Man, this feels good. It feels good that the part of the hobby that you have been a major part of for 5 years is finally getting its time in the sun. There are others whose time around WWE cards has been much longer, and likely much more profitable at this point, but this still feels like a huge win. With the release of WWE Prizm on Wednesday, the hype beasts and the FOMOers have invaded, and all those things I have been trumpeting for 9 months are finally coming to fruition.
Day one, we already saw cards hitting five figures plus, and other cards selling for close to that. Andre the Giant, Rey Mysterio, and other golds have been selling so fast that people cant even click the BIN with enough speed to get their payment in before others scoop up the cards. No buts about it, April 6th 2022 was a red letter day for Wrestling Cards.
If people wonder why this is such a big deal considering they likely hadnt even known WWE cards existed to this point, it says right across the front of the box. PRIZM Debut Edition in big giant letters. The hobby loves firsts and even more than that, the hobby loves Prizm. During the boom it was the one entry point for an entirely new generation of investors and collectors, leading to astronomical prices and never before seen records set on final values. Apps like CardLadder and others made their impact charting sets like Prizm for investors to grasp and digest, and it spurred a boom unlike anything we have seen in the history of the hobby.
It also created a migrating group of people who only deal in shiny Panini cards, leading to the initial moonshot trajectory that has been a reality for WWE collectors since the beginning of the year. Panini could have literally printed this set as names on chrome cards and it would still sell because its Prizm. Ive said this on numerous podcasts and numerous vlogs, and have been called everything from an idiot to other terrible names, and I can promise you that this was not me being psychic. This was always going to happen.
The cards themselves look great, as all Prizm cards usually do. People will point to the sticker autos as a detriment, but I can assure you that the autograph cards are not the focus here. The tearing down of this set is something that people will do in the name of their own survival, because most existing wrestling collectors are going to find themselves priced out and on the outside looking in.
Fortunately for those people, most of the previous WWE wax is climbing steadily but still NOWHERE near what Prizm hobby boxes are going to be selling for this time next week. Take this from me, the first few waves of reorders for most dealers will be so insanely expensive that buying boxes at current prices will look like a steal.
There has also been a ton of criticism that this will be short lived, despite no evidence that this is only about the initial hype. Not only did Prizm get a live read on WWE RAW this past week (Smackdown on Friday likely as well), they also had a lower third graphic that was shown to millions. In the two decades that Topps owned WWE cards, I have never seen anything like that. Additionally, the ramp leading into the release was already at a fever pitch leading into last weekend’s Wrestlemania 38 in Dallas, and I dont see much of that changing. This curve is not an unexpected spike, this graph has been travelling up and to the right at breakneck speed since January.
Im not going to sit here and say this will live forever, because there are a lot of contributing factors that can adversely impact this whole situation. More importantly, Topps’ didnt do a bad job with their cards the last two years. Chrome and Finest, among other sets were gorgeous looking products, and it goes without saying that they have a huge fanbase for those cards as well.
To everyone who is saying that this is just another high stakes game of hot potato, I dont think you are 100% wrong, however its not a consideration while the FOMO is still running at a narcotic level. Until the hobby settles even further than it has in other years, its likely that these Prizm debuts will continue to rock the landscape of the brands they happen in. This isnt the time where people are looking for an out, most people around this part of the hobby are now looking for a way to join the fun. That wont be permanent, but it will be sustainable long enough to appreciate the nuclear bomb that just went off.
Nothing is more exciting for wrestling card fans over the last few years than checklist release day, mainly because it means a product is actually coming versus being delayed. It also gives us a place to see what is included in the different aspects of the set, with so many people scrambling to see if their targets made the cut.
Yesterday, in a likely attempt to change the narrative of the big announcement earlier on in the day, Panini lit off a Wrestlemania sized pyro display with a Prizm checklist even I wasnt expecting.
For a lot of reasons, this set will end up being a landmark product that we likely havent seen since 1998 WCW, and that’s coming from one of the biggest Panini haters on the planet. I mentioned Lucas Kinser’s appearance on a podcast earlier this week, and he mentioned that this was coming. He is no Don King, because this checklist looks better than his hype job led us to believe.
Base Set
Unlike almost every WWE product of the past, Prizm depends more on the rare parallels of the base set than anything. The rare parallels of these cards will likely end up being some of the most valuable WWE cards of all time, and that includes the vintage stuff that people have been spending huge money on since the boom began.
