Just over a week ago, Pokémon introduced the brand new VSTAR mechanic in the Japanese expansion, Star Birth. Now the English version of the TCG gets the first VSTAR cards added to its lineup with the release of two Pokémon VSTAR Special Collections that highlight the popular Eeveelutions, Leafeon and Glaceon. Panini brings premium on-card autographs and premium patches with 2020-21 Panini Flawless Basketball and 2021 Panini Immaculate Football, and Konami gives us the first Yu-Gi-Oh! expansion of 2022. Get the full details on these releases in the latest issue of The Rip.
Pokémon VSTAR Special Collections
Just over a week ago, Pokémon Star Birth gave us the first Charizard cards of 2022 and introduced us to the new VSTAR cards. While we will have to wait until February’s Brilliant Stars release to get the first English Charizard cards of the year, these aptly named Pokémon VSTAR Special Collections provide us with the first two English VSTAR cards ever, in the form of Leafeon VSTAR and Glaceon VSTAR.
The two Pokémon VSTAR Collections center around Leafeon and Glaceon. The Leafeon VSTAR Collection guarantees you one Leafeon V promo card, one Leafeon VSTAR promo card, one etched oversized Leafeon VSTAR promo card, one acrylic VSTAR marker, and five Pokémon booster packs from assorted Sword & Shield sets. The Glaceon VSTAR Collection promises the same VSTAR marker and number of packs, but swaps in Glaceon V and VSTAR promo cards.
The Pokémon VSTSR Special Collections will be released on January 28th, 2021 for $30 each, wherever Pokémon cards are sold.
2020-21 Panini Flawless Basketball
A yearly highlight of the high-end release calendar, 2020-21 Panini Flawless Basketball is once again made up of a plethora of on-card autographs and memorabilia cards that come packaged in a small protective briefcase. Even the base set is taken to a higher level with each card being limited to twenty copies with a diamond inserted into each card. The several memorabilia and autograph subsets will also incorporate the first rookie game-worn jersey swatch cards for players selected in the 2020 NBA Draft such as LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards.
Each 2020-21 Panini Flawless Basketball Hobby Box holds eight autographs, one memorabilia card, and one diamond base card. The 2020-21 Panini Flawless Basketball Hobby Box will be released on January 26th at online and local trading card hobby shops.
2021 Panini Immaculate Football
2021 Panini Immaculate Football brings the latest edition of the premium NFL card set to the hobby. While the base set is home to several of the top stars and rookies from this NFL season, it is the autograph and relic subsets that bring Immaculate Football its value. The most chased after subsets will be the Rookie Patch Autographs, Premium Rookie Patch Autographs, and Immaculate Signature Patches, all of which are limited to 99 copies or less and display an on-card signature from the player as well as a piece of NFL memorabilia sewn into them. Other premium subsets include Nameplate Nobility Signatures that present a piece of the player’s nameplate in a protective acetate cover that is hard-signed by the player.
Each 2021 Panini Immaculate Football Hobby Box comes with one base card and a combination of five autograph and relic cards. Look to collect the biggest names from this year’s Rookie Class like Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Ja’Marr Chase, Trey Lance, Zach Wilson, and more. The 2021 Panini Immaculate Hobby Box will be released on January 28th on the Panini America website.
Yu-Gi-Oh The Grand Creators Booster Box
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Grand Creators is the first Yu-Gi-Oh! set on the 2022 release calendar. The set is composed of 60 cards total: 10 Ultra Rares, 15 Super Rares, and 35 Rares. Additionally, the set will hold 15 Collector Rares, which are cards in the set that feature an alternative design and carry a premium price tag on the secondary market given their rarity. The Grand Creators set will also hold the winner of the 2020 Create-A-Card Project, a powerful Inzektor Spell Card that allows you to pull an Inzektor monster out of your deck when played. This card was selected by fans of the TCG through a 16 card bracket-style tournament that was decided upon by player polls.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! The Grand Creators Booster Box comes loaded with 24 packs that each hold seven cards. Inside of each pack, you can expect to hit six Rares and one Foil. You can look to find the Yu-Gi-Oh! The Grand Creators Booster Box starting on January 28th in the United States wherever Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards are sold.
