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Panini Kaboom! and Downtown Inserts: collector value guide
Kaboom! and Downtown are two of Panini's best-known case-hit inserts: short-printed chase cards that are typically expected to turn up roughly once per hobby case rather than once per box.
Track live values4 trackers
- SportsCardsProSportsCardsPro: ungraded, grade 9 and PSA 10 values for 2020 Panini Absolute Kaboom! football
- sportscardpro.comSportsCardsPro: ungraded and graded values for 2021 Donruss Optic Downtown football
- sportscardpro.comSportsCardsPro: ungraded and graded values for 2022 Donruss Optic Downtown football
- eBay UKRecently sold listings — what buyers actually paid
These sites update prices continuously. Compare sold prices, not asking prices, and check the exact version and condition.
Key facts
| Kaboom! first released | 2013-14 Panini Innovation Basketball (20-card insert) |
|---|---|
| Downtown first released | 2016-17 Panini Studio Basketball, as 'From Downtown' |
| Typical rarity | Case hit, roughly one per hobby case (odds not published by Panini) |
| Kaboom! original artist | Gyula Nemeth, Budapest-based illustrator |
| Kaboom! numbered parallels | Added from 2018; Gold /10 and Green 1/1 |
| Main Downtown home | Donruss and Donruss Optic American football |
| Kaboom! soccer appearances | Including 2017-18 Select, 2019-20 and 2020-21 Prizm, 2021-22 and 2022-23 Donruss |
| Record public Kaboom! sale | 2021 Absolute Tom Brady Green Kaboom! 1/1 (PSA 8), $660,000 via Fanatics Collect, November 2025 (reported by Sports Illustrated) |
What makes Panini Kaboom! & Downtown Inserts collectable
Neither is a set in its own right. Instead, both designs are dropped into a rotating mix of Panini products across American football, basketball, baseball and, in Kaboom's case, football (soccer). Their appeal comes from the artwork rather than from autographs or memorabilia, which makes them unusual among high-end modern cards.
Kaboom! arrived first, as a 20-card insert in 2013-14 Panini Innovation Basketball. Panini's creative team commissioned Hungarian illustrator Gyula Nemeth to draw NBA stars as comic-book superheroes against bursting pop-art backgrounds. The design has since moved through Excalibur and Crown Royale basketball, Absolute football and baseball, and soccer releases including Select, Prizm and Donruss. From 2018 numbered parallels were added, with Gold versions limited to ten copies and Green versions made as one-of-ones.
Downtown began life as 'From Downtown' in 2016-17 Panini Studio Basketball before the name was shortened. Each card cuts the player out against an illustrated skyline or landmark scene tied to his team's home city, so a Bengals quarterback might be framed by a tiger and a Washington rookie by the National Mall. It is now most closely associated with Donruss and Donruss Optic American football, where the chromium Optic versions and their Gold and Gold Vinyl parallels draw the strongest demand.
For UK collectors the main point to grasp is that scarcity has not stayed fixed. PSA population data reported by hobby outlet Cllct shows far more Downtowns graded from 2021 Optic Football than from 2018, and in 2024 Panini admitted a collation fault had put far too many Downtowns into some First Off The Line cases. Early-year cards, rookie-season cards of star players and low-numbered parallels therefore tend to hold value better than later, more plentiful base versions.
What drives the value
- Player: rookie-season cards of franchise quarterbacks and NBA superstars carry most of the market.
- Year and print run: early releases (2013-14 Kaboom!, 2016-17 and 2018 Downtown) were scarcer than later years, which saw larger graded populations.
- Parallel: numbered Gold, Green 1/1 and Gold Vinyl 1/1 versions sit far above standard copies.
- Grade: the busy, full-bleed artwork shows edge and surface flaws easily, so PSA 10 and BGS Black Label copies attract large premiums.
- Product: chromium Donruss Optic Downtowns usually outsell paper Donruss versions of the same player.
