This week, Panini gives us new sets that cover the WWE, 2021’s top NBA draft picks, and the Serie A Italian Soccer League. zerocool highlights the stars and stunts of Jackass, and Pokémon provides Special Collections that highlight both Lucario VSTAR and Morpeko V-UNION. Find out which trading cards are the most popular, which are the most expensive, and which are dropping this week in this monthly special edition of The Rip.
March’s Top Trading Card Sales
Tom Brady 2000 Bowman Chrome Rookie #236
In February, Tom Brady made headlines when he announced his retirement. A month and a half later, Tom Brady is unretired and is poised to make at least one more run at collecting an eighth Super Bowl ring. Just before we learned that Brady was officially back, his 2000 Bowman Chrome Rookie #236 PSA 10 sold for $16,701 on StockX. If he can bring home another championship, this sale could end up being a real deal.
2022 zerocool VeeFriends Series 1 Collectible Trading Card Box
zerocool is the newest player in the trading card game with a focus on sets devoted to pop culture, art, and entertainment. They released their first set on March 8th in the form of zerocool VeeFriends Series 1, which is a set that uses Gary Vaynerchuk’s VeeFriends NFT project as its subject. 1000 boxes were produced, with 800 being available for the public to purchase at the drop via the Dutch Auction format. The clearing price ended up being $2,150 per box. The box has done pretty well on the secondary market as well as it has traded for as high as $14,000 on StockX to date, with an average sale price north of $9,000.
March’s Best Trading Cards
Pokémon Celebrations Ultra-Premium Collection
For the fifth consecutive month, the Pokémon Celebrations Ultra-Premium Collection has held the top spot for the most sold trading card product on StockX. With fans continuing to chase the nostalgia of hitting the beautiful Base Set Charizard 25th Anniversary reprint, the box sold nearly 700 times in March.
2020-21 Panini Mosaic Basketball Target Mega Box (Reactive Yellow Prizms)
2020-21 Panini Mosaic Basketball saw a delayed release as this set that covers last season’s rookie class didn’t even become available until this past December, and many retail products were not stocked until February 2022. Given the delay, the 2020-21 Panini Mosaic Basketball Target Mega Box sold over 1,500 times in March. It also helps that LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards, the two top rookies in the set, have their teams in position to potentially make the playoffs or at least the Play-In Tournament.
New Releases
2021-22 Score Serie A Soccer
2021-22 Score Serie A Soccer highlights all 20 teams in Italy’s top league. The base set totals 200 cards with ten players featured from each club. In terms of chase cards, the set offers fifteen different limited print run parallel options for each card in the base set, and there are also rare sticker autographs with each of those cards being limited to 199 copies or less.
The 2021-22 Score Serie A Retail Box holds ten cards per pack and 20 packs per box with autographs falling in one out of every five boxes on average.
2021-22 Score Serie A Soccer Cards are set to release on April 5th exclusively on Panini’s Italian and UK websites with Retail Boxes selling for $67.
Image by Fanatics
2022 zerocool Jackass Collectible Trading Cards
After the success of their VeeFriends Series 1, zerocool is releasing limited-edition trading cards that feature the cast and most memorable stunts from Jackass as their subject. This drop will see a larger volume of boxes released compared to the VeeFriends set as 9,500 boxes will be up for grabs via Blind Dutch Auction. The premium set will also hold on-card autographs for several Jackass stars and highlight not only newcomers from the movie Jackass Forever, but also cover some of the most well-known alumni such as Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, and Jason “WeeMan” Acuna, plus more.
The zerocool Jackass Trading Cards Blind Dutch Auction begins on Tuesday, April 5th at 12PM EDT and runs through Thursday, April 7th at 9PM EDT on the zerocool website.
2022 Panini Prizm WWE
2022 Panini Prizm WWE makes its debut and marks the first time that Panini has released a WWE set since obtaining the exclusive licensing rights in January of 2022. The 200 card base set holds all of the top names from Raw, SmackDown, NXT, as well as past legends in the sport, complete with the rainbow of color variation parallels that have become synonymous with the Prizm line. Additional rarities that can be found in the set include the fan-favorite Color Blast insert as well as several different sticker autograph subsets.
The 2022 Panini Prizm WWE Hobby Box carries 12 cards per pack, and 12 packs per box. You can expect to pull two autographs and 22 limited print run parallels from each box, on average.
The 2022 Panini Prizm WWE Hobby Box is scheduled to release on April 6th on the Panini America website. Retail products such as Blaster Boxes will begin stocking in the coming weeks.
2021-22 Panini Prizm Collegiate Draft Picks Basketball
2021-22 Panini Prizm Collegiate Draft Picks Basketball takes 100 prospects from last year’s NBA draft and features them in their collegiate uniforms. Aside from the base set and its array of limited print run parallels, you can look for a collection of inserts including the popular Stained Glass and Color Blast options that feature players against either a stained glass window design or a rainbow explosion of pigment, in addition to a few different sticker autographs that include cards for first-year standouts like Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley.
