New Sports Card Release Roundup: 8/30/17 – 9/13/17

If you’re looking for something to rip, there is plenty to choose from now through mid-September.  

Courtesy of Maine Sports Cards, here’s a quick overview of the new sports card releases on the horizon:

2017 Topps Definitive Baseball (8/30)

Another high end release from Topps is dropping now.  Definitive is a one-pack box but six of the cards feature autographs or autographed relic cards.  The other two are what Topps calls “Premium” relics.  Right now, boxes are selling for $900-$1,000 per box.

2017 Leaf Valiant Football (9/1)

Leaf’s latest draft pick product showcases this year’s incoming rookie talent, pictured in their college uniforms. Boxes contain four cards–three autographs and one auto that’s already been graded BGS 9, 9.5 or 10.  The going price on Valiant is around $110.

2016-17 Panini Preferred Basketball (9/6)

Booklets are the big deal in Preferred. Each box has a pair of two-card packs and you know exactly what you’re getting: a pair of booklets and two other autographed cards. Panini has acquired game-worn jerseys from last season’s NBA Finals and created cards from them.  Boxes are selling for around $230 at the moment.

2017-18 Contenders Draft Picks Basketball (9/6) 

A 2016-17 basketball product, released on the same day as a 2017-18 model?  Yup.  Welcome to the crazy world of trading cards.  Draft Picks packs include 18 cards and you’ll get six autographs in your box. With a strong draft class, this product could be one to keep an eye on.  Hobby boxes are selling for north of $150 on eBay. Blasters won’t be out until the following week.

2017-18 OPC Hockey (9/6)

Primarily a set builder’s product, OPC is a bit of a throwback, but does have some nice insert/parallel content to keep hit chasers at least somewhat busy.  It’s among the most reasonably priced hockey card products on the market at just over $60 per box.

2017 Absolute Football (9/6)

Just in time for the NFL’s regular season, which opens the following night, Absolute has been around in some form for ages.  This year’s product includes three packs per box with five cards in each. Look for three autographs and two memorabilia cards per box, with at least one Rookie Premiere Material Autograph.  Hall of Famer autographs, “glass” inserts and even pieces of game-worn shoes are in the mix.  Boxes are sitting at around $140 on pre-sale.

2017 Heritage High Number Baseball (9/13)

Topps puts the wraps on this year’s shout out to 1968 with the release of Heritage High Number.  Each box has 24 packs of nine cards. Picking up where 2017 Heritage left off and numbered 501 – 725, it includes cards for rookie call-ups and traded veteran players. The last 25 cards are short-printed and inserted 1:3 packs.  Each box has one auto or relic and one box loader.  Online pricing is right at $100 per box.

2017 National Treasures Collegiate Football (9/13)

Seven cards per pack, with six of them including some type of autograph or memorabilia card at around $375.  The NFL version won’t be out for months but the Collegiate version includes some all-time greats at both the college and pro levels. College Materials Signatures are the centerpiece with on card autographs and swatches from the 2017 rookie class, but in their school colors. 

2017 Panini Spectra Football (9/13)

Four autographs, seven memorabilia cards and three Prizms per box has sellers hopeful that Spectra will get a jump start as the NFL season hits Week 2.  Rookie Patch Autographs numbered to 99 and low serial numbered cards of some NFL legends are two of the big drawing cards for this $275-$300 product.

Maine Sports Cards offers daily breaks of current and past products you can watch online. You can learn more about how to get involved in their box and case breaks and even sell your cards through their website by clicking here.

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About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for more than 30 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected]