First off, let’s start with a reminder about (frustrating) release dates:
Many sets of cards don’t come out until halfway or even later through the NBA season. So if you’re looking for Wembanyama cards, you’re fairly limited until later in the season.
(Do you think we’ll ever get all the boxes released during the correct NBA season, or is that just a secret dream I’m harboring?)
Anyway, there are a LOT of different ways to determine best. If you’re a set collector, then you just collect whatever you like!
If you’re a kid, maybe you go for volume.
Or, do you like to just have a fun rip and be delighted at what you find inside? Or is ROI your game?
Let’s dig in.
Best Basketball Card Boxes to Buy
Here are the different categories I’ve created (click to jump to section):
- Best Packs With Cards That Hold Value
- Best Packs to Hold Unopened
- Best Packs for Ripping
- Best Low-Cost Option
- Best Packs for Most Cards
- Most Expensive Packs
Note: these are all hobby boxes. Let’s go!
Best Boxes With Cards That Hold Value: 2022-23 NBA Prizm
Breakdown:
- Price Per Box: $710
- Number of Cards: 144
- Breakdown: 2 Autos & 22 Prizms
- Shop on eBay
Let’s start with what many collectors see as the premier product that’s not $1,000 per card (more on that later).
Seen as the flagship for rookies, I rank this the best box for ripping and holding the cards long-term.
Take a look at Anthony Edwards’ base rookie card comparison from similar products (PSA 10s):
- Prizm: $115
- Mosaic: $35
- Select: $35
- Optic: $53
In other words, his base rookie from Prizm is essentially double anything else out there (minus the super-premium brands).
But base isn’t all that exciting right? It’s the colored parallels you’re really looking for, and this box comes with 22 of them. Rookie parallels are highly sought after, especially the silver.
Here’s the Anthony Edwards Silver Prizm PSA 10:
The silvers aren’t even all that rare, but collectors love them. Silver prizm rookies are perhaps the most widely sought after cards in the hobby.
I know Anthony Edwards is from a few years ago, but that’s because I wanted to use pricing for someone who’s more established.
Here’s a silver prizm for Chet Holmgren from this box:
While this box is expensive to buy and rip, it’s possible to get some nice value from those 2 autos and 22 prizms!
Best Boxes to Hold: 2022-23 NBA Select
Breakdown:
- Price Per Box: $450
- Number of Cards: 60
- Breakdown: 3 Autos or Memorabilia Cards, 12 Prizms
- Shop on eBay
I did an analysis of which basketball card boxes had the highest percentage increase in resale value over time, and Select came out the winner!
In fact, a 2018-19 box of Select sells for about $2,400 right now—5.5x what 2022-23 sells for! (Yes, Luka helps—but the 2019-20 box still sells for $1,100 on Dave & Adams).
It’s interesting that Prizm cards hold the best value long term, but they’re so much more expensive than Select! I know that many hobbyists don’t see Select as being that far down the ladder from Prizm.
It’s unfortunate that Select’s hobby boxes this year have the dreaded “3 autographs OR memorabilia cards.” That “or” likely means that you’re mostly going to get memorabilia cards. However, Select is a fun rip because you don’t get a lot of boring base cards—they have tons of parallels and inserts, along with their Concourse, Premier, and Courtside.
Best Boxes for Ripping: 2022-23 NBA Chronicles
Breakdown:
- Price Per Box: $275
- Number of Cards: 48
- Breakdown: 2 Autos
- Shop on eBay
If you’ve never opened Chronicles before, you’re going to think…what the heck is going on here?
You only get 48 cards, but they are a conglomeration of a bunch of different base sets. Where every other hobby box will have all the base be the same, this one…not so much. You get base from Gala, Limited, Titanium, XR, Luminance, and Essentials.
Add then there are parallels for each of these, and I find opening each pack a bit weird, but also delightful. There are some nice looking cards, and I like looking up what I have online to see if I’ve got anything.
Plus, finding 2 autos in an NBA box for under $300 is pretty great.
You’ll be on the hunt for these top rookies:
- Paolo Banchero
- Chet Holmgren
- Jabari Smith Jr.
- Jalen Williams
- Keegan Murray
- Jalen Duren
Best Low-Cost Option Box: 2023-24 Hoops
Breakdown:
- Price Per Box: $170
- Number of Cards: 192
- Breakdown: 1 Auto
- Shop on eBay
Unfortunately, this is product is more expensive than last year’s version…we call that the “Wemby Effect.” (A trend that will continue with Donruss pricing being $100 more than last year’s)
However, even though there’s no Wemby auto in here, you can still pull any of his other cards (as well as autos for many other rookies).
People are always complaining how much basketball cards are to buy, so it’s a breath of fresh air to find this product for $170!
I’ve always liked opening Hoops—even if you don’t often get crazy valuable stuff inside—because you get a lot of rookies and a lot of packs to open.
Plus it’s one of the first products out there for 2023-24, so that’s a huge bonus as well!
Best Boxes for Most Cards: 2023-24 Donruss Basketball
Breakdown:
- Price Per Box: $330
- Number of Cards: 300
- Breakdown: 1 Auto
- Shop on eBay
As a kid, I used to almost exclusively buy the packs that gave me the most cards.
I loved opening tons of packs and sifting through mountains of cards. Then organizing them later into the right teams in my boxes was a TON of fun!
So while Donruss is certainly on the lower end as far as quality and retaining value, it can be a fun rip for a lot of people out there!
It’s a bit unfortunate that a $300+ box only gets you 1 auto… but you do get 60 inserts! You know people are hunting for those case hit Wembys to grade them fast for big money (I’m looking at you, Night Moves).
Most Expensive Boxes – 2022-23 Flawless Basketball
Breakdown:
- Price Per Box: $11,000
- Number of Cards: 10
- Breakdown: 9 Autos, 1 Diamond Card (yes, with a real diamond)
- Shop on eBay
Let’s go from one end of the spectrum to the other with Flawless! Each card you get in here is a banger. Even if it’s not a superstar player, you’re getting almost all numbered autos, some with game-worn memorabilia, or a card with a flippin’ diamond on it!
And each card costs you over a thousand dollars to purchase!
I don’t really advocate that people who don’t own private jets and secluded islands go buy this box…it’s mostly in this list for fun.
But if you like a gamble, these are the types of boxes that get you the 1/1s that are worth $100k, and tons of other cards with high value as well. The only real way to get in on this is to join some breaks and hope you get lucky.
You’ll get some rare cards in these boxes, but only serious collectors know about these strangely rare basketball cards!