It has been a couple of years since basketball card collectors last had a chance to break into National Treasures, Panini's ultra high-end brand. It's back and it's loaded. 2012-13 Panini National Treasures Basketball arrives everything collectors expect from the pricey product. There's a double-rookie class, lavish memorabilia, low serial numbers, multi-signature cards and more.
As always, rookie cards are drawing some of the most attention. Top players have a vertical design that has a large patch swatch and an on-card signature. Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes are some of the top names in the set. The patch swatches are some of the most compelling in a basketball product this year, on par with the 2012-13 Panini Preferred Silhouettes. Not surprisingly, the Irving rookie is draw the most attention with bids measuring in the thousands. 2012-13 Panini National Treasures Basketball Rookie Autographed Memorabilia cards are numbered to either 99 or 199. Going against the grain with many products, bigger names are actually more plentiful. Of course, with print runs maxing out at 199, even the most common cards are still rare. Lesser players have basic autograph cards that are numbered to 99. Also, because of his exclusive autograph deal with Leaf, Damian Lillard is part of the base set and is numbered to 99.
Superstar veterans run throughout National Treasures. Many players who have been pesky redemptions throughout the season are live in boxes here. Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant, both Panini spokesmen, are two such players. And while there are other redemptions in the product, some were ready to go by the time the set released.
2012-13 Panini National Treasures Basketball isn't for the faint of heart. At the time of release, boxes were hovering around $600 for ten cards.
Below is a real-time look at the 50 most-watched 2012-13 Panini National Treasures Basketball single-card auctions currently listed on eBay. It's a showcase of what's drawing the most attention. Even if the product is out of your price range, think of it as a virtual card show display case.
