The sports card landscape is buzzing with excitement as new releases hit the shelves, offering collectors and enthusiasts a treasure trove of options. From basketball’s rising stars to football’s post-season highlights, and even a historic release in the golf realm, there’s no shortage of collectibles to chase this March.
Panini's 2023-24 Donruss Elite Basketball series made a splash this Wednesday, shining a spotlight on Victor Wembanyama, a top contender for Rookie of the Year. His presence in the series is marked by a variety of cards, including base sets, parallels, and special inserts like "Craftsmen" and "Full Throttle." The market responded quickly, with sales kicking off and listings popping up on eBay in no time.
Collectors opening a box of Donruss Elite Basketball can expect to find two autographs, ten inserts or parallels, and a selection of base cards featuring a mix of established players and newcomers. Priced between $310 and $350, each Elite Hobby box contains six packs, each with eight cards.
At the same time, Bowman University Best Basketball for the 2023-24 season is attracting attention with its 'Breaker’s Delight' and standard Hobby box configurations, focusing on the latest crop of college basketball talent. Caitlin Clark features prominently across base cards, inserts, and autographs, including a sought-after dual auto with Angel Reese.
Golf enthusiasts have something to celebrate with Upper Deck's new flagship golf product, marking the brand's return to the golf card market after two decades. The 2024 Upper Deck Golf set is a must-see for collectors, offering a chance at Tiger Woods cards among others. With blaster boxes, tins, and Hobby boxes on offer at reasonable price points, pulling an autograph will be a rare but thrilling achievement.
Upper Deck isn't stopping there, with three more golf-related releases planned for the year, including SP Game-Used, Upper Deck Portfolio, and Fleer Ultra, making it a banner year for golf card collectors.
Football fans were also treated to the release of 2023 Panini Illusions Football on Wednesday. Each Hobby box, containing ten packs of five cards each, promises a mix of three autographs and two memorabilia cards, alongside five numbered Trophy Collection Parallels and acetate micro-etched inserts or parallels, with rookie cards of CJ Stroud being a key draw. These boxes are fetching prices in the $375-$400 range.
Not to be overlooked, the 2023 Panini Limited Football is soon to drop, offering fans another chance to score big with three packs per box and a blend of two autos and one memorabilia card. Collectors can also look forward to the return of the Limited Gamers game-worn memorabilia insert and an assortment of booklet cards.
Baseball collectors have the return of the Topps Archives Signature Series Baseball to look forward to, with each box containing a single, sealed buyback Topps card of an active player, now signed and foil stamped, all numbered to 99 or less and available for around $85.
With the imminent release of 2024 Topps Chrome UFC and 2022-23 Parkhurst Champions Hockey, the sports card market this March is as vibrant and diverse as ever, offering something for every type of collector.