Latest news with #RookieRoyalty
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark rookie card sells for $660,000, smashing women's sports card record
Another Caitlin Clark card, another record for the most expensive women's sports card ever. Clark's 2024 Panini WNBA Rookie Royalty Flawless patch autographed one-of-one rookie card sold for $660,000 through Fanatics Collect's July Premier auction Thursday night. This card nearly doubled the March sale of a different one-of-a-kind Clark card, her 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA Signatures Gold Vinyl autograph rookie card, which went for $366,000 through Goldin Auctions. This record sale could have quick competition, though. Clark's one-of-a-kind Immaculate patch autographed rookie card, also from the Rookie Royalty set, is up for auction. The card currently holds a price of $219,600 on Goldin with the auction set to end Aug. 9. Thursday's sale is another example of Clark's card market being unfazed by her injury riddled 2025 season. She's only played in 13 of the Indiana Fever's 25 games so far — even missing this year's WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis — with calf and groin injuries. A few key elements set the Rookie Royalty one-of-ones apart from the Prizm card that previously held the record sale. The autograph on the Flawless and Immaculate cards are directly on the card — this is far more desirable to collectors than autographed stickers that are placed on cards, which is what the Prizm card has. In addition, the Flawless and Immaculate cards also feature the WNBA 'Logowoman' patch from Indiana Fever jerseys. Even though they're from jerseys that weren't personally worn by Clark, league logo patches command a premium in cards. Clark also inscribed the Flawless card with '769 pts and counting.' This refers to how many points she scored during her 2024 campaign in which she won the WNBA rookie of the year award. The Immaculate card is inscribed with 'ROY 24' to signify Clark's rookie of the year honors. The Flawless and Immaculate brands typically stand as two of Panini's top high-end products, meaning the cards from those sets command some of the highest price tags for collectors to buy on the secondary market. Flawless and Immaculate have traditionally been a stand-alone sets, but Panini inserted the brands and other high-end company labels like National Treasures and Noir within the Rookie Royalty boxes. That means there is also a similar one-of-a-kind National Treasures Clark Logowoman autographed card in Rookie Royalty, too. This wasn't the only part of the unusual set up. Panini launched its Dutch auction for the boxes containing two cards starting at $30,000. Most boxes sold for around $4,000, though. Each box includes just two cards and is guaranteed to contain an on-card autograph of either Clark or Angel Reese and a Downtown or Kaboom insert of one of 12 players (including Clark and Reese). The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Indiana Fever, WNBA, Sports Business, Memorabilia & Collectibles 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Caitlin Clark rookie card sells for $660,000, smashing women's sports card record
Another Caitlin Clark card, another record for the most expensive women's sports card ever. Clark's 2024 Panini WNBA Rookie Royalty Flawless patch autographed one-of-one rookie card sold for $660,000 through Fanatics Collect's July Premier auction Thursday night. This card nearly doubled the March sale of a different one-of-a-kind Clark card, her 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA Signatures Gold Vinyl autograph rookie card, which went for $366,000 through Goldin Auctions. Advertisement This record sale could have quick competition, though. Clark's one-of-a-kind Immaculate patch autographed rookie card, also from the Rookie Royalty set, is up for auction. The card currently holds a price of $219,600 on Goldin with the auction set to end Aug. 9. Thursday's sale is another example of Clark's card market being unfazed by her injury riddled 2025 season. She's only played in 13 of the Indiana Fever's 25 games so far — even missing this year's WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis — with calf and groin injuries. A few key elements set the Rookie Royalty one-of-ones apart from the Prizm card that previously held the record sale. The autograph on the Flawless and Immaculate cards are directly on the card — this is far more desirable to collectors than autographed stickers that are placed on cards, which is what the Prizm card has. In addition, the Flawless and Immaculate cards also feature the WNBA 'Logowoman' patch from Indiana Fever jerseys. Even though they're from jerseys that weren't personally worn by Clark, league logo patches command a premium in cards. Clark also inscribed the Flawless card with '769 pts and counting.' This refers to how many points she scored during her 2024 campaign in