Should You Rip Or Hold 2021-22 Panini One and One Basketball — Or Neither?

Who has time to deal with a bunch of lower-value cards? Time is money, as they say. Sure, some of us love base cards and set completion. I am one of those.

But to many collectors, it’s all about the big hit. Panini One and One delivers for folks who are into that big-hit mentality. It gives you two cards and two cards only.

Or, as the mathematically inclined Panini calls it, one and one. But is that card duo worth the price of entry? The 2021-22 Panini One and One Review provides the answers you seek.

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What Is Panini One and One?

Panini One and One first appeared as a football series in 2018. The following year, Panini introduced it to the basketball world. Though billed as a “no filler” kind of product, even this one has the more desirable and less sought-after cards.

The two cards are usually an on-card auto, complete in a one-touch magnetic case, and a numbered card of significantly lesser value. So, really, people are buying it for the auto, and the second card is an afterthought. Man, there is just no escaping low-value base cards!

Since its initial release, Panini One and One has established a niche for itself in the basketball card world. But I wouldn’t say it was one of the most beloved releases or anything like that.

Panini One and One 2021-22 review of the release date

The 2021-22 Panini One and One First Off The Line (FOTL) boxes were released on October 28, 2022. Meanwhile, the good old-fashioned regular hobby boxes dropped on November 4, 2022.

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2021-22 Panini One and One pros

The pros are obvious. You get a high chance of an excellent hit without having to pay a massive amount of money. The over $800 price tag ain’t cheap. Don’t get me wrong. But compare that to well over $10,000 for a box of Flawless.

In addition, you don’t have a bunch of base taking up space in your house. So, Panini One and One can’t be beaten for an efficient shot at a big card.

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2021-22 Panini One and One cons

First, the most apparent con: ripping a One on One box has little of the buildup and excitement of going after other boxes. Within two seconds, you know what you have, and there aren’t a lot of surprises and fun inclusions. But, then, it’s all over before you know it. Watch a One and One break, and you will see what I’m talking about.

The breaker may try to draw it out by hiding the auto for a second or two, but you can do little to draw this micro-event out. Personally, if I spend hundreds of dollars on a box, I want to draw it out and have some fun.

Another problem with this release is the design. Your opinion may vary, but I have seen a few One and One cards with beautiful designs. However, there is something generic about the way they look.

The logo is a flop, and many cards look like Prizm or Flawless designs but with less vitality. Not all collectors agree, and the experts on Blowout Forums are split on the designs. But I don’t see the charm.

2021-22 Panini One and One release formats

With a two-card per box release, retail formats do not make sense. Instead, Panini offers two forms of hobby boxes: regular and first-off-the-line. Here are their specifications:

FOTL hobby box

• 2 cards per pack
• 1 pack per box
• Look for 1 autograph and 1 base, parallel, or insert card per box on average
• Possible inclusion of a Downtown insert

Hobby box

• 2 cards per pack
• 1 pack per box
• 10 boxes per case
• Look for 1 autograph and 1 base, parallel, or insert card per box on average
• A box resells for $900
• A case goes for $11,200

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2021-22 Panini One and One review of the checklist 

As we have seen, there are only two cards in each box. Generally speaking, the cards are one base card and an auto.

Base cards

There are 180 base cards in this release. Each one is numbered to #/99. But they also come in lower-numbered parallels.

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Parallels for base cards

• Blue #/30
• Purple #/25
• Red #/15
• Gold #/10
• FOTL Pink #/6
• Green #/5
• Black 1/1

Inserts

The chase in 2021-22 Panini One and One are the autos. But including some great inserts, including Downtown cards, means you may strike gold with that non-auto card. But they certainly aren’t the only inserts available in this release.

Downtown

The most exciting and sought-after insert in this product is, without a doubt, the Downtown cards. As you probably already know, these cards feature players in the background of a landmark from their hometown. For example, one of the most famous shows, Steph Curry, with the Golden Gate Bridge right behind.

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Here is a list of the Downtown cards included in 2021-22 Panini One and One:

• 1 LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers
• 2 Luka Doncic – Dallas Mavericks
• 3 Stephen Curry – Golden State Warriors
• 4 Ja Morant – Memphis Grizzlies
• 5 Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks
• 6 Kevin Durant – Brooklyn Nets
• 7 Trae Young – Atlanta Hawks
• 8 LaMelo Ball – Charlotte Hornets
• 9 Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets
• 10 Joel Embiid – Philadelphia 76ers
• 11 Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics
• 12 Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves
• 13 Zach LaVine – Chicago Bulls
• 14 Jonathan Kuminga – Golden State Warriors
• 15 Josh Giddey – Oklahoma City Thunder
• 16 Cade Cunningham – Detroit Pistons
• 17 Jalen Green – Houston Rockets
• 18 Evan Mobley – Cleveland Cavaliers
• 19 Scottie Barnes – Toronto Raptors
• 20 Jalen Suggs – Orlando Magic

2021-22 Panini One and One autos  

The big draw in this release are the guaranteed autos. The selection is indeed very good. However, there is a good chance you will get a veteran auto rather than a rookie. So, be forewarned.

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Timeless Moments autographs

The Timeless Moments cards highlight an excellent performance from a player. They include details of the game on the back and the player’s autograph on the front. It is no doubt one of the best designs in this release.

But the problem is that the list is mainly made up of former players and veterans. That is the nature of the beast with this sort of auto, but also the reason it will not rival the rookie sets for value.