We see here that there is just about every single name on the list that needed to be there. The Rock, Stone Cold, Roman Reigns, Andre, Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Undertaker, etc. All the names from my ranking list, plus a few I didnt expect. The only person that I was shocked not to see was Randy Savage, who isnt included for some reason.
There is also only one McMahon in the entire product, and its not Vince or Stephanie. Vince had a shot to be another top tier name in the product, but was not included to my surprise. Other than that, there really isnt a big miss, which is great to see. From a base standpoint, this might be the most complete WWE checklist ever produced.
One of the other big aspects of Prizm is the Rookies, and holy shit they went fucking nuts with them. That is not only a great sign, but also a source of underrated value that I didnt expect. Wrestlers that only recently debuted on NXT 2.0 are included to my absolute shock, including the big names that are already driving the show. Bron Breakker will be the gem, but guys like Carmelo Hayes, Meiko Satomura, Cora Jade, Tiffany Stratton, Gigi Dolan, Jacy Jane and Grayson Waller are all targets. Even guys like Harland and Joe Gacy have a card, which will be their first.
Then there is Gable Steveson. Not only is Gable Steveson an absolute mind blowing name to have included here, he is one that could skyrocket into the top tiers of the checklist. Steveson is a gold medal winner, an NCAA champion and a guy that WWE is banking on as the next Kurt Angle / Brock Lesnar type. Seeing that they have access to Angle as well, there are some fun things that be expected. Steveson is about to debut on RAW, and I would not be surprised to hear that his cards end up as some of the most valuable.
Another surprise comes in the inclusion of Chyna, who is a beloved WWE superstar despite long term struggles with her life outside the ring prior to her death. Because of her controversial nature, Chyna hasnt been featured on many official WWE cards. She has a card in Prizm, and Im guessing that will be one to chase.
To close out this section, if they are on a WWE contract right now, they are in the set. The entire roster of RAW, Smackdown, NXT and NXT UK are all there. This has never happened in this way before. Legends and current stars in a list fashion rather than a selected few.
Autographs
Here is where I expect to have a lot of fun, even though Prizm isnt about the autographs. Usually, its the autographs that draw the house, but in this product they are secondary. That doesnt mean they didnt go balls to the walls with the names on this list, because they absolutely did. Everyone that needed to have autographs here are included with reckless frequency, including a few that could bring some scary huge money.
There was a hope among wrestling collectors that the Rock would be included for the first time in over 20 years, something I thought would be a mistake for a product like this. Panini wasnt able to make that happen, but other legends like Austin, Undertaker, Hogan, Bret Hart, Triple H and Michaels are all included. John Cena, Goldberg, Lesnar and other current legends are there too.
Then there are two names we absolutely need to discuss. The first is Batista. If you go back to my original post about who Panini needs to chase, he was on that list. For a number of rumored reasons, Batista doesnt sign cards for WWE. He never has in the history of his tenure there. Somehow, some way, Panini got him in this product.
The second is Gable Steveson again, who will have his debut autograph card in this product to match his base card. Again, this is a gigantic addition to the checklist, and I was floored by his inclusion along side the other stars.
Other rare signers like Paige and Rob Van Dam are here too, people who rarely sign for sets like this. Paige hasnt had a readily available card since 2015, and her last autograph card was 2019 Transcendent. Paul Heyman is signing here for the first time since Undisputed a few years ago, which I know a few of my buddies will be excited about.
Lastly, we were warned about the dual autograph cards being ridiculous, but I dont think anyone expected to see what we are getting. Pairings in this set are unlike anything we have ever gotten before. Stone Cold and Bret Hart, Undertaker and Roman Reigns, Austin and Michaels, Lesnar and Angle, it goes on and on. For a product that rarely focuses on autograph content, they didnt hold back.
The main differentiator here is availability, because the autograph checklist is humongous. If they are part of WWE, they are signing cards. That means along with the chance to pull Bron Breakker, you have the chance to pull Corbin or Shinsuke Nakamura, who are prolific signers that no one wants to get in their box. Like I said, this isnt a product to rip like a previous WWE product, so expectations of value delivered need to be widely adjusted.
Configurations of Product
Just from seeing the listed parallels, we can also glean that there are a number of configurations for this product that suggest a widely printed run. This run might be more than UFC, which is something that I definitely didnt expect. Base cards will be plentiful, and there is no doubt in my mind that set collectors need not worry about picking one up.
We see that there will be a Panini Direct White Sparkle config for packs bought through the app, as well as a TMall exclusive Lucky Envelope, which I had as an unlikely addition. There is a huge Asian market for Wrestling, and this option could be big for a retailer that specifically services it.
There is also a premium box set, which has become a favorite of collectors for a few years now. This product will include a Champion autograph, and a 7/10 chance of pulling someone really freaking great. Im going to try to get my hands on one for sure.
We also see retail specific Prizm parallels are back, and I think that for many collectors out there, the retail configs might be the ones most accessible. I think its important to figure out a way to engage if you are looking to do so, and retail is a great option.
Color Blast
In the other Prizm products for the major sports, Color Blasts are huge money rare inserts that might drop one every few cases (dont quote me on this). There are rumors usually of print runs below 50, but they are not serially numbered. For this set, the focus is entirely on current guys, which is hugely disappointing, but I guess not surprising. Cena and Goldberg are interesting additions, and with Roman should be the most expensive.
Maybe next year we will see the Rock and Hogan, which might be high four figure cards. Panini does need to save some for the sequel, and that’s where I think there were some calculated situations that are in play here. Nothing to sink the set, but some intrigue to further the attraction for year two.
Conclusions
When I got this in my hands for the first time yesterday, I audibly gasped a few times. I was not expecting to see the depth we are seeing here, and its clear that Panini is investing a lot up front in Prizm to make this set worth people’s time. We have yet to see if that will continue, but hopefully it will. If they were looking to make a splash in light of the news yesterday, they succeeded to a higher degree than even I thought they could.
Leave it to Wrestling Cards – like we see every week on Raw, there always has to be a rematch. In a shocking turn of events, Fanatics took a steel chair and wrapped it around the head of Panini, announcing today that they have signed an exclusive deal with WWE to produce trading cards, among other things like Digital collectibles and NFTs.
Right now, this is about as big a news for WWE cards that can be broken, as Panini prepares to launch a WWE brand that seems DOA before it has the chance get going. As we have found out during the course of the last 6 months, 2026 will be a red letter year for Panini America. They will be losing the ability to produce NFL and NBA, their two biggest licenses, as well as MLB cards licensed through the MLBPA. With this announcement, we are now getting a clear picture that Fanatics is picking off Panini brands like there is a blood feud in the works.
This brings about a number of questions that I want to discuss, especially as we get into the thick of the release of the most anticipated WWE product of all time. WWE Prizm is set to release on 4/6, but it is already set to be the most limited Prizm run of all time, thanks to the news from this morning.
What Does This Mean For the Prizm Secondary Market?
The impact of this news is really yet to be seen, because there wont be multiple products to measure for months. Regardless of the news, Prizm will be an expensive product to rip and an expensive product to buy singles at the top level.
I dont think this news will have much of an effect overall, Prizm is a juggernaut with or without a long term expectation of production. Prizm’s crowd may even want to go harder after the WWE cards knowing that they wont be around as long. Remember, nothing gets a collector going like the knowledge of a limited run. If anything, I think this news probably helps things more than it hurts things with the release on the sixth.
If I have to guess, this first product still goes off without a hitch, and for a lot of reasons, likely does a lot better than people expected it would. Prizm’s coming bonanza is one that has too much momentum across the hobby right now, especially with Drake getting involved at the highest levels with Flawless Basketball. WWE Prizm isnt the issue.
What Happens to the Value of All the Non-Prizm Products?
Now that we know Panini WWE is going away, there are a number of planned products on the calendar that will have to be produced knowing that their run isnt going to continue. From a value standpoint, the brands that dont have the backing that Prizm does will have a pretty large gap to overcome. There are some like Select and Immaculate (both already confirmed) that will likely do fine. Newer non-legacy products will likely face a steep uphill climb.
I think its unfair to say that the products will be worthless, because that wont be the case. However, the giant over-market pricing increases wont likely be there the way they are for the legacy products like Prizm and Select. We have already been hearing that there are likely 2 non-legacy products that will be used for 2022 – products created specifically for WWE. That could be a huge opportunity for Panini to show off their brand creation strength with a hobby already looking towards the future.
In all likelihood, trading cards as a whole are hot enough right now that this news wont hurt Panini the way it would have years ago. That being said, this isnt something that spells good news all around for what Panini is trying to accomplish with their launch.
What Happens to Panini’s Approach With WWE Products?
