Kylian Mbappe Rookies

[Bradley5280]

Hi all, I’m just starting to dabble in soccer cards and am interested in a Kylian Mbappe rookie card. Unfortunately there seems to be some debate as to which is his true or highest value rookie. Other than stickers, what are your opinions on the rookie card of his that will hold the most value? I’ve been leaning towards his 2018 W/C Prizm but there’s Topps and other mentioned ones. What do y’all think?

[7sinVegas7]

2017-18 Topps Chrome UCL - [Base] #41
Kylian Mbappe

List of RCs

[excel_b]

Any interest?

[Bradley5280]

Thank you for the insight and link! For my knowledge may I ask why the Prizm isn’t considered a RC? Or I guess why the W/C card is so popular? Perhaps just because they won the World Cup that year? It’s much easier with baseball and such when it has the RC stamp lol

[YayNJ]

welcome to soccer, where even an RC doesn't mean it's a rookie card lol

His 2017-18 Panini Select #224 Kylian Mbappé is technically his RC. It was released in 2017.

The 2017-18 Topps Chrome UEFA Champions League #41 Kylian Mbappé came later, in April 2018.

His Prizm, from the WC (2018 Panini Prizm FIFA World Cup #80 Kylian Mbappé) followed a few weeks later and is considered a Rookie Year card, rather than his RC, though people will still list it as a RC. Some people care, some people don't.

To this day you will still see people try to sell his 2018-19 Donruss #53 Kylian Mbappe as his RC, it's best just to block these people in general.

[Bradley5280]

Hahah it’s definitely been a learning curve. But logically that makes the most sense. Plus to be fair I like the select photo much more than the Topps photo…they didn’t do him any favors capturing the look of “derr” on his face lol. Thanks so much for the info!

[yiguiri2002]

This argument has been going on for a while. It's basically split in different groups:

Hardcore stickers group: 16-17 Foot is his RC. Anything that came afterwards is not.

Trading cards purists: 17-18 Select and Topps Chrome UCL are his rookie cards. 2018 WC isn't because it's no longer part of the 2017-18 season (where he had his first cards).

Trading cards hobby: 17-18 Select and Topps Chrome UCL are his rookie cards as well as 2018 WC Prizm. The set was an extension of the 17-18 season and released just after TC so it should count.

[Bradley5280]

Originally Posted by yiguiri2002

This argument has been going on for a while. It's basically split in different groups:

Hardcore stickers group: 16-17 Foot is his RC. Anything that came afterwards is not.

Trading cards purists: 17-18 Select and Topps Chrome UCL are his rookie cards. 2018 WC isn't because it's no longer part of the 2017-18 season (where he had his first cards).

Trading cards hobby: 17-18 Select and Topps Chrome UCL are his rookie cards as well as 2018 WC Prizm. The set was an extension of the 17-18 season and released just after TC so it should count.

Thank you so much for that breakdown it’s extremely helpful and I really appreciate it! I guess it’s a little tough when it’s somewhat subjective and much of the sports card market in general these days is so focused on rookies (in most cases just from what I can tell).

[crdbored]

I'm with the small group that thinks his 16-17 sticker is his "true rookie"

BUT if we're talking about typical cardboard trading cards then it's probably the 17-18 Topps Chrome rookie.

It's the first year Topps Chrome set, it's a vertical card, parallels are visually appealing, and sealed boxes and single parallels are extremely scarce.

The 16-17 (edited: 17-18) Select is a great #2 but it's a horizontal card and most collectors prefer the vertical layout.

As another user mentioned, the 2018 WC isn't a rookie since it falls outside that calendar year. It will still have value though as Mbappe is very likely to become the tournament top scorer.
He's only 25 with 12 goals and needs 5 more to become the record holder.

[YayNJ]

Originally Posted by crdbored

The 16-17 Select is a great #2 but it's a horizontal card and most collectors prefer the vertical layout.

It came out in 2018, the select in 2017. There's no argument to be had which is is his 'RC'. After that is just personal preference as to which people prefer.

