Sweeping into the merry month of May 2024, the sports card aficionado finds a veritable garden of delights blooming with sports card releases. From the baseball diamond to the basketball court, from the lush greens of the golf course to the high-octane thrill of the racing track, there’s something for everyone in the early weeks of May. Let’s pull back the curtain and feast our eyes on the treasures that await us during this tantalizing period.
First off the block on May 1, vintage holds court with the 2024 Topps Heritage Mini Baseball. This series, a revival of the coveted 1975 mini set, is an online-exclusive treat limited to a 500-card base set. Each Hobby box, packed with 24 packs of nine cards, offers an autograph or relic plus a box loader with a twist: Juan Soto’s first on-card autograph bedazzlingly etched in a Yankees uniform.
Hot on its heels, the same day ushers in the 2022-23 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Hockey. This time-honored classic in hockey card collection serves its loyal fans with a single pack of four cards. Inside, collectors will savor one autographed memento card, an additional memorabilia card, and a base or rookie card.
Keeping the momentum going, the 2023-24 Panini Recon Basketball set also hits the floor. Victor Wembanyama’s rookie card is the star of this series, with each Hobby box unveiling two autographs and 20 inserts.
Fast-forward to May 8, and we ride the time machine back to 1989 with the Bowman Baseball release. Ever since its resurgence, Bowman enjoys flagship status across a variety of sports. The 2024 offering introduces the Hobby box with one Chrome autographed card and the Jumbo box dishing out three autographs, along with exclusive green parallels available in retail boxes.
Next, timed perfectly with the NBA playoffs, the 2023-24 Panini Crown Royale Basketball takes center stage. Each box is a Pandora of bounty, featuring one autograph, one memorabilia card, and two inserts, or parallels. The cherry on top is undoubtedly the Tim Duncan autographs, offering a nostalgic tour de force to the 90s.
On the same day, golf and racing enthusiasts get their share of the spotlight with the 2024 Upper Deck SP Game Used Golf and 2023 Panini National Treasures Racing sets. These collections aim to quench the thirst of high-end collectible hunters.
May 10 presents another basketball sensation, with the 2023-24 Panini Select Basketball series. Renowned for its Prizm parallels and memorabilia-studded rookie cards, this release includes packs of five cards each, with three cards dedicated to autographs or memorabilia.
Meanwhile, soccer fans eagerly anticipate the next release from Donruss’s Soccer series, but they’ll have to stay tuned for more details.
In a nutshell, the early May period in 2024 heralds a cornucopia of sports card releases. Whether you’re a traditional sports fan or someone with a taste for the less conventional, the various offerings and special editions promise to be splendid additions to any sports card collection. From the first Yankees autograph of Juan Soto to the stunning autographs of Tim Duncan, this month is surely going to be a wild ride for all collectors and enthusiasts.