This is where things are about to get interesting. If the contract is only 2-3 years and there is a defined end date to their relationship, I feel like the past doesnt speak well for Panini’s ability to invest in something that is going away. One of the main complaints that collectors expressed with the original announcement of the relationship with WWE, is that Panini tends to cut corners where they can. Customer service, quality control, and specific production practices have caused scandals in the past, and most of these issues could rear their ugly head again if Panini takes their eye off the ball.
Coming into this, I thought Panini would try to pour money into this contract knowing that it was one of their Alamo brands. Now that Fanatics has a pension for burying Panini at every turn, Im curious if that investment will happen the same way, or if they decide instead to double down with NBA and NFL ahead of their supernova explosion in 2026. This question is the scariest for me, as 3 years is a long enough time to really make some money on a white hot market, but without investment from Panini, it wont reach the potential it needs to.
What Does This News Mean for Topps Cards During the Next Few Years?
As Jim Cornette always says, “How can we miss you if you never leave?”
Basically, Topps cards have been on a ridiculous trajectory over the last few months, leading up to the launch of Prizm. Its a number of factors that contribute to these ridiculous increases in secondary market value, but without Panini, these values dont continue to go up with the slope they have been seeing.
That being said, its hard to put the toothpaste back in the tube. Once the values go up, and FOMO starts, its rare that we see those things change without a gigantic swing in the way people see the speculative value of those assets.
Is it out of the question to say this trajectory stalls a bit? Likely not. Is it within reason to think that WWE snaps back to where it was prior to this boom? No it is not. The floor has already been set, and it is well above where it was. The potential to cap the gains is there, but to me, the floor is concrete.
If you have been holding your Topps WWE cards, I dont think there is much need to worry. The value you see going right now is one that should have a lot of value in the future as well. More importantly, as I mentioned above, going away and coming back with a blitz is something that has always worked well in the hobby – especially for a historic brand like Topps.
Conclusions
I was ready to see what Panini was going to try over the next few years with WWE, and I feel like now that cant happen the same way. Trading card investments from the manufacturers go differently when there are long term contracts in place. They take more risks with experimental options, they let things play out with more patience, and they tend to use continuity in a way through products that cant happen with no long term license.
Overall, this is good for people who were sad that Topps had lost their ability to produce WWE trading cards. I was one of those people. Even though I have nothing but disdain for Panini’s business model and track record in dealing with things, I wanted to see how they could change the conversation a bit. I was ready for their era, and now they look like a transitional champion, holding the belt while the booking can build the next long term guy.
The hobby is a big place, and has become even bigger over the last few years. For many collectors, it can be difficult to stay on top of everything that will ensure you can participate in the ongoing day to day effectively. For Wrestling collectors, who are usually at an even bigger knowledge disadvantage when it comes to the greater hobby, I wanted to take some time to walk through some of the ways that Prizm exists, ways it has changed the way the hobby engages with a product, and most importantly what to expect over the next few weeks.
The Origin of the Prizm Product
As far back as 1993, Chrome stock cards have existed in the hobby. On the heels of Upper Deck’s creation of the first premium baseball product in 1989, Topps responded with a new technology that would change things forever. Topps Finest Baseball stormed onto the scene, and offered something that collectors had never been exposed to before – trading cards that that werent printed on a cardboard surface, but rather a layer of acetate familiar coating on top of a card stock back. This new “chromium” style coating was shinier than a foil cardstock, and had a much different feel as well. It looked even more premium than Upper Deck’s cards, and as expected collectors fell in love with it.
In the mid 1990s, Topps expanded the line for the first named chrome product, which continued what Finest was all about. Chrome became a new avenue for Topps to repurpose their flagship design in a new premium format, and add exceptional value for collectors focused on both set collecting and adding valuable pieces to their PC.
Over the next decades, Chrome and Finest became the standard-bearer for Topps, and as print runs grew, along side the new focus on autograph and relic content, Chrome remained a product that was free of those restraints. As Topps brought Bowman into the chrome generation, a new facet of the hobby grew out of the seeds planted in MLB licensed products to MiLB licensed draft focused products highlighting the farm systems of a team rather than the main major league rosters.
These sets were delivered to collectors as investors for the first time, offering a way to invest in a prospect the same way someone could invest in a startup business. A new area blossomed, becoming the primary driving force for baseball collecting, and starting a revolution in the other major sports as well. Chrome rookie cards were the thing every collector needed for their collection, and without that investor friendly area of the hobby existing, we might be looking at a very different industry today.
