In the sports card collecting world, there are not many things that will give you a bigger rush than opening a hobby box.
While buying retail boxes might be cheaper, hobby boxes just bring that special bit of extra spice and thrill and hope that you’ll end up with that one special card you’ve been eyeing for some time.
Now, some hobby boxes are better than others because of the cards they include. Boxes with rarer and more special cards usually cost more, but they also have a higher risk-to-reward ratio than other, safer alternatives.
This is why knowing which hobby boxes to invest in should be your priority if you’re looking to buy a sports card hobby box…
Also, keep in mind – this is no way a “these boxes will rise in price” or any B.S. like that. You can find a snake oil salesman on Instagram for that… These are just sets and boxes that I like, usually with some key cards in the hobby to chase.
Top Sports Card Hobby Boxes to Buy
If you’re looking for a good hobby box to invest in and you’re not sure where to start, these boxes might be right for you.
1996 Topps Chrome Basketball Hobby Box
For many people, the 1996 Topps Chrome hobby box is THE holy grail when it comes to hobby boxes.
Why?
Well, the obvious reason is that it contains that precious Kobe Bryant rookie card that you might be looking for.
Yep, the chance of getting a Kobe Bryant rookie card in the best condition possible is real here, but you must be willing to take a punt on this one.
And let me tell you, this hobby box isn’t gonna come cheap. Bryant’s Topps Chrome rookie card can sell for six figures if in the top conditions, so you’re going to have to provide a sizeable investment here to get one of these.
And the thing is, even if you don’t get Kobe you still have a chance of picking some great cards of basketballing icons: Iverson or Nash, to name just a couple.
1989 Upper Deck Baseball Box
Now, if you’re someone who prefers baseball cards to basketball cards, one of the best places to start is the 1989 Upper Deck hobby box.
The main reason for this is that you’re in with a great chance of getting the valuable Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card that any baseball fan would be proud of owning.
Griffey’s rookie cards will sell for thousands in top conditions, and these hobby boxes will sell for significantly less.
There are 36 packs in each box, which means that the chance of getting the so widely coveted Griffey rookie card is quite high.


