When Panini issued its KABOOM! cards, they were met with a mixed fanfare. Despite some collectors still disliking these cards, that mixed fanfare has been getting much more popular views (and prices) in the last year. This is all as the hobby has been migrating to cards with much lower printings than base cards that have 10,000 or more graded at or near perfect mint condition by PSA, SGC and BGS.

Collectors Dashboard evaluates high-end collectibles as an alternative asset class. This means collectibles are attracting the same capital that could have been invested into stocks or bonds. With so many Kaboom cards being bought and sold for thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, it’s important to track the top sales and the top auctions of cards up for grabs in 2022.

One undeniable fact is that collectors with a passion to own these Kaboom sports cards are frequently having to compete directly against the newer class of sports card investors who only desire to make a profit in the future.

Due to editorial constraints for the start of 2021 most of these KABOOM! cards are not being shown with their photos. It has only been about two months since we reported about KABOOM! becoming unreachable for most sports card collectors. Will that affordability improve in 2022 or will they rise in value and in auction prices ahead? Here is a look at eBay, Goldin, Heritage, PWCC and COMC past sales and current offerings of KABOOM! cards at the start of 2022.

GOLDIN.CO has its 2022 HOLIDAY AUCTION set for January with many KABOOM! cards. This included a 2021 Panini Absolute KABOOM! Gold #K24 Tom Brady (#02/10) – PSA GEM MT 10 (Image below from Goldin.co) with a current bid of $18,000 (ending 5d 6h 30m).

The rest of Goldin’s top tracked KABOOM! auctions on deck were below:

• 2021 Panini Absolute Kaboom! Gold #K44 Mac Jones Rookie Card (#01/10) – PSA NM-MT 8 … Current Bid: $10,000 … Ends: 5d 6h 31m
• 2018 Panini Kaboom #48 Kylian Mbappe – BGS PRISTINE 10 … Current Bid: $10,000 … Ends: 5d 6h 39m
• 2018/19 Panini Crown Royale Kaboom! SSP #23 Luka Doncic Rookie Card – BGS GEM MINT 9.5 … Current Bid: $8,000 … Ends: 5d 6h 37m
• 2018 Panini Kaboom! #LMS Lionel Messi – PSA GEM MT 10 … Current Bid: $6,500 … Ends: 5d 6h 39m
• 2021 Panini Absolute Kaboom! Gold #41 Trevor Lawrence Rookie Card (#03/10) – BGS GEM MINT 9.5 … Current Bid: $6,000 … Ends: 5d 6h 30m
• 2020 Panini Absolute KABOOM! Gold #KPM Patrick Mahomes II – PSA MINT 9 … Current Bid: $4,750 … Ends: 5d 6h 32m
• 2018 Panini KABOOM! #KB Kobe Bryant – PSA GEM MT 10 … Current Bid: $2,400 … Ends: 5d 6h 38m
• 2018-19 Panini KABOOM! #LBJ LeBron James – PSA GEM MT 10 … Current Bid $2,000 … Ends: 5d 6h 40m
• 2018 Panini Kaboom #39 Josh Allen Rookie Card – BGS GEM MINT 9.5 … Current Bid: $1,900 … Ends: 6d 6h 32m
• 2018-19 Panini Kaboom! Gold #AD Anthony Davis (#07/10) – PSA GEM MT 10 … Current Bid: $1,600 … Ends: 5d 6h 33m
• 2018 Panini Kaboom! #LJ Lamar Jackson Rookie Card – PSA GEM MT 10 … Current Bid: $1,500 … Ends: 5d 6h 33m
• 2020 Panini Absolute Football Gold Kaboom #10 Kyler Murray Rookie Card (#3/10) – BGS MINT 9 … Current Bid: $1,300 … Ends: 6d 6 h 36m
• 2018 Panini KABOOM! Gold #EJ Eloy Jimenez Rookie Card (#01/10) – PSA MINT 9 … Current Bid: $1,200 … Ends: 6d 6h 38m
• 2021 Panini Absolute “Kaboom-Gold” #K7 Emmitt Smith (#5/10) – PSA GEM MT 10 – POP 1! … Current Bid: $1,200 … Ends: 6d 6h 34m
• 2018-19 Panini Crown Royale KABOOM! #2 LeBron James – PSA MINT 9 … Current Bid: $1,000 … Ends: 5d 6h 36m

In late 2021, Goldin.co realized many top Kaboom prices. There were 11 “Kaboom” sales at $10,000 and higher, seven of which fetched between $20,000 and nearly $100,000. These were not all late in the year but these are the top “Kaboom” sales from recent Golden.co auctions, as follows:

• 2018-19 Panini Kaboom Green #3 Giannis Antetokounmpo (#1/1) – BGS MINT 9 – Goldin Elite Closing October 23-24 — SOLD FOR $97,200.00
• 2020 Panini Absolute Kaboom! Green #K-JH2 Justin Herbert Rookie Card (#1/1) – PSA MINT 9 – Summer Premium Card and Memorabilia Auction Closing August 7 & 9 — SOLD FOR $79,200.00
• 2018-19 Panini Kaboom Gold #GGA Giannis Antetokounmpo (#05/10) – PSA GEM MT 10 – Goldin Elite Closing October 23-24 — SOLD FOR $46,800.00
• 2013-14 Panini Innovation Kaboom PSA MINT 9 and PSA GEM MT 10 Complete Set (20) – Goldin Elite Auction Ending May 22-23 — SOLD FOR $39,600.00
• 2018 Panini Kaboom Gold #27 Patrick Mahomes II (#02/10) – BGS GEM MINT 9.5 “1 of 2!” – 2021 Goldin Elite Closing Jan 30 &31 — SOLD FOR $21,600.00
• 2016-17 Panini Excalibur Kaboom Complete Set (25) – Including BGS-Graded Cards (2) – 2021 April Premium Card Auction Ending April 24 — SOLD FOR $20,400.00
• 2013-14 Panini Innovation Kaboom! #9 Kobe Bryant – PSA GEM MT 10 – Goldin Elite Closing October 23-24 — SOLD FOR $20,400.00

