As 2023 dwindles down it’s time to take a look at the best basketball card boxes to buy in 2024. Whether you’re buying a box for an affordable stocking stuffer or looking to go all in, there’s a box out there to fit your new year’s collecting needs. Here we’ll cover 3 basketball card boxes from the high price range to low. So sit back, relax, and find out what cards you’ll be starting off the new year with!
An Incredibly Brief History of Basketball Cards
Even some of the biggest basketball card enthusiasts probably don’t know that the first basketball card was designed in 1910. The series was nicknamed the “College Athletes Felt B-33”. Basketball was one of ten different sports that were featured in the bizarre set that included a total of 30 cards. Odd as it was at the time, the idea seemed to take hold and another set of basketball cards would be produced in 1911. However, the idea faded shortly after and there was a 20-year drought until the next set of basketball cards was made.
One pivotal moment that led to the modern era of basketball cards was the first set that featured NBA players. The collection first appeared in 1948 and was a 72-card set. Players such as George Mikan and Max Zaslofsky were featured. Additionally, it is interesting to note that not all of the cards in this set featured players. In fact, some cards included a diagram on the front and an explanation of a particular basketball play on the back. We personally would love to see that brought back ASAP!
Moving on to modern times, of the most memorable basketball card sets that helped usher in the age of basketball cards we see today was the 1986-1987 set that featured two of the greatest of all time: Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley. Soon after that, the 1990s basketball card era came along and we really started to see collections that began to resemble the three that make our Best Basketball Card Boxes to Buy 2024 list. Speaking of that list, here it is!
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Big Baller Basketball Card Boxes of 2024
2022-23 Panini National Treasures
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Let’s face it, most collector’s don’t have over $3,000 to spend on a hobby box Especially one that only comes with 10 cards! However, National Treasures is the set the industry whales look to each year in hopes of finding cards that can be lucrative investments for years to come. VERY lucrative. For instance, card from this set have sold more not tens but HUNDREDS of thousands in years past. So if you’ve got the bankroll and are looking for that big score, there’s no better box to be focused on in 2024.
Release Status: Currently Available
2022-23 Panini One and One
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Like National Treasures, Panini One and One is NOT for the weak of heart. Or the light of wallet. Coming in at an asking price of around $1,700, the box offers high end cards for collectors with big appetites. Also just like the previous box, this one comes with just ONE pack. On top of that the box comes with only TWO cards.
With prices hovering around $800 per box, you’ll be paying about the same amount on a card per card basis as National Treasures. However, one of those cards will be an autograph so chances are you’ll find something special. A perfect box for someone who doesn’t want to shell out the price for National Treasure but wants the same quality. Albeit less quantity.
Release Status: Currently Available
Best Basketball Card Box To Buy 2024 – Mid-Range Collectors
2022-23 Panini Contender Optic
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Another new release that’s sure to be flying off the shelves in 2024. This one more affordable! While not the most expensive, Panini Contenders Optic will certainly be one of the best basketball card boxes to buy in 2024. Boxes are currently available for less than $300, making this a perfect purchase for those looking for the bang for your buck impact. Don’t let the low price fool you though. The cards included in this set can be incredibly valuable.
Like the previous box on our list, Contenders Optic only comes with one pack and just 6 cards. However, you’re guaranteed at least one autograph so the few hundred bucks you spend could easily turn into thousands in return. A solid play for moderate investors.
Release Status: Currently Available
Budget Basketball Card Box of 2024 – 2022-23 Panini Flux
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Finally a box with more than a handful of cards! Panini Flux makes for the perfect play for hobbyists who don’t want to break the bank. Currently available for just over $200, Flux brings the heat when it comes style and flare. Additionally, you’ll get 10 packs in each box with 5 cards per pack. In the same way as Contenders Optic, Flux is also provided buyer’s with at least 1 autograph per pack. A truly affordable way to start new year off right!
