The Return of the Junk Wax Era? Victor Wembanyama’s Rookie Card Sets New PSA 10 Record

• Posted: January 6, 2025, 1:18 pm
• in Sports Card News
• by bionic

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Grading has surged back into the spotlight, echoing the mass production days of the Junk Wax Era, and at the center of this phenomenon is none other than Victor Wembanyama. According to PSA’s 2024 data, the basketball prodigy dominated the grading charts, accounting for six of the top 10 most graded cards of the year. But his true claim to fame lies in one record-shattering card:

2023 Prizm Victor Wembanyama RC Base​

• POP COUNT: 24,400+ PSA 10s

By the time you’re reading this, that number has likely grown even higher. With 24,244 PSA 10s (and climbing), this card has officially become the highest PSA 10 population card of all time—a title previously thought unattainable in the modern hobby.

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Wembanyama Ushers in a New Era of Grading​

For those who were part of the hobby during the Luka Dončić frenzy, the rapid rise of Wembanyama’s Prizm rookie card might feel eerily familiar. When Luka’s 2018 Prizm rookie card surpassed 20,000 PSA 10s, it was celebrated as an unprecedented milestone. Fast-forward a few years, and Wembanyama has shattered that ceiling in less than a year.

The Wembanyama Prizm rookie joins an elite group of cards with 20,000+ PSA 10 populations, including:

• 2018 Luka Dončić Prizm RC
• 2019 Zion Williamson Prizm RC
• 2019 Ja Morant Prizm RC
• 2018 Ronald Acuña Jr. Topps Update RC
• 2018 Juan Soto Topps Update RC

Even Fernando Tatís Jr.’s 2019 Topps rookie card, which sits just shy of 20,000 PSA 10s, is on the verge of joining this exclusive club.

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Monopoly Meets Prizm: The Numbers Get Bigger​

Panini added fuel to the Wembanyama grading frenzy by collaborating with Monopoly to create a special Prizm card set featuring another Wembanyama rookie. This Monopoly version has already seen over 10,000 PSA 10s, further cementing his rookie year dominance.

When you combine the base 2023 Prizm rookie card with its Monopoly counterpart, the numbers are staggering:

• Base Prizm Rookie: 40,788 total graded, with a 60% gem rate producing over 24,000 PSA 10s.
• Monopoly Rookie: 17,000 total graded, with a 61% gem rate yielding more than 10,000 PSA 10s.

While these numbers are jaw-dropping, they still fall short of the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card dominance of the late ’80s. Griffey’s iconic 1989 Upper Deck rookie card holds the all-time record with 116,000 total graded copies, followed by his 1989 Topps Traded card with 88,000+ graded and his 1989 Fleer rookie with 66,000+ graded.

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Echoes of the Junk Wax Era​

For longtime collectors, Wembanyama’s numbers might feel like a callback to the overproduction days of the Junk Wax Era—a time when mass-produced cards flooded the market, driving down scarcity but skyrocketing availability. While Wembanyama’s cards aren’t necessarily rare, the push for high grades, particularly PSA 10s, mirrors the grading explosion of the ’90s.

However, there’s a modern twist. With Panini’s production capabilities and collectors’ growing reliance on grading companies, the market is seeing record-breaking submission volumes and gem rates that weren’t possible in the ’90s.

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Will Wembanyama Break Griffey’s Records?​

With over 40,000 graded cards in just one year, Wembanyama is on pace to challenge Griffey’s all-time numbers—if Panini’s production volume supports it. For now, his 2023 Prizm rookie card has solidified its place as a hobby legend, achieving in months what other cards took years to accomplish.

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What This Means for the Hobby​

Wembanyama’s meteoric rise in the grading world signals both excitement and caution for collectors. On one hand, his cards reflect the growing popularity of basketball and the global appeal of rising stars. On the other, the sheer volume of graded cards raises questions about long-term value, especially as we enter what some are calling the modern Junk Wax Era.

For collectors, the lesson is clear: while Wembanyama’s cards are undeniably historic, the importance of rarity and condition will remain the ultimate determinants of long-term value. For now, the hobby is basking in the glow of a rookie phenom who has already left an indelible mark on grading history.