Author: Allan Teruel, Waxstat.com
As I’m writing the Waxstat Release Calendar for May 2024, I’m picturing that infamous internet meme of Justin Timberlake and the words “It’s Gonna’ Be May” in large Impact Bold font. Maybe I’m just getting older, and I’ve come to terms with my fascination of 1990s pop bands, but whenever I see this meme, it signals that the summer season in the Northern Hemisphere is beginning. The course of the events in May (at least in my life) usually includes the Timberlake meme, some kind of Cinco de Mayo BBQ, Bowman Baseball release, NBA playoffs, NHL Playoffs, PGA Championship and 2024 NFL Card Rumors.
As the sports and entertainment trading card market continues to thrive going into Summer 2024 , there’s a few releases I’m eagerly anticipating this month. Let’s take a closer look at the lineup:
(All release dates are subject to change and any price references are current as of the creation of this article.)
2023-24 Panini Recon Basketball Hobby Box (Release Date: May 1, 2024)
Panini Recon Basketball returns with its 2023-24 edition, promising collectors an immersive experience into the heart of the NBA action at a price of $249 per hobby box. This mid-priced product has 10 packs per box and 6 cards per pack. For the first time in the Recon product history, it will include new inserts such as The Mighty, Rookie Portraits, Base Gala, Fuzion and Contours.
2022-23 Marvel Annual Trading Cards Hobby Box (Release Date: May 1, 2024)
Here’s a fun and affordable rip for Comic Book fans around the world. Priced nicely at $92, this first of the month release will hopefully give Marvel fanatics something to keep them excited until the suits can fix the current mess of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (I’m looking at you She-Hulk, Secret Invasion and the entire team at Disney+). In a hobby box, you get 16 packs per box with 5 cards per pack. One of the bigger chases are the 1-of-1 Original Sketch Cards.
2023-24 Upper Deck Synergy Hockey Hobby Box (Release Date: May 8, 2024)
Grow those beards out, it’s Hockey Playoff time! The 2023-24 Hockey Cards Release Calendar indicates that Upper Deck Synergy Hockey Hobby drops on May 8, 2024. Priced around $120 per hobby box, you can chase Conner Bedard rookie autos. The hobby box configuration includes 8 packs per box and 3 cards per pack with a Red Parallel, Auto or Metal/Tech Card per box on average.
2023 Panini National Treasures Racing Hobby Box (Release Date: May 8, 2024)
Rev your engines for the release of the 2023 Panini National Treasures Racing Hobby Box on May 8. For about $400, stock car fans can feast on their sport’s highest tiered product. On average, you can hit 4 autographs, 3 memorabilia cards and 1 base/parallel per hobby box. The product highlights also include an opportunity for purchases of the Hobby Box to find a White Sparkle pack where they can hit White Sparkle Prizms of one-of-one autographs.
2023-24 Panini Crown Royale Basketball Hobby Box (Release Date: May 8, 2024)
According to the 2023-24 NBA Basketball Cards Release Calendar, 2023-24 Crown Royale hits your local card shop’s shelves just in time for the NBA Playoffs. Priced as a mid-tier product at around $550 per hobby box, you’ll be able to hit 1 autograph, 1 memorabilia card and 2 Inserts/Parallels on average. While Victor Wembanyama is neither playing in the Playoffs or signing for Panini, Wemby fans will still be ripping Crown Royale and chasing his one-of-ones.
2024 Bowman Baseball Hobby, Jumbo & HTA Choice Box (Release Date: May 8 2024)
One of Topps best selling products is finally here with 2024 Bowman Baseball and the releases of the 2024 Bowman Baseball Hobby Box, 2024 Bowman Baseball Jumbo Box and the 2024 Bowman Baseball HTA Choice Box. Which box makes more sense? If you just want to rip, then get the standard hobby box at $300 where you can hit 1 autograph on average. For autograph chasers get the Jumbo or HTA Choice Box at around $600 for either box and get 3 autographs on average. For the Bowman Chrome enthusiasts that stay away from the Flagship version, expect the Chrome version to release in the fall of 2024, and keep an eye out for the exact release date on the 2024 Baseball Card Release Calendar.
