THE GLOBAL GAME
Basketball cards — the new Topps NBA era & beyond · Comic King, Edmonton
Basketball Cards — The Complete Comic King Guide
Basketball is the card hobby's global game — collected on every continent, driven by the youngest and sharpest collectors in the store, and freshly reborn: a new Topps NBA era began with the 2025-26 season while the famous Panini decade closed behind it. Comic King carries the new era's sealed product in Edmonton, keeps a smart WNBA shelf, and tells the whole story honestly — from the 1986 Fleer Jordan to whatever box landed this month. Anything not on the shelf, we can special-order on request.
Quick Facts
The license-and the split: Topps (Fanatics) holds the NBA from the 2025-26 season; Panini's NBA decade is finished — but Panini KEEPS the WNBA. Two companies, one sport.
The closed catalog: Panini's NBA brands (Prizm, Select, National Treasures) are finite forever — the Wembanyama class is the closed era's crown.
The defining chase: Rookie cards up the parallel ladder — and basketball prices to the WORLD: it's the most international card market there is.
Products: The new Topps NBA lines — Chrome and company — plus WNBA product and the Panini-decade material in every collection.
Age Guide: All ages — and the teenager at the counter probably knows the market cold.
At Comic King: The new era's sealed product carried, curated; hot releases can be allocation-limited industry-wide; special orders welcome.
Where Do I Start?
Buying for a kid?New Topps NBA flagship packs — global superstars in every pack.
Raptors fan? Canada's team gets faced out here — ask what the season's products hold.
Following the WNBA? So is the hobby — the Clark-era wave is real, and that shelf lives in Panini product; we keep a smart one.
Holding a binder of Prizm? You own a finished era — read the split below, then the eras table.
Chasing rookies? Read the market truth first: basketball prices move nightly, worldwide.
The Split, Explained
Basketball's license story has a twist no other sport got. The NBA moved to Topps starting with the 2025-26 season — opening with Cosmic Chrome, then the familiar Topps playbook — which closed Panini's fifteen-year NBA catalog: Prizm, Select and National Treasures NBA are finished lines, and their final classes (Wembanyama's above all) carry last-era weight. But Panini kept the WNBA — so the women's game, riding its biggest boom ever, still lives in Panini product. Two companies now share one sport's shelf: NBA in Topps boxes, WNBA in Panini ones, college cards from both. We'll happily walk you through which is which at the counter.
The Season, Explained
Basketball's card year runs on two clocks, every year:
The Topps NBA calendar is still young and settling into its rhythm — ask about preorders and we'll flag the releases worth reserving as they're announced.
The Eras — What Your Collection Means
Screen & Series Status
Updated July 2026: the Topps NBA era is in its opening chapters — its first product lines have landed and the calendar is taking shape — while the WNBA boom keeps rolling in Panini product. Ask at the counter what's newest on the shelf and what's worth reserving.
Collector's Corner — We Buy, We Authenticate, We Grade
Basketball's counter rules start with a truth the other sports don't have: this market prices to the world — cards trade globally, comps move nightly, and our youngest customers walk in already knowing them. Good; so do we — everything is assessed with live comps on screen, the eras table as our shared framework. The doctrine that never bends: any 1986 Fleer Jordan gets authenticated before anything else — it's the most faked card in the hobby, and we examine every copy properly, free. The junk wax hoops conversation gets the same warmth as always, slab-worthy cards can go to CGC grading through our in-store submission service, and from one binder to a basement: we buy basketball card collections — bring them in.
FAQ - the three we hear most
Who makes NBA cards now — Topps or Panini?
Topps makes NBA cards now, starting with the 2025-26 season — the same company behind baseball's cards, owned by Fanatics. Panini's NBA lines like Prizm and National Treasures are finished, which is why their final classes interest collectors. The twist: Panini still makes WNBA cards, so both companies share the basketball shelf. We'll show you which products are which.
What is the most valuable basketball card?
The modern summit is the 2003-04 Exquisite LeBron James rookie patch autograph — a card that has sold in the millions and invented luxury basketball collecting. The icon is the 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie, the most famous basketball card ever printed, with the 1990s Jordan insert grails close behind. At that altitude, condition and authentication decide everything — values move constantly, so we always check live comps together.
How do I know if my 1986 Fleer Jordan is real?
Assume nothing — it's the most counterfeited card in the hobby, and convincing fakes fool experienced collectors. The honest path: never judge it yourself from internet checklists, and never buy one unverified. Bring it in and we'll examine it properly, free of charge; for real copies, professional grading turns authenticity into a sealed, provable fact. If it's genuine, congratulations — that's a great day.