Sports Card Release Calendar 10/20/21 – 11/2/21
It’s been somewhat of a quiet period for new releases, but the auction picks up over the next couple of weeks with multiple products set to arrive as the leaves fall and the sports seasons converge.
Here’s a look at some of what’s coming.
10/20
2021 Topps Five Star Baseball
The long running Five Star sticks with the simple formula. Boxes consist of one pack containing two cards: an on-card autograph, autograph relic or cut signature. There are lots of low serial-numbered cards to chase here. The lowest online box price is around $250 right now.
2021 Panini National Treasures Collegiate Football
Autographed cards of this year’s draft picks in their pro uniforms are pretty limited until later this fall, so NT Collegiate is another option to snare some higher end rookie cards. Each box has a single eight card pack, seven of which will carry autographs.
The content is focused on this year’s draft, so if Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones, Justin Fields, Trey Lance, Najee Harris, Ja’Marr Chase and company turn out to be long-term standouts, there could be value here. The best eBay prices for boxes right now are just under $1,000. There’s also a First Off The Line edition with Red Parallel autographs.
2021 Bowman Transcendent Baseball
As we chronicled just a day ago, this prospect-focused version of Transcendent is limited to 100 boxes, with a pile of autographs, numerous 1 of 1s and an invitation to a Topps party with more free swag. As usual, boxes are expensive but as some of the players become MLB stars, these will be among their most sought after cards.
10/27
2021 Donruss Football Factory Sets
One of a small number of hobby products that are sold in complete set form, the Donruss Factory set offers the 400-card set (350 base cards and 50 photo variations. The hobby version has a five card bonus pack of Optic Rated Rookie Preview cards.
Prices online vary quite a bit but the going rate has been $175-225.
2021 Panini Absolute Football
2021 Panini Absolute Football will offer this year’s rookies in their NFL uniforms. Each box has three packs of five cards, with the entire haul consisting of three autographs, two memorabilia cards, one insert and two parallels along with base cards.
Rookie Premiere Materials Autograph and short printed Explosive inserts are exclusive to hobby boxes.
The lowest online price for hobby boxes right now is around $550.
2021-22 Panini Recon Basketball
Recon makes its debut as a standalone release just as the 2021-22 season gets into full swing, but it’s actually a very late addition to last year’s stable of basketball releases.
Boxes of the colorful product will offer ten packs with six cards per pack. Two autographs and a mix of base cards, inserts and parallels make up the rest of the content in this somewhat higher-end brand.
You can check box prices here.
10/29
2021 Topps Update Baseball
It’s been 40 years since the first Topps Update/Traded set arrived in those little red boxes. The packaging method is different these days, but the concept is much the same. Rookies who made their debut this season join guys who were traded and some other timely content, all in wax pack form.
2021 Topps Update Update comes in two configurations: a traditional 24-pack hobby box with one autograph or relic card and Jumbo boxes with 10 packs of 46 cards with one autograph and two relics. Silver Packs are once again part of each while Jumbos will have a second bonus of two Topps Tek cards commemorating the company’s 70th anniversary.
Inserts include a throwback to the 1990s Topps Black Gold cards.
You can check pricing on both boxes on eBay here.
Other releases include 2021 Panini Mosaic Baseball (10/20) and Topps Heritage Minors (10/27).
