Trading card sets are a tale as old as time, and when it comes to a world-renowned sport like the NFL, the hype is unmatched. However, jumping into the trading card scene headfirst isn’t a good idea. It can be both confusing and detrimental to your wallet. There are hundreds of different packs, with multiple variations of the same pack as well.
Considering a multitude of factors come into play, should you just give up? No. Knowing which card sets to buy is an essential part of properly entering this niche. While we can’t give you all the basics, today we’ll list down the top 10 NFL trading card sets that are best for new collectors. They vary in price range and cards slightly, so make sure to read up on those as well.
Variables We Factored In Our Choices
If you’re still skeptical about reading ahead, let us give you a breakdown of what factors we took into consideration. As a beginner trader, all of these will be of utmost importance to you:
- Affordability (most important)
- Availability
- Player Selection
- Collection and Resale Value
- Ease of Understanding
These are the major factors we looked at while selecting these card sets. Go through each of them to find the perfect beginner NFL card set for you.
2024 Panini Donruss Football NFL Football Trading Cards Tin
First up, we’ve got the 2024 Donruss trading card tin. This box features 3 packs per tin, each containing 5 cards, for a total of 15 cards. Now, why is this good? First off, the price. The Panini Donruss Football trading card set tin is only $14.29 right now, remarkably cheaper than other card sets. This makes it an amazing starter set. You’re not investing a lot, but still getting good value.
You can also receive some tin exclusives from these packs. As the name suggests, these are cards you can only find in tin trading card sets. Finding one might be the boost you need to get into this niche properly. As for the cards themselves, this set contains Rated Rookies, which are great for beginners learning the market.
2024 Panini Prizm Football Trading Cards Blaster Box
Moving on from Donruss, we’ve got the Panini Prizm Football Trading Cards blaster box. This card set is less focused on rookies and more on premium cards of iconic players. Originally priced at $41.99, you can get this amazing card set for just $34.99 if you order soon. That’s definitely a steal you don’t want to miss out considering the contents of this pack.
The Prizm Football Trading Card box has 4 packs, each containing 6 cards, for a total of 24 cards. This justifies the slightly higher price for this box since you’re getting more cards and a chance at a premium silver Prizm card. If you’re lucky, you might just get a Blaster Exclusive Memorabilia card, greatly enhancing the value of this pack.
2022 Panini Score Football Trading Card Blaster Box
If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck, you won’t find a better trading card set than this. The Panini Score Football Trading Card blaster box brings you an insane 132 cards for the price of 24. Set at $32 (after discount), the Score Football box is great for newcomers since you’ll get a huge variety of cards you can choose from.
This is especially good for growing your card collection. At the start, you need quantity over quality, so picking up a blaster box might be a good first step. The drawbacks to this box are that it’s from 2022. The card ratings might be slightly outdated if they’ve changed over the next two years. But with 132 (plus a chance at Blaster exclusives), the pros heavily outweigh the cons.
2024 Panini NFL Mosaic Football Trading Card Blaster Box
Another popular choice amongst newer traders is the Panini Mosaic blaster box. Now, this box gives you 6 packs with 6 cards per pack, making a total of 36 cards. We know, it’s nothing near the Panini Score’s 132 cards, but Mosaic brings something else to the table. In this series, you can find Chrome-style cards, shiny parallels, and some solid rookie card choices.
The Panini NFL Mosaic Football Trading Card Blaster box is selling for $43 right now. You could wait for a discount to pick it up for cheaper, just make sure it doesn’t sell out before that. You also have a chance at Blaster exclusives in this box. This is definitely the ideal choice if you’re looking for something particular.
2024 Panini Prestige Football NFL Blaster Box
Prestige is the pack you want to go for when you’re looking for high-value cards without breaking your wallet. The 2024 Panini Prestige Football NFL Blaster Box brings traders numerous benefits while being moderately priced. As part of this blast box, customers will receive a total of 66 trading cards. But what’s more important is the type of card you can find.
