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Is anything in life more anticipated than having a high-end sealed hobby box before you, ready to be devoured?
Maybe a few, but not many. Every collector has unique tastes and budgets, but if you like BIG HITS and want to purchase a 2021 football box, please continue reading. Here are the best football card boxes to buy in hopes of pulling a monster.
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2021 Panini Prizm Draft Picks Football Hobby Box
Release date: August 4, 2021
2021 Panini Prizms are always in high demand, and the White Sparkle parallel can command lofty prices when conditions are right. Those who purchase the 2021 Prizm DP box will generally hope for a rookie autograph. These rookie autograph cards command a boatload of cash at high grades for top players.
The Draft Picks set features current NFL players in their college days. We love the White Sparkle parallel gives each card a holographic sheen similar to pointillism art.
The effect, as you might guess, is a white sparkle. White Sparkle Rookie Autos for prominent draft picks like Trey Lance has commanded significant sales prices.
Even White Sparkle Auto RCs for players with unclear NFL futures, like Feleipe Franks, have sold for four figures. Non-autographed rookie cards can also make back the purchase price of a single pack and then some, so long as you find the right rookie.
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2021 Panini Chronicles Draft Picks Hobby Box
Release date: July 2, 2021
The 2021 Panini Chronicles Draft Picks football packs to include 8 cards per pack, 6 packs per box, and 16 boxes per case. The set averages 3 autographs, 1 relic, 1 base Cracked Ice parallel, and 12 Optichrome cards per box.
Breakers will keep a keen eye out for Limited Rookie Patch Autographs, Origins Rookie Jumbo Patch Autographs, and One Quad Patch Autographs, which have proven vital assets on secondhand markets.
On-card autographs featuring the top prospects from the 2021 NFL Draft—Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Trey Lance, Kyle Pitts, and Zach Wilson, to name a few—are standouts within the set.
The design of the One Quad patch auto cards is especially noteworthy. The player patch lies beneath a four-paneled design. To the left of a patch is a player image, with the player’s collegiate team colors in the background.
Even though the base set design is considerably less exciting than the top-tier parallels, you’re guaranteed to receive rookie cards when you open a pack of 2021 Panini Chronicles Draft Picks—this alone is appealing.
The chance that you will hit on a coveted auto or patch auto only adds to the allure of this specific pack.
2021 Panini Select Football Hobby Box
Release date: September 20, 2021
Panini Select football cards bring the heat year in and year out with rare, valuable, and visually appealing cards. Each box averages two autographs and one relic card, including one rookie patch auto.
2021 Panini Mosaic Draft Picks Hobby Box
Release date: June 18, 2021
Based on our list, Panini is the most in-demand name in collecting. The 2021 Panini Mosaic Draft Picks packs entered the marketplace as an online-only release.
The first set of its kind, the Mosaic Draft Picks line expanded Panini’s stable of Draft Pick-centric offerings. You get 15 cards per pack and two packs per box.
Buyers expect to receive two autographs and eight parallels per box (one autograph and four parallels per pack, for you Liberal Arts majors). Of the parallels, two are generally Silver parallels, while the remaining six are Mosaic parallels (read why the 2020 Mosaic Football Hobby Box is one of our all-time favorites!).
Autographs are always the crown jewel of the 2021 Panini Mosaic Draft Picks crop. Two iterations of autograph cards—Mosaic Autographs and Scripts—contain rookie signatures.
The Mosiac Autos and Scripts cards contain Gold and Black parallels, numbered 10 and 1, respectively. Collectors hope to obtain a Black Mosaic Auto or Scripts auto with a name like Ja’Marr Chase, Trevor Lawrance, Devonta Smith, or Zach Wilson.
Even Black and Gold parallels without autographs have commanded strong prices. The Mosaic design, with radiant, kaleidoscopic color schemes and quality player images, likely has something to do with strong demand.
The opportunity to break into a rare rookie auto or a nice-looking numbered parallel with one rip of the foil makes this set too good to exclude.
2021 Panini Certified Football Hobby Box
Release date: August 25, 2021
2021 Panini Certified packs contain five cards, and each box contains 10 packs. The cases contain 16 hobby boxes. Each hobby box contains only two rookie cards (potentially including rookie parallels), two memorabilia cards, one Freshman Fabric Signature, one additional auto, and ten inserts.
Base rookie cards are limited to 399 copies. Black (/1), Green (/5), and Purple (/10) parallels are a welcome sight to anyone cracking a pack.
The Freshman Fabric Mirror Signatures are one of this set’s greatest assets. The Black and Black Etch parallels are 1 of 1s, while the Green, Purple, and Gold (including Etch) parallels are limited to 5, 10, and 25, respectively.
