This issue appears to have been more of a test for Topps in terms of product distribution. It was only available through retail outlets, primarily large wholesale stores like Sam’s Wholesale, making it relatively challenging to acquire straight off the shelves. The product often seemed to get scooped up by collectors as soon as it became available. With its limited distribution and supply, this has become one of the most difficult unopened boxes to find from the 1990s.

Oh, and by the way, it also happens to feature the rookie card of Kobe Bryant, one of the most iconic basketball players of all time and a consensus top-10 player in history. Kobe’s rookie card is highly valued, but the set also includes an even rarer refractor version of his rookie card, seeded in packs on a limited basis. Additionally, this set features rookie cards of Hall of Famers Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, and Ray Allen.

We’ve observed two versions of this box: one sealed with shrink wrap bearing a printed Topps logo, and another sealed with clear shrink wrap that lacks logos. Unfortunately, the clear wrap is easy to reproduce, and unscrupulous sellers have been caught tampering with these boxes. To ensure authenticity, whenever we receive a box sealed with clear wrap, we remove the shrink wrap, verify the contents of the box, and then rewrap it with BBCE shrink wrap, labeling it “Factory Wrapped Box. Wrap Removed. BBCE Verified”.