Long gone are the days when packs of sports cards could be purchased for 50 cents or less.
In today’s ultra-modern era, collectors have grown accustomed to paying $1 or more per card, with a number of products offering a handful or less for $1,000 and up.
Following the announcement of Topps Mercury: Victor Wembanyama, which retails for $8,000 with just eight cards, cllct has put together a list of 10 super high-end sets from the ultra-modern era that every collector should know.
Proceed with caution, however. These sets aren’t meant for everyone, and collectors should tread carefully when considering purchasing any of these products.
Topps Definitive Collection
Since making its debut in 2015, Definitive Collection has delivered hits and only hits as one of Topps’ most expensive sets.
Anchored by a small 49-card Base Autograph Relic checklist, 2023 Definitive Collection delivered eight cards per box with six autographs and two memorabilia cards.
As expected, Definitive Collection focuses on on-card autographs and high-end patches, with Definitive Rookie Patch Autographs arriving for the first time in 2023. In addition to a number of Autograph Booklet cards, last year’s Definitive Collection featured Cut Signatures of baseball’s all-time greats, including Jackie Robinson, Ty Cobb, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Satchel Paige, Honus Wagner, Hank Aaron and Bob Gibson.
To date, the highest public sale for a Definitive Collection card is the $113,460 paid for a Shohei Ohtani-Babe Ruth Dual Autograph Cut Signature at Goldin in January.
Hobby boxes of 2023 Topps Definitive Baseball originally retailed for $1,999.99, making the price-per-card at the time about $250.
Topps Dynasty
Known for ultra high-end autographs and memorabilia, Dynasty has delivered some of Topps’ best cards during the ultra-modern era across a number of sports, including baseball, soccer and even Formula 1.
Considered one of the most high-risk, high-reward products in trading cards, Dynasty features just one card per hobby box — often numbered to 10 or less, the cards always feature fantastic autographs and patches, though scoring the right player is the difference-maker.
The most expensive public sale for a Topps Dynasty card is $170,400 for the 2020 Max Verstappen RPA 1/1 PSA 10 at Goldin in 2022. Along with being Verstappen’s best card, it’s considered one of the finest F1 cards ever created.
Secondary market prices for sealed hobby boxes of 2023 Topps Dynasty Baseball, which feature just one card per box, are currently trending around $1,750, according to Waxstat.
Panini Eminence
Based strictly on original retail price, Panini Eminence is about as expensive as it gets.
It doesn’t release on a yearly basis, but the most recent basketball drop, 2021-22 Eminence Basketball, delivered 10 cards per box with nine autographs.
In addition to on-card autographs and high-end patches, Eminence’s luxurious design simply looks about as high end as cards can possibly get. The secondary-market prices often match that narrative, even if boxes, as expected, don’t exactly deliver a strong return on investment.
To date, the highest public sale for an Eminence card is the $150,072 paid for a 2022 Lionel Messi FIFA World Cup Optimum Patch Auto 1/1 at Goldin in August.
In second place behind that Messi sale — Messi owns three of the four most expensive Eminence sales — is a 2021 Tom Brady Game-Worn NFL Shield 1/1 sold for $79,200 at Goldin in 2022.
Secondary market prices for hobby boxes of 2021-22 Panini Eminence Basketball are currently trending around $27,999.95, making the price-per-card about $2,800.
Panini Flawless
Though Eminence is Panini’s most expensive product, a number of collectors believe Flawless is the best set in trading cards, regardless of sport or manufacturer.
Since making its debut with 2012-13 Flawless Basketball, which delivered 10 cards for $1,250, Flawless has been a go-to for high-end collectors looking for on-card autographs and high-end patches that include game-worn memorabilia.
So far, the most iconic card from any Flawless product is the 2020-21 LeBron James Triple Logoman 1/1, which featured Logoman patches from his years with the Cavaliers, Heat and Lakers. That card sparked a months-long chase that even saw rapper Drake spending thousands to chase it.
Drake’s hunt came up short, but the card was eventually pulled by Backyard Breaks in May 2022 before selling for $2.4 million at Goldin a month later.
The most recent Flawless release, 2022 Panini Flawless Football, currently has an average secondary-market price of $5,750 per hobby box, making the price-per-card about $575.
Topps Mercury
The newest of the ultra high-end sets, Topps Mercury will debut in October with Victor Wembanyama as the sole athlete included.
According to Topps, Mercury will focus on a single athlete during his or her first professional season, and feature on-card autographs, game-used memorabilia and dual autographs with some of the greatest active and retired superstars.
Originally retailing for $8,000 with eight total cards, secondary market prices have already risen to $10,000 for hobby boxes at online retailers.
