A blockbuster NBA trade, the end of the NHL season and a slowing market for several key football players moved this week’s sports card market.
Here’s a dive into notable graded cards across the market over the last 30 days, according to data tool Market Movers.
All cards have sold at least 10 times and have a current average value of $30 and above.
Price percentage risers
- 2018 Prizm Mikal Bridges Silver PSA 10: +113%
- 2023 Bowman Chrome University Angel Reese Base PSA 10: +112%
- 2022 Topps Chrome Update Bobby Witt Jr. Base PSA 10: +90%
- 2023 Bowman Chrome University Caitlin Clark Refractor PSA 10: +56%
- 2023 Prizm Anthony Richardson Silver PSA 10: +26%
The tormented souls of Knicks fans finally began to heal during the team’s tremendous playoff run this past season, and while injuries halted chances at a title, it appears the power of friendship could set the team up for long-term success.
The Knicks traded five first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for two-way wing and former Villanova standout Mikal Bridges, adding an exceptional piece to a roster already poised for another run with multiple Nova alum.
Collectors have quickly pivoted to Bridges’ key cards with his graded population, tracked by Market Movers, up 24 percent collectively over the last seven days across 98 sales. His 2018 Prizm Silver PSA 10 had been floating around $60 a month ago, but jumped to a $107 average on multiple sales the day after the trade.
Realistically, Bridges’ market will experience serious regression after excitement dies down in the coming days or weeks. And as exciting as the Nova Knicks could be next season, it may be difficult for collectors to maintain an appetite for Bridges and new hobby favorite Jalen Brunson at the same time.
Price percentage decliners
- 2017 Select Jayson Tatum Concourse PSA 10: -61%
- 2015 Prizm Kristaps Porzingis Silver PSA 10: -52%
- 2022 Bowman Chrome University Caleb Williams Prospects PSA 10: -46%
- 2020 Bowman Sapphire Edition Jasson Dominguez Chrome Prospects PSA 10: -44%
- 2022 Bowman 1st Edition Elly De La Cruz Base PSA 10: -37%
Heavily declining prices for key basketball players are normal this time of year, especially for stars whose cards had a run-up in price during the playoffs such as Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis. So, there’s no reason for hobbyists to panic.
In the football market, another expected decliner is Caleb Williams. The No. 1 pick by the Chicago Bears, Williams will be the most sought-after rookie for the upcoming cycle of football products, but his current offerings in a USC uniform will likely wither until fresh photos in his Bears jersey arrive.
Williams’ graded cards tracked by Market Movers are down 6 percent collectively over the last 30 days, with his key 2022 Bowman Chrome University Prospects PSA 10 leading the fall with a 46 percent drop. A $55 card just a month ago, it can now be had for closer to $40.
One dynamic to monitor with Williams for his Bears rookies is the quality of cards available. Williams has been signing Fanatics products, meaning he might not be signing for Panini’s licensed NFL cards this upcoming season.
Expect Williams’ market to suffer long-term if his key rookies arrive without any ink or patches.
Dollar amount risers
- 2015 Upper Deck Connor McDavid Young Guns Base PSA 10: +$767
- 2023 Absolute C.J. Stroud Kaboom! PSA 10: +$550
- 2019 Bowman Draft Gunnar Henderson Chrome DP Auto PSA 10: +$332
- 2023 Donruss C.J. Stroud Downtown PSA 10: +$298
- 2019 Upper Deck Cale Makar Young Guns Base PSA 10: +$132
Late summer is always an interesting time for the football market — some players can really rise in price as collectors prepare for the upcoming season, while others fall as hobbyists save their bankroll for the National Sports Collectors Convention at the end of July.
The dynamic with Stroud currently is that many of his flagship low- and mid-tier rookies are going down. His 2023 Prizm Base PSA 10 is down 13 percent, and his 2023 Donruss Base PSA 10 is down 17 percent over the last 30 days. His graded cards are down 3 percent collectively across over 4,000 sales tracked by Market Movers in the last month, too.
Several of his high-end inserts are trending way up, however. Stroud’s 2023 Absolute Kaboom! PSA 10 is up near $4,650, and his 2023 Donruss Downtown PSA 10 is up to $2,850.
With less volume, his 2023 Absolute Explosive PSA 10 is trending around $1,700 and his 2023 Mosaic Micro Mosaic PSA 10 is trending just over $1,100. All featuring lofty price points, it could be an indication that some hobbyists are picking up big cards of a key player to flip or use as trade bait at the nation’s largest card show.
Dollar amount decliners
- 2017 Prizm Jayson Tatum Green PSA 10: -$549
- 2023 Upper Deck Connor Bedard Young Guns Outburst Silver PSA 10: -$547
- 2018 Prizm Luka Dončić Silver PSA 10: -$472
- 2023 Prizm C.J. Stroud Silver PSA 10: -$109
- 2018 Prizm Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Silver PSA 10: -$90
Like many of the key basketball players, NHL Rookie of the Year Connor Bedard’s card market will see some significant price regression in the coming weeks and months of the offseason. His graded card market, tracked by Market Movers, is currently down 7 percent over the last 30 days across over 1,200 sales.
One of Bedard’s biggest decliners has been his 2023 Upper Deck Young Guns Outburst Silver PSA 10 — the all-new parallel insert has been a hit among collectors, though Bedard’s is regressing.
At one point this year, that card was up around $4,300 but has recently been trending closer to $3,150 with its most recent sale down around $2,600. There’s no reason to panic for hobbyists holding as Bedard showed enough as a rookie to almost guarantee at least one more season of sky-high prices when the NHL returns.
In the basketball market, JaysonTatum saw an even faster negative shift than we might expect. Jaylen Brown became a hobby darling — at least during the playoffs — and Boston’s hobby superstar played sidekick for the first time.
Overall, Tatum’s graded cards are down 8 percent collectively over the last 30 days, and that Green Prizm PSA 10, though a wonderful color match, was impacted by a low sale. Typically trending between $1,800 and $2,200 over the last two months, a recent sale through eBay landed at $1,630.
Offseason regression is normal, and when the NBA season starts back up, that Green Prizm will be one of the key rookies Tatum fans will want to be holding.
Sales volume leaders
- 2023 Prizm Victor Wembanyama Base PSA 10: 931 sales
- 2018 Prizm Luka Dončić Base PSA 10: 366 sales
- 2023 Prizm C.J. Stroud Base PSA 10: 290 sales
- 2024 Topps Elly De La Cruz Base PSA 10: 182 sales
- 2018 Topps Update Shohei Ohtani Rookie Debut PSA 10: 167 sales
It feels redundant at this point to mention Wembanyama’s absurd volume. He’s at the top again, with the three most popular graded cards over the last 30 days all featuring the San Antonio Spurs superstar.
His card market has been heavily regressing in price, which was very much expected after a ridiculous premium was placed on his flagship rookies once they returned from grading. But his volume remains incredibly strong, and there are no signs of slowing down.
For months-long stretches over the last several years, it was Shohei Ohtani who dominated the card market with both strong pricing and incredible volume. Wembanyama has completely dethroned Ohtani as the most popular active player in the hobby based on sales volume, and short of a catastrophic injury, it’s hard to see that changing.
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct.