Panini Trading Card Brands (By Sport)

Basketball (NBA)

Panini Prizm

• Tier: Mid to High-End
• Description: The flagship chrome-style set for NBA, featuring Refractors (Silver Prizms), colored parallels, and autographs.
• Strengths:
  • Most popular rookie card brand since 2012.
  • Wide variety of parallels (Silver, Gold, Black 1/1, etc.).
  • Highly liquid secondary market, meaning strong resale value.
• Weaknesses:
  • Overproduction in recent years, making some base cards less valuable.
  • Autograph checklists include many non-stars.
• Notable Inserts: Downtown (rare case hits), Color Blast, Stained Glass

Panini Select

• Tier: Mid to High-End
• Description: A premium NBA set with three base tiers (Concourse, Premier, Courtside), offering multiple design variations.
• Strengths:
  • Better quality control and thicker stock than Prizm.
  • Rare "Courtside" variations hold strong value.
  • Features on-card autographs in hobby-exclusive sets.
• Weaknesses:
  • Retail versions diluted the value, making some base cards less collectible.
  • Some parallel designs (Scope, Tri-Color) aren’t as desirable as Prizm parallels.
• Notable Inserts: Zebra Prizms, Artistic Selections, Gold Vinyl 1/1

Panini Optic

• Tier: Mid to High-End
• Description: A chrome version of the Donruss NBA set, known for holo-rated rookies and autographs.
• Strengths:
  • Rated Rookie Optic Holo parallels are very popular for rookies.
  • Cleaner design than Prizm, appealing to some collectors.
  • Includes on-card autographs in the "Optic Contenders" subset.
• Weaknesses:
  • Lower secondary market value than Prizm or Select.
  • Centering issues on some years' releases.
• Notable Inserts: My House, Checkerboard Prizms, Lime Green Rated Rookies

Football (NFL)

Panini Prizm Football

• Tier: Mid to High-End
• Description: The NFL counterpart to Prizm Basketball, offering chrome-style rookie cards with a vast array of parallel colors.
• Strengths:
  • The most sought-after rookie card for football prospects.
  • Highly liquid secondary market with many buyers.
  • Iconic parallels like Gold /10, Black 1/1.
• Weaknesses:
  • Retail versions reduce scarcity, making base cards too common.
  • Autograph checklist is hit-or-miss, with many backups or non-stars.
• Notable Inserts: Color Blast, Stained Glass, Snake Skin Prizms

Panini Contenders (Football)

• Tier: Mid to High-End
• Description: Known for its Rookie Ticket Autographs (RPS), Contenders is one of the longest-running football sets.
• Strengths:
  • Rookie Ticket Autos are iconic, especially cracked ice versions.
  • On-card autos for top rookies.
  • Holds historical significance in football collecting.
• Weaknesses:
  • Base cards are not collectible, it’s all about the autos.
  • Sticker autographs for many rookies hurt desirability.
• Notable Inserts: Cracked Ice Autographs, Legendary Contenders, Playoff Ticket Autos

Panini Donruss Football

• Tier: Low to Mid-End
• Description: A classic paper-stock football set, featuring Rated Rookie cards.
• Strengths:
  • Rated Rookie cards provide an affordable entry point for collectors.
  • Downtown Inserts are extremely rare and valuable.
  • Hobby boxes have affordable pricing.
• Weaknesses:
  • Base cards have very little resale value.
  • Sticker autos instead of on-card for most inserts.
• Notable Inserts: Downtown, Marvels, Rated Rookies Optic Holo

Baseball (MLB - Unlicensed)

Panini Donruss Baseball

• Tier: Low-End
• Description: An MLBPA-licensed but unlicensed by MLB, meaning no team logos.
• Strengths:
  • Affordable hobby box prices.
  • Popular Downtown inserts add value.
  • Good autographs of top rookies and prospects.
• Weaknesses:
  • Lack of MLB logos hurts resale value.
  • Paper stock feels lower-end.
• Notable Inserts: Downtown, Whammy, Elite Series

Panini Immaculate Baseball

• Tier: High-End
• Description: A premium unlicensed baseball product featuring patch autographs and low-numbered parallels.
• Strengths:
  • High-quality patches and relics.
  • On-card autographs of top players.
• Weaknesses:
  • No MLB logos, making it less valuable than Topps products.
  • Very expensive per box, making it risky to buy.
• Notable Inserts: Bat Knob Relics, Laundry Tag Autographs, Dual Patch Autos

Soccer

Panini Prizm Soccer (World Cup & EPL)

• Tier: Mid to High-End
• Description: The go-to soccer set for international tournaments and English Premier League (EPL), featuring chrome-style Prizm cards.
• Strengths:
  • Most recognizable soccer rookie cards.
  • Gold Prizms /10 and Black Prizms 1/1 are top-tier chases.
  • Global demand keeps value high.
• Weaknesses:
  • Print runs have increased, making base Prizms less rare.
  • Expensive box prices, making breaks a gamble.
• Notable Inserts: National Landmarks, Color Blast, Kaboom!

Panini Donruss Soccer

• Tier: Mid-End
• Description: A paper-stock soccer set, known for its Rated Rookie cards and Downtown inserts.
• Strengths:
  • Downtown inserts are some of the most valuable soccer cards.
  • Affordable alternative to Prizm.
• Weaknesses:
  • Sticker autos are common, reducing value.
  • Paper-stock base cards don’t hold much value.
• Notable Inserts: Downtown, Marvels, Optic Rated Rookie

Wrestling (WWE - Previously Held License)

Panini Prizm WWE (2022-2023)

• Tier: Mid to High-End
• Description: The first Prizm-branded WWE set, featuring chrome-style parallels and autographs.
• Strengths:
  • Color Blast & Gold Prizm inserts are highly valuable.
  • Top-tier autographs from WWE legends.
• Weaknesses:
  • Fanatics took over the WWE license in 2025, ending Panini’s WWE production.
  • Some autograph checklists included weaker wrestlers.
• Notable Inserts: Color Blast, Champion Signatures, Sensational Signatures

Final Thoughts

Panini remains a dominant player in the trading card industry, particularly in NBA, NFL, and soccer. However, with Fanatics acquiring licenses for MLB, NBA, and NFL, Panini's future may shift towards unlicensed releases, international markets, and other sports.

Collectors should pay close attention to how the legal battle between Panini and Fanatics unfolds, as it could significantly impact the availability and pricing of trading cards in the coming years.