Each box has a chance to have 1 numbered parallel and 8 rookie cards on average. Not only that, if you’re extra lucky, you can even find autographed cards, putting your collection value well into the hundreds. The box also contains 6 Toploaders and a StreetCards magnet, making it a great deal for just $38.
2024 Panini Absolute Football NFL Trading Card Pack
There aren’t a lot of sets that are recommended by Amazon themselves, but the Panini Absolute Football NFL Trading Card Pack has received its blessing. Aside from that, though, this card pack brings some good value to your collection. You get 20 cards per pack valued at $13 after discount.
The main reason this pack is valuable is that traders who buy it find at least 3 Exclusive Blue Parallels on average. Another reason boils down to the ultra-rare KABOOM and EXPLOSIVE inserts in these packs. These are super rare cards (as the name suggests) and are scarcely found in other packs. The 2024 Panini Absolute Football pack is also loaded with the 2024 Rookie Draft Class, as well as retail-only autographed and memorabilia cards. Missing out on this pack could set you back in both time and money while growing your card collection.
2023 Panini Select Football Trading Card Pack
Next, we have the 2023 Panini Select Football Trading Card Pack. First things first. Yes, it’s a 2023 card pack, so the cards might be a tad outdated. But then, why are we recommending it? Well, this 15-card pack contains both Exclusive Prizm Die-Cuts, as well as autographed cards for just $16. That makes amazing value considering the pack itself is pretty cheap, meaning if you strike out on luck, you won’t lose out on much.
On the other hand, getting the Exclusive Prizm Die-Cuts could really help you progress your collection fast. This series is of high value and rare. On top of that, you could get autographed cards for iconic legends or current star players in the NFL. The possibilities are endless with this one.
2024 Panini Illusions Football Blaster Box
The Illusions trading card pack is also a great pick-up for new traders as it combines unique artwork and highlights from the NFL. It has your standard 36 cards, 6 per pack. The pack is currently out of stock, so that’s something you’ll have to wait for, but let us explain why this is a good pack to hold your money in.
The Panini Illusions Football Blaster Box contains cards with a fantasy-style design and rookie highlights. If you manage to pull an autographed card, that’s even better. This pack isn’t our first choice for beginner traders, but if you’re looking for something different, you’ll definitely like what you receive from the Illusions Blaster Box.
2024 Panini NFL Rookies and Stars Football Blaster Trading Cards Box
Coming to the slightly higher end of the spectrum, we’ve got the Panini NFL Rookies and Stars Football Trading Cards Box. The name gives it away, however, we’ll still do a deep dive into the contents of the pack. First off, the trading cards blaster box is valued at $43 after discount, so we wouldn’t recommend it if you’re on a budget. That said, if budget isn’t an issue, you’ll receive 6 packs and a total of 72 cards.
The most prized cards from this collection are, without a doubt, the ultra-rare Pandora Parallels. If that’s the series you’re aiming for, you’ll have to get this blaster box. Other contents include 1 autograph or memorabilia per box, 5 red parallels, and 2 red plaid parallels. All in all, the pack gives you a lot of value, even though it is a bit more expensive.
2024-25 Panini Phoenix NFL Football Mega Box
We saved the best for last, or more accurately, the most expensive. Our final recommendation for NFL trading card sets for new collections is the 2024-2025 Panini Phoenix NFL Football Mega Box. The box is valued at $52 after a 13% discount, so it’s definitely on the higher end of the spectrum. But the box contents will justify that. The box has 42 cards in total, divided into 6 packs.
If you’re buying this mega box, there are certain cards you’re guaranteed to receive (very few packs guarantee cards).
- 1 Mega Exclusive Purple Rookie
- 1 Mega Exclusive Purple Base
- 2 Retail Exclusive Parallels
- 12 Rookies
- 4 Inserts
There are also other high-value cards you have a chance of getting, like NPP Exclusive Purple, Purple Lazer, and Purple Fade Parallels. We believe the guaranteed cards alone make up for the price of the box. While we won’t recommend going over budget for this pack, getting this could skyrocket your collection value. Buy it right now on sale to get the best bang for your buck.
