With the season passing the halfway mark, new NBA card sets are slowly trickling into the market with the latest batch of rookies in them. After NBA Hoops, Panini has recently released the 2021-22 Donruss Elite set. With it comes a new look, one that leans more to minimalism, a 250-card base set, and a number of inserts that will surely catch the attention of any collector.
But before anyone can splurge on this product, it's just wise to take an in-depth look at what it offers and its potential pitfalls to the hobby. Here we take a good look at Panini's newest NBA card set.
A new and minimalist NBA card design
For quite some time, Panini's offerings are often equipped with a look that's either flashy, sleek, or timeless. It's rare when the company releases an NBA card set with a very minimalist design, much like what Panini did in their 2014-15 Donruss Elite set. Several years after, it seems the clean card look is back again in this latest iteration of the Elite brand.
The leaves 2021-22 Donruss Elite Basketball as the final new release of the day. Take a look at the checklist for the latest NBA card product: https://t.co/J67LI7ZdpD #collect #thehobby pic.twitter.com/T7ZHL09i3C
— Cardboard Connection (@sportscards) February 18, 2022
Just take one look at the base card's design and you'll see how different it is from other Panini offerings. It has the featured player front and center, the team logo on the upper right area, and the label down below. On the lower left is the Elite logo and in some cards, the rookie card shield is on the opposite side at the bottom. All of these things come together to bring a very clean design that relies on the absence of intricate details as its main strength.
Taking the base card set further are the parallels Panini has included in this product. Some of the more notable ones that are worth chasing are Base Elite, Aspirations, Status, Bronze (numbered to 17), and Platinum (numbered to 3).
More prone to damage and quality control problems
A clean and minimalist NBA card design is a welcome addition to any collection. Unfortunately, it also poses a major problem for collectors. For one, the base card's look is very prone to scuffs, scratches, and most types of quality control issues.
It's not impossible to open a pack of Donruss Elite and see some type of problem on the surface of these cards. In some instances, there have been surfaces that seem indented or accidentally scratched by unknown causes.
While this is not entirely Panini's fault, it's still frustrating for any collector to end up with these damaged cards, especially if these are very valuable in the market. Rather than enjoy a good pull or two, these cards will just be relegated to obscurity within a collection or sold at a lower price.
Donruss Elite boxes offer great bang for the buck
Even if these NBA cards are more prone to damage, it can't be denied that this particular Panini product offers great value for its price. For a single hobby box, collectors can get 20 packs with 8 cards in each of them. A single pack usually contains either a rookie card, a parallel, or an insert, with the other 7 being base cards.
While the chances of scoring an epic pull within a single pack are slim to none, it gets better for those interested in getting a hobby box of Donruss Elite. On average, a single box contains 2 autographs, 2 exclusive numbered parallels, 8 non-numbered parallels, and 8 inserts. This gives collectors a chance to pull those on-card autos or short-printed cards of this season's hottest rookies or veterans.
The good news here is that a single hobby box of Donruss Elite is going for $349 in the market at this point in time. With this amount of cards inside a single box, there's always a good chance of pulling an epic hit or two.
Box breaking groups will also love this product for offering both quantity and quality hits at such a price point. Expect these breakers to offer these boxes on a consistent basis in the weeks ahead.
Updated NBA card inserts
Of course, most collectors wouldn't get a box of Donruss Elite just for the base cards. Sure, the main draw for some would be the rookie autos or exclusive parallels. But for those in the hobby, getting Elite hobby boxes is all about landing those Spellbound inserts.
For quite some time now, the Donruss Elite brand has been synonymous with this unique insert design, which features a single letter of a player's name on it. In turn, this encourages collectors to go on and hunt the remaining letters until the whole name is spelled out when put together. Among the guys that can be chased in this set are LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, and Zion Williamson.
Along with Spellbound, collectors are also treated to other Donruss Elite inserts that are distinct in their own way. Among the designs that stand out are Deck, which emulates a playing card's look with an NBA star on it, and Clarity, which is printed on clear acetate.
The verdict on Panini's latest Donruss Elite NBA card set
As collectors are waiting for Panini's flagship products for this season, like Prizm, Select, and Optic, Donruss Elite can serve as a good option while those products haven't landed yet. Setting aside its susceptibility to damage and various quality control issues, this NBA card set offers a lot of value inside a single hobby box. And with the price it's going for in the market, those in the hobby can get more than what they bargained for from this brand.
Follow Us
Subscribe