Same Idea, Different Market Reaction

Card Ladder
Feb 26, 20242 min read

Panini has turned their Downtown insert into an iconic card that has become synonymous with Panini America trading cards itself. Downtown's first appeared in 2016 Panini Studio, a revival from the 2009 inaugural brand. Studio was discontinued after 2016 and Downtowns got moved to cornerstones from 2017-2018 before finding a home in 2019 Panini One and One. Meanwhile Football has been a mainstay in Donruss and Optic, giving people reason to open Donruss. Downtown's are currently the most sought after non-numbered insert of this era alongside Kaboom's.

2022 Topps Home Field Advantage Baseball Insert Details, Odds

With the rise of Downtown's, Topps looked to respond with their own version of the card. Topps Home Field Advantage can be found in flagship Topps (2022-present), cross sport equivalent of Donruss football. However, these cards are viewed as a complete knock-off of Panini's idea and prices reflect this.

Mookie Betts widely considered as the best player in baseball over the last 5 years. His first year 2022 Topps Home Field Advantage PSA 10 is ranging from $102 to $137. While LeBron 2022 Downtown raw last sold $1700 and Brady Buccaneers PSA 10 is $750-880. First year downtowns command a premium with LeBron PSA 10 2016 over $3,300. While the lowest downtown sale from 2022 basketball is Donovan Mitchell at $300 and 2022 Donruss football with Malik Willis around $60. However you can find Shohei Ohtani HFA cards for as low as $45.

Maybe this is the best example of why coming up with your own ideas is better than trying to re-create someone else's.