which she won the WNBA rookie of the year award. The Immaculate card is inscribed with 'ROY 24' to signify Clark's rookie of the year honors. The Flawless and Immaculate brands typically stand as two of Panini's top high-end products, meaning the cards from those sets command some of the highest price tags for collectors to buy on the secondary market. Flawless and Immaculate have traditionally been a stand-alone sets, but Panini inserted the brands and other high-end company labels like National Treasures and Noir within the Rookie Royalty boxes. That means there is also a similar one-of-a-kind National Treasures Clark Logowoman autographed card in Rookie Royalty, too. This wasn't the only part of the unusual set up. Advertisement Panini launched its Dutch auction for the boxes containing two cards starting at $30,000. Most boxes sold for around $4,000, though. Each box includes just two cards and is guaranteed to contain an on-card autograph of either Clark or Angel Reese and a Downtown or Kaboom insert of one of 12 players (including Clark and Reese). The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Panini's most expensive WNBA release has left long-time collectors feeling disappointed
Under the harsh glare of breaker streaming cameras, Panini's Rookie Royalty boxes flashed across screens — gleaming promises of a new chapter in WNBA collecting. As rips went live, buyers clicked frantically to secure one of 429 unique break spots, yet when boxes were finally torn open, the spectacle felt hollow. Priced far beyond the means of many collectors who nurtured the league's rise, this supposedly premium release is hyper‑focused on a handful of second‑year players masquerading as rookies. With every breaker's audible groan as a non-Caitlin Clark card is pulled, I can't help but wonder if this is a hobby that's beginning to lose its soul. As a business professor, I understand better than most that the sports card hobby is, at its core, a market — and yet the ache I feel runs deeper than balance sheets. Panini launched its Dutch auction at a jaw‑dropping $30,000 per box containing just two cards, yet many boxes sold out around $4,000 — a number that, on paper, looks like a win for WNBA collectors. Each box is guaranteed to contain an on-card autograph of either Clark or Angel Reese and a Downtown or Kaboom insert of one of 12 players (including Clark and Reese). Advertisement The inclusion of on‑card autos, rather than the autographed stickers Panini usually affixes to WNBA cards, under premium brand names marks real progress for WNBA cards. And friends responded to my melancholy by pointing out that sales from these product breaks often exceed player salaries, so the real conversation should be about directing some of that revenue back to the athletes. Even if some buyers are merely chasing hype, the fact that we're talking millions of dollars in revenues and total card values ought to compel serious investment and more equitable distribution throughout women's sports. And yet, watching the breaks I just felt sad. It felt like a betrayal of all the progress WNBA collectors have fought to achieve. For years, WNBA devotees have lobbied for true premium offerings — products like National Treasures, an ultra‑premium hobby line featuring on‑card autographs and game‑used memorabilia that produces some of the most sought-after modern sports cards. What landed under the 'Rookie Royalty' banner, however, feels like a tacked‑on afterthought. I watched breakers frantically rush through player names on Downtowns and Kabooms they could barely pronounce or place, a stark reminder of how casually the WNBA's full story has been sidelined. The sadness isn't nostalgia though, it's indignation that an entire league's significance can be treated as collateral damage in the pursuit of short-term profit. It's baffling, and frankly short‑sighted. As Panini watches other major licenses like the NFL and NBA slip away to rival Topps, the WNBA represented a prime avenue for sustainable growth. Instead of building a comprehensive premium line to deepen engagement and expand the market, they delivered a one‑off drop bearing the generally less valuable print-to-order Panini Instant branding in the cards' fine print. That choice isn't just disappointing for collectors, it's a flawed long‑term strategy that hinders the chance to turn the WNBA into a true cornerstone of their hobby portfolio. Advertisement Panini's stance couldn't be more transparent. It seems to recognize the growing demand and a booming market for WNBA cards, and it's chosen to meet it with a premium‑priced release that highlights only a tiny subset of players, minimizes production costs, and is built for social media hype. Packaged with generic relics that aren't game‑used or player‑associated and sold at a price point that screams luxury, even though customers largely rejected the company's attempt to sell the product for tens of thousands