2018-19
Paninibasketball
2018-19 Panini Contenders Basketball Hobby Box
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Other releases of Panini Contenders
Frequently asked
What are the key rookie cards to chase?
Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Marvin Bagley III are the biggest names in the 2018 rookie class. Doncic especially commands premium prices. All three appear in the Rookie Ticket Autograph set (#122, #142, #112 respectively) and also in the Rookie Ticket Swatches subset.
How many autographs come in a hobby box?
Every hobby box guarantees 2 autographs. These can be Rookie Ticket Autographs, Historic Rookie Tickets, MVP Contenders, Legendary Contenders, or Sophomore Contenders depending on the pack luck.
What are the parallel tiers for Rookie Ticket Autographs?
Base rookies have parallels at Premium Edition (no number), Playoff Ticket /65, The Finals Ticket /49, Cracked Ice /25, Premium Edition Gold /10, and Championship Ticket 1/1. Variations have slightly lower print runs. All tiers also have Printing Plates (1/1 each in Black, Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow).
What's the difference between regular Rookie Tickets and Historic Rookie Tickets?
Regular Rookie Tickets feature current 2018 draft picks with on-card signatures. Historic Rookie Tickets show eight Hall of Famers and legends from their actual rookie years, including Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, and Shaq. Both have similar parallel structures but Historic is much scarcer.
Are there non-autograph inserts in this product?
Yes. Contenders includes regular inserts like Lottery Ticket (scratch-and-win style), Playing the Numbers Game, and Superstar Die-Cuts. There are also Contenders Optic Preview cards randomly inserted in packs, though these are tougher to pull.
What's the base set composition?
The 145-card base set consists of 100 veteran cards (#1-100) and 45 Rookie Ticket Autographs (#101-145). Veterans include stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Stephen Curry. All base cards have multiple parallel versions.
How does the Rookie Ticket Swatches subset work?
This 39-card subset features rookie autographs with game-worn memorabilia swatches. Every card is numbered /10 on the base version, with Prime (1/1) and Retail Prime (1/1) parallels available. It's a shorter print run than the main Rookie Ticket set.
What makes Legendary Contenders Autographs different?
This 40-card insert set features retired Hall of Famers and legends with on-card signatures. Cards are numbered /199 or /99 on base versions, with Bronze /25, Gold /10, and Platinum 1/1 parallels. It's a nice way to get autographs of players like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
When did 2018-19 Panini Contenders come out?
It dropped December 26, 2018.
What's in a 2018-19 Panini Contenders hobby box?
12 packs per box, 10 cards per pack
Where can I buy 2018-19 Panini Contenders?
We track listings across the major North American card shops and surface the best price up top. The Buy on eBay links go through the eBay Partner Network.
2018-19 Panini Contenders Basketball
2018-19 Panini Contenders Basketball centers on Rookie Ticket Autographs featuring the 2018 draft class, with Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Marvin Bagley III as the marquee rookie pulls. Every hobby box comes with two autographs.
Autographs
2 Autographs per box on average
On average per hobby box
- 1 Rookie Ticket Autograph (base or parallel)
Inserts to watch
- Rookie Ticket Autographs The core chase of the product, featuring 45 rookie signers from the 2018 draft class including Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Marvin Bagley III.
- Historic Rookie Ticket Autographs Eight veteran legends shown from their rookie years with on-card signatures, including Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, and Shaquille O'Neal.
- Legendary Contenders Autographs 40-card set of Hall of Famers and retired stars with numbered parallels ranging from /199 down to 1/1 Platinum.
- MVP Contenders Autographs Ten current superstars including Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Giannis Antetokounmpo with numbered base versions.
- Rookie Ticket Swatches Autographs 39-card set of rookie autographs with memorabilia swatches, all numbered /10 with Prime and Retail Prime 1/1 parallels.
- Cracked Ice parallels Scarce parallel tier available on both veteran and rookie autographs, numbered /25 for base rookies and /20 for variations.
Fast facts
- Released
- December 26, 2018
- Box config
- 12 packs per box, 10 cards per pack
- Set size
- 145 cards
- Top rookie
- Luka Doncic