Updated 9/16/24
Hey everybody -
I know there are a lot of questions about "When are my cards coming out". Trust us, we want and need as many answers as you do, and know that we have your best interests in mind.
We speak to a Panini representative weekly regarding release dates, inventory increases, and new releases. Nailing Panini down to an exact date is like pulling teeth, and it's become worse this year than any other. With Fanatics jumping into the hobby, it seems to have created major issues over at Panini.
This year, Panini seems focused on one thing - Hobby Boxes. As we all know, Hobby Boxes are where Panini makes their big money. With the eruption of Breakers on Instagram, WhatNot, Facebook Live, etc., the sales of hobby boxes have gone through the roof. The big issue is, that not all of us can afford hobby boxes; we want Blasters, Mega Boxes, or even Retail Boxes.
There's a reason why all this is happening
Big distribution stores (I will not name them out of legalities) as well as smaller guys like us all have the same pre-order list. We get the same prices, we are told the same information. The bigger companies buy Blasters & Megas by the case like we do, but they do not advertise or pre-sell it because they don't have to. They push Hobby boxes and make a pretty penny doing it. We pre-sell because it keeps us alive in the industry.
Here's where the issue happens. Within the last two years, customers have raided Big Box retailers of new release Blasters and then flooded eBay with them at double the retail price. Soon, these stores have no more inventory to sell and eBay becomes the market. The prices everyone puts up on eBay have become the NEW market price. For example, Donruss Optic Blasters were $29.99 at the store and online. Customers bought out everything they could and put them up on eBay for $55-$60. After two weeks of this, the prices retailers were offering were now $55, all due to eBay. It's a free market, and we have NO issue with this, we are just explaining how the market has changed. After 2-3 weeks of this, THEN the big distribution companies offer sales on these blasters, especially by the case. A case they pre-ordered for $450, now sells for $1100 all due to eBay. Smart sales, but very bad for the hobby.
Now, where's my cards?
Let's get to the point. What is going on with your cards?
Prestige - These finally have an official breakdown and official release dates. Blasters will begin being released on 11/27, Mega Boxes on 12/6, Retail Boxes on 12/27, and Fat Packs on 1/6. These were originally scheduled to come out on June 14th, so this is a huge delay on Panini's part.
Prizm Draft Picks Football - This one has been pushed around the most. Originally scheduled for June, it got pushed back to August. Hobby Boxes are scheduled to come out on 10/4, which was no secret. However, Blasters and Blaster Packs have now been pushed to 10/27. These also were scheduled for a June release,
Score - Hobby Boxes were released on 9/10. It has now been announced that Blasters will begin being released between 9/27 to 10/3. Retail Boxes have been pushed back to 11/7.
Prizm/Donruss Optic - These are still on schedule for an October/November release and are available for pre-order in our store. UPDATE: We have heard rumblings from Panini that these may be pushed to 12/26, nothing confirmed though.
Donruss - These are set for December release and will soon be available for pre-order.
Contenders - These are set for Late December/January release and are available for pre-order in our store.
Absolute - These are set for a February 2025 release and are available in our store.
In Summation
As we have always stated in our descriptions, we have no control over Panini. They can and will change release dates without warning, it's just part of our industry. We are always working day and night to get you up-to-date information. In the meantime, always feel free to contact us about anything. We are here to help and keeping our customers happy is always job #1.