2024 Topps UFC Midnight Hobby Box (Release Date May 15 2024)
New product alert for Topps and UFC with the 2024 Topps UFC Midnight Hobby Box. The product’s sell sheet indicates that the product features “black chrome technology utilizing a variety of colors”. The description sounds like Topps Cosmic Chrome which debuted in 2022. Currently priced at $300, you get 1 pack of 7 cards and you can hit 3 autographs, 3 parallels or inserts and 1 base card on average.
2023 Panini Clearly Donruss Football Hobby Box (Release Date May 17 2024)
I’m looking over the 2023 Football Release Calendar, and we still have a few popular product lines still to come including 2023 Panini Select Football, 2023 Panini Optic One Football and 2023 Donruss Optic Football. But before we get to those, May 17 will bring us the release of 2023 Panini Clearly Donruss Football Hobby. I like the Clearly product line because it allows me to chase the familiar cards of the 2023 Donruss Football Flagship product, but with a new Clearly look with a see-through paper/plastic stock. Each Clearly hobby box has 4 packs with 5 cards per pack. You’ll hit one autograph per box on average.
2023 Panini Chronicles WWE Hobby Box (Release Date May 24 2024)
Some people loathe the Chronicles products from Panini, but I enjoy them because as a budget conscious collector (and wax ripper), it was a solid product that has good looking cards and all at a great price. And 2023 Panini Chronicles WWE Hobby Boxes drop on May 24 at $200 according to the 2023 WWE Wresting Card Release Calendar. In this year’s iteration of Chronicles WWE Hobby, you’ll get 6 packs per box, 8 cards per pack with 2 autographs per box on average. For those that want in on the action at the lower price of $30, then 2023 Panini Chronicles WWE Blaster Boxes at your local discount store could scratch that itch. For the very budget conscious, it wouldn’t be out of the question that both the Chronicles hobby and blaster boxes could drop in price as the product ages due to the traditional lack of demand.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Twilight Masquerade Booster Box (Release Date May 24 2024)
Pokemon is dropping its latest product with Scarlet & Violet: Twilight Masquerade Booster on May 24. This is a follow-up to their successful Scarlet & Violet Temporal Forces product-line that was released in March 2024, according to the 2024 Pokemon Cards Release Calendar. Each Twilight Masquerade Booster Box has 10 cards per pack and 36 packs per box and is priced at $110 per booster box.
Other products to keep an eye for May 2024:
2023-24 Panini Donruss Soccer Hobby Box (Release Date: May 10 2024)
2023-24 Panini Select La Liga Soccer Hobby Box (Release Date: May 10 2024)
2023 Upper Deck James Bond 007 Black Diamond Hobby Box (Release Date: May 15 2024)
2023-24 Panini Select Serie A Soccer Hobby Box (Release Date: May 15 2024)
2023-24 Topps UEFA Club Competitions Finest Soccer Hobby Box (Release Date: May 15 2024)
2024 Topps Archives Signature Series Retired Player Ed Baseball Box (Release Date: May 15 2024)
2023 Upper Deck Marvel Allegiance: The Infinity Trilogy Hobby Box (Release Date: May 17 2024)
2024 Leaf Vivid Football Box (Release Date: May 17 2024)
2023-24 Upper Deck Skybox Metal Universe Hockey Hobby Box (Release Date: May 22, 2024)
2024 Panini Donruss Racing Hobby Box (Release Date: May 22 2024)
2023-24 Panini Obsidian Basketball Hobby Box (Release Date: May 22 2024)
2023-24 Topps Chrome Bundesliga Soccer Hobby Box (Release Date: May 22 2024)
2023 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary Baseball Hobby Box (Release Date: May 22 2024)
Upper Deck Marvel Flair Hobby Box (Release Date: May 24 2024)
Upper Deck Marvel Beginnings Volume 2 Series 2 Hobby Box (Release Date: May 24 2024)
2024 Upper Deck Marvel Studios She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Hobby Box (Release Date: May 24 2024)
Yu-Gi-Oh! 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection II Booster Box (Release Date: May 24 2024)
2023-24 Panini Donruss Optic Basketball Hobby Box (Release Date: May 24 2024)
2022-23 Upper Deck Premier Hockey Hobby Box (Release Date: May 29 2024)
2023 Upper Deck AEW Skybox Metal Universe Hobby Box (Release Date: May 29 2024)
2023-24 Upper Deck SPx Hockey Hobby Box (Release Date: May 29 2024)
2024 Panini USA Stars & Stripes Baseball Hobby Box (Release Date: May 29 2024)
