The 1986 Star Magic Johnson set has 10 cards, all of Magic, and is the last of Star's five player sets to reach collectors. Unlike most Star sets, it was never issued in a bag: the cards reached the market after Star's 1990 auction, mostly as uncut sheets; Basketball Gold believes most or all graded singles were cut from those sheets by Schonco.
The set at a glance
| Cards | 10 |
|---|---|
| Numbering | 1-10 |
| Released | Early 1990s, after Star's 1990 auction (cards dated 1986) |
| Packaging | None; sold mostly as uncut sheets |
| Sets printed (est.) | Unknown (Basketball Gold gives no figure) |
| Design | Gold borders, Lakers logo, "STAR '86" |
Card by card
Titles are as printed on the card fronts.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Checklist |
| 2 | Collegiate Stats |
| 3 | Regular Season Stats |
| 4 | Playoff Stats |
| 5 | All-Star Stats |
| 6 | Career Info - 1 |
| 7 | Career Info - 2 |
| 8 | Top Performances* |
| 9 | 1980 Playoff MVP |
| 10 | 1982 Playoff MVP |
*The card front and Basketball Gold read "Top Performances"; TCDB and starbasketballcards.com list it as "Top Performance."
How the set was made
The cards are dated 1986 and carry "STAR '86" and a Lakers logo, but Basketball Gold says they were not released to the public until after Robert Levin's 1990 Star auction, after the 1986-87 Fleer set was already out. No one has been able to prove when they were printed.
Schonco (Bill Schonsheck), one of the three buyers at that auction, won the right to buy these cards and released them primarily as uncut sheets; Basketball Gold says a small number may have been sold already cut by Levin. The set shares its sheet with the 1986 Best of the Best, and many uncut sheets still exist. Basketball Gold gives no production figure, and starbasketballcards.com calls it unknown.
What collectors should know
- Sheet-cut cards: BGS does not grade the Magic Johnson or Best of the Best sets; any BGS-graded copies were submitted by Schonco and carry the Schonco Sports label. Basketball Gold believes most or all of them were cut from sheets by Schonco, and BGS labels do not say so.
- Grading: PSA currently does not grade the set, and neither does BGS (see above). GAI and SCD never graded it, and CGC's May 2025 announcement does not mention it. See Grading Companies.
- Collector view: because the print date is unproven and most of the cards were not cut by Star, many Star veterans and purists skip the Magic and Best of the Best sets. Basketball Gold's author adds that, in his opinion, the cards' exclusivity should make them worth less, not more.
- Sealed bags: there are no original bags, so treat a "sealed bag" Magic set with suspicion.
- Fakes: it is not one of the Type II sets (those are limited to 1985-86 #95-172, the 1986 Jordan set and 1986 Best of the New), and we know of no Shop at Home Magic set.
The key cards
No source ranks a chase card in this set.
- #9 1980 Playoff MVP and #10 1982 Playoff MVP: his 1980 and 1982 Finals MVP awards.
- #9: starbasketballcards.com calls the photo a peculiar choice for a playoff card: it shows Magic in his West All-Star uniform next to Isiah Thomas.
Sources
- Basketball Gold: 1986 Magic Johnson set (our primary source, including its card-by-card notes)
- Basketball Gold: FAQs (our primary source)
- Basketball Gold: Common Misconceptions
- Basketball Gold: Glossary
- Basketball Gold: Unanswered Questions
- All Vintage Cards: Star basketball cards interview with Steve Taft
- starbasketballcards.com: 1986 Star Magic Johnson set
- Trading Card Database: 1986 Star Magic Johnson
- starbasketballcards.com: Unlicensed Shop at Home sets
- Sports Collectors Digest: PSA expands Star grading (March 22, 2023)
- CGC: Now grading 1980s Star basketball cards (May 23, 2025)