These were the top 2021 sales realized via PWCC Marketplace, from the period of June 30, 2021 to the present date:

• 2018 Panini Kaboom! Tom Brady #TB PSA 10 GEM MINT Oct. 26, 2021 — SOLD FOR $13,500
• 2019 Absolute Kaboom Gold Kyler Murray ROOKIE RC /10 #31 BGS 9.5 GEM MINT (noted as BGS Population 1 of 4 – Just One Graded Higher) on July 24, 2021 — SOLD FOR $13,200
• 2018 Panini Kaboom! Kylian Mbappe SSP ROOKIE RC #KM PSA 10 GEM MINT – July 25, 2021 — SOLD FOR $10,300

Heritage Auctions has 8 Kaboom cards ending for auction at the end of January, seen as follows (guide/Est. only due to extended time until bidding ends):

• 2018 Panini Lamar Jackson (Kaboom!-Gold) Rookie #LJ PSA Mint 9 – #’d 8/10! … Guide Value or Estimate: $12,000 – up.
• 2014 Panini Excalibur Anthony Davis (Kaboom!) #21 PSA Gem Mint 10 … Guide Value or Estimate: $2,000 – up.
• 2015 Panini Excalibur Kevin Durant (Kaboom!) #2 BGS Pristine 10 … Guide Value or Estimate: $6,000 – up.
• 2018 Panini Lamar Jackson (Kaboom!) Rookie #K-LJ PSA Gem Mint 10 … Guide Value or Estimate: $4,000 – up.
• 2018 Panini Tom Brady (Kaboom!) #K-TB BGS Gem Mint 9.5 … Guide Value or Estimate: $6,000 – up.
• 2019 Panini Absolute Tom Brady (Kaboom!) #K-TB PSA Mint 9 …. Guide Value or Estimate: $3,000 – up.
• 2020 Panini Absolute Joe Burrow (Kaboom!) Rookie #K-JB1 PSA Mint 9 … Guide Value or Estimate: $1,500 – up.
• 2020 Panini Absolute Patrick Mahomes II (Kaboom!) #K-PM PSA Mint 9 … Guide Value or Estimate: $1,200 – up.

These were the top KABOOM! sports card sales from Heritage during the second half of 2021:

• 2018 Panini Kaboom! Tom Brady #TB PSA Gem Mint 10…. Nov 18, 2021 … SOLD FOR $12,000.00
• 2020 Crown Royale Kaboom LaMelo Ball Rookie #23 BGS Gem Mint 9.5… Nov 18, 2021 … SOLD FOR $5,520.00
• 2020 Panini Absolute Kaboom! Patrick Mahomes II #KPM PSA Mint 9 … Sep 5, 2021 … SOLD FOR $1,980.00
• 2020 Panini Absolute Patrick Mahomes II (Kaboom!) #KPM PSA Mint 9 … Jul 23, 2021 … SOLD FOR $1,500.00

These were the live auctions from eBay that were leading the pack with upcoming end dates in 2021 (so prices not yet final):

• 2021 Absolute Aaron Rodgers /10 Kaboom Gold PSA 10 Gem Mint – Green Bay MVP … Last bid was $6,400.00 … 30 bids
• 2020 Joe Burrow 2020 PANINI ABSOLUTE KABOOM! RC ROOKIE SSP SGC 9.5 CINCINNATI BENGALS … Last bid was 2,399.00 … 50 bids
• 2019-20 Panini Crown Royale KABOOM! #18 Zion Williamson RC Rookie PSA 10 … Last bid was $2,199.00 … 50 bids
• 2021 Absolute Kaboom Gold Davante Adams #K9 Serial #10/10 … Last bid was 1,900.00 … 28 bids
• 2020 Panini Absolute Kaboom! #K-JB1 Joe Burrow RC Rookie SP Case Hit… Last bid was $1,859.00 … 43 bids
• 2021-22 Donruss Soccer Road To Qatar Kylian Mbappe Kaboom! SSP Case Hit France … $1,625.00 … 4 bids
• 2019-20 Crown Royale KABOOM! #18 Zion Williamson RC BGS 10 MBA GOLD DIAMOND … Last bid was $1,500.00 … 31 bids
• 2021 Panini Absolute Football Kaboom! Mac Jones Rookie RC. SSP Case Hit-Patriots … Last bid was $1,405.00 … 29 bids
• Lamar Jackson Kaboom 2018 RC PSA 10 … $1,306.26 … 9 bids

The site COMC.com also has its slate of many KABOOM! cards, although some other cards made it into the mix as well. These generally range in price of under $100 up to over $6,000 but nearly all of their cards are not graded by PSA, SGC or BGS.