2018 Curry Kaboom PSA 10 Sells for $13,420 at Goldin

2018 Panini Kaboom! #K-SC Stephen Curry PSA 10 Sells for $13,420

On February 8, 2026, Goldin closed a modern basketball staple: a 2018 Panini Kaboom! #K-SC Stephen Curry, graded PSA GEM MT 10, at a final price of $13,420.

For collectors tracking key Curry issues and the Kaboom! lineage, this sale offers a useful reference point in a segment of the market that still draws steady attention.

The card at a glance

• Player: Stephen Curry
• Team: Golden State Warriors
• Year: 2018
• Set: Panini Kaboom! (insert)
• Card number: #K-SC
• Parallel/variant: Standard Kaboom! (non-numbered case-hit style insert)
• Rookie?: No, this is a later-career star card, not a rookie
• Grading company: PSA
• Grade: GEM MT 10
• Attributes: Comic-book style foil, explosion design, short-printed case-hit style insert

Kaboom! cards are not traditional base cards; they are tough pulls typically inserted at low odds per case. While exact print runs are not published, Kaboom! cards are widely treated as short prints, especially in earlier and mid-period years like 2018.

Curry’s Kaboom! cards have become some of his most recognizable modern inserts, sitting alongside his key rookies for many player-focused collectors.

Why 2018 Kaboom! matters for Curry collectors

Kaboom! began building its identity earlier in the 2010s and, by 2018, had already solidified itself as one of the hobby’s more chased modern inserts. The line is known for:

• Distinctive design: The comic-style art and “explosion” background are immediately recognizable.
• Case-hit style rarity: While not serial numbered, Kaboom! cards are generally understood as short prints, often appearing around one per case (or similarly low odds), which is far less common than normal inserts.
• Cross-era appeal: Kaboom! has become a go-to chase for both ultra-modern and slightly earlier 2010s collectors.

For Curry specifically, this 2018 Kaboom! #K-SC isn’t his first Kaboom! appearance, but it is part of his ongoing run of premium inserts during Golden State’s dynasty window. That context matters: this card captures Curry firmly in his established-superstar era, after MVPs and titles, which gives it a different feel than a rookie but still makes it a cornerstone modern insert.

Understanding the PSA 10 grade

PSA’s GEM MT 10 grade signifies a card that is, by PSA standards, essentially flawless in terms of centering, corners, edges, and surface. For insert cards with foil and busy designs like Kaboom!, achieving a 10 can be challenging due to:

• Edge chipping on foil borders
• Print lines or surface scuffs
• Corner wear from pack-out or handling

A pop report (population report) is the grading company’s census of how many copies exist at each grade. For Kaboom! cards, pop counts in PSA 10 are often meaningfully lower than base rookie cards from the same era, simply because fewer were printed and fewer are submitted.

While exact population numbers can change as more cards are graded, PSA 10 copies of Curry Kaboom! issues historically do not flood the market in large volume. That scarcity, combined with player demand, tends to support a premium over lower grades.

Market context and recent comps

This Goldin sale closed at $13,420 for the PSA 10.

When collectors discuss comps (short for “comparables”), they are referring to recent, completed sales of the same or closely related cards. For this 2018 Curry Kaboom! #K-SC, relevant comps include:

• Other PSA 10 copies of this exact card
• The same card in PSA 9 or BGS 9.5/10
• Curry Kaboom! cards from other years that occupy a similar tier in collectors’ minds

Recent public sales data for this exact 2018 PSA 10 Kaboom! Curry has shown a range that generally reflects:

• A clear premium for PSA 10 versus PSA 9
• Variability tied to auction platform, timing, and overall sentiment toward modern inserts

This Goldin result at $13,420 sits in the upper-end zone many collectors would associate with strong demand for a non-rookie, non-numbered but highly desirable insert of a top-10-all-time type player (as seen by most hobby observers). It does not appear wildly disconnected from other modern high-end Curry insert and parallel sales from the past year, but it is on the stronger side of recent ranges for comparable pieces.

In other words, the price reflects:

• The combination of brand (Kaboom!) + player (Curry) + grade (PSA 10)
• Current confidence in established superstars and safer, recognizable inserts rather than speculative prospects

How this sale fits into the broader Curry and Kaboom! markets

Relative to Curry rookies

Curry’s flagship rookies (notably 2009 Topps, Topps Chrome, National Treasures, and other key brands) still define the top of his market. However, as those have risen in value and become less accessible, many collectors have shifted a portion of their focus to:

• Iconic inserts like Kaboom!, Color Blast, Downtown
• Lower-pop, visually distinctive non-rookie issues

Within that lane, Kaboom! stands near the top in terms of recognition and preference.

Relative to other Kaboom! years and players

Earlier Kaboom! years and certain low-print parallel versions (e.g., gold /10 or one-of-one variants, when they exist) can command significantly higher numbers. This 2018 non-numbered Kaboom! is more of a core, accessible grail-tier insert rather than the absolute ceiling of the Kaboom! universe.

Still, the $13,420 result underscores that:

• Established superstars in Kaboom! form remain meaningful spending targets.
• High-grade, non-numbered inserts can compete price-wise with many numbered cards when the brand and player line up correctly.

Factors that may influence demand

Several ongoing threads contribute to how collectors view this card:

1. Curry’s legacy: Every additional All-Star appearance, record, or playoff run reinforces his placement in the all-time hierarchy, which supports interest in his better inserts.
2. Stability of modern staples: As the hobby cycles through new releases, certain insert lines (Kaboom!, Downtown, Color Blast, PMGs in other sports) continue to be treated as “pillars” rather than fads.
3. Grading trends: As grading has become routine, collectors are more selective about which ultra-modern and modern cards they are comfortable paying a premium for in GEM MT 10. Recognizable, low-pop inserts like Kaboom! tend to benefit from that selectivity.

None of these factors guarantee future price movement one way or another, but they help explain why a non-rookie, non-numbered Curry insert can sustain a five-figure result.

Takeaways for collectors and small sellers

For anyone tracking the modern insert lane, this Goldin sale on February 8, 2026 offers a few practical signals:

• Kaboom! remains a headline insert brand. Even without serial numbering, the combination of design and perceived scarcity holds collector attention.
• PSA 10 still matters. The spread between GEM MT 10 and lower grades is alive and well, especially for condition-sensitive, foil-heavy inserts.
• Curry’s non-rookie market is well-developed. Serious collectors are willing to allocate real capital to high-end Curry cards beyond his 2009 rookie issues.

For buyers, sellers, and holders, this sale serves more as a reference point than a directive. It’s a data point in an ongoing story: how modern insert brands like Kaboom! sit alongside rookies and numbered parallels in shaping the long-term market for all-time greats like Stephen Curry.

As always, it’s useful to view a single result like this in the context of multiple comps over time and across platforms, rather than as a standalone verdict on what the card “should” be worth.

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If you track Kaboom! inserts, Curry’s market, or modern basketball as a whole, this 2018 Panini Kaboom! #K-SC PSA 10 sale at Goldin is worth bookmarking in your notes as one of the clearer mid-2020s markers for high-grade non-rookie star inserts.