Fast forward to 2012, when Panini begins to formulate their 10 year plan that has shaped the boom in trading cards during the pandemic era. At the time, Panini had no flagship product the way that Topps had, and hadnt quite cracked the code on how to create new legacy products to drive their brand as they expand. Most of their product lines were ports from the days of DLP (Donruss, Leaf, Playoff), leading to some very stale releases. It was clear they needed something big.
With the launch of Prizm football in 2012, they thought they had figured it out. The problem was, it wasnt as good as Topps Chrome Football, which had defined the top rookie cards in the hobby ever since Upper Deck lost their NFL license in 2010. Chrome offered beautiful stock, recognizable parallels, on card autographs, and a familiar design. Prizm offered none of that. It was ugly, it was stickers, and it only had one parallel.
Over the next two years, Prizm football failed to make a true splash the way they had hoped, with most collectors HEAVILY leaning on Chrome Football to build their rookie investment portfolio. The thing is, that wasnt the case in the NBA. The 2012 Prizm launch in the NBA went over like gangbusters, as there was no Topps Chrome to compete with. By 2014, Prizm NBA was one of the most important sets of the year, while in the NFL floundered to match the impact Topps had cultivated. Sales numbers were likely performing at expectation, but secondary market values were not.
The Rise of Prizm
In 2015, Topps lost their NFL license leaving Prizm as the sole owner of the slot Panini had coveted for a few years. They also released their first version of Prizm that truly tried to recreate what Topps had been able to create with Chrome. Easy to digest bordered designs, easy to understand parallels, and full bleed photos over the cropped ones from years prior. For the 2016 season, Prizm was it.
The market reaction was huge, as the lack of competition opened doors never available prior. It was also a time where the NBA had taken off as well, behind the new autograph deals with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James’ success on the court. Big rookie classes spurred huge values that were never even considered possible in the years prior. All of a sudden, Panini had done what they set out to do – created a new legacy set.
Over the next few years, Prizm became the flagship standard for all sets across the hobby. By modeling other sets around Topps’ brand direction (Select as the new Finest, Spectra as the new Bowman Sterling, etc), the hobby couldnt get enough of this new way that Panini was operating in the hobby. Even more importantly, as new collectors were brought in by rising values across the board, Panini was now in control of two of the three biggest licenses available on the planet. Internationally, Prizm was already gaining traction as well, with World Cup prizm driving huge numbers for the first time ever.
The Importance of a Prizm Brand Launch
With the beginning of the boom happening as the world shut down to start 2020, Panini started looking for new areas that they could expand into new licensed brands. Niche brands like NASCAR, WNBA and UFC became huge targets for acquisition as the Panini juggernaut kept rolling. With each new launch, Prizm was the first of many sets to be released in each case, creating an expectation with collectors following along.
Because the hobby was on the verge of a historic explosion, Prizm’s impact grew to an insane degree. The collector favorite gold prizm parallels were regularly breaking records all over the place. High dollar six figure sales started happening in places that no one expected, as well. UFC Prizm was the first brand launch to happen directly in the post boom period, as the investor strategy reached a fever pitch across the world. Instead of struggling to catch on, the product exploded in value from day one, catching everyone by surprise.
For the first time, the loyal Prizm fanbois were following a brand rather than a sport. This was something that happened to a lesser degree with the launch of WNBA Prizm, with collectors buying into a sport that they had never really been familiar with. For the first time in hobby history, the reputation of a brand’s success was more important than a fanbase for the sport. WNBA was a failing offshoot supported directly by its brother league. WNBA yearly salaries were sometimes less than the amount the cards were selling for at the top end of the product.
With UFC, a sport with a gigantic and passionate fanbase, there was a merging of a desire to collect a sport with a desire to collect a brand. UFC collectors had been around for a few years before the launch, supported by Topps products that had started to catch on – albeit quite slowly. Out of nowhere, a sport that rarely offered 4 figure sales, was seeing 5 figure Prizm sales almost out of the chute. This wasnt unnoticed by the base of investors, especially as more expansions would be coming.
