Auston Matthews Rookie Cards: Best Sets and Parallels
The first overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, Auston Matthews has already become one of the top players in the league. Still just 25, he finished sixth overall in points over the last two seasons while scoring 60 points in 72 games in 2021-2022. He had a 20-goal dropoff in 2022-2023, but led the Maple Leafs to a second-place finish in the Atlantic Division.
Across 34 different rookie cards, his market is down 46% over the last 365 days. It could be an interesting time to consider adding some Matthews to your collection and investment portfolio.
VALUE ROOKIES:
The Value Tier includes cards with high print runs or lower-quality cardstock. A good fit for new collectors or those on a limited budget.
2016 Parkhurst Base #370: Parkhurst is an entry-level set for hockey collectors to get involved with, and Matthews’ #370 Base Raw sells for under $13, making it by far the most affordable rookie card to snag. Not the cleanest design, with an awkward green left border that clashes with his blue uniform color, the card features a close up of Matthews on the ice and gets you in the game if you’re looking to start small. Upper Deck Series 1 also features Parkhurst Rookie Preview PR-10.
2016 O-Pee-Chee Platinum #151: O-Pee-Chee is a brand that Upper Deck resurrected within its hockey sets, in this case as a subset of Series 2. Known for featuring the French language often mixed with English, the O-Pee-Chee Platinum has a nicer, chromium-esque front featuring Matthews in an action shot with a silver background. This would be the equivalent to a Prizm or Optic base for basketball or football collectors. There’s also a Marquee Rookie base (not-Platinum) and Retro Variation in 2016 Upper Deck Series 2.
2016 Skybox Prospects #S30 /499: Upper Deck combined classic brands Skybox and Fleer in this release, and this serial numbered to /499 rookie is a solid pickup for a value price of less than $50 Raw. Matthews is featured in his white uniform with a gold backdrop.
2016 UD Black Diamond Rookie Gems #RG-AM: Going for around $100 in PSA 10, the Upper Deck Black Diamond Rookie Gems features Matthews in his draft day best with a Maple Leafs jersey over his shirt and tie, posed with a stick full portrait style. Serial numbered /399 makes it somewhat desirable despite its unnecessarily busy design.
2016 Upper Deck NHL Draft SP-1: A short print out of 2016 Upper Deck Series 1, Matthews is the lone guy on the subset checklist.
POPULAR ROOKIES:
This tier includes cards from the most popular sets across both retail and hobby formats. Typically easy to buy or sell when needed.
2016 Upper Deck Young Guns Base #201: This card in PSA 10 is by far the most popular Matthews rookie, having sold 202 times in the last 365 days. It’s sold more than 500 times over that time period if you include all other Mint and Gem Mint grades. It likely will always be the most desirable and liquid Matthews card, the same as it is for most other hockey stars. This was released in 2016 Upper Deck Series 1.
2016 Upper Deck Young Guns Canvas #C211: The Young Guns Canvas is a shorter print run insert with a photo variation, but there is a debate among collectors as to why it doesn’t sell for more than the Base. Some say an insert isn’t a true rookie, while others believe it will have more long-term value due to its rarity compared to the Base. This was released in Upper Deck Series 2 in 2016.
2016 Fleer Showcase Precious Metal Gems Red #MU-50: PMGs have elevated over the past few years due to their rarity and collectability. Collecting the PMG rainbow is something that many hobbyists pursue. Reds are /150, which makes this card super popular. The Blue /50, Green /10, and Purple /5 would be solid additions to the Rarest and Most Exclusive category below.
MORE UNIQUE ROOKIES:
This tier includes cards with lower print runs, unique designs, or cards from hobby-only products. Usually higher-quality cards than the Value or Popular tiers, though not necessarily more popular or easier to buy or sell.
2016 O-Pee-Chee Update Series Signature US-AM: An often overlooked Matthews rookie auto out of Series 2, it’s joined in the set by more common but interesting parallels like O-Pee-Chee Glossy Update R-1, Rookie Materials RM-AM A 1:1,146, Rookie Breakouts RB28 /100 and P-110 Rookie Portraits Gold Foil #/99, Platinum Blue Foil #/25 (Hobby Only).
2016 Upper Deck Young Guns – UD Exclusives #201: The serial numbered /100 Young Guns Exclusives sells for double the Base in PSA 10 and features gold print on the logo, name plate and the special “UD Exclusives” overlay.
2016 Upper Deck Young Guns – Clear Cut #201: Clear Cut is the same photo, but a short print color variation and it sells for more than 5x the base in PSA 10.
RAREST AND MOST EXCLUSIVE:
This category may be out of reach for most collectors due to price. Don’t worry if this tier is too pricey as there’s a host of options in other categories that could be perfect for your collection.
2016 Upper Deck Young Guns – Jumbo #201: A parallel in 2016 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey, the Jumbo Young Guns were pulled out of Young Guns Jumbo Blasters and can sell for 3x the amount of the base Young Guns.
2016 Upper Deck The Cup Rookie Patch Auto #180: The Cup is the highest-end hockey product on the market, featuring rookie patch autos similar to those that basketball and football collectors would find in Panini’s Flawless, Immaculate or National Treasures. Signature Materials features a relic, an on-card auto, and is numbered /99. This card last sold raw in January for more than $1,300.
2016 SP Authentic Future Watch Auto #146: SP Authentic is a brand that basketball and golf collectors will recognize, and Matthews’ Future Watch auto is beautifully clean, with a gray and white slightly layered background allowing his white Leafs uniform to pop in a solid action shot. The on-card auto is signed in a blue marker and cards are serial numbered to /999. Last sold for $6,250 in February in PSA 10.
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Paul Hickey is a regular contributor to Sports Card Investor, the creator of the Sports Card Investment Report at NoOffseason.com, and the host of the Sports Card Strategy Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. He can be found on Instagram at @sportscardstrategy and on Twitter @nooffseasoncard.
