Caitlin RC

[pspa123]

We're halfway through the season. When is her official RC expected out?

[Nomad]

It didn't officially come out?

What about that slim booklet box that Gin or Juice's wife was impressed by?

[kipgen]

Originally Posted by Nomad

It didn't officially come out?

What about that slim booklet box that Gin or Juice's wife was impressed by?

Doesn't count, college uni

[slogue2]

I believe 2024 Prizm WNBA comes out in October. Not sure of any other products slated to release before that one.

[pspa123]

Originally Posted by slogue2

I believe 2024 Prizm WNBA comes out in October. Not sure of any other products slated to release before that one.

Seems odd they would release the product after the season ends.

[Tallboy]

Originally Posted by pspa123

Seems odd they would release the product after the season ends.

It speaks volumes.

If memory serves, before the supply chain issues of the pandemic, Panini had their WNBA stuff out by midseason, but after the pandemic they've yet to get back on track in general, and a delay of months means the WNBA release happens after the season is over.

They could have fixed this of course had it been enough of a priority, but prior to this season it kinda made sense that it wasn't.

But with Clark being the most hyped female player arguably ever, you'd think they'd have wanted a release out to capitalize on that demand, and yet they didn't do this despite signing Clark to a deal.

Honestly, this feels like the type of behavior you get from a company that's gotten fat on a monopoly.

[HiCollector]

Maybe the first will be in Panini’s National silver / gold packs?

[Tallboy]

Originally Posted by HiCollector

Maybe the first will be in Panini’s National silver / gold packs?

Well, if you're looking for a Panini WNBA RC for Clark, it already exists in the form of Panini Instant. Looks like there are 8 cards so far that have Clark and only Clark on them.

I'm a bigger supporter of those type of cards than I think most are, but yeah, if I were Panini, I wouldn't be relying Instant RCs to carry much weight compared to major releases.

[WaiverWire]

Originally Posted by Tallboy

Well, if you're looking for a Panini WNBA RC for Clark, it already exists in the form of Panini Instant. Looks like there are 8 cards so far that have Clark and only Clark on them.

I'm a bigger supporter of those type of cards than I think most are, but yeah, if I were Panini, I wouldn't be relying Instant RCs to carry much weight compared to major releases.

I do not like the panini instant cards at all. I don’t have a problem with other people collecting them, they just aren’t my cup of tea.

[Nomad]

First thought was, the collecting cycle is getting so condensed, they already looking for the next Caitlyn Clark before she has her first RC.

[Siberian13]

Originally Posted by pspa123

Seems odd they would release the product after the season ends.

Hope it comes out before 2023 football products are all released.

[Ferg1945]

Originally Posted by HiCollector

Maybe the first will be in Panini’s National silver / gold packs?

Yep.

Panini won't let this slide by without printing a ton of Clarks.

Paper, parallels, Chrome, jerseys, probably autos. Clark will be a huge reason the packs are popular

[Bashbros]

The 2021 SI kids card is her true Rookie Card.

[mc1]

Originally Posted by Bashbros

The 2021 SI kids card is her true Rookie Card.

[ThoseBackPages]

yea, im waiting too!

The Instant cards are cool, but are a silly as Topps NOW cards

[Nomad]

Instant is like next level, once you get past the fact that only Photogenic and One and One (was there even Chronicles and Luminance in 23-24?) has any photos that actually feature players competing on a court.

There are no other "highlights" inserts at all. Now they choose terrible moment selections for most Instants, limited to one or two players per team, but that's the reality of the industry. Cards are not where future generations will go to learn about actual historic moments of the game.

[anusinha]

Select WNBA is supposed to be a September release

[Nomad]

These count?



Pack predicting that Iowa cards will be more popular than WNBA. I guess college sports still reign in women's basketball.

[Tallboy]

Originally Posted by Bashbros

The 2021 SI kids card is her true Rookie Card.

So, leaving aside from the technical truth that it's a pre-rookie card:

I totally get why the Hobby looks down its collective nose at Sports Illustrated for Kids cards, and I'm kinda on board with it. They aren't supposed to be big budget collectors items. They are supposed to be for kids, and they're printed like it with considerably worse quality than the standard we hold modern collectible cards too. But...

there's a sad truth for me that in general, the photography on SIFK cards is a lot better than what Panini does. And so yeah, for me, as someone who is more interested in the subject than the background, sometimes the SIFK is among my favorite cards that exist for an athlete.

This:



Is a quality action shot with a card design that while basic managed to match jersey color.

Oh, and the back of the card:



Is actually made like the company cares about it still, with storytelling and an actual portrait like companies used to do back when they were actually competing hard against each other on this front in the '90s.

So yeah, not the RC, but a great card imho.

[Tallboy]

Originally Posted by Nomad

Pack predicting that Iowa cards will be more popular than WNBA. I guess college sports still reign in women's basketball.

I think those '22-23 Bowman basketball sets with Wemby in a (French) pro uniform, Clark in the jersey that made her famous, and with both of them signing autographs, are likely to end up proving to be a big deal for how the basketball Hobby sees things.

It wouldn't have mattered if it didn't have earth shatteringly hyped prospects.
It wouldn't have mattered if it wasn't done by a minor company.

But now that Topps is going to be able to make in-uniform cards for both college and the pros, while no one else can, the clout of Bowman as the baseball prospect program can emerge in basketball in a way it couldn't back in the day.

Now, in terms of that carrying over for other Iowa Hawkeye geared Clark stuff that isn't associated with Topps & Fanatics, not so sure about that, but I think there being time spent where Bowman is THE place for the most sought after Wemby/Clark cards is going to give us something a bit more like the Bowman/Topps relationship we see in baseball.

[Bashbros]

The market says Caitlin Clark’s true rookie card is 2021 SI for Kids.

[mc1]

Originally Posted by Bashbros

The market says Caitlin Clark’s true rookie card is 2021 SI for Kids.

Wait until multiple WNBA rookie cards are released and come back to tell us how well the SI 4 Kids is selling then!

[Asian62150]

Her first Panini Instant auto RCs are selling very strong.

But I expect those to come down to earth once her Prizm comes out.

[Nomad]

For the sake of completism and scanning new inserts to collect on the horizon, I watch whatever is being ripped (in basketball). Compared with the other set, I like the fact that the Prizm was actually curated by Clark. It reminds me of that qb Trevor Lawrence, who had a set curated or created by his sister. I also like that Fearless insert that I think crossed over from basketball? One of the first nice inserts in Prizm in a minute.

I would say the SI is the grail I would aim for, based on aesthetics and my distaste for the monopoly Panini and Topps have become.

[Bashbros]

Originally Posted by mc1

Wait until multiple WNBA rookie cards are released and come back to tell us how well the SI 4 Kids is selling then!

lol 5 years after the SI kids card and long after her first pro season with a print run likely akin to 1991 Donruss baseball because Panini can smell the demand from 5 years away.