While the hobby has been dominated by record sales, high-end releases and mysterious chases for rookie cards and triple autographs in 2024, there are many cards to collect that won’t break the bank.
Whether you’re buying a gift for your favorite collector or aiming to add something for yourself, here's cllct's list of 10 athletes and sealed products that a card collector would enjoy this holiday season.
1. Shohei Ohtani
Though Paul Skenes and Elly De La Cruz both had their own record-breaking sports card sales last season, 2024 was again the year of Ohtani among baseball collectors.
And it wasn’t just record sales for everything from rookie cards to home run balls — a number of Ohtani’s most popular sports cards are attainable for regular collectors.
Raw examples of many of his most popular rookies can currently be purchased for less than $40, and many of his most popular PSA 10 rookie cards average between $100 and $200.
Ohtani’s 2018 Bowman Base No. 49 has been his top-seller this year with ungraded raw copies currently selling for around $30 and PSA 10 examples closer to $125.
Other best-sellers include the 2018 Topps Update Rookie Debut No. US285 ($35/$160) and the 2018 Topps Chrome Base No. 150 ($35/$190).
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2. 2024 Topps Chrome Update Baseball
Powered by an outstanding rookie class, the 2024 lineup of baseball products is one of the most popular in recent years.
While Series 1, Series 2 and Topps Chrome were all best-sellers, the recent release of 2024 Topps Chrome Update Baseball has been possibly the biggest of the year with the highly coveted Rookie Debut Patch Autographs.
There’s a lot to chase, including rookie cards for Skenes, Jackson Merrill, Jackson Holliday and Jackson Chourio.
Collectors hoping to hunt for the Rookie Debut Patches will need to look for specific box configurations on the secondary market, with the Mega Box (~$100), Hobby Box (~$430), Breaker’s Delight Box (~$700) and Jumbo Box (~$750) all possible options.
Mega Boxes can be found cheaper directly from a retailer such as Target or Walmart for closer to $50.
3. Caitlin Clark
Already among the most popular athletes in the world after her first WNBA season, Clark has matched that popularity in the collectibles category, too.
She’s among the best-selling athletes on the secondary market, is one of the most popular players submitted to grading companies and is already seeing record-setting sales for her key Indiana Fever rookie cards.
Popular collegiate cards featuring Clark in her Iowa Hawkeyes uniform can often be purchased for less than $20. The 2022 Bowman Chrome University Base No. 50 PSA 10 is closer to $160, and the 2022 Bowman’s Best University Refractor No. 50 PSA 10 is averaging around $140.
Collectors looking for cards of Clark in her Fever uniform will need to search newer releases such as 2024 Panini Select WNBA and 2024 Panini Origins WNBA. Clark’s 2024 Select WNBA Concourse No. 72 is currently averaging $20 in raw condition.
4. 2023 Pokemon Scarlet & Violet 151
For hobbyists hyper-focused on sports categories who weren’t paying attention, 2023 and 2024 were massive years for Pokemon and TCG collectors. According to third-party grading tracker GemRate, PSA graded 1.26 million cards this past November and roughly 575,000 were Pokemon and TCG-related.
There have been 12 Pokemon expansion sets released since 2023, and the Scarlet & Violet 151 set has been among the most beloved. First released in September 2023, the set focuses on the first 151 Pokemon introduced, making it a popular set among new and old collectors alike.
Elite Trainer Boxes can be found through retailers such as Target for $54.99, while the larger Ultra-Premium Collection can be purchased for $99.99.
Fans should also consider downloading the new Pokemon TCG Pocket game for iOS and Android devices if they haven’t already.
5. Victor Wembanyama
Despite incredible performances from Ohtani and Clark in 2024, the hobby was ruled by one player, and it wasn’t particularly close. Among the athletes tracked by data tool Market Movers, no player has had more sales logged than the nearly 333,000 for Wembanyama over the last 365 days — Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is second among active players with just under 183,000.
As expected, the single-most sold card over the last 365 days has been Wembanyama’s 2023 Panini Prizm Base No. 136, which has sold more than 18,500 times in raw condition.
Collectors should be able to snag that card for around $20 this holiday season, and a PSA 10 example will cost closer to $80.
For those feeling exceptionally generous, sealed boxes of the ultra high-end 2023 Topps Mercury: Victor Wembanyama have recently sold for $8,000 on eBay.
6. 2024 Panini Donruss Football
Few products are better suited for entry-level collectors than Panini’s flagship Donruss line. Retail configurations of Donruss have been available this holiday season, and hobby boxes should arrive in early 2025.
Blaster boxes, which contain 90 total cards, can be purchased directly from retailers such as Target for $24.99, and hobby retailers such as Blowout Cards for closer to $40.
One of the hottest items this holiday season, the Costco-exclusive Donruss bundle retails for $56.99 and contains a special 5-inch-by-7 inch Jumbo Downtown insert. Be careful buying these bundles on the secondary market as they have regularly sold for more than double retail value.
- C.J. Stroud
Among collectors, no football player has been more popular in 2024 than Stroud.
Over the last 365 days, Market Movers has tracked nearly 183,000 sales for Stroud, which is more than twice the total of second-place Anthony Richardson’s roughly 85,000.
For those looking for an entry-level card of Stroud, his 2023 Prizm Base No. 339 is averaging around just $8 in raw condition, and a PSA 10 example is just $60.
Collectors looking for key rookies with a lower overall population can find Stroud’s 2023 Prizm Silver No. 339 for about $120 raw and $430 for a PSA 10.
8. 2023-24 Panini Prizm Basketball
It’s extremely difficult to find sealed basketball products at good value, but there are some options out there.
Panini’s flagship Prizm set is a favorite among collectors, and while hobby boxes on the secondary market (~$1,500) are much too expensive for the average collector, a number of retail configurations should be within range.
It’s recommended collectors check local Targets and Walmarts to buy at the original retail price, though that’s tough for popular products. Blaster boxes for 2023/24 Prizm Basketball, which feature the rookies for Wembanyama, can be purchased through online hobby retailers such as Blowout Cards for about $65 while hanger boxers are around $45.
9. Connor Bedard
Considered one of the best hockey prospects in years, the chase for Bedard in 2023-24 Upper Deck Series 2 Hockey was so intense that box prices exploded as non-hockey collectors refused to miss out on the pursuit.
Of the four major sports, hockey has traditionally been by far the cheapest for collectors, though Bedard’s cards are anything but, with prices for his 2023 Upper Deck Young Guns base No. 451 reaching more than $800 in raw condition earlier this year.
This holiday season, that key rookie might be closer to $200, and PSA 10 examples are around $600 after reaching as much as $4,000.
10. 2023 Disney Lorcana TCG: The First Chapter
Collectors looking for a trading card game will likely want to give the ultra-popular Disney Lorcana a try.
Featuring many of Disney’s most popular characters, the game has been beloved by hobbyists for its combination of playability alongside collectibility.
Starter decks directly from manufacturer Ravensburger sell for $16.99, and single booster packs are $5.99. Sealed booster boxes of 24 booster packs can be found on the secondary market for around $300.
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct.