BOWMAN UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL DEBUTS DIAMOND KINGS AND GYPSY QUEEN RETURN
It’s a really fun time of year to be a sports card collector. The baseball season is finally underway, the NBA playoffs are gearing up and the NFL Draft was set for late April.
There are a number of new releases that will capture the attention of collectors in the coming months.
2021-22 BOWMAN UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL
Topps has been absent from the football card market since losing its NFL license to Panini in 2016. The iconic brand makes its return to the gridiron with this star-studded collegiate product. With that being said, this is technically an unlicensed product and carries no logos, insignias or team names.
That doesn't stop Topps from capturing many of the biggest names in college football on their first pieces of cardboard.
Hobby boxes feature four-card packs, 24-pack boxes and 12-box cases that hit shelves in mid-April with a price tag right around $200 per box.
Bowman University features a 100card base set showcasing much of the top talent in college football from this past season. Pittsburgh Quarterback Kenny Pickett, Ohio State speedster Chris Olave and many others make their cardboard debuts.
Speaking of classic, the Bowman 1st logo is found on these future star's first cards, a nice addition to any collection.
There is a rather large selection of Refractor parallels from more common base Refractors found one in every six packs to the Black Shimmer and SuperFractor 1-of-1 Refractors.
The inserts come in both paper and chrome form and include 2000 Bowman replicas paying homage to the base set produced in Tom Brady's rookie year 20plus seasons ago. They are found one in every six packs. Golden Boy, an insert set that highlights the top QBs in the draft, are found one in every eight packs.
In the always desirable Bowman Chrome brand, collectors will find one hobby-only Bowman Invicta insert in every 12 packs and The Big Kahuna in every 288 packs. Though you might think this insert is exclusive to students at the University of Hawaii, the insert actually features players who "ooze confidence and set the pace of play every game."
All four insert sets come in a variety of base, Aqua, Lava, Orange FoilFractors and SuperFractors.
The highlight of the product are the classic 1st Bowman autographs, which have long been a go-to card of the top young prospects. There are more than 10 autographed Refractor parallels for each player's signature. Collectors will also find Prime Chrome Signatures numbered to just 50 copies and hobby-exclusive Bowman Invicta Autographs and The Big Kahuna Autographs. There are base, Orange and SuperFractor versions of each.
Many collectors will welcome Topps and Bowman back to the football card market. With the watershed NIL deal in place, it will be interesting to see what the company does in all sports moving forward.
2022 DIAMOND KINGS
Due out in mid-May, Panini Diamond Kings will continue to offer a uniquely artistic take on all of the biggest ballers in baseball.
Boxes consist of eight cards per pack, 12 packs per box and 24-box cases. DK should yield one autograph and one relic per box.
The base set features a staggering 10 parallels, many having to do with the color and texture of the border of the base cards.
As far as inserts, you can find Elegance, which pays homage to those who play the game with a certain level of flair and finesse. Maestros features current and retired players who were a master of their craft, including the likes of San Diego Padres megastar Fernando Tatis Jr.
The Art of Hitting insert set features current and past players who have mastered the art of putting bat to ball, including Padres Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn.
Aside from the more common inserts there are a number of short prints, including Aurora, Blank Slate and Le Cinque Piu Belle, which makes its baseball Diamond Kings debut in this product.
Autographs are heavily featured and collectors will find a plethora of rookie autographs, including DK Signatures and DK Material Signatures featuring players like Tampa Bay Rays young superstar Wander Franco. Collectors will be excited to get their hands on his autographs this season.
Signature Portraits features autographs of great players of the past and present.
Of course, you can also find many memorabilia cards in the product, including a 35-card Bat Kings set featuring wood from some of the greatest players of all time.
Always a hit with collectors, Diamond Kings has come a long way from a cool Donruss baseball insert set to one of the most iconic names in baseball cards.
2022 GYPSY QUEEN BASEBALL
During the third week of May, fan favorite Gypsy Queen Baseball will hit shelves.
2022 Gypsy Queen looks very industrial in its appearance. Hobby boxes come eight cards per pack with 24 packs per box and 10 boxes per case. They offer two autographs and three GQ Chrome cards per box.