Photogenic Basketball is a new NBA product that dropped in late June. As the name suggests, it emphasizes more creative photography that captures big moments and shows off players’ personalities.
So far there’s been a lot of buzz about this product, but not all of it’s positive. While some love the concept, others feel it’s a redundant product in an already cluttered basketball market.
In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about this new release; what we like, what we don’t, and whether this product really has a place in the hobby.
Get a NBA Photogenic 2021-2022 hobby box on ebay
NBA Photogenic Basketball launched as an online exclusive through Panini’s website, hitting the shelves on June 20th at 11:00 AM Eastern. The product was sold through a descending auction in which boxes started at $500, with price drops every 5 minutes until it sold out.
The product is now available on the resale market and has been selling for between $300-350 – well below Panini’s initial asking price.
Stylistically, it’s drawing a lot of comparisons to Stadium Club, a baseball product that tries to give its audience a behind-the-scenes look at their favorite players. Very few of the Photogenic Basketball images are action shots (unless you count the card of Steph Curry shooting warm-up shots from the tunnel).
Instead, Panini is opting for a more creative approach. This set will include iconic moments such as the Kevin Garnett screaming after the ’08 finals, alongside sillier pictures like Vince Carter on a basketball court with a picture of himself getting drafted.
It’s worth noting that this product is relatively low on inserts and parallels. While there are some, Panini seems to be opting for a smaller, more straightforward set with this one.
Check out the highest priced cards of the 2021-22 Panini Basketball Photogenic set
Personally, I am a fan of what NBA Photogenic is trying to accomplish. I get that this release won’t be for everybody, and that’s OK. From what I can gather from the images released so far, I think it will fill a niche in the NBA market that no other product currently offers.
Panini is trying to tell a story with these pictures. There are already so many cards that use the same action shots over and over. And look, I enjoy a great Ja poster as much as the next guy, but it’s fun to see a product trying something new with its photography.
Some critics are saying that this product feels “incomplete” and would be better as an insert within a bigger product. The problem with that is it means you’d have to buy a bunch of cards you might not be interested in, just to hope you can be lucky enough to eventually land a Photogenic card. By releasing it under its own line, collectors who are interested in the product can grab as much of it as they want.
No on-card autos.
This is frustrating because it puts a low ceiling on how valuable these cards can be. I get that it’s likely going to be marketed as a lower-end product, but some of the cards look really cool and have the potential to be iconic. With the sticker autos, these cards are limited in their ultimate value.
All we can hope is that Photogenic Basketball is popular enough this year for Panini to consider using on-card autos next year.
I also was not a huge fan of the Panini-exclusive release format. Cutting out local retailers sets a dangerous precedent. Third-party sellers have been the backbone of the hobby for decades; even Panini reaffirmed its commitment to smaller vendors a few years ago. I don’t really get the thinking here, and I hope this doesn’t become commonplace in other Panini releases.
My favorite cards have to be the Jalen Green and Scottie Barnes rookie cards. The two youngsters are wearing their draft day gear, holding diamond studded basketballs against gold backdrops, in a style that is vaguely reminiscent of Lebron’s Topps RC (these are flashier, but the concepts are similar.)
The hottest NBA basketball Photogenic cards on ebay auctions right now
I’m also a fan of the “Shoe Game” cards, which highlight specific players and surround them with images of different shoes they’ve worn over the years.
The product is only sold as a hobby box. Here’s what one will contain:
And here’s what Panini has released about the card breakdown inside:
Here’s the checklist for the 140 players included in the base set:
Here are the parallels and odds for the base set:
And inserts included in the set:
It’s tough to make any bold proclamations about the investment value of these cards, given that it’s in the first year of its release. That said, newer, lower-end products don’t exactly have a history of being profitable flips. So, if you’re looking to make some money, my advice is to stay away.
NBA Photogenic isn’t a product for the investor, at least not yet. It’s for collectors who are looking for an affordable product, who appreciate its aesthetic, and who want to actually collect the cards.
The one caveat I’ll give is this – I’m a fan of the “descending bid” auction format. It allowed the buyers to determine the value; we didn’t feel the product was worth $500, so many of us were able to get it for much less.
Even at $350, it’s tough to know if the value will go up. That said, I like the potential of flipping this product at $350 a lot more than I did at $500.
NBA Photogenic is a brand new release that looks to bring clever and exciting photography to the world of basketball cards. The cards in this set use pictures to tell a story.
It was released as a digital exclusive but is now available to buy directly from third party sellers on eBay. While the investment outlook on this product isn’t great, it is a fun release that could be worth the rip if you appreciate the concept.
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