The Panini Launch into WWE
At the end of 2021, Panini announced they had acquired the exclusive license to produce WWE trading cards. Given that they had just had the gut shot of Fanatics’ entry into the trading card industry, taking two of their most valuable licenses away in 2026, Panini needed something to bank on. WWE was a hobby that had existed for almost half a century, and had exploded in popularity during the boom. The announcement that Prizm WWE would be coming, the launch of a new brand, the new expansion – collectors and investors salivated at the opportunity to see another chance to cash in the way they had with UFC. It was a perfect storm.
During the 2020 and 2021 rise of trading cards, Vintage WWE cards had a market built around high grade junk wax cards from the 80s and 90s heyday of popularity that wrestling had with American audiences. Stars like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Andre the Giant, the Rock, and Steve Austin saw gigantic prices almost overnight for cards that were bargain bin examples a few years before.
Within a few months of the announcement, there were regular instances of record sales pertaining to the existing Topps Chrome cards, as well as some big prices on rare pieces from premium sets. It was clear that investors were showing up early to capitalize on what they saw previously with UFC, but also prepare themselves for the first brand to launch after the surprising performance of MMA in an underdeveloped marketplace.
The Price of Prizm Wax
The biggest point of contention within the existing WWE market is the huge growth in the expected product costs. Right now, the cost of WWE product available to the masses is $250 MSRP with Undisputed. Prizm has been marketed so far as high as 1000 per box, which has led to a huge level of shock from the market.
Most of it stems from a misunderstanding of what drives the price in a product like Prizm. Before, wax cost was an aggregation of the value of the hits, with the availability of those hits. If the autograph values were expensive on the secondary market, the box values would go up. For years and years, that relationship was a negative one. It was rare to see a readily available WWE autograph card approach the cost of a box, let alone multiples of a box. Box costs were cheap, so it was almost a moot point to approach value loss.
With Prizm, WWE collectors did and do not see how this correlation works out, nor have they had the experience with gambling aspect of high end premium wax. For a person that has existed in the wrestling bubble, paying a 1000 dollars and equating that to the value contained in the cards they pull, there is no possible way to grasp how their context fits that mold.
Instead, WWE collectors try to equate a possible loss in autograph hits with the extreme cost of a box. How can one pay so much and feel satisfied with a low quality hit. For people that have existed in the major sports since 2003-04, they know that super premium wax is a super premium gamble. There are few boxes that deliver close to value, and the scale of price is determined by the POTENTIAL to pull extremely valuable cards, not the box to box cost.
There is something else that most WWE collectors currently cannot grasp, and that is the fact that autographs are not the chase in Prizm. We have already seen Topps Chrome WWE color skyrocket in price as Panini collectors arrive to the party early. For Prizm, the draw is the color above all else, and even the most niche Prizm releases represent this fact holistically. More importantly, there are a plethora of cards coming that could potentially set the records everyone has been witnessing over the last few months. The rare parallels of top names will fetch five figures out of the gate, and as we have seen in UFC, will ascend the value spectrum over time. These cards are the tentpoles that drive the box price, not the content delivered in the random box an individual collector struggles to afford.
A High Stakes Game of Hot Potato?
Another common dig from existing collectors is that the investors wont have anyone to unload their wares to at the prices everyone is expecting. To be honest, I was shocked that this objection gained so much traction, especially after seeing the market for vintage WWE and recent modern WWE go ape shit. This is basic economics, supply and demand at its core. Right now, thanks to the history of the brand, there is a wave of people expected to follow the Prizm name where ever that license expands.
Ive said this on a few podcasts at this point, but the cards that are expected to make up this product’s top level will never be targeted at anyone who has been a part of the modern WWE market to this point. The investors will not look to current collectors to capitalize on equity growth that takes place. They will be looking to other investors or new entrants into the HODL market that is created with each Prizm launch.
If the current market, every single one of them, disappears when Prizm launches, the top and intermediate pieces in Prizm that drive the box price, will be unaffected. Not a single value will be impacted long term either. The only thing that will see negative influence will be the low end pieces of the set checklist that are undesirable to an investment crowd. As we have seen in other sports, people rarely buy boxes for those cards at this level. The scale is irrelevant.
Product Engagement
Current WWE collectors are likely feeling the squeeze already across the board. Prices are already high. 2014 and 2015 Chrome wax is close to 800% higher in price than they were a year ago. 2020 and 2021 Chrome and Finest wax is approaching 200% growth. 2021 Undisputed opened for pre-order almost 35% higher than it did the previous years on the market. If its desirable, its more expensive right now as a rule. If its desirable and rare, its factors of x in growth numbers.
