Top Jayson Tatum Rookie Cards to Collect
Hoping to one day join the ranks of the all-time great Celtics, Jayson Tatum is on his way to being one of the best in the game. The Duke product has long been a collecting star and the Jayson Tatum rookie cards continue to see more interest.
After one season with the Blue Devils, Jayson Tatum made the jump to the NBA as the third pick in the 2017 draft. His potential was clear immediately and it only took a few years before Tatum reached an All-Star level.
Just like his career on the court, the Jayson Tatum rookie cards have enjoyed a steady climb. His first licensed cards appeared in 2017-18 basketball sets.
With over 30 choices available, the Jayson Tatum rookie cards guide highlights some of his best base cards, inserts and autographs.
Top Jayson Tatum Rookie Cards Base / Inserts
Bolded sets go directly to detailed product profiles and checklists. Purchase cards or check completed sales values using the eBay links below.
2017-18 Donruss Optic Rated Rookie Jayson Tatum RC #198
Adding Optichrome to the main Donruss series, 2017-18 Donruss Optic features the collector-favorite Rated Rookie card for Jayson Tatum.
While ungraded and low-grade cards are still reasonable, the Gem Mint and limited parallels can see huge prices.
Prefer something more affordable? Check out the non-chromium Donruss Rated Rookie (#198).
2017-18 Panini Cornerstones Downtown Jayson Tatum #DT11
A case-hit insert in 2017-18 Cornerstones Basketball, this scarce series marks the second overall release and the first known as just Downtown. The original in 2016-17 Studio was called "From Downtown."
Since then, the artistic insert has exploded in value. This is one of Tatum's most popular rookie inserts.
2017-18 Panini Prizm Jayson Tatum RC #16
King of the chromium options for many, the Jayson Tatum rookie card in 2017-18 Prizm NBA is a top choice. The huge supply keeps prices from getting too out of hand.
Of course, those wanting an upgrade should look into the numbered versions.
One of many parallels, the Refractor-like Silver Prizm is shown.
2017-18 Panini Prizm Mosaic Jayson Tatum RC #20
Still officially under the Prizm banner at this point, the online-exclusive 2017-18 Prizm Mosaic Basketball offers a more distinct card for Tatum as well as more limited production.
In addition, there are just eight base parallels and Tatum also has an autograph (#/99).
2017-18 Panini Select Jayson Tatum RC #93 Concourse, #166 Premier Level, #256 Courtside
With 2017-18 Select Basketball, the 300-card base set breaks down into three subsets, and there are Jayson Tatum rookie cards at each level.
The Silver Prizm edition is shown for each of the first two base rookie cards (Concourse and Premier Level), while the limited Courtside displays the Copper parallel.
The hard-signed Rookie Signatures (#/199) cards are also quite popular.
Top Jayson Tatum Rookie Cards Autographs
Speaking of autographs, any discussion about Jayson Tatum rookie cards will eventually reach the signed editions. Several key cards are covered below, but there are many others, as well.
2017-18 Donruss Optic Rated Rookie Signatures Jayson Tatum RC #198 Autograph
If you really enjoy the base Rated Rookie card in 2017-18 Donruss Optic, his Rated Rookie Signatures card takes things to the next level via on-card signature.
The base autographs aren't numbered but there are a few parallels and most of these note the specific print runs.
2017-18 Panini Contenders Rookie Ticket Jayson Tatum RC #103 Autograph #/125
Found in 2017-18 Contenders NBA, the Rookie Ticket card is also hard-signed. While this rookie line is well-known in the hobby, the Tatum card is numbered at the base level with only 125 copies.
This release predates Contenders Optic, but there are unnumbered Premium Edition (Prizm) cards.
The variation (#/75) is easy to spot since it is done in a horizontal layout. Again, these have Prizm versions, as seen below.
2017-18 Panini Flawless Jayson Tatum Rookie Autographs
Among the ultra-premium sets, 2017-18 Flawless Basketball is easily one of the top places to find Jayson Tatum rookie autographs. His base card has a gemstone rather than a signature, and these rarely surface.
On the other hand, his Flawless autographs appear more frequently, including the Rookie Autographs card with a large signing area, as well as a few different RPA styles.
2017-18 Panini Immaculate Jayson Tatum RC #126 Autograph Patch #/99
Getting to the other high-end standouts, 2017-18 Immaculate Collection NBA is another strong contender. Hard-signed with a small swatch, the Rookie Patch Autographs card has just 99 copies and comes with a huge price tag if you can even find one. The Red parallel (#/25) is shown.
2017-18 Panini Impeccable Jayson Tatum RC #102 Autograph, #154 Auto Jersey #/99
Impeccable does not have the same cardboard legacy as Immaculate Collection or National Treasures, but the Jayson Tatum cards in 2017-18 Impeccable Basketball are arguably some of his best-looking rookie cards available.
In fact, there are two appealing choices in the base set, including a standard rookie autograph and the Elegance rookie patch autograph, each numbered to 99.
2017-18 Panini National Treasures Jayson Tatum RC #103 Autograph Patch #/99
As is nearly always the case with modern NBA stars, NT is the preferred destination if budget is not a concern. 2017-18 National Treasures NBA features the ultimate rookie patch autograph for Tatum.
There are actually a few different choices, including the base RPA (#/99) and FOTL Limited Edition (#/15). A third style is the Horizontal RPA, limited to 49 copies.
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