The 2021 Diamond Kings baseball card set from Topps was released in January 2021 as the flagship issue commemorating the 2020 MLB season. As the main baseball card release each year from Topps, Diamond Kings cards holds value for collectors due to the brand recognition, photo quality, and inclusion of the sport’s biggest stars. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the factors that determine the value of individual cards from the 2021 Diamond Kings set and how certain parallels and chase cards can be quite valuable.
To start, the base Diamond Kings cards are the standard issue cards that make up the bulk of any factory sealed wax box or hobby packs. For the 2021 series, the base cards hold a retail value of around $0.25 to $1 depending on the player featured. Rookie cards or stars will generally be on the higher end, while role players on the lower. In near mint to mint condition straight out of the pack, base cards don’t carry huge values. They are essential for set building and still desired by all levels of collectors.
When it comes to parallels and short printed cards, this is where values start to significantly increase compared to the common base cards. Some of the most coveted inserts in the 2021 Diamond Kings set were the Spectra parallels, which featured elaborate refractive techniques and serial numbering between /99 to /10 copies. Big name Spectra rookies like Wander Franco and Bobby Witt Jr. regularly sell in the $50-150 range even for higher serial numbers. Lower serial versions under /25 have reached up to $500 at auction.
Other valuable parallels included the Gold (/50), Black (/10), and Mini (/5) parallels which carried premium glossy photo stock and serial numbering. Key Gold rookies can sell in the $25-75 range depending on player and numbering. Black parallels escalate values further to $100-300, while true 1/1 Mini parallels for star players shatter records, with examples bringing over $1,000 with aggressive bidding.
Perhaps the most highly sought after inserts in 2021 Diamond Kings were the 1/1 Autograph Memorabilia cards, which paired exquisite game used memorabilia with on-card autographs. Examples featuring substantial uniform swatches or autographs of the game’s premier stars like Mike Trout, Ronald Acuna Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are the true holy grails that can achieve prices into the tens of thousands of dollars. Even mint rookie autographs on these mammoth 1/1 parallel scratches can garner four-figure sums.
Another category of short prints that hold immense value are the rainbow foil Borderline parallels found one per case. These hyper-rare versions featuring vibrant foiling overtop the regular photo have become desired trophies for high-end collectors. Recent sales of prominent names on the Borderline parallel include a Wander Franco that sold for $2,500 and a Bobby Witt Jr. that exceeded $3,000. Understandably, obtaining these near impossible to find parallels is akin to unlocking the pinnacle achievement in a baseball card release.
When analyzing specific 2021 Diamond Kings player cards that have maintained or increased in resale value since release, the obvious choices are the top performing rookies from the season such as AL Rookie of the Year Randy Arozarena and National League batting champion Juan Soto. Rookie phenoms like Wander Franco and Bobby Witt Jr. who saw limited MLB action but endless hype have kept a strong hold on their early values better than expected given they have yet to truly breakout. Franco’s 1st Bowman Chrome autos from 2019 that carried just a $100 price tag are now trading around $700-1,000 raw.
While 2021 Topps Diamond Kings base cards don’t carry a huge individual dollar value, there remains strong collector demand for set building and holding franchises from the coveted brand. Parallels, short prints, rare serial numbered inserts and 1/1 parallel autographed memorabilia cards represent the true pinnacle chase aspect and where significant valuation is found, especially for star players. Rookie phenoms and performances further elevate specific player cards beyond the regular increase of star studded issues over time in the collecting marketplace. As one of the marquee modern baseball releases each year, Diamond Kings will remain a staple for investors, enthusiasts, and casual collectors for decades to come.
