His may not have been the first name off collectors’ lips when speculation turned to the 2017-18 draft class but Donovan Mitchell rookie cards are now among the most coveted of all.
Mitchell’s rookie campaign has been nothing short of impressive. He played two collegiate seasons for Louisville before being selected with the 13th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets, but was quickly traded to the Utah Jazz. He currently holds the club record for most points scored by a rookie (41) and is the first NBA rookie to score 40+ since Blake Griffin in 2011.
Mitchell was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month in December and the following month broke Karl Malone’s record for most 20+ point games as a rookie (19). If those feats weren’t impressive enough, he won the 2018 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
Whenever a player heats up and also stars in a high-profile event like the dunk contest their cards and memorabilia often heat up, too, but Mitchell’s rookie status has turned him into a hot hobby commodity. One recent example of this trend was the sale of his opening night jersey for $11,000.
Here’s a look at a few of Donovan Mitchell’s rookie cards from early 2017-18 releases.
2017-18 Absolute Memorabilia
Production numbers of Mitchell’s 2017-18 Absolute Memorabilia card haven’t been released. However, the difficulty in obtaining the card has caused it to become limited. Each box of Absolute Memorabilia came with two “Uncirculated” cards. Mitchell has other cards in the product, some autographed, but with just six cards per box, the encased Mitchell is one of the more challenging base rookie cards to obtain. While prices have increased, it’s still relatively inexpensive.
2017-18 Panini Chronicles
2017-18 Panini Chronicles are designed to look like a newspaper and include a snippet on the player. Mitchell’s base card (#123) highlights his performance in the NBA Summer League.
There are autographed cards and several numbered parallels in addition to the affordable base rookie card, which won’t set you back more than $10 at the moment.
2017-18 Panini Contenders Draft Picks
The first Donovan Mitchell rookie card was found in 2017-18 Panini Contenders Draft which pictures him in his Louisville uniform. Two versions were made – one with a red jersey and one with a white jersey. Both “College Ticket” versions have a sticker auto affixed, which also made these Mitchell’s first autograph cards.
There are a number of numbered versions that command a premium. Among these is the 1/1 Championship Ticket, which sold on eBay for nearly $5,000. Draft Tickets numbered to 99 are still relatively affordable.
He also has base cards which are very inexpensive.
2017-18 Panini Prizm
2017-18 Panini Prizm is one of the season’s early standouts and contains one of Mitchell’s most popular cards; several of them in fact. Prizm is known for its parallels and Mitchell has 25 variations. The lower numbered editions have brought some of the season’s biggest prices but there has been a lot of interest in any Prizm Mitchell cards.
2017-18 Revolution
The foil design of Revolution is inspired by sets first introduced by Pacific. The result is a busy and loud foil pattern reminiscent of the 1990s. The set has a handful of parallels, each seeming to up the intensity in terms of throwback design. Mitchell’s cards are no exception and visually stand out among his other early season issues. Prices vary, of course, but most non-autographed versions are still under $20.
Mitchell has appeared on several other products too, with a variety of cards inside old standbys like Hoops and Donruss. As always, it’s the low serial-numbered parallels and autographed cards that generally attract interest from investors and serious collectors.
Below is a live look at the 45 ‘most watched’ Donovan Mitchell rookie cards on eBay.
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