Question about Topps Chrome/Prizm Parallel Pricing

[minnesotachill]

Why do Prizm Parallels seem to sell for so cheap compared to the Silver versions?


Topps Chrome Parallels like Lebron Xfractor/220, Westbrook Orange/499, Durant Orange/199 for example, sell for between 1.5X to 3X what their Rookie Refractors sell for.

The last Wiggins Prizm Blue/99 in Gem Mint went for $100. The Prizm Silvers in 9.5 are around $170-200

You can find Red/Light Blue versions/49 for the same price as the Silvers, which I would estimate could have a print run of at last 500, and yet you would never dream of finding a Kevin Durant Chrome Xfractor/50 for the same price as a regular Topps Chrome Refractor.

[byronscott4ever]

Part of me thinks it's pro-Topps bias, anti-Panini bias, too many Prizm parallels and the fact that silvers closely mirror the old Chrome refractors so people are drawn to those.

[GeechQuest]

I think there's just too many to choose from (Prizm Color).

I'd rather have a Silver over a Blue as well. The Blue /99 does nothing for me. I've long felt the only people who wanted the parallels were the rainbow chasers.

I don't care about rainbows so for my PC player I just have a few Silver Prizms and a Gold. That's plenty for me. I'd also take a base Lebron Refractor over his X-Fractor any day. I know I'm probably in the minority but I feel like it's starting to slowly swing that way.

[SteveO21]

Probably because Topps Chrome had some actual scarcity involved with their parallels. At their peak of overdoing the number of parallels, Topps Chrome had a total of 6 parallels to their base RCs. In 2008-09 Topps Chrome had Refractor, X-Fractor, Orange, Gold, Red, Superfractor parallels to the base RC. Compare that to Prizm where the base RC has 13 parallels in 2016-17, and as many as 17 in 2014-15, and it's easy to see why there's a difference in value.

[dasiegel]

Because people are very very stupid. Once something becomes popular, it just is the way it is.

[minnesotachill]

Westbrook and Wiggins Chrome Refractors/Prizm Silvers both sell in the vicinity of $200

and yet we have this...

Westbrook Orange Refractor/499 $300

Wiggins Prizm Orange/139 $40



There are 842 Westbrook Serial #ed Chrome Parallels

There are 520 Wiggins Serial #ed Prizm Parallels

[SteveO21]

Originally Posted by minnesotachill

Westbrook and Wiggins Chrome Refractors/Prizm Silvers both sell in the vicinity of $200

and yet we have this...

Westbrook Orange Refractor/499 $300

Wiggins Prizm Orange/139 $40



There are 842 Westbrook Serial #ed Chrome Parallels

There are 520 Wiggins Serial #ed Prizm Parallels

The fact that Westbrook's prices are there this late into his career is a factor that's being left out. Westbrook's prices rose to that level. Wiggins' prices have been sky high since he debuted as "the next Lebron". Westbrook is an MVP caliber player with a proven track record. Wiggins is still very young and is still riding a bit of a hype train.

[WaiverWire]

For the most part, I just collect the silver and the gold. Every once in awhile I make an exception (i bought several white sparkles last year), but it's too much to track all of the parallels, especially since they change every year.

[xavieronly1]

Topps parallel gets better when the print run goes down.

Panini parallel gets worse/confusing when the print run goes down. See Flawless foil for another example.

[MyckKabongo]

There are two sides to the coin. Part of it is that there are too many colors, no consistency year to year, etc. The other side is irrational exuberance and manipulation for silvers.

I love the look of silvers, it's a nice neutral look that always looks good. I like the colors that tend to match everything (silver, black, gold, 14-15 blue wave, white). The rest of the time, color looks great when it matches team colors but a lot of the time it just clashes badly. I would pay a premium for team color prizms but this seems to have no bearing for the market at large.

[SteveO21]

Originally Posted by MyckKabongo

There are two sides to the coin. Part of it is that there are too many colors, no consistency year to year, etc. The other side is irrational exuberance and manipulation for silvers.

I love the look of silvers, it's a nice neutral look that always looks good. I like the colors that tend to match everything (silver, black, gold, 14-15 blue wave, white). The rest of the time, color looks great when it matches team colors but a lot of the time it just clashes badly. I would pay a premium for team color prizms but this seems to have no bearing for the market at large.

Agree with all of this.

I love this...


2013-14 PANINI PRIZM PRIZMS GOLD #277 SOLOMON HILL /10 by SMosley21x, on Flickr

but hate this...


2013-14 PANINI PRIZM PRIZMS PURPLE DIE CUT #277 SOLOMON HILL /49 by SMosley21x, on Flickr

[Giantrobot]

Originally Posted by dasiegel

Because people are very very stupid. Once something becomes popular, it just is the way it is.

This is basically it. Once something becomes a trend, people follow it, regardless of logic.

[Spooks]

If a player gets hot or becomes a super star all the variations and colors will get bought up. It's not gonna matter much. However, early on when speculating I start with silvers, /25 (mojos), and /49 (this year's orange) first. Golds are great but too high when a product first launches.

[Giantrobot]

And I agree that the colors are great when they match the uniforms. That's an underrated little thing about them.

[yiguiri2002]

Originally Posted by MyckKabongo

There are two sides to the coin. Part of it is that there are too many colors, no consistency year to year, etc. The other side is irrational exuberance and manipulation for silvers.

I love the look of silvers, it's a nice neutral look that always looks good. I like the colors that tend to match everything (silver, black, gold, 14-15 blue wave, white). The rest of the time, color looks great when it matches team colors but a lot of the time it just clashes badly. I would pay a premium for team color prizms but this seems to have no bearing for the market at large.

This is key...and one of the reasons I don't get Panini. There is an absolute lack of consistency when it comes to parallels.

Only parallels since the first release are: Silver (maintains its value), Green (same, even though it's cheaper) and Gold.

Even though I wasn't a huge fan of RWBs, at least there was some consistency with them. And now they are gone. Some of my favorites were Orange (went from 60 to 139 back to 60 with a die-cut in the middle) and Purple (went from 49 to 139 to 99, including die-cuts). I mean, who can keep up with that?

[BigSeph]

Originally Posted by dasiegel

Because people are very very stupid. Once something becomes popular, it just is the way it is.

If card collectors were rational, the prizm greens would be sky high for guys like Kyrie and AD, and all the rookies since.

I don't think people understand how hard it is to hit a green of "your guy" when you might get 3 in a retail box, and 1 in a blaster box, and the set is 300+ cards.

Agree with the other posters who say it's about consistency - it is. It's why Bowman Chrome baseball black refractors /35 sell for less than a blue /150 - the blue has been around consistently for years at the same numbering.

Panini should stick to what works when it comes to Prizm, they don't need to be innovative at all on anything but the card design. Need to keep the parallels and numbering consistent.

[mc1]

Originally Posted by minnesotachill

Westbrook and Wiggins Chrome Refractors/Prizm Silvers both sell in the vicinity of $200

and yet we have this...

Westbrook Orange Refractor/499 $300

Wiggins Prizm Orange/139 $40



There are 842 Westbrook Serial #ed Chrome Parallels

There are 520 Wiggins Serial #ed Prizm Parallels

For 14-15 Wiggins it comes down to basic demand. The orange and purple die cut prizms are horrible. Many collectors likely feel the same. Id much rather have the base prizm over some of the lackluster and downright ugly numbered parallels. Scarcity (real, perceived, or manufactured) is only half of the equation when talking about prices.