I love watching products as they create, expand and define markets, an exercise that has been especially fascinating as we got into the largest boom in trading card history. As the WWE license has shifted over to Panini, we are seeing some crazy things happen with a small niche market that was never a focus for the hobby mainstream. Leading up to the debut of Prizm, we saw massive trajectory shifts, with Chrome and desirable singles taking off in value like we had never seen before. Now, with many more eyes on this dark corner of the hobby, records are being set left and right, with no end in sight.

With that, I wanted to spend some time walking through was we should expect from the best of the best Prizm has to offer, and what that could mean for values as the sales showcase a high market cap for other sales within the hobby.

The Rock

Biggest Card: Black 1/1
Other Notables: Gold /10, Gold Shimmer /3
Price Expectations for Black: $45-50k
Price Expectations for Gold: $20-25k

Here is the thing about the Rock. He is the most famous movie star in the US, and his star power grows continually day by day. If you look back across his wrestling card catalogue, he has had a few big cards across the years of Chrome, but I dont think they will compare to what is coming when the black 1/1 is finally pulled. His major cards for Chrome have already started to approach 5 figures, and I fully expect his gold in Prizm to break every modern record there is. He is the gem of this product, and we havent yet seen what is possible with his stuff, as none of it has hit the market in a listing that makes sense.

Hulk Hogan

Biggest Card: Black 1/1
Other Notables: Black Champions Auto 1/1, Gold /10
Price Expectations for Black: $30-35k
Price Expectations for Black Auto 1/1: $15-20k
Price Expectations for Gold: $15k+

Personally, Im not a fan of Hulk Hogan. He has shown himself to be a pretty questionable person outside the ring, only adding to a reputation of what happened when he was on top in the 80s and 90s. The rest of the hobby still looks at Hogan as a nostalgic representation of their youth, growing up with Wrestling and what he represented. Aside from the Rock, Hogan might be the next man up, given that he has shown massive value spikes for all his cards across the boom. We have yet to see a base gold posted, and I would think his Black 1/1 might end up being one of the most valuable Hogan cards ever. Unlike the Rock, he has a number of autos in this product, so it will be interesting to see how those perform compared to the more desirable base.

Roman Reigns

Biggest Card: Black 1/1
Other Notables: Black Champions Auto 1/1, Gold /10
Price Expectations for Black: $20-25k
Price Expectations for Black Auto 1/1: $15-20k
Price Expectations for Gold: $10k+

Thanks to his current run, we are witnessing one of the most dominant champions of the modern era. Not only is he the first undisputed champ in years, he is sitting at 600+ days for the reign. If he continues through to Wrestlemania 39 as champion, he will have one of the top five longest title reigns in WWF/E history. As a result, he has gone from a person that collectors really didnt believe in, to one of the most valuable superstars in the entire hobby. Roman will be a major collection piece for investors across the Prizm run, and though we have only seen a gold and a gold auto pulled, a major card of his has yet to really hit the block.

Stone Cold Steve Austin

Biggest Card: Black 1/1
Other Notables: Black Champions Auto 1/1, Gold /10
Price Expectations for Black: $25-30k
Price Expectations for Black Auto 1/1: $15k+
Price Expectations for Gold: $10k+

I am a huge mark for babyfaces who defy authority. If you were into wrestling in the 1990s, you likely ended the decade feeling the same way. Its the reason I started collecting Becky Lynch, and one of the main reasons that Steve Austin has been so popular despite such a short run on top. Wrestlemania 38 featured his first match in 19 years, and it was so amazing to see Austin get another shot at a big moment. Like Hogan, he has had some trouble outside the ring, and its hard to get past that, but it does seem like he has put a lot of that behind him. More importantly, collectors have finally gotten an opportunity to see him sign for sets again. Unlike the first few people on this list, Austin has already had confirmed sales in some of these areas. His first gold sold at $12.5k and his first gold auto sold at $10k. His Black base 1/1 has already been pulled. Time will tell if it eventually hits the block. When it does, the price will set records.

Gable Steveson

Biggest Card: Black 1/1
Other Notables: Black Sensational Signatures Auto 1/1, Gold /10
Price Expectations for Black: $15k+
Price Expectations for Black Auto 1/1: $10k+
Price Expectations for Gold: $10k+

Putting this guy on the major targets list might be a surprise for some, but Steveson is going to be a megastar in this industry. He has Gold Medals, NCAA Titles and a featured spot on Wrestlemania without even having a match under his belt yet. Collectors are prospecting the hell out of him because of these situations, and I dont disagree with the market’s reaction. His first Gold sold for $14k before the dip started, and Im curious how others might fare. Im guessing they could still go pretty high, as his autographs have yet to see much of an impact overall. He is already getting comparisons to Angle and other amateur wrestlers turned WWE stars, and we could see shortly how this all plays out on TV.

The Undertaker

Biggest Card: Black 1/1
Other Notables: Black Champions Auto 1/1, Gold /10
Price Expectations for Black: $20k+
Price Expectations for Black Auto 1/1: $15k+
Price Expectations for Gold: $10k+

With his recent HOF induction, there is no more fitting star to get a huge bump in value than the deadman himself. I was actually surprised to see two of his golds sell above $10K off the bat, and it shoudlnt be surprising that collectors are reacting to the odd display photo on his base card. Overall, there arent many stars in this hobby that have had a presence like the Undertaker, and I hope we get to see what the Black looks like with the shadow silhouette. Going to be awesome to see how it fares on the market.

There are other major names like Shawn Michaels and Brett Hart who have seen their black 1/1s sell for over $15k each as well, but there isnt a guarantee that their golds and other cards might sell in the same manner of value. This product is top heavy enough to show that the hobby box prices being close to or at $1000 wasnt much of a fluke, and I would guess that once some of these major cards start hitting eBay and other marketplaces, things might change down the line of other parallels as well. Just wait, the true volcano has yet to erupt.