This week, Panini delivers Noir Basketball, Obsidian Football, as well as the Absolute Baseball MLBPA set. Topps travels to another galaxy and highlights the most feared bounty hunters from Star Wars. Pokémon closes out the week with a brand new Build & Battle Stadium. 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.
May's Top Trading Card Sale
2020-21 Panini Flawless Basketball
Drake ripped into the trading card hobby earlier this year in March when he began busting open cases of 2020-21 Flawless Basketball, which contain some of the highest-end rookie cards for players such as LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards, in addition to on-card autographs and game-used jersey swatches from some of the league’s biggest stars. In May, a 2020-21 Panini Flawless Basketball Hobby Box sold for $12,603 on StockX.
May's Best Trading Cards
2021-22 Panini Contenders Basketball Blaster Box 8x Lot
The NBA season is nearing its conclusion, as the Finals have tipped off between the Warriors and the Celtics. The trading card world was dominated by the NBA in May, and this was made obvious as the 2021-22 Panini Contenders Basketball Blaster Box traded nearly 1,800 times during the month. The 40 card box holds Rookie Ticket cards for top first-year performers like Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, and Evan Mobley, while also promising one autograph or memorabilia card that could feature one of the stand-out rookies or some of the NBA’s brightest stars like Steph Curry and Jayson Tatum.
New Releases
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
2021-22 Panini Noir Basketball
2021-22 Panini Noir Basketball gives you the ability to add several premium on-card autographs, and multi-colored patches to your collection. The 2021-22 NBA Rookie class will be included in the main 200 card checklist and several subsets such as the Rookie Patch Autographs, which means high-end cards for talented rookies such as Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, Evan Mobley, and more. One of the more popular subsets that Panini Noir is bringing back is the Sneaker Spotlight Signature cards. Each one of these cards includes an on-card autograph and shows an image of the player in black and white, with only their shoes illuminated in color, next to a close-up photo of their signature basketball shoes.
The 2021-22 Panini Noir Basketball Hobby Box holds ten cards including four autographs and three relic cards. 2020-21 Panini Noir Basketball cards are scheduled to release on June 8th via the Panini Direct Store.
Image by Topps
Image by Topps
Image by Topps
Image by Topps
Image by Topps
Image by Topps
Image by Topps
Image by Topps
2022 Topps Series 2 Baseball
2022 Topps Series 2 Baseball marks the second flagship baseball card set of the 2022 collecting season and adds 330 base cards to the set. The set keeps the same card design as that was seen in Series 1 which was released earlier this year. Series 2 also includes several autograph and relic subsets, as well as several inserts, such as cards that feature the 1987 Topps Baseball design.
The 2021 Topps Series 2 Baseball set comes in two different hobby formats, and will also have retail blasters and hanger boxes. The regular hobby box contains 14 cards per pack and 24 packs per box. On average, you will find one autograph or relic card, as well as one bonus silver pack. Silver packs are loaded with chrome cards that utilize the 1987 Topps Baseball card design and offer exclusive color variation parallels and autographs. Topps Baseball Series 2 will also be made available in the Jumbo format. The 2022 Topps Baseball Series 2 HTA Jumbo box holds 46 cards per pack, and 10 packs per box. The Jumbo box also delivers more hits in the form of one autograph, two relics, and two bonus silver packs.
2022 Topps Series 2 Baseball is set to release on June 8th at online and local trading card hobby shops.
Image by Topps
Image by Topps
Image by Topps
Image by Topps
Image by Topps
Image by Topps
2021 Topps Star Wars Bounty Hunter
2021 Topps Star Wars Bounty Hunter takes aim at some of the most feared hired guns from a galaxy far, far away. The base set is composed of 100 cards and is divided into three tiers, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3, with the latter being the rarest. Autograph cards are the most exciting part of the set, with signatures from Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Pedro Pascal as The Mandalorian, as well as Jeremy Bulloch who played Boba Fett in the original trilogy, and Temuera Morrison who portrayed the character most recently in The Book of Boba Fett.
Each 2021 Topps Star Wars Bounty Hunter Hobby Box is loaded with eight cards per pack and 24 packs per box including one autograph and one hand-drawn Sketch card or factory manufactured relic.
The 2021 Topps Star Wars Bounty Hunter Hobby Box will hit shelves of online and local trading card hobby shops on June 8th.
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
2022 Panini Absolute Baseball
2022 Panini Absolute Baseball marks the third season for the set that first debuted in 2020. The base set contains 100 cards and features players who are members of the MLBPA. As Panini does not hold the MLB license, you will not see team logos or trademarks anywhere on these cards. Autograph and Memorabilia subsets are once again the most appealing part of the overall set, and rookie autographs for Wander Franco have been teased in the preview from Panini.
Inside the 2021 Panini Absolute Baseball Hobby Box, you will find two packs that hold ten cards each. On average you will add two autographs, two relics, and one serial numbered limited print run insert to your collection.
The 2021 Panini Absolute Baseball Hobby Box releases on June 10th on the Panini Direct Store.
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
Image by Panini
2021 Panini Obsidian Football
2021 Panini Obsidian Football is back for its fourth season, once again utilizing designs inspired by volcanic glass. The 200-card base set includes 100 rookies from the 2021 NFL Draft Class like Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Ja’Marr Chase, Trey Lance, Zach Wilson, Mac Jones, plus more. The biggest hits that you can pull from each box include sticker autographs, relic cards, and the hobby favorite Color Blast insert featuring players against a rainbow of exploding color.
Inside the 2021 Panini Obsidian Football Hobby Box contains seven cards including four autographs or relic cards.
The 2021 Panini Obsidian Football Hobby Box will become available on June 10th on the Panini Direct Store.
Pokémon Sword & Shield Astral Radiance Build & Battle Stadium
Pokémon Astral Radiance was first released on May 27th, and now the Build & Battle Stadium gives you one more way to collect the Pocket Monsters from the Hisui Region that were first introduced in the Pokémon Legends: Arceus video game.
The Pokémon Astral Radiance is designed to jump-start your deck if you are looking to play the TCG. Each box holds two Build & Battle Boxes that contain ready-to-play 40 card decks and one of four unique foil promo cards, 12 Astral Radiance booster packs, 121 Energy cards, six damage counter dice, one competition legal coin-flip die, two acrylic condition markers, and a collector’s box to store everything inside.
You can look for the Pokémon Build & Battle Stadium starting on June 10th wherever Pokémon cards are sold for a retail price of $60.
