In its first release since announcing an exclusive, multi-year agreement with ATP men's world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Panini sold out of all seven of its limited edition parallel Panini Instant cards in less than three minutes Tuesday morning.
The parallels ranged in price from $59.99 for the Jungle /25 to $1,499.99 for the Blue Viper 1/1 Auto. In total, the serial numbered parallels, which amounted to 77 total cards, netted $23,399.23, not counting sales of the unnumbered base card, which will remain on the site for an additional five days priced at $9.99.
“We are excited with the early response by fans and the demand for our Jannik Sinner cards, celebrating his No. 1 world ranking and look forward to future products,” said Jason Howarth, Panini SVP of marketing and athlete relations.
Panini announced the agreement with Sinner on Monday. Unlike most professional sports leagues, which collectively bargain with sports card manufacturers, tennis players are independent contractors, meaning companies lsuch as Panini are able to sign individuals to licensing deals without going through player's unions.
However, Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil founded the Professional Tennis Players Association in 2019, the first player-only association in tennis since 1972, and struck a 20-year deal with Fanatics Collectibles. Players who have not joined the union, like Sinner, are able to sign deals on their own behalf.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.