This leaves a lot of current collectors feeling like they are on the outside looking in, which is likely the case if they expect to buy whole hobby boxes of product. Even more so if that product is Prizm. The good thing here is that there are multiple configurations for most products, including retail. Additionally, for the first time ever, all group breakers will provide previously unavailable access to product in a compartmentalized manner.
Collectors have brought group breaks to the forefront of wax consumption across all areas of the hobby to combat increasing wax costs since 2009. Most group breakers who will provide WWE breaks will operate their breaks as their sole manner of income. That means professional setups, professional shipping, and lots of help to ensure quick fulfillment.
Singles Engagement
Another misconception is the way the prices will increase in all tiers of the singles market. If we look at the way the boom has perpetuated high sales across hobby, there are still a ton of very affordable cards. Going back to the economics of the matter, the demand for low tier contributors or less desirable targets for investors will be significantly lower.
Just like Lebron James has a VASTLY different price than a bit player on another team, the Rock and Roman Reigns will have a VASTLY different price than someone like Tomasso Ciampa or LA Knight. Not saying those people arent fun to watch, but they are on a different tier.
If your collection depends on the top tiers of the wrestling world to have meaning, life is going to get very difficult until the hobby landscape changes. That’s just reality. If you collection is Xavier Woods, I would say that this whole thing might be something you can handle depending on your budget. Certain cards might be out of reach due to the overall demand for rare Prizm parallels regardless of subject, but most other cards will not be impacted. As we get into later product releases in Panini’s calendar, this will only get more and more evident.
Everyone just needs to understand that prices will go up, just some areas will see much more of a drastic difference than others.
Grading WWE cards
Over the last two years, graded cards have become the vehicle in which value accelerators reach their peak. I do not support the grading business, I do not subscribe to the need to provide a hyper mint evaluation to achieve top value, and I have never done so. However, 99% of the hobby does not agree with me – ESPECIALLY the people about to flood the WWE market.
As Prizm takes off, the level of desire to trade in graded cards will skyrocket. Collectors will not be able to achieve the value they desire without using a grading business partner to evaluate the condition of their item. Achieving “Gem” status or the top level of the grading spectrum is preferred across all avenues, but even big cards will still hold tremendous value without that result.
In the current market, PSA’s place is unquestioned at the top of the mountain, and their pricing reflects that fact. Population reports, investment apps, and speculators will start to make investment decisions based on what they see in the early stages of the market as well, which could lead to a lot of surprises.
If you are unfamiliar with the way graded cards have impacted the major sports, its time to search google and get a crash course. Its also time to start looking at subscriptions to apps like CardLadder and the like to get trending as you start to buy.
The Importance of WWE Rookie Cards
As I close out this guide, I want to drive at something that hasnt really been a factor in WWE until recently. Rookie cards above all else, have seen a massive increase in importance as the hobby has taken off. People love firsts, and a player’s or wrestler’s first card will always be more important than any other card they have. Rookies will play a part in Prizm from what we saw from their preview, with Bron Breakker, leading the charge.
I mentioned earlier that Topps started this craze with Bowman back in the 1990s, and this set will feature a piece of that ultimate result. Collectors and investors alike will want to chase down the rookies they see as the subjects with the top potential to be a long term success, and their prices will reflect value we have never seen before in this area of things.
Conclusions
Ive seen a lot of talk that this type of experience has ruined a fun hobby. I dont agree with that at all. As someone who has seen people of all wealth ranges have fun collecting as the boom has happened, I can verify that money and participation do not necessarily run hand in hand. Everyone can find ways to stay engaged, and a large release calendar will offer tons of opportunities for all types of collectors to participate.
Prizm is just one product and it happens to be the on that most people base their experience on. That’s what flagship products are meant to do. Other super premium products will come with higher price tags, but because they arent the flagship set, they dont have the same negative reaction that this always has.
Its also worth mentioning that the general bitterness over rising costs is not new nor unexpected. Its unfortunate, but it is inevitable. Across every collectible marketplace in the world, values are increasing hand over fist. This is the result of economic changes like government subsidized stimulus, increases in disposable income due to lack of places to spend it on during the pandemic, and general desire for people around the world to feel better about their lives in the face of overwhelming depression. Cards have also shown to be better investments long term than the stock market, so it makes sense that a lot of people would shift their focus.
Overall – there are so many ways to continue having fun. Dont let this be the death blow to your experience in the hobby.
