Panini released their Select football product in 2017 and it became an instant hit with collectors. Featuring parallel inserts with aesthetically pleasing designs and numbering that enhanced the chase, Select found success targeting the high-end collector segment. Seeing the opportunity to branch out, Panini launched their first Select baseball card set in 2022 in hopes of replicating that magic.
Released in late January/early February as a high-end, limited print run product, the 2022 Panini Select baseball release featured a base set of 150 cards split between two designs. The “Classic Stats” base cards utilized a simple white border with statistics and accomplishments dominating the front of the card. Meanwhile, the “Action Shots” bases incorporated colorful photography highlighting memorable on-field moments. Both designs fused modern and retro aesthetic sensibilities together nicely.
In addition to the base set, Panini loaded Select 2022 with a bevy of exciting parallel and short-print inserts to entice collectors. The most coveted parallel is arguably the “Gold /2021” parallel, limited to only 10 copies per player. With sequential numbering out of 10, stringent limited printing, and eye-catching gold coloring, these parallels instantly became chase cards that spiked up the product’s resale value. Other highly sought after parallels included the /25 Green, /99 Red, and /199 Orange that served varying levels of rarity and scarcity beneath the ultra-short-printed Golds.
In terms of inserts, Panini incorporated popular 1980s/1990s style designs like “Rookies”, “Duos”, and “Gems” to merge nostalgia with a modern aesthetic. Key rookie cards of Brendan Donovan, Grayson Rodriguez, and Bobby Witt Jr. stood out as hits from the “Rookies” subset. “Duos” pairings of teammates and “Gems” focusing on iconic player images generated buzz as well. Topical “Stars of 2022” and “Future Stars” inserts highlighted this year’s brightest young talents like Julio Rodriguez too. Numbering was generally in the low doubles digits or lower here to ensure scarcity.
Another strength of Panini Select is its ability to secure prized serial-numbered on-card autographs from today’s biggest stars. Trout, Soto, Acuna, and Judge parallel autographs or memorabilia cards added tremendous value to boxes. Rc autos and parallels of emerging stars like Witt Jr. and Adley Rutschman tantalized as major pulls. Overall the autograph checklist flexed serious star power with over 100 veteran and prospect autographs integrated throughout the product at various serial number tiers.
On the secondary market, Panini Select baseball proved one of the year’s biggest retail hits. Boxes were tough to find on shelves due to the finite print run but carried eye-popping resale values of $300-500 each online. Individual stars & prospects parallels and especially the ultra-rare Gold variants commanded four-figure prices from collectors chasing specific cards. Even base rookies gained value if part of the subsets. The combination of scarcity, design, and star power clearly resonated with high-end collectors.
While not without its fair share of criticism regarding the pricey randomized hobby box model and manufacturing/quality control issues that come with the territory of new brands and new products, Panini Select 2022 showcased promise as a serious flagship baseball release with legs to build upon its proven football formula for years to come. The rising collector attention and sky-high resell value proved Panini tapped into something special by scratching that itch for an ultra-premium baseball product. Expect many more installments in the flagship Select line as Panini aims to usher baseball cards into a new era competing not just with heritage brands, but also thriving independently as a major new force.
High-quality modern parallels, nostalgic inserts, flashy photographs and autographs, combined with strict limited printing, earned Panini’s inaugural baseball Select set recognition as one of the true “hits” of 2022. It established the foundation for what could develop into one of the elite modern brands and most coveted limited releases in the high-end collector sphere going forward so long as Panini maintains focus on delivering premium rookies, stars and scarce parallel hits with each new year’s checklist. Baseball card fans will surely be waiting anxiously to see where Panini Select goes from here.
