Barely into the month, the lively torrent of spring is synced with a flourishing wave of sports card releases. Early May 2024 is loaded with a wide array of offerings that spans baseball, basketball, golf, and racing – making it a thrilling time for collectors.
Crack open the calendar on May 1st and you’ll find two highly enticing series. First, there’s the 2024 Topps Heritage Mini Baseball, an online-exclusive series, offering a magnificent tribute to the rare 1975 mini set with a 500-card base. The Hobby version means collectors can expect 24 packs per box, each consisting of nine cards and the icing on the cake – an autograph or relic plus a box loader. Particularly exciting is the debut of Juan Soto’s first on-card autograph in the Yankee’s uniform.
In the hockey ring, we have the 2022-23 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection, an enduring hockey card collection standard. Each box is enriched with a unique pack of four cards, which is certain to have one autograph and one high-end memorabilia or memorabilia autograph card, an additional memorabilia card, and a base or rookie card. Each autograph is promised to be on-card and worthy of flaunting, with a box priced around $160.
The third gem for the day is the 2023-24 Panini Recon Basketball series greeting us with more rookie cards of Victor Wembanyama. A Hobby box delivery will consist of ten packs, each with six cards feature two autographs and 20 inserts.
Our second date with excitement is May 8. Bowman Baseball, a classic since its 1989 revival, is back with the 2024 set. Hobby boxes bag one Chrome autographed card alongside Jumbo boxes with three autographs. Exclusively green parallels are up for grabs in the retail boxes.
The release date coincides with the NBA playoffs, thereby gracing the 2023-24 Panini Crown Royale Basketball release with an added zeal. Each box will hold eight cards, including an autograph, a memorabilia card, and two inserts or parallels. The release is sprinkled with the allure of Tim Duncan autographs, available in boxes priced near $500.
This day also marks the sale of the 2024 Upper Deck SP Game Used Golf and the 2023 Panini National Treasures Racing collections that are a treat for golf and racing collectibles lovers alike.
On May 10, Panini reignites the basketball ardor with the 2023-24 Select series. With twelve packs per box, each pack stashes five cards which include three autographs or memorabilia cards. Most notably, this release is celebrated for its Prizm parallels and memorabilia-laden rookie cards.
Also leaping onto the scene, is another exciting release from Donruss’s soccer series, the 2023/24 Donruss Soccer. While the details on box configurations and key features remain tightly wrapped for now, the anticipation adds to the overall thrill.
The first fortnight of May 2024 is like a diversified feast of sports card releases for enthusiasts. With a bouquet of traditional sports like baseball and basketball, coupled with the less mainstream – golf and racing, it promises a plethora of options for the discerning cards collector. The high note in all is the range of unique features from Juan Soto’s first Yankees autograph in Topps Heritage Mini set to Tim Duncan’s autographs in Panini Crown Royale – making it a time to remember for collectors.