Grading in the sports card world has surged back into the limelight, reminiscent of the mass production days of the Junk Wax Era. At the epicenter of this resurgence stands none other than basketball prodigy Victor Wembanyama. According to the latest data from PSA in 2024, Wembanyama has taken the grading charts by storm, claiming six of the top 10 most graded cards of the year. However, it is one specific card that has set a new benchmark in the industry.
The 2023 Prizm Victor Wembanyama RC Base card has shattered records with a staggering population count of over 24,400 PSA 10s. This number continues to climb rapidly, solidifying its position as the highest PSA 10 population card in modern hobby history—an achievement that was previously deemed unattainable.
Wembanyama’s extraordinary rise in the world of grading draws parallels to the Luka Dončić frenzy of previous years. Just as Dončić’s rookie card crossed the 20,000 PSA 10 mark to critical acclaim, Wembanyama has now surpassed that milestone in less than a year, ushering in a new era of high-volume grading.
The Wembanyama Prizm rookie card now joins an elite class of cards with 20,000+ PSA 10 populations, alongside notable names like Luka Dončić, Zion Williamson, and Ja Morant, as well as baseball stars Ronald Acuña Jr. and Juan Soto, with Fernando Tatís Jr. on the cusp of joining this exclusive group.
Panini’s collaboration with Monopoly has further fueled the Wembanyama grading craze by introducing a special Prizm card set featuring another version of his rookie card. The Monopoly variant has already garnered over 10,000 PSA 10s, solidifying Wembanyama’s dominance in his rookie year.
When combining the base Prizm rookie card and its Monopoly counterpart, the numbers are staggering. With more than 40,000 total graded cards and over 24,000 PSA 10s for the base card, along with 17,000 total graded Monopoly cards and over 10,000 PSA 10s, Wembanyama’s presence in the grading world is truly remarkable.
While these figures are impressive, they fall short of the iconic Ken Griffey Jr.’s rookie card dominance from the late ’80s. Griffey’s 1989 Upper Deck rookie card holds the all-time record with 116,000 total graded copies, followed by his 1989 Topps Traded and 1989 Fleer rookie cards.
The surge in Wembanyama’s graded cards may harken back to the overproduction era of Junk Wax, where a flood of mass-produced cards diminished scarcity but increased availability. Despite Wembanyama’s cards not being scarce, the emphasis on high grades like PSA 10s mirrors the grading boom of the ’90s, albeit with a modern twist due to heightened production capabilities and collectors’ reliance on grading companies.
With over 40,000 graded cards in just one year, Wembanyama is positioned to rival Griffey’s all-time numbers, pending Panini’s production capacity. While his Prizm rookie card has cemented its status as a hobby legend, the high volume of graded cards raises questions about long-term value in what some are dubbing the modern Junk Wax Era.
Wembanyama’s rapid ascent in the grading realm symbolizes both excitement and caution for collectors. While his cards showcase the thriving popularity of basketball and the global allure of emerging stars, concerns about sustained value amidst mass grading loom large. As collectors navigate this new landscape, the importance of rarity and condition remains integral to determining long-term worth, all while reveling in the historic impact of a rookie phenom reshaping grading history.