The 2021-22 Panini Prizm Collegiate Draft Picks Basketball Hobby Box holds ten cards per pack, and four packs per box. You can expect each box to add four autographs, four Silver Prizm parallels, eight additional Parallels, and four inserts to your collection, on average.
The 2021-22 Panini Prizm Collegiate Draft Picks Basketball Hobby Box will release on April 6th on the Panini America website. Retail boxes such as Blasters and Megas are expected to stock in the weeks following.
2022 Panini Stars & Stripes Baseball
2022 Panini Stars & Stripes Baseball focuses on three different levels of the USA National Team including Collegiate, 18U, and 15U. Outside of the base set, this edition of Stars & Stripes Baseball holds a collection of sticker autographs, relic cards, as well as autograph relic cards. Brand new to Stars & Stripes Baseball this year are the extremely rare Whammy! inserts that highlight Team USA Baseball legends such as Ken Griffey Jr. in a caricature style.
The 2022 Panini Stars & Stripes Baseball Hobby Box holds 40 total cards including five hits that can come in the form of either autographs or memorabilia cards. The box will release on April 6th on the Panini America website.
2021 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions
2021 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions holds one of the most eclectic sets you will find this year. The base set holds 150 total cards and uses top athletes across multiple sports, celebrities, historical figures, animals, and more for its subjects. 2021 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions has a little bit of everything from Naomi Osaka and Michael Jordan autographs, to cards honoring the USS Constitution with real pieces of the boat inserted into the card.
The 2021 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Hobby Box is home to 20 packs, each holding five cards. The box promises a combination of two hits that can come in the form of autographs, memorabilia cards, a special insert, or lenticular cards. You will also find six Splash of Color Short Prints or Goudy cards.
2021 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Hobby Boxes will release on April 6th at online and local trading card hobby shops. This set will also offer retail boxes such as blasters.
Pokémon Collector’s Bundle
The Pokémon Collector’s Bundle guarantees that you will add three foil promo cards to your collection in the form of the Pokémon Legends: Arceus starters, Rowlet, Cyndaquill, and Oshowatt. Additionally, each box contains seven Sword & Shield Series Pokémon TCG booster packs with packs from Brilliant Stars, Fusion Strike, Evolving Skies, and Battle Styles previewed on the box.
The Pokémon Collector’s Bundle will be released on March 25th wherever Pokémon cards are sold for a retail price of $30.
Pokémon Lucario VSTAR Premium Collection
The Pokémon Lucario VSTAR Special Collection adds a powerful punch to your Pokémon collection. Inside of each box, you will find one Lucario V etched promo card, one Lucario VSTAR etched promo card plus a matching oversized promo card, one Lucario collector’s pin, a metallic Lucario coin, and six Pokémon TCG booster packs.
You can look for the Pokémon Lucario VSTAR Special Collection wherever Pokémon cards are sold starting on April 8th for a retail price of $40.
Pokémon Morpeko V-UNION Special Collection
The Pokémon Morpeko V-UNION Special Collection is fit for the hungriest Pokémon Trainers. With this Special Collection, you will receive four promo cards that when put together combine to create Morpeko V-UNION, an oversized Morpeko V-UNION promo card, a Professor Burnet support card, and four Pokémon TCG booster packs.
You can find the Pokémon Morpeko V-UNION Special Collection wherever Pokémon cards are sold for a retail price of $30 on April 8th.
Pokémon Sinnoh Stars Mini Tin
The Pokémon Sinnoh Stars Mini Tins are set to release between February’s release of Brilliant Stars and the upcoming release of Astral Radiance. Each Mini Tin will hold two Pokémon TCG booster packs and a Pokémon coin. While it has not been confirmed which booster packs will be included, it is widely believed that one pack in each tin will come from February’s Brilliant Stars set.
Pokémon Sinnoh Stars Mini Tins will begin stocking on April 8th wherever Pokémon cards are sold for a retail price of $9 each.
2021 Topps Star Wars Masterwork
We’re on the eve of the 45th Anniversary of Star Wars, and several cards, collectibles, and collaborations will be coming. 2021 Topps Star Wars Masterwork helps to kick off the celebration. The set holds a 100 card base set that captures the most iconic characters, moments, and even merchandise from all sides of the Star Wars Galaxy. The hits are truly what collectors will be chasing down and these can come in the form of autographs, costume relics, sketch cards, and even cards that hold rare authentic postage stamps.
The 2021 Topps Star Wars Masterwork Hobby Box contains five cards per mini-box, and four mini-boxes per Hobby Box. You can expect to add two autographs and two additional hits to your collection with each box you open.
The 2021 Topps Star Wars Masterwork Hobby Box is set to release on April 8th at local and online trading card hobby shops.
