2018-19 Donruss Optic Basketball Retail Mega Box Break
Next month sees the release of the highly anticipated 2019-20 Donruss Optic Basketball, a product line that has quickly grown into a hobby favorite since its debut in 2016-17. Collectors can look forward to a rainbow of colorful parallels, on-card rookie signatures, and more first-year cards of Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and company.
2018-19 Optic has garnered increased hobby attention, with collectors hunting Rookie Cards of Luka Doncic and Trae Young, as well as seeking the Optic Holo LeBron James, which quickly rose into a $75-$200 card.
With the new set ready to hit, let’s examine the highlights of a 2018-19 Optic retail mega box, containing 42 cards (eight packs, two cards per) and two exclusive Hyper Pink Parallel packs (five cards per).
Surprisingly, some of these popped up at retailers in mid/late December.
Base Rookies:
Luka Doncic, Grayson Allen, Moritz Wagner, Zhaire Smith, Allonzo Trier, Michael Porter Jr., Melvin Frazier Jr.
Base rookies hit at almost one per pack, highlighted by the Doncic RC, currently valued at $20-$50, and the Michael Porter Jr. ($3-$8), whose prices have seen a significant uptick of late.
Inserts
Franchise Features
Kyle Lowry, Damian Lillard
League Leaders
James Harden
Winner Stays
Stephen Curry
Fantasy Stars
Anthony Davis, LeBron James
Some attractive, colorful inserts here, with the Optic cards among the first to feature James in his Lakers uniform.
Optic Holos
Danny Green, James Harden, James Harden (League Leaders), Miles Bridges (RC)
No big pulls like the LeBron or Giannis, but it’s always nice to get a rookie Holo, and Bridges has shown flashes for a better-than-expected Hornets club.
Optic Hyper Pink
Josh Jackson, Dwyane Wade, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Terrance Ross, Gordon Hayward, Marcin Gortat, Bojan Bogdanovic, Gary Trent Jr. (RC), Chandler Hutchinson (RC)
A couple of rookies and stars, and a fourth James Harden card.
With a strong rookie class and a plethora of parallels and inserts, 2018-19 Donruss Optic Basketball makes for an exciting break. However, centering problems plague this set to some degree. Among the rookie base and parallels mentioned here, there was not a 9.5 centered card in the group, and grading enthusiasts may find top-notch candidates tough to come by.
Hopefully, the forthcoming Optic Basketball will display a more spot-on, consistent centering characteristic – keep an eye out for a review in the upcoming weeks.
