look cooler. It also helps that the Skybox and Upper Deck cards have better photography. The 1992-93 Skybox Reggie Miller #97 also benefits from that beautiful purple shading in the top right-hand corner. Also, notice the yellow highlights around the ball, creating an impression that Reggie has superpowers. Which, considering his clutch time shooting, is not inaccurate.
1993 Fleer Reggie Miller NBA Superstars #12
A PSA 10 sold for $45
Don’t you love those meaningless 1990s basketball inserts? I mean, NBA Superstars? What is that? Is it just an excuse to have more Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing cards? But we have to admit, the collage for the 1993 Fleer Reggie Miller NBA Superstars #12 card works nicely. It looks like the kind of poster a kid in Indianapolis would have on his wall that year. Simpler times, my friends.
Reggie Miller Refractor With Coating #31
A PSA 10 sold for $48
The early refractors are some of my favorite cards. The versions they put out today are sleeker and have better color schemes. But it's the exuberance of those horrible early designs that gets me. It's like a “junk wax” era hangover but with actual value. However, the cards aren't worth all that much in the 1995 Finest Reggie Miller Refractor With Coating #31. Still, there is only 1 PSA 10. Therefore, I would imagine that will change eventually.
1996 Flair Showcase Reggie Miller Row 0 #18
A PSA 8 sold for $25
The 1996 Flair Showcase Reggie Miller Row 0 #18 is an absolute work of art. The background of Reggie looks like an impressionist painting, capturing the player's spirit, while he appears in stark relief on the left side. Wonderful design. The card isn’t worth much. But considering how intriguing the design is and its low population numbers, that could change. The population count is just 15, and there are no PSA 10s. So, if one turns up, it might be worth a good amount. I am going to get myself a copy. It's gorgeous.
1997 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Reggie Miller #98
A PSA AUTHENTIC sold for $2,880
The market for Precious Metal Gems has been remarkably high for a long time. The Reggie Miller cards are no exception. The 1997 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Reggie Miller #98 is a surrealist part of this coveted release. This looks like Reggie tried to catch the ball and ended up falling into a volcano. The background is pure lava, and the pained look on his face seems like that of a man who knows he is doomed. I probably watched Lord of the Rings one time too many.
1997 Skybox Z-Force Reggie Miller SUPER RAVE /50
A PSA 10 sold for $2,150
The cool, low-numbered premium cards only came into circulation late in Reggie’s career. But they are still awesome and count among the most valuable and easily the most attractive of his cards. The 1997 Super Rave cards don’t look like any others I know. The lettering on the top right-hand side is utterly unique. The hologram at the bottom is also very cool and matches nicely with the number on the other side. If you consider the beautiful layout and scarcity, this card will likely remain on the most valuable Reggie Miller cards.
1998 Bowman's Best Basketball Reggie Miller Atomic Refractor #53
A PSA 10 sold for $599
These were some of the earliest Bowman Refractors. Back then, they were considerably tripper. The shades of green jumping up are particularly wonderful here. While some of Reggie’s beautiful late career cards are undervalued, there is some respect in the hobby for the 1998 Bowman's Best Basketball Reggie Miller Atomic Refractor #53. The value of this Reggie Miller card has doubled in the last year. With a population card of only 12 for such a beautiful card from an iconic release, current prices still seem remarkably low.
2018-19 National Treasures All Decade Reggie Miller Auto /15
A raw version is currently on sale on eBay for $4,000
Reggie retired in 2004-05. He still had plenty of juice and was averaging 14 points per game. Still, he did not want to become a drag on his beloved Pacers, so Miller went before being pushed. Reggie made the All-Decade list as one of his era's greatest players. In honor of his achievements, the 2018 National Treasures All Decade Reggie Miller Auto /15 celebrates Miller’s excellence. As a low-numbered auto card, it will maintain good value. It also has a classic look we can all appreciate.
Final Word On Reggie Miller Basketball Cards
Generally speaking, most Reggie Miller cards don’t sell for as much as expected. The rookies, Precious Metal Gems, and others have substantial value. But most are pretty cheap. As stated above, the small Indianapolis market and the abrasiveness of his personality are part of the reason. But Miller will not be forgotten. He was just too awesome. The low-population cards in this list have a lot of upside. Get them while prices are low.
