February doesn’t have the amount of big releases that the previous two months did, but it carries one of the biggest releases of the year: NBA Prizm.
Not a hoops collector? Don’t sweat. There will be plenty of other big releases coming shortly thereafter.
Here are the CardLines picks for cards in February 2024. And, also as always, a feature on this list doesn’t mean it’s a must-buy.
We’re sharing honest thoughts on all products. Some of these brands might be included out of caution, so read the summary with each.
Also, please note: Release schedules are very fluid and move frequently. These dates are not guaranteed.
Donruss Elite has been around for over a decade, so it has some history at this point. That does not, however, make it an appealing product.
While it might be Donruss “Elite,” the vast majority of collectors would still prefer standard Donruss and its Rated Rookies. Elite has a $325 price tag for 6 packs per box with 8 cards per pack, and you can expect to pull 2 autos, 2 base rookies, 6 parallels, and 10 inserts.
Limiting the number of rookies per box seems like a good idea because of scarcity, but Elite did the same thing last year and most of the rookies didn’t retain much value (probably because they’re in their college uniforms).
Rookie auto sets to chase include Pen Pals, New Breed Autographs, Impact Impressions and Rookie Yearbook Autographs!
2023-24 Panini Prizm Basketball will be the #1 product for chasing Wemby rookie cards since it isn’t an auto-driven product. That said, the demand for the product will be sky-high, even though the rookie class is otherwise a bit weak.
And even without Wemby autos, Prizm is such a heavyweight. This is not a product release to miss: it’s the best brand from the most popular sport in collecting. Also look for new Prizmania cards, which are so ugly it should be criminal.
2023-24 Prizm stays pretty true to form. The $1,000 boxes come with 12 packs of 12 cards per box. Each box boasts 2 autographs, 22 Prizms, 10 inserts. This year, it looks like autos will be hobby-only.
Hobby box sales copy says, “Find 2 Hobby-Exclusive Autographs per Hobby Box in the sets Signatures, Rookie Signatures, Sensational Signatures and the new Franchise Favorites Signatures!” We can also expect to find brand new Hobby-Exclusive Red, Blue and Snakeskin parallels!
Shop for 2023-24 Panini Prizm Basketball
SP Game Used Hockey is a top annual hockey release, and this year should be no different.
As the name implies, it’s a memorabilia-driven product. We don’t have a release price yet, but we do know what to look for in each box: 3 Memorabilia and/or Tech Cards, 2 Base Set and/or Insert Cards, and 1 Autograph or Premium Memorabilia Card.
While a “premium memorabilia” card might sound sexy, it’s still not an auto, so probably going to be a letdown.
Some of the best cards in this set are the Draft Day Marks cards featuring rookies #’d to 35 (per letter). While we don’t have a price yet, we can assume it’ll be between $100 – $200.
Shop for 2023-24 SP Game Used Hockey boxes on eBay
Note: This release has been pushed back to at least 3/22.
Zenith still feels like a cash grab from Panini. It’s a brand that was popular in the 90s, and Panini brought it back so we could all have another football brand vying for our attention – every collector’s dream!
Here’s a serious task: ask any football collector to name 10 brands of football cards, and let us know if any say “Zenith.” I’d be surprised.
These boxes cost $400 and they’re 1 pack of 6 cards. Each box comes with 1 RPA, 1 additional auto, 1 base, 1 rookie, and 2 inserts. There’s a 242 base set (pretty high for a 6-pack box) that features 100 vets, 100 rookies and 42 RPAs. While this brand seems unnecessary, there’s no denying that the cards look great.
Topps Series 1 Baseball brings a neon-themed design to shelves for the first big baseball release of 2024. As always, this year’s release will come in both hobby and jumbo formats.
Jumbo boxes come with 400 cards and 1 auto and 2 relics for $171, while hobby boxes come with 240 cards with 1 auto or relic and 1 promo pack for $97. Looking at both the guaranteed cards and hit, the jumbo box is the best bang for your buck.
We don’t have many notes on this release yet, but it should be the standard Topps Series 1 set: a deep checklist with a new crop of rookies and colorful border parallels.
Shop for 2024 Topps Series 1 Baseball boxes on eBay
Choosing a briefcase over a box as the delivery vessel, Flawless Basketball sets the bar for high-end products. The boxes typically don’t retail for less than $10,000, so even though we don’t have an exact figure yet, we can estimate low five figures.
Each box has 9 autographs and 1 memorabilia card, and every card is numbered 20 or less. Plus, of course, the briefcase. If you’re looking to take a huge swing, Flawless might be for you (but I could never recommend opening one of these!).
Shop for 2022-Panini Flawless Basketball boxes on eBay
Contenders is an autograph-driven product, and without Wemby autos, it’s a product I can’t recommend investing in. It’s kept the same format for 20 years, carrying value not by rookies or parallels, but by the Rookie Ticket Autographs.
Hobby boxes are selling for $425 and, as usual, have 2 autographs per box with one being one card. You can also expect to pull 12 inserts, parallels, or variations per box, but no guaranteed rookies. See what I mean about autograph-driven?
Opening Contenders and making your money back is nearly miraculous, but the nicest rookie autographs do age pretty well. Still, without the nicest rookie, 2023-24 Contenders is a bad buy.
Some big releases are dropping in February and we’ve got our eye on several.
Let us know what you’re most excited about on Twitter @card_lines, and subscribe to our free newsletter right here. Twice a week, we’re bringing exclusive hobby news, offers and tips straight to your inbox.
32 Spot Random Team 2024 NFL Mosaic Mega 8 Box Break
32 Spot Random Team 2024 NFL Mosaic Blaster 10 Box Break.
Sealed Blaster Box of 2022 Topps MLB Baseball Update Series.
Sealed box of 2019 Topps MLB Baseball Series 2 Hobby Box. 1 autograph or relic card guaranteed. Great rookie class.
Sealed Box of 2021 Panini Prizm Baseball Cello. 12 packs per box, 18 cards per pack.
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