The proof is in the pudding and people generally pay more for the select.

[netmasters]

Have you heard about his Panini Adrenalyn cards in Monaco kit?

Just did that to makes some heads explode, not you. Welcome to collecting soccer cards. It's a little tricky but fun nonetheless.

[crdbored]

Originally Posted by YayNJ

It came out in 2018, the select in 2017. There's no argument to be had which is is his 'RC'. After that is just personal preference as to which people prefer.

The proof is in the pudding and people generally pay more for the select.

The prices are starting to change with Topps Chrome catching on.

Last month a white select /99 PSA 10 did $3,240 and this month a topps chome blue refractor to /150 PSA 10 sold for $4,501. (ebay sales)

Compare the comps, they are not too far off. Fairly close in price with certain parallels and grades.

[Ianhatcher]

17/18 Topps Chrome is all you need to know. It is 100% the preferred Mbappe RC.

You have to remember as well Field Level is a harder to hit base card than Mezzenine and Terrace in Select when comparing base card sales to Chrome and the Select only has White #/99, Copper #/49, Tie-Dye #/30, Zebra #/25, Camo #/20, Gold #/10, Green #/5, Black 1/1. Chrome has Purple /299, Blue /150, Green /99, Gold /50, Orange /25, Red to /10 and the Superfractor. There are around 400 more parallels of the Topps Chrome than the Select and it still outperforms it or is around equal in sales. It's not really an apples to apples comparison because of this either.

The fact Select came out in 2017 and Chrome came out in 2018 is a nothingburger since the season with PSG was a 17/18 season. Both are considered RCs by the vast majority of collectors. The 2018 Prizm, debatable but I would say most people allow it.

[703dispensary]

The Select looks much better, I'd go with it. (White /99)

[BRob1]

Imagine if other collectors had this infatuation with which one came out first. no the Score CJ Stroud came out in 2023 so it’s the only rookie, Prizm and Optic don’t count because they came out in 2024…


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[brewtown107]

2017-18 Topps Chrome. Get a refractor if you can. Much more iconic brand and parallel across many different sports as compared to anything in Select. When Panini loses most of their licenses, it's questionable whether Prizm will hold its appeal. Can't go wrong with Chrome.

And there's no question it's a rookie card. It came out as part of the release for his first season of cards, 2017-18. Football fans know that the football season does not go according to calendar years, same as hockey or basketball.

[BiggNuttz]

Another choice is Mbappe's Japan WCCF card which was released in a Soccer Magazine in February 2018. Although the magazine was dated February 2018 and PSA notes this on the label, the magazine was actually out on newsstands a full month earlier (as is normal for magazines) in January 2018.

Many will dismiss this because it is considered a Trading Card Game "TCG" card, but the fact remains that WCCF was one of the longest continually issued sets/series in Football cards, running from 2001-02 until 2020-21. Very high quality cards made by Panini, and distributed by Sega in Japan.

The picture below is not my card, just one I found on Ebay with a cert that had a PSA scan on the cert. lookup page.

[KhalDrogo]

Originally Posted by brewtown107

2017-18 Topps Chrome. Get a refractor if you can. Much more iconic brand and parallel across many different sports as compared to anything in Select. When Panini loses most of their licenses, it's questionable whether Prizm will hold its appeal. Can't go wrong with Chrome.

And there's no question it's a rookie card. It came out as part of the release for his first season of cards, 2017-18. Football fans know that the football season does not go according to calendar years, same as hockey or basketball.

Chrome is king. 2017 is a stupid beautiful design. The color is amazing. And while 2018 Prizm WC had an ungodly number of parallels, Chrome had just 8, with 580 total numbered cards.

[Bradley5280]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

Chrome is king. 2017 is a stupid beautiful design. The color is amazing. And while 2018 Prizm WC had an ungodly number of parallels, Chrome had just 8, with 580 total numbered cards.