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Timeless Moments Autographs set checklist

19 cards.

PARALLEL CARDS: Blue #/49 (Doncic #/4*), Purple #/35, Red #/25, Gold #/10, Green #/5, FOTL Pink #/3, Black 1/1.

• 1 Stephen Curry – Golden State Warriors #/ 49
• 2 Dwyane Wade – Miami Heat #/ 49
• 3 Anfernee Simons – Portland Trail Blazers #/ 99
• 5 Ja Morant – Memphis Grizzlies #/ 49
• 6 Allen Iverson – Philadelphia 76ers #/ 49
• 7 Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets #/ 99
• 8 Magic Johnson – Los Angeles Lakers #/ 49
• 9 Shaquille O’Neal – Los Angeles Lakers #/ 49
• 10 Chris Paul – Phoenix Suns #/ 49
• 11 Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics #/ 49
• 12 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – Milwaukee Bucks #/ 49
• 13 RJ Barrett – New York Knicks #/ 49
• 14 Zion Williamson – New Orleans Pelicans #/ 49
• 15 Luka Doncic – Dallas Mavericks #/ 49 *
• 16 Amar’e Stoudemire – Phoenix Suns #/ 99
• 17 Ray Allen – Boston Celtics #/ 99
• 18 Bradley Beal – Washington Wizards #/ 99
• 19 Vince Carter – Dallas Mavericks #/ 99
• 20 Dirk Nowitzki – Dallas Mavericks #/ 49

Rookie Jersey Autographs

Panini One and One basketball have their own version of an RPA, the Rookie Jersey Autographs. The design could be more attractive, but all the basics are there. A nice jersey patch, auto, and a good picture of the player.

Prime Rookie Jersey Autographs set checklist

25 cards. Serial numbered #/99.

Parallels: Blue #/49, Purple #/35, Red #/25, FOTL Pink #/15, Gold #/10, Green #/5, Black 1/1.

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• 1 Cade Cunningham – Detroit Pistons
• 2 Herbert Jones – New Orleans Pelicans
• 3 Jalen Green – Houston Rockets
• 4 Joshua Primo – San Antonio Spurs
• 5 Bones Hyland – Denver Nuggets
• 6 Tre Mann – Oklahoma City Thunder
• 7 Jonathan Kuminga – Golden State Warriors
• 8 Jeremiah Robinson-Earl – Oklahoma City Thunder *
• 9 Brandon Boston Jr. – Los Angeles Clippers
• 10 Corey Kispert – Washington Wizards
• 11 Evan Mobley – Cleveland Cavaliers
• 12 Jalen Johnson – Atlanta Hawks
• 13 Scottie Barnes – Toronto Raptors
• 14 Ziaire Williams – Memphis Grizzlies
• 15 Franz Wagner – Orlando Magic
• 16 Isaiah Jackson – Indiana Pacers
• 17 Ayo Dosunmu – Chicago Bulls
• 18 Cameron Thomas – Brooklyn Nets
• 19 Chris Duarte – Indiana Pacers
• 20 Davion Mitchell – Sacramento Kings
• 21 Jalen Suggs – Orlando Magic
• 22 James Bouknight – Charlotte Hornets
• 23 Alperen Sengun – Houston Rockets
• 24 Miles McBride – New York Knicks
• 25 Josh Giddey – Oklahoma City Thunder

2021-22 Panini One and One value review

There are only two real questions when it comes to the value of this product. First, how often do you get the big hits, and do those cards really pay for the box? There is a nagging suspicion that even though One and One has some great cards, they are not as valuable as the ones from the more prestigious and well-known releases.

So we will check this out in different ways. First, let’s look at some breaks and see what kind of value these boxes offered to the average buyer. Then we will examine the value of boxes over the years.

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Breaks

We tuned in to our friends at Layton Sports Cards for a break from late last year. You can watch the break here:

Box 1:

Box 2:

Box 3:

Box 4:

Box 5:

Two boxes out of five give a pretty reasonable return on investment. So, your odds are better than with many other products I have seen. But remember that a box of this product will set you back about $1,100. So, you don’t actually make your money back in any of these boxes.

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That is distressing, considering that one of them is a LaMelo Ball RPA, probably as good a card as this product offers. So, as always, when you do the math on these boxes, it’s a bit depressing. But hey, Panini isn’t selling these for their health, right?

Wax

There aren’t that many boxes from previous years. But it’s still worthwhile to see what they are selling for before you decide if you want to stash a few of these away.

The current box is going for $900. The rookie class is comparable to the last couple of years, so there is no reason to expect it to appreciate better than the previous two years. And, of course, Panini is about to lose its NBA license to Topps.

That means the One and One line, a somewhat promising one, will never become established as Panini hoped. So really, stashing this doesn’t seem worth the effort.

Last word on the Panini One and One 2021-22 review

One and One is a good idea. There is a market for people who want to get to the glory cards and avoid the clutter of base cards. Honestly, it would probably be more popular if they got rid of the second card (or upgraded it and raised the price). But the idea is solid.

The problem is the brand never really developed its own voice, and the product hasn’t been around long enough to create a strong following. That will probably never happen with Panini on the way out from NBA products.

In terms of value, One and One offers a better return per rip than most products. The good cards are sought after, and the boxes are less expensive than other high-end products offering RPA’s. But the cards still don’t cover the cost of the box, even when you hit a gem.

Let’s face it, none of these basketball products do any better in that regard. Meanwhile, the boxes do not age well. So, this is a pretty good rip and a terrible hold.

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