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2023 Spectra Football Review: A Decade In And Still Fun

panini spectura 2023

With 2023 Spectra is back for 2023 with a $900 price tag for a 16-card box. While it’s inherently a risky rip, is it a good investment? In this article, we’ll preview 2023 Spectra Football and let you know what you should expect. 

Shop for 2023 Spectra Football boxes on eBay

Spectra Football product introduction 

This release marks a decade of Spectra football – pretty phenomenal. Since its 2013 introduction, the product has remained pretty consistent in what it delivers: not many cards but a lot of hits at a price.

The Spectra boxes are often priced pretty similarly to Prizm but contain about a quarter as many cards.

This year, Spectra attempts both carry the torch while retaining what collectors love about it, and all-in-all, this is done effectively. A few new inserts help the product feel updated without straying too far away from what makes Spectra, Spectra. 

What to expect from 2023 Spectra Football

Collectors of 2023 Spectra Football can expect to see the product hit shelves on March 8th, 2024. 2023 Spectra averages 8 hits per box. Each box only contains 16 cards, so you can do the math – you’re running a high percentage of hits per box. 

Typically, the structure is the same: four packs of four cards each. The top two cards in each pack are base cards, followed by memorabilia and then an autograph on the back (I still don’t understand why Panini is putting the autos on the back instead of sandwiching the hits between the base cards, but hey, they didn’t ask me.)

Every card in Spectra is numbered. The highest-numbered card you’ll pull from the product is /149, and there are many lower-numbered parallels. Each box also contains at least one RPA.

The cards are artful, and all the parallels use dazzling prizm or mosaic effects to deliver some beautiful cards. 

Shop for 2023 Spectra Football boxes on eBay

Diving into the 2023 Spectra release notes 

One thing that this product doesn’t tell you is that the 2023 Panini Spectra doesn’t have the autographs of Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, or Will Levis, who will be signing exclusively for Fanatics/Topps.

But here’s what we do know from Panini about Spectra 2023. 

For one, it’s a visually striking product known for its diverse range of inserts and parallels. The offering includes rookie-centric autograph memorabilia content such as Rookie Patch Autographs, Dual Patch Autographs, and Radiant Rookie Patch Signatures. 

Noteworthy features include Champion Signatures with on-card autographs of the latest Super Bowl winners. The 2023 edition boasts vibrant parallels such as Celestial, Hyper, Interstellar, Neon Blue Die Cut, and others, numbered as low as 1. Additionally, collectors can anticipate case-hit SSP chases like Neon Nights, Ultraviolet, Respectra, Solar Eclipse, and Main Character.

2023 Panini Spectra formats

Spectra is a hobby-only release, and the box breaks down like this:

2023 Panini Spectra Football Hobby Box

The Panini Spectra Football hobby box contains the following cards in this year’s release:

  • 4 cards per pack. 
  • 4 packs per box. 
  • 4 Autographs (includes 1 RPA)
  • 4 Memorabilia
  • 7 Base/Parallels/Variation
  • 1 Insert

2023 Panini Spectra Football Checklist information: 

The Spectra lineup looks very familiar to last year’s boxes, even at the hobby level, but there are a few new inserts and Spectra colors to add flare. 

Here’s a look at this year’s hobby colors:

  • Celestial – /99
  • Hyper – /75
  • Interstellar – /60
  • Neon Blue Die-Cut – /50
  • Astral – /40
  • Neon Green Die-Cut – /30
  • Meta – /25
  • Neon Pink Die-Cut – /20
  • Neon Orange Die-Cut – /15
  • Universal Die-Cut – /10
  • Neon Splatter – /8
  • Psychedelic – /5
  • Neon Marble – /4
  • Nebula – /2
  • Gold – 1/1

Value of 2023 Panini Spectra Football

If you’re hoping to invest in Spectra 2023, the first question to answer is if you should buy singles or wax. 

2023 Panini Spectra hobby box value

This year’s Spectra, at the time of writing, has been pre-ordering for $900. Here’s how that stacks up against the current resell value from previous years.

Release yearValue
2023$900
2022$650
2021$725
2020$2,000
2019$580
2018$1,235

Immediately, these numbers say “don’t invest in this product for a long-term hold.” The only boxes that are selling for more than the 2023 box are 2018, which features Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen rookies, and 2020, which has an incredibly deep class.

Plus, with those 2 years, all the major rookies are included in the autographs. Since Spectra is headlined by nice RPAs, not having Stroud or Young autographs is a significant dent in its potential.

Investing in 2023 Panini Spectra Football singles

If you’re going to invest in Spectra singles, the RPAs are the standout option from Spectra. They’re typically numbered to /99 so they’re limited enough to be hard to find, but also populous enough to be a logical chase. 

And they’re also thick cards, which means a PSA 10 is very, very unlikely. While I’d encourage you to chase PSA 10 on Prizm and Optic cards, a PSA 9 (or even an 8) is A-OK when it comes to Spectra, as is a nice raw card.

If you want a Spectra CJ Stroud or Bryce Young, look at the SSPs. 

Bottom line: Should you rip, hold, or pass on Panini Spectra Football 2023?

2023 Spectra Football is not a long-term hold, but it’s also a risky rip. While this is a very fun product, it’s not one that I’d personally engage with, especially this year. A lot more money can be lost on Spectra than it can be made. 

What do you think of 2023 Spectra? Share your thoughts on Twitter @card_lines

Shop for 2023 Spectra Football boxes on eBay

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Jesse Haynes

Jesse Haynes

Jesse Haynes is the co-founder of Solaro Shades, an Amazon #1 Bestselling novelist, and a lifelong sports card collector. His nonfiction work has been featured in Forbes, Inc., MarketWatch and more. At CardLines, Jesse’s specialties are basketball and football cards, not to mention making informative video and Instagram content.

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