of dollars. By co‑opting venerable product lines to peddle an empty façade of prestige, Rookie Royalty ultimately amounts to an afterthought cash grab. But the implications run deeper than card values. When a company sidelines a league's history and all but a select few of its current players in favor of a hyper‑focused, profit‑centered release, it sends a message: the WNBA is only as valuable as its most marketable rookies. By contrast, NBA collectors enjoy a full roster of premium offerings — flagship lines like National Treasures, Flawless, and bespoke, curated sets like Topps' Mercury Victor Wembanyama — ensuring their stars are celebrated across multiple configurations, while the WNBA remains sidelined without a true, comprehensive marquee release. While Caitlin Clark did receive her own dedicated product last year, it was relegated to a low-end retail release. Panini's decision to confine its premium focus so tightly gives the impression of just how little faith it places in the league as a whole. Panini had far better alternatives which would continue to develop the profitability of its WNBA license. It could have launched a fully fleshed‑out premium WNBA product, celebrating every franchise with on‑card autos and relics keyed to career milestones. Or, better yet, introduced a 'WNBA Chronicles' line, a single hobby release that blends parallels, inserts, and checklist designs from multiple flagship Panini brands—like Spectra, Mosaic, Contenders, and Crown Royale, so that these Rookie Royalty cards would become the chase targets within a broader, narrative‑driven set that includes more than just two cards per box. Either approach would have expanded the WNBA hobby market. The fact that Rookie Royalty carries the 'Panini Instant' label only underscores its origins as a quick turnaround, rather than a thoughtful tribute. Picture a Caitlin Clark 1/1 Flawless card, graded and encased by PSA with 'Panini Instant' on the label—a stark reminder that this release is more impulse play than enduring celebration. Is Rookie Royalty a symptom of how companies view niche corners of the hobby, like the WNBA? Or does it herald a broader trend across the entire sports card market — where every product is engineered purely for viral moments, rather than genuine reverence that fosters collecting? Perhaps both. The result however is a widening chasm between short‑term speculation and long‑term stewardship: a world where prestige is measured in minute sell‑out times rather than the depth of connection collectors have with the game they love. Advertisement In either case, Panini's latest offering feels less like a celebration and more like a missed opportunity. Prestige cannot be conjured by scarcity alone, nor can respect be feigned through glittering packaging and screaming frat boys on live-selling platforms. For those of us who have championed women's basketball cards through leaner times, that truth aches more than the sight of an empty box. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. WNBA, Sports Business, Memorabilia & Collectibles 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
05-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Why Panini's most expensive WNBA release has left long-time collectors feeling disappointed
Under the harsh glare of breaker streaming cameras, Panini's Rookie Royalty boxes flashed across screens — gleaming promises of a new chapter in WNBA collecting. As rips went live, buyers clicked frantically to secure one of 429 unique break spots, yet when boxes were finally torn open, the spectacle felt hollow. Priced far beyond the means of many collectors who nurtured the league's rise, this supposedly premium release is hyper‑focused on a handful of second‑year players masquerading as rookies. With every breaker's audible groan as a non-Caitlin Clark card is pulled, I can't help but wonder if this is a hobby that's beginning to lose its soul. Advertisement As a business professor, I understand better than most that the sports card hobby is, at its core, a market — and yet the ache I feel runs deeper than balance sheets. Panini launched its Dutch auction at a jaw‑dropping $30,000 per box containing just two cards, yet many boxes sold out around $4,000 — a number that, on paper, looks like a win for WNBA collectors. Each box is guaranteed to contain an on-card autograph of either Clark or Angel Reese and a Downtown or Kaboom insert of one of 12 players (including Clark and Reese). The inclusion of on‑card autos, rather than the autographed stickers Panini usually affixes to WNBA cards, under premium brand names marks real progress for WNBA cards. And friends responded to my melancholy by pointing out that sales from these product breaks often exceed player salaries, so the real conversation should be about directing some of that revenue back to the athletes. Even if some buyers are merely chasing hype, the fact that we're talking millions of dollars in revenues and total card values ought to compel serious investment and more equitable distribution throughout women's sports. ✍️ Creating Hobby history 👀 Coming soon…#WhoDoYouCollect — Panini America (@PaniniAmerica) June 25, 2025 And yet, watching the breaks I just felt sad. It felt like a betrayal of all the progress WNBA collectors have fought to achieve. For years, WNBA devotees have lobbied for true premium offerings — products like National Treasures, an ultra‑premium hobby line featuring on‑card autographs and game‑used memorabilia that produces some of the most sought-after modern sports cards. What landed under the 'Rookie Royalty' banner, however, feels like a tacked‑on afterthought. I watched breakers frantically rush through player names on Downtowns and Kabooms they could barely pronounce or place, a stark reminder of how casually the WNBA's full story has been sidelined. The sadness isn't nostalgia though, it's indignation that an entire league's significance can be treated as collateral damage in the pursuit of short-term profit. It's baffling, and frankly short‑sighted. As Panini watches other major licenses like the NFL and NBA slip away to rival Topps, the WNBA represented a prime avenue for sustainable growth. Instead of building a comprehensive premium line to deepen engagement and expand the market, they delivered a one‑off drop bearing the generally less valuable print-to-order Panini Instant branding in the cards' fine print. That choice isn't just disappointing for collectors, it's a flawed long‑term strategy that hinders the chance to turn the WNBA into a true cornerstone of their hobby portfolio. Advertisement Panini's stance couldn't be more transparent. It seems to recognize the growing demand and a booming market for WNBA cards, and it's chosen to meet it with a premium‑priced release that highlights only a tiny subset of players, minimizes production costs, and is built for social media hype. Packaged with generic relics that aren't game‑used or player‑associated and sold at a price point that screams luxury, even though customers largely rejected the company's attempt to sell the product for tens of thousands of dollars. By co‑opting venerable product lines to peddle an empty façade of prestige, Rookie Royalty ultimately amounts to an afterthought cash grab. But the implications run deeper than card values. When a company sidelines a league's history and all but a select few of its current players in favor of a hyper‑focused, profit‑centered release, it sends a message: the WNBA is only as valuable as its most marketable rookies. By contrast, NBA collectors enjoy a full roster of premium offerings — flagship lines like National Treasures, Flawless, and bespoke, curated sets like Topps' Mercury Victor Wembanyama — ensuring their stars are celebrated across multiple configurations, while the WNBA remains sidelined without a true, comprehensive marquee release. While Caitlin Clark did receive her own dedicated product last year, it was relegated to a low-end retail release. Panini's decision to confine its premium focus so tightly gives the impression of just how little faith it places in the league as a whole. Panini had far better alternatives which would continue to develop the profitability of its WNBA license. It could have launched a fully fleshed‑out premium WNBA product, celebrating every franchise with on‑card autos and relics keyed to career milestones. Or, better yet, introduced a 'WNBA Chronicles' line, a single hobby release that blends parallels, inserts, and checklist designs from multiple flagship Panini brands—like Spectra, Mosaic, Contenders, and Crown Royale, so that these Rookie Royalty cards would become the chase targets within a broader, narrative‑driven set that includes more than just two cards per box. Either approach would have expanded the WNBA hobby market. The fact that Rookie Royalty carries the 'Panini Instant' label only underscores its origins as a quick turnaround, rather than a thoughtful tribute. Picture a Caitlin Clark 1/1 Flawless card, graded and encased by PSA with 'Panini Instant' on the label—a stark reminder that this release is more impulse play than enduring celebration. Is Rookie Royalty a symptom of how companies view niche corners of the hobby, like the WNBA? Or does it herald a broader trend across the entire sports card market — where every product is engineered purely for viral moments, rather than genuine reverence that fosters collecting? Perhaps both. The result however is a widening chasm between short‑term speculation and long‑term stewardship: a world where prestige is measured in minute sell‑out times rather than the depth of connection collectors have with the game they love. In either case, Panini's latest offering feels less like a celebration and more like a missed opportunity. Prestige cannot be conjured by scarcity alone, nor can respect be feigned through glittering packaging and screaming frat boys on live-selling platforms. For those of us who have championed women's basketball cards through leaner times, that truth aches more than the sight of an empty box. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission. (Top image: Panini America)