Serious question but for soccer cards do people not care about the image so much as the brand? I ask as in Topps chrome he looks, well, kinda “derrr” or like he’s captivated watching someone eat a food he’s craving. Just IMO but it really, really isn’t a very flattering photo/face. Does that have any impact or does having it be the Topps Chrome brand carry it to be majority favorite?

[703dispensary]

The Chrome fanboy doesn't care about the image..they jump off the bridge for Topps product as partially evidenced in this post. I get it strictly from solely an investment standpoint where you just buy the rock and toss it in a storage box but if you are at all someone that maybe displays a wall of cards & the aesthetics are important...I think if you do a poll a Select White prizm variation wins easily.

[YayNJ]

I’ve found that American collectors prefer Topps over anything and everything. Fair enough for most, but you do get the weirdos like on any hobby that just get really strange about it and refer to Panini as “Poopini” and other such hilarious japes.

Europeans don’t seem to care as much and come from a lineage of the sticker, so first cards have more weight usually.

Generally the one thing that everyone agrees on (or used to anyway before the bitcoin bois descended on the hobby) is that pack pulled will always trump anything else.

[Bradley5280]

Originally Posted by YayNJ

I’ve found that American collectors prefer Topps over anything and everything. Fair enough for most, but you do get the weirdos like on any hobby that just get really strange about it and refer to Panini as “Poopini” and other such hilarious japes.

Europeans don’t seem to care as much and come from a lineage of the sticker, so first cards have more weight usually.

Generally the one thing that everyone agrees on (or used to anyway before the bitcoin bois descended on the hobby) is that pack pulled will always trump anything else.

I assume by that you mean that the hobby doesn’t really value all of the “Topps Now” rookie cards as much? I just wish the Topps imagery was better, I looked into a Jude Bellingham rookie and it’s the same garbage type derr image as Mbappe in his TC. I guess my last question right now would be is it fair to say that Select is the lowest print run? I haven’t been able to find nearly as many and the prices are pretty high so I’m wondering if it’s just a fluke or a supply and demand thing from the lower amount made?

[crdbored]

Originally Posted by Bradley5280

I guess my last question right now would be is it fair to say that Select is the lowest print run? I haven’t been able to find nearly as many and the prices are pretty high so I’m wondering if it’s just a fluke or a supply and demand thing from the lower amount made?

Because he's only in the rarer field set he does have less numbered parallels in Select ~239 from /99 to /1. Topps Chrome is about ~585 from /250 to /1.

As for full print run with base and non-numbered then it's a little harder to calculate since Select doesn't have odds. Select also has retail.
But on BO a hobby case of Select (13,799.95) is almost half the price of Topps Chrome ($25,999.77). These prices are likely effecting the prices of singles.

[dream34]

For mainstream, I think Topps Chrome will win and is the safest. Too much heritage to ignore. Alternative thinking (print run, etc) would have had you pick a Topps Pristine or Finest Lebron over his much more produced Topps Chrome RC and you would have lost relatively by quite a bit.

Mbappe will be interesting because he has a lot of other cards too. If you are debating buying a World Cup "RC" of his I would take a look at his Instant cards. Most produced card in the set is /630 and they all have very significant moments of his arrival on the international stage. I know, YayNJ said that people don't like these types of cards but things change over time and some of those 2018 Mbappe's are really cool and his lowest printed WC cards by far.

[Bradley5280]

Thanks y’all I really appreciate it! So I guess if we had to summarize the “majority” opinion on which will hold the most value long term it would go:

1. Topps Chrome
2. Panini Select
3. Panini W/C

Is that fair or would y’all think select and W/C would be swapped? I think it’s super subjective and doesn’t mean it’s everyone’s individual list but I guess just based on responses and whatnot this seems to be somewhat the result. With all this being said I personally like the W/C a bit more just being “in general” allowed in as a RC and they won the WC that year (which I think helps value a bit too). I’ll still pick up a Topps chrome base just since it has significance to the hobby and will hold value but with that image I just can’t bring myself to spend hundreds or thousands on a parallel despite long term value