We're over 1/4 of the way through this year's NBA season, and it's shaping up to be an exciting one. The rookie class in particular, considered before the season to be one of the weakest classes in recent memory by most, are playing incredible, providing nightly highlights and immediately fulfilling key roles on their respective teams. During any other season the hobby would be abuzz with Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham & Franz Wagner. Prospectors all over Giddey, Duarte, Mobley, Kuminga & Suggs. However this season, there's one thing missing for you: CARDS.
Welcome to Pulse of The Hobby, a new column by yours truly, Drew, from Vintage Breaks. I hope to give you the inside scoop from all things in the hobby we love much like I do in my daily show The Hobby in 60.
The 2021-22 NBA Rookie Class, or "The Forgotten Class" in terms of the hobby, has no market. Instead of chasing the hottest rookies as the season progresses, a driving force for the hobby in any league, the pushback of releases has caught up to the NBA season so bad that, as of this writing, the current class of NBA Rookies has a total of ONE release - 2021-22 Panini Chronicles Draft Picks Basketball.
Right now you're missing out on chasing 2021 Prizm rookies (an early December ritual for NBA collectors). We JUST got Mosaic for LAST YEAR'S class, with 5+ more releases for last year's class coming in the next month and a half. In fact, the next rookie cards scheduled for the current class aren't set to arrive until late January with 2021-22 Prizm Collegiate Basketball. You won't get to hold a card with this year's class in their pro uni's until at least the All-Star Game! That's assuming there's no more delays!
Therein lies the root of the problem. The COVID restrictions from last year have finally caught up with the printing companies and card companies alike. These products are prepared well in advance of their release date, and the shutdowns/limitations were bound to have an effect on a hobby without an off-season. To what extreme was anyone's guess.
We expected eventual delays, and now they are here. In the last few months we have seen every sport have their usual release dates turned upside down, with some products looking to have been scrapped altogether. Upper Deck just announced yet another delay for this year's Series 1. Prizm football (along with many others) has seen major delays and still has no definitive release date. Topps has had multiple push backs with F1 & baseball. However, none of the other sports have been affected as much as the basketball hobby.
How collectors react to the 2021-22 releases when they finally come is the big question. Will collectors continue to focus on last year's class, considering they will have spent half a season still chasing their newly released "rookies"? Or will they embrace the chance to finally collect and chase this year's class, a class that has shown it's full of players worthy of collectors attention? Sadly, it's going to be a few more months before we get a chance to find out.
Rest assured that once the new NBA products are released, we'll have them for you on Vintage Breaks! You can check all of our basketball products for card breaks HERE. If you're looking for last year's rookies like LaMelo Ball we have 2020 RECON. You can even chase a Michael Jordan rookie in our 1986-87 Fleer pack break.
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When you check out for a spot on the site, the price you see is the price you pay. Taxes and shipping are included! Your cards always come protected in holders. The last time you mailed a package out had to have set you back more than three bucks, right? If you buy a $3.00 spot, you get your card holdered and shipped for that price.
Lack of product in stores has been a problem; we see the same empty shelves that you do. If you can't find cards, Vintage Breaks is your solution.
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