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
George Costanza, $3K Caitlin Clark Rookie Royalty Breaks & the $80 Popcorn Bucket Craze
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JUNE 27: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever reacts to a score during the first half of a game against the Dallas Wings at American Airlines Center on June 27, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) Metz here again, filling in for our glorious leader. This past week had everyone asking the same question: will the Houston Rockets win the 2026 NBA Finals in four games or five? No? Just me? Anyway… Durant's arrival on the Rockets gives him the card collector's equivalent of a rainbow. Naturally, we had to dig in and find his best cards from each of his teams. The other thing I couldn't stop thinking about was how mispriced Panini's Rookie Royalty set was, dropping all the way from a $30,000 starting price to around $3,000. As a huge Caitlin Clark fan and WNBA collector, I'd love to buy in, but I can't even afford a break, let alone a full box. Break pricing for Rookie Royalty spots is popping up on various apps, and it looks like some shops are splitting two-card boxes into up to 58 spots, perhaps the worst odds to hit of all time. Still, with multiple Caitlin Clark cards selling for six figures in the last few weeks alone, a few people are going to have their lives changed by this product in the next few weeks — if not already. With that off my chest, let's dive into some of the other news we found interesting this week. Remember that crazy-looking Dune 2 sandworm popcorn bucket? The one that kinda looked like a… uhh... yeah. Well, it's kicked off an entirely new line of collectibles. It's popular on both sides of the spectrum. Designer groups are begging theaters to let them create something iconic, and moviegoers are begging to own them. These novelty containers cost anywhere from twenty-five to eighty dollars and sell out on opening weekend, if not opening day. Fans even camp outside theaters for midnight shows, hoping to snag limited runs that later fetch hundreds on eBay. Do you own any popcorn buckets? We would love to see them on Mantel. There's something utterly 2025 about a white hedge-fund billionaire dropping the average person's dinner money on Lincoln's 13th Amendment. If it belongs in a museum, odds are it'll fetch a small fortune at auction later this year. Remember when a Twitter crypto community tried to buy the Constitution and mint it into a coin? Well, this is the same guy who outbid them and spoiled everyone's fun. So if you ever unearth a piece of American history in your grandfather's basement, tuck it away, one day a billionaire might be willing to pay handsomely for it. A ballpark bobblehead taps into the sports fan inside us all. It's a time-honored tradition even your parents remember fondly. But today's collectors want more than a run-of-the-mill player figure. No doubt, the Yankees front office knew this would be a smash hit the second it was suggested. Jason Alexander cards (yes, George Costanza himself) fly off the auction block and are nearly impossible to track down . They fetch high prices for the same reason Netflix's 'Pieces of Shit for Breakfast' cereal boxes from Fanatics Fest sell for $40 bucks on eBay . Millennials love nostalgia and they love collecting. MLB All-Star voting resumed Monday, and while Ohtani and Judge are locks, the real market movers may be the breakout stars. Pete Crow-Armstrong's 1st Bowman Draft auto has jumped from around $300 to $550 this season, and a big All-Star performance could make the perfect time to sell. Jacob Wilson's Chrome 1st auto surged 218% in three months, making his red rookie a bargain entry at $50-$60 IF he wins ROY. Keep an eye on Acuña Jr for a Home Run Derby spike, and don't sleep on Javier Báez's redemption narrative fueling his rookie autos. Collectible Grading Authority, best known for its AFA toy grading and VGA video game grading, just passed into new hands, led by Kenner Star Wars toy guru Tom Derby. In 2025, as graded collectibles soar in value, reliable authentication has never mattered more. CGA, spun out of Diamond Comics' bankruptcy, will stay in Georgia with its expert team and aims to expand services and innovate grading standards. For toy and game collectors, this means greater stability and confidence when investing in rare pieces. If you are a toy and game collector, you should be thrilled with this news. Now for some business. We are always looking for ways to improve Mantel and we want YOU to be a part of it. Please take our latest feedback survey and help shape the future of Mantel.