Printed on reflective “Mirror” stock, these cards feature a player image on the card’s right side. An oversized patch (some of which are stunning pieces of uniform) dominates the card’s right side. A blue signature occupies a silver plate beneath the player patch.
The Gold Team Mirror Signatures Black Etch cards are each numbered to 1 and include some of the collectors’ best friends like Tom Brady, Justin Herbert, and Kyler Murray.
The potential of finding a coveted rookie patch auto or limited-run superstar autograph makes this a pack worth gambling on.
2021 Donruss Football Hobby Box
Release date: September 8, 2021
Those who purchase a 2021 Donruss Football hobby box receive ten cards in a pack, 18 packs in a box, and 18 boxes in a case. Each box contains an autograph, a relic card, 18 rookie cards, 12 parallels, and 42 inserts.
The base set has a simple, classic Donruss look. Two-tone, team-colored borders surround captivating player images in a pinched rectangular shape. The base cards alone are a reason to consider this set, but they are not the pull factor most collectors seek.
Some of the most alluring cards are Rated Rookie parallels, with Black Die-Cut (/1), Black (/10), Gold Die-Cut (/25), and Gold (/50) parallels being the cream of the crop.
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Other noteworthy cards include Rated Rookie Autographs, Rated Rookie Portrait Autographs (/49), Rookie Phenom Jersey Autographs, and The Champ Is Here Autographs, which features players from the Bucs’ championship squad.
This set offers a massive spectrum of variety. This is a positive in one sense, as there are many unique parallels, subsets, and rookie cards that you could pull. On the other hand, a massive checklist presents some risks.
Still, 2021 Donruss Football packs offer unrivaled excitement in that you could unveil any number of exciting autographs, patches, and rookie parallels.
2021 Panini Contenders Draft Picks Hobby Box
Release date: May 28, 2021
Each box has six packs an average of six autographs (one per pack), six parallels (one per pack), and an additional 36 cards that are either inserts or parallels.
Base cards are in a “College Ticket” format. A high-definition player image is a primary focus. Beneath the image is a “College Ticket” logo, with “Seat”, “Row”, and “Section” markers in the style of an actual game ticket. Game Day Ticket Signatures, Rookie Premier Signatures, and Collegiate Connections Signatures provide the desirable on-card autograph.
The best Game Day Ticket Signatures parallels are Draft (/1), Bowl Championship (/10 or /5), and Cracked Ice (/23). Finding a Draft (/1) or Bowl Championship (either /10 or /5) Collegiate Connections Signatures parallel is also a boon for pack breakers.
In-demand parallels of Rookie Premier Signatures include Gold Vinyl (/1) and Gold (/10). Parallels offer unique design features like a perforated upper border and gold trim.
This set deserves a spot on this list because it’s comparatively affordable. Hobbyists may stumble upon a high-value rookie autograph with minimal upfront investment. Photographs featuring Trey Lance, Zach Wilson, and Trevor Lawrence have been popular among buyers.
Ideal for budget buyers still looking for a chance to hit a big Rookie Premiere Materials autograph card. It features 100 base cards and 100 rookie cards.
2021 Panini Prestige Football Hobby Box
Release date: July 9, 2021
2021 Panini Prestige Football was initially available only through Panini Direct shops. The set was released in a Hybrid Box format with 10 cards per pack, 10 packs per box, and 20 boxes per case.
A box averages 20 rookie cards, 10 numbered parallels, 10 Galaxy parallels, and 20 inserts. The variety of rookie cards, valuable parallels, and inserts makes this a set worth acquiring.
As always, numbered rookie signatures are hot commodities. In particular, the Rookies Xtra Points Signatures Premium Black, Rookies Xtra Points Signatures Premium Platinum, and Rookies Xtra Points Signatures Premium Pink contain autographs and limited print runs (of /1, /10, and /25, respectively).
Draft Day Signatures and NFL Passport Signatures featuring even mid-tier first-round rookies like Jaylen Waddle, Mac Jones, and Kadarius Toney (among others) may be a welcome sight for those who open a 2021 Panini Prestige pack.
Many of the most intriguing parallels in this set feature unique designs, from comic book-style lettering to state flags denoting players’ colleges.
Tom Brady autographs are crown jewels within the 2021 Panini Prestige Football set. Whether it is a Heroes Xtra Point Autograph or Base Xtra Point Signature Premium Red, the TB12 auto cards have realized significant sales prices.
Finding a TB12 autograph in the form of a rare parallel is one of the greatest outcomes that a breaker can hope for. This set has many upsides, so we included it on this list.
2021 Panini Score Football Hanger Box NFL 60 Trading Cards
Cheap and will provide a big hit but not ideal as there are much better options above.