How to Collect | The Toronto Raptors

Collecting Canada’s Team

One of the youngest franchises in the league, the story of the Toronto Raptors is only 30 years old. In that brief time, fans in the Great White North have been treated to Vinsanity, a lovable contender, and the 2019 Championship.

The players that made the Raptors one of the more successful franchises of the 21st century help tell a story of an organization that was late to the party, but is making up for lost time. Let’s look at how to go about collecting Canada’s team.  

Toronto Raptors Mount Rushmore

This northern Mount Rushmore includes two Hall-of-Famers, a quintessential leader, and an old-school scorer. An honorable mention has to go to Kawhi Leonard, the Finals MVP of the Raptors’ single championship team, but as he was only with the team for that one year, he was just edged out.

1998 Topps Chrome Basketball #199 Vince Carter RC Refractor

2006 Topps Chrome Basketball #162 Kyle Lowry RC Black Refractor Auto

2009 Topps Chrome Basketball #100 DeMar DeRozan RC Gold Refractor /50

2003 Topps Chrome Basketball #114 Chris Bosh RC Gold Refractor /50

Vinsanity

Half-man, Half-amazing, Vince Carter joined the Raptors in 1998 and exploded onto the scene. A Rookie of the Year season followed by a 25.7 PPG sophomore campaign helped turn the freakish athlete into a perennial All-Star. The combination of scoring prowess and a repertoire of impossible-seeming dunks turned Toronto into must-watch television.

Carter’s 2000 Dunk Contest performance remains the stuff of legends, catapulting Vince into Vinsanity, and the promising player into a bonafide superstar. His 1998 Topps Chrome RC Refractor is his most valuable Topps card, but he can be chased throughout Topps releases from his time as a Raptor.

This 2008 dual auto card with fellow all-time dunker Dominique Wilkins is a fantastic card that captures Carter’s place in the sky. His 2004 Chrome Refractor numbered to 99 has Vince going up for a contested dunk and sold for $900 in September 2025.

Collecting Canadian Contenders

Beginning in 2013/14, the Toronto Raptors won the Atlantic Division in five of six seasons, in what would be the golden era of the franchise so far. That included three seasons of more than fifty wins, and a top seed in the 2018 playoffs. 

The team was led by DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, both mainstays in the Raptors Hobby. Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka, Jonas Valančiūnas, and a young OG Anunoby helped make Toronto a tough and deep unit. The 2016 Eastern Conference Finals was the first in franchise history. Unfortunately, the Raptors would lose to LeBron and the Cavs in three straight playoff campaigns.

Finally, Champs in Toronto

The decision to trade DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard for the 2018/19 campaign was painful, but it ultimately proved necessary. With Leonard playing at an all-world level, the Raptors won 58 games and another division title. The playoff run would go down in Canadian sports history. 

There was Kawhi’s magical shot that seemed to touch every part of the rim on the way down in Toronto’s series against the Sixers, a confident six-game dispatching of the Bucks, and then, to cap it off, the end of a dynasty at the hands of the Raptors. Kawhi was devastatingly brilliant and took home Finals MVP in an upset win over the Warriors. 

While Kawhi deserved his flowers, the team around him was nothing short of loaded. Two former Memphis Grizzlies, Kyle Lowry and Marc Gasol, were mission-critical. Serge Ibaka averaged close to 20 PPG in the series. VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, Norman Powell, and Danny Green rounded out a fantastic team. All these players are worthy additions to any Raptors collection.

Kings in the North and Toronto Fan Favorites

Toronto’s loyal fanbase has a special relationship with its players, and through the years, both All-Stars and role players have emerged as fan favorites. Chris Bosh was phenomenal in his time with Toronto to start his career. During a run of five straight All-Star selections and three seasons of over 22 PPG and 10 RPG, Bosh showcased incredible ability as a primary option before eventually heading to Miami to win titles and complete a Hall-of-Fame career.

Mighty Mouse was the first star in Raptors history. A diminutive but fearless guard, Damon Stoudamire was the franchise’s first-ever draft pick in 1995. He spent three years in Toronto, including a sensational 1996 Rookie of the Year campaign. His entry in the popular Rock Stars insert is a great chase from his time in Toronto.

Alvin Williams may have never been a primary option, or an All-Star, but he is a Raptors legend because of his toughness and his heart. He hit the dagger at MSG in the first round of the 2001 postseason to give Toronto its first ever playoff-series win.

Capturing History Your Way

The Raptors franchise may still be young, but it is certainly mighty. An already captivating history that includes high-flyers, Hall-of-Famers, and champions, collecting the league’s Canadian franchise is an exciting way to tell the story of a team that has already established itself as a major player in the professional basketball landscape.

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