Release Status: Currently Available
Blast From the Past: Best Basketball Card Boxes To Buy 2022
2020-21 Panini Prizm Hobby Box
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The grey and silver logo of Panini Prizm can be found prominently near the lower portion of the box. Something any card collector should immediately recognize as a sign of quality. In addition, one cannot help but notice an image of a player that is the future of the NBA: LaMelo Ball. An appropriate look for one of the best basketball card boxes to buy in 2021. However, it’s not the looks that make this collection special. Prizm has been the flagship brand of the sport’s biggest name in trading cards for almost a decade now. The 2021 set is no different. If you’re looking for that perfect blend of quality and value, this is where you start.
As far as the breakdown of the hobby box, it contains 12 packs with each pack containing 12 cards. Within those 144 cards, you can expect to pull 2 autographs, 22 Prizms, and 10 inserts. Here’s to one of your autographs or Prizms being a Lamelo Ball rookie card!
2020-21 Panini Select Hobby Box
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The long-awaited Panini Select collection for the 2020-21 season is now upon us and it couldn’t come any sooner. Panini has a way of timely releasing their big-name boxes and Select comes at a moment when Prizm has started to become nicely circulated. For those who are eagerly awaiting a new collection to chase, the wait is up! Boxes should begin hitting the shelves near you any day now if they haven’t already.
Once those boxes roll out you can expect to find 12 packs per box with 5 cards in each pack. As far as autographs, Select has a big edge on Prizm as you get not two but THREE signatures per box. Additionally, you’ll get 12 Prizms and 10 Premier cards per box. Not bad for only 60 cards. On a per-card basis, these are far more expensive than Prizm but with the sheer amount of high-end cards in the collection, it could very well be worth you’re while.
2020-21 Donruss Optic Hobby
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Zion steals the show on the collection teaser put out Panini shown above. He appears to be calmly dribbling the ball down the court on perhaps thinking about how great his cards are going to look in the new Donruss Optics Basketball collection! On a card by card basis, the price should be somewhere in the same neighborhood as Panini Prizm as you’ll get 4 cards per pack and 20 packs per box. Personally, we love the idea. Give us the most packs possible even if those packs contain fewer cards! Anyways, expect to find 20 inserts or parallels per box on average along with 1 autographed card. This is the last to arrive on our Best Basketball Card Boxes to Buy 2021 list with a late August ETA. The “Optic” label is known for quality and we’re expecting yet another successful run this year.
After the latest arrivals? Check out our Best Basketball Card Boxes To Buy 2023 list!
Best Basketball Card Boxes To Buy 2022 Value Play
2020-21 Panini Select Blaster Box
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Last but certainly not least we round out our Best Basketball Card Boxes To Buy 2022 list with the 2020-21 Panini Select Blaster Box. Anyone looking for a high quality collection for a reduced price would do well to consider picking up one of these. While you only receive 24 cards per box, you’ll pay a fraction of the price as the hobby boxes on this list. Sure you won’t get the same kind of guaranteed action when it comes to autographs but that easy to handle price makes up for it. As far as the rookie cards go, the set contains some amazing options including the Rookie Jersey Autographs line that comes in a wide variety of valuable Prizm formats.
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Best Basketball Card Boxes to Buy 2022: Must-Own Cards
2020-21 Panini Prizm LaMelo Ball Orange Ice
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Of course, we have to go directly to the Rookie of the Year. And what better card to target than the beautiful Orange Ice Prizm? The card makes for an amazing moderately priced investment with higher grades approaching the $1,000 mark while lower or ungraded cards are sitting at around $500. Moderate prices now, but if Ball has a truly special 2nd season? Just imagine if you would have bought a similarly priced Luka Doncic rookie card before the start of his second season!
2020-21 Panini Select Anthony Edwards Zebra Prizm
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An amazing card to have in your collection over the next few years. Many people, including Edwards himself, think this guy will only get better as he settles in to life in the professional circuit. And that’s saying a lot since he’s already looking like an elite talent.
The Zebra Prizm shown here makes for a great high end investment option. Sure the price may be steep but at some point it seems all but inevitable that Edwards mill make a run at MVP. Safe to say that today’s price tag will look like a bargain once that happens!