- Design appeal: memorable artwork, such as a well-chosen city scene, can lift a card above others in the same set.
How to spot the real thing
- Kaboom! cards show the player as a cartoon superhero over an explosive, comic-style background with the 'Kaboom!' logo.
- Downtown cards feature a cut-out player in front of an illustrated city skyline or local landmarks, with 'Downtown' branding.
- Check the card back for the insert code (for example a K- or DT- prefix) and the product name and year.
- Numbered parallels carry a serial number such as /10 or 1/1; Gold Vinyl Optic parallels are 1/1.
- Optic versions have a shiny chromium finish, while standard Donruss versions are on card stock.
Notable cards
| Card | Why collectors want it |
|---|---|
| 2013-14 Panini Innovation Kobe Bryant Kaboom! | From the very first Kaboom! set, and Nemeth singled it out as the hardest card to draw. |
| 2013-14 Panini Innovation Stephen Curry Kaboom! | An original-year Kaboom! of one of the most collected modern basketball players. |
| 2021 Panini Absolute Tom Brady Kaboom! Green 1/1 | Holds the highest reported public price for any Kaboom! card. |
| 2018-19 Luka Doncic Downtown (rookie season) | Ranked by Cardlines as the top Downtown design, and Doncic also has three years of numbered Kaboom! cards. |
| 2016-17 Panini Studio 'From Downtown' LeBron James | Part of the original Downtown set, with Cleveland rock-and-roll artwork. |
| 2020 Donruss Optic Joe Burrow Downtown | A rookie-year Optic Downtown whose Gold Vinyl 1/1 set the record for the insert. |
| 2020 Donruss Optic Pat Tillman Downtown | A patriotic tribute design combining his Cardinals and military portraits, with a flag and eagle in the background. |
Sources
- How International Illustrator Gyula Nemeth Made Innovation Basketball Go "Kaboom!" (Panini America blog)
- Why Panini Kaboom Cards Are So Expensive (Sports Illustrated Collectibles)
- What Packs Have Kaboom Cards? (Ball Card Genius)
- Panini says flood of Downtown inserts result of manufacturing error (Cllct)
- Rating the 10 best Downtown designs in Panini's popular card series (Cllct)
- Guide to Downtown Inserts (Cardlines)
- 10 Most Valuable Kaboom! Inserts (Sports Card Investor)
More from Panini and Topps
More: Panini and Topps overview · all 20 card markets · selling cards in the UK · grading in the UK
Questions people ask
What is a Kaboom card?
Kaboom! is a Panini insert that draws athletes as comic-book superheroes. It first appeared in 2013-14 Panini Innovation Basketball and is normally a case hit, so you would expect about one per hobby case.
What packs have Kaboom cards?
Kaboom! has appeared in products such as Innovation, Excalibur and Crown Royale basketball, Absolute football and baseball, and Select, Prizm and Donruss soccer. The products change from year to year, so check the checklist for the specific release.
What is a Downtown card?
Downtown is a Panini insert showing a player in front of an illustrated scene of his team's city. It began as 'From Downtown' in 2016-17 Panini Studio Basketball and is now best known in Donruss and Donruss Optic American football.
How rare are Downtown cards?
They were launched as roughly one-per-case hits, but Panini has never published print runs and graded populations have grown in later years. In 2024 Panini also confirmed a collation error that packed many extra Downtowns into some First Off The Line cases.
Are Kaboom cards worth grading?
Star players and early years usually justify grading because high grades command big premiums. The art runs to the edges, so inspect corners and surface closely before submitting.
Why are Kaboom cards so expensive?
They combine low production, eye-catching artwork and a limited set of players each year. Numbered Gold and Green parallels of top stars have reached six-figure sums at auction.
Pully Markets is for adult collectors (18+). It's an independent guide — not affiliated with any publisher named here — and nothing on it is financial advice. Card values can fall as well as rise.
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