The Kaboom Card Era

• Posted: July 5, 2022, 1:42 pm
• in Sports Card News
• by bionic

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Over the last year or two, Panini's Kaboom card's have become a staple definition of high-end cards, while everyone initially was not fond of these cards, collectors have now flocked to them. Kaboom cards can even sometimes surpass the value of the player's rookie patch auto cards. Randomly inserted into packs, normally 1 or 2 per case and is considered a case hit. While Crown Royale basketball typically has 16 boxes in a case, and the $450-$550 price tag per box, it makes these cards extremely rare and hard to pull with the majority of these cards having a PSA population report of under 100.

Precious Metal Gem's (PMG's)​

What caused the uproar in sales on Kaboom cards? Well many collectors treat them like they are this era's replacement of Fleer's PMG's ( Precious Metal Gem's ). PMG's were extremely tough to pull in the 90's, maybe even a tougher pull than the Kaboom's. PMG's were limited to /100, and were based on red foilboard, while the first 10 issues of the PMG's had green foilboard. PMG's are prone to chipping, and are extremely tough to get a good grade, making the higher graded example's even more valuable. The PMG's were released only in Fleer Metal's NBA cards, and in 2012-13 with Upper Deck's Retro series bringing the coveted set into other sports, and non-sports including Marvel trading cards. In the 90's, PMG's were the only parallel set inserted in packs, meaning their were only 2 other version's of base cards, with 10 green PMG's and 90 red PMG's of each player.

Panini Kaboom Cards​

Panini does not hold the Kaboom cards to one specific set, and have released them in multiple different set's, across multiple sports. In my opinion, normally the set's that don't sell so well, giving a reason for collectors to splurge on those specific boxes. Originally appearing in Panini's 2013-14 release of Innovation, then continuing the following 3 years in 2014-15 Panini Excalibur, 2015-16 Panini Excalibur and 2016-17 Panini Excalibur. Panini then continued it's basketball Kaboom releases in the Crown Royale set's from 2017-18 until present day, with its latest offering in 2021-22 Panini Crown Royale Basketball. Panini's Kaboom cards started appearing in NFL Football Cards in 2018 within the Absolute Football release, and have stuck with that set since. Panini also releases Soccer Kaboom cards, which originally appeared in 2017-18 Panini Select, and now appear in their Prizm releases.

Gold and Green Kaboom Cards​

Panini also offer's two version's of a parallel of the Kaboom card. The Green Kaboom, serial numbered one of one ( 1/1 ), and a Gold Kaboom which is serial numbered to /10, also making it the modern equivalent to Fleer's Green PMG.

Kaboom Sales Data​

Here are a Few Current Listing Auction's on eBay:

2021 Absolute Tom Brady Gold Kaboom SSP PSA 10 - Asking Price $75,000 or best offer.
2021 Panini Absolute JOE BURROW GOLD KABOOM 7/10 Gem Mint PSA 10 - Asking Price $63,000 or best offer.
2021 Panini Absolute JOE BURROW GOLD KABOOM Jersey Number 9/10 Gem Mint PSA 10 - Asking Price $50,000.
2021 Panini Absolute Davante Adams Gold Kaboom Prizm /10 #K9 PSA 10 - Asking Price $4999.99 or best offer.
2019 John Elway Panini Absolute Gold Kaboom! 1st/10 PSA 10 Gem Mint - Asking Price $3500.00 or best offer.
2021 Panini Absolute Kaboom! Gold Peyton Manning #30 2/10 PSA 10 - Asking Price of $7500.00 or best offer.
2018 Panini Absolute Klay Thompson KABOOM #KT 1st Kaboom PSA 10 Gem Mint - Asking Price of $1650.00 or best offer.
2021 JOE MONTANA #K17 GOLD KABOOM #/10 GRADED !!PSA 10!! !!POP 1!! - Asking Price of $14,999.00 or best offer.
2018-19 Panini KABOOM! Stephen Curry Prizm Refractor SSP PSA 10 GEM MINT MVP - Asking Price of $12,500 or best offer.