Since making his debut last year, Wembanyama has been one of the most popular and important players in the sports card hobby, and how an ultra high-end set that focuses on a single player fares post-release will be something collectors monitor closely.
At retail, Topps Mercury is $1,000 per card.
Panini National Treasures
No card has become more important during the ultra-modern era than the Rookie Patch Autograph, and no set has become more associated with the RPA than National Treasures.
Whether it’s football or basketball, a National Treasures RPA is often the card to own for most players.
Among those RPAs, none is more famous than the 2018-19 Luka Dončić Logoman RPA 1/1, which sold for $4.6 million in a private sale in 2021.
Just behind that Doncic RPA is the 2017 Patrick Mahomes Platinum Shield RPA 1/1, which sold for $4.3 million in a private sale several months later.
When collectors look back at the ultra-modern era decades from now, it’s highly likely a number of the most iconic cards hobbyists reminisce over will be NT RPAs.
According to Waxstat, the most recent National Treasures Basketball release from 2022-23 has held an average secondary market price of $3,130 with just 10 cards per box, making the price-per-card just over $310.
Panini Opulence
Another set that screams luxury, Panini Opulence is dedicated to designs that heavily feature the color gold and massive pieces of memorabilia.
Best known for its booklet cards, the price tag and overall product configuration make it a good fit for a very small group of collectors. Despite the narrow group, secondary-market prices for Opulence remain extremely high.
According to Waxstat, 2019-20 Panin Opulence Basketball hobby boxes with just seven cards have averaged over $3,300. The booklets have sold for high prices, too, with a 2017-18 Steph Curry Booklet Logoman 1/1 BGS 8 fetching $130,000 at Goldin in 2023.
The most expensive Opulence rookie card to date belongs to the 2018 Luka Dončić Platinum RPA 1/1, which sold for $50,400 at PWCC in 2022.
With seven cards per box, the price-per-card is about $470.
Topps Sterling
Not unlike Dynasty, Topps Sterling is about as boom-or-bust as it gets. Featuring two mini boxes with just one card each, every card in 2024 Topps Sterling Baseball is numbered to 25 or less.
Sterling adds additional relics as the parallels decrease in number as well, with cards numbered to 10 getting three pieces, cards numbered to five getting four pieces and the 1/1s getting five pieces.
To date, the most expensive public sale for a Topps Sterling card is a 2022 Babe Ruth Legendary Cut Signatures Dual Bat Auto 1/1, which sold for $40,000 on eBay in 2023.
Possibly among the coolest bat cards ever created, a 2023 Shohei Ohtani game-used Kanji Bat Barrel Auto 1/1 sold for $22,000 in September.
According to Waxstat, 2024 Topps Sterling Baseball has maintained a secondary market price of about $1,300 after retailing for $1,099.99 at launch. With just two cards per pack, the current price-per-card is about $650.
Upper Deck The Cup
While the number of hockey offerings are limited compared to baseball, basketball and football, sets don’t get much better than The Cup.
Packed with high-end patches and on-card autographs, The Cup has been met with massive delays in recent years, but delivers when it does release.
The most recent release of The Cup from 2022-23 features one pack of just six cards that includes multiple numbered patch autographs, as well as the chance for Exquisite Collection RPAs.
A 2015 Connor McDavid RPA PSA 10 holds the highest public sale for any card from The Cup after selling for $228,000 at Heritage in 2022.
Secondary market prices for 2022-23 The Cup hobby boxes have averaged about $930, according to Waxstat, making the price-per-card about $155.
Topps Transcendent
From the extremely low print runs to the invitation to a VIP party included with purchase, trading card products haven’t been more luxurious and high-end than Topps Transcendent since its debut in 2016.
Last year’s 2023 Topps Transcendent Baseball release featured just 190 cases and included 20 Gold Framed Autographs, 10 Autograph Patch cards, 10 Rookie Showcase Autographs or Rookie Showcase Autograph Patch cards and at least one Superfractor per case.
While the Gold Framed Autographs are possibly the cards most associated with Transcendent, chases such as the Cut Signatures are what makes the product special, with 2023 featuring cut autographs from Dr. Seuss, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Thurgood Marshall, Alexander Hamilton and more.
Among the most coveted cards to come out in recent years, the 2018 Topps Transcendent Shohei Ohtani ‘52 Superfractor 1/1 BGS 9.5 sold for $69,000 at PWCC in 2023.
According to Waxstat, secondary market prices for 2023 Transcendent Baseball have trended between $25,000 and $30,000 since its release in March. With 84 cards in each case, the price-per-card is between $300 and $360.
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct.