What Is an Insert Card? Inserts vs Parallels Explained

Sports Cards 101 is where I break down hobby terms in plain English. I'm Chris, a low end card seller with over 38,000 eBay transactions, and I sort through thousands of cards every week, so these are the terms I deal with every day.

If you've ever opened a pack and pulled a card that looks nothing like the rest of the set, there's a good chance it was an insert. Inserts are one of the first terms new collectors run into, and one of the most mixed up with parallels. Here's what an insert card is, how it's different from a parallel, how insert odds work and whether inserts are worth anything.

What is an insert card in sports cards?

An insert card is a special card that is randomly inserted into packs but is not part of the base set. Inserts have their own design, their own name and usually their own card numbering, and they're found at stated odds, like one in every 6 packs or one in every 24 packs. Collectors also call them chase cards, because they're the cards people open packs to chase.

For example, Panini's Kaboom!, Downtown and Color Blast are all insert sets. You won't find them in the base checklist. Each one is its own set inside the product.

Insert vs parallel: what's the difference?

This is the one that confuses most people. A parallel is a different version of a base card. It uses the same design, photo and card number as the base card, with a change like a different color border, a refractor finish or a serial number. An insert is a completely different card that isn't part of the base set at all.

One thing to know: the word "insert" gets used loosely. Some people use it for anything that isn't a base card, including parallels, autographs and memorabilia cards. In most product checklists today, though, inserts are listed as their own sets, separate from the parallels, and that's how I use the word too. Inserts can also have their own parallels, like a numbered color version of an insert.

Examples of insert cards

• Panini Kaboom!: a short printed insert with comic book style art. It's one of the best known modern inserts.
• Panini Downtown: artwork with landmarks from the city the player's team plays in.
• Panini Color Blast: another of Panini's best known inserts.

How do insert odds work?

Every insert set has stated odds, printed on the wrapper or the box or posted online by the manufacturer. The odds are written as a ratio. 1:24 means that on average you'll find one card from that insert set in every 24 packs. It's an average across the whole print run, not a promise for your box, so you can open 24 packs and get none or get two.

Odds can also be different depending on the type of box. The same insert can fall at different rates in a hobby box, a blaster or a hanger box, so always check the odds for the exact format you're buying.

What are SP, SSP and case hit inserts?

• SP (short print): a card printed in smaller numbers than the rest of its set.
• SSP (super short print): printed in even smaller numbers. Short prints usually aren't serial numbered, so you don't know exactly how many exist.
• Case hit: a card that averages about one per case (a case is a group of sealed boxes) or rarer. Kaboom! is a classic example of a case hit insert.

You'll also hear "hit" on its own. It's a catch-all for the cards people want out of a box, which can be inserts, parallels, autos or memorabilia cards.

A short history of insert cards

Inserts aren't new. In 1961, Topps put a true insert into its baseball packs for the first time: stamp panels. Through the 1960s Topps kept going with peel-off stickers, metal coins, embossed cards, rub-offs, pin-up posters, game cards and Deckle Edge cards, until the 1971 coins, the last baseball inserts of that run.

The first modern insert cards showed up in the late 1980s, and the insert craze really took off in the early 1990s. In the late 1990s, game used memorabilia cards arrived. Upper Deck tried game used jersey cards in 1997, then cut up a Babe Ruth bat for its "Pieces of History" cards inserted in 1999 Upper Deck packs. Today almost every product has several insert sets, plus parallels of those inserts.

Are insert cards worth anything?

Some are and plenty aren't. An insert is rarer than a base card, but that doesn't automatically make it valuable. What matters most:

• The player. A star or popular rookie in an insert sells. A role player in a common insert might only be worth a little more than base.
• How rare it is. An insert that falls one per pack is everywhere. Case hits, SSPs and serial numbered versions are a different story.
• The design. Some insert sets are hobby favorites, and collectors chase them for the design itself.
• Condition. Like any card, centering, corners and surface matter, especially if you plan to grade it.

The only way to know is to look it up. Check sold listings on eBay for the exact card and set, not active listings. And when you're sorting, look up anything you've never seen before or that looks different from the rest of the stack.

How do you tell if a card is an insert?

• The design doesn't match the base set. If it looks nothing like the other cards from that product, it's probably an insert.
• Check the card number on the back. Inserts usually have their own numbering, often with letters in front, separate from the base checklist.
• The back usually names the insert set.
• Look up the checklist. Sites like Beckett, Cardboard Connection and TCDb list every insert set in a product with its card numbers.

Insert card FAQ

What is an insert card?

An insert card is a special card that is randomly inserted into packs but isn't part of the base set. It has its own design and numbering and is found at stated odds, like 1 in 24 packs.

Is a parallel the same as an insert?

No. A parallel is a version of a base card with the same design and card number but a different color, finish or serial number. An insert is a separate card with its own design. Some people use "insert" loosely for any non-base card, but most checklists list them separately.

What does 1:24 mean on a pack of cards?

It means that on average one card from that insert set is found in every 24 packs. It's an average across the whole print run, so your box can come in under or over.

What does SSP mean in sports cards?

SSP stands for super short print, a card printed in much smaller numbers than the rest of its set. SSPs usually aren't serial numbered, so the exact print run isn't known.

What is a case hit?

A case hit is a card that averages about one per case of boxes, or rarer. Panini's Kaboom! insert is a well known example.

Are insert cards worth money?

Some are. Value depends on the player, how rare the insert is, how popular the design is and the card's condition. Common inserts of role players often sell for only a little more than base, while case hits and numbered inserts of stars can sell for a lot more. Check eBay sold listings for the exact card.

Quick takeaways

• An insert is a special card outside the base set, with its own design, found at stated odds.
• A parallel is a variation of a base card. An insert is a different card altogether.
• Odds like 1:24 are averages across the whole print run, not a guarantee per box.
• SP, SSP and case hit describe how rare an insert is.
• Inserts go back to Topps stamps in 1961.
• Rarity alone doesn't make an insert valuable. Look up sold listings.

Want the full picture of what you can pull from a pack? Read Base, Rookies, Inserts, Parallels and Autos: Sports Card Types Explained. More Sports Cards 101 is on the way, including what serial numbered cards are. If you want to see the low end side of the hobby, start with Selling Low End Sports Cards, or see how I dig for cards like these in How to Start Flipping Sports Cards and the Sneaky Cards With Value series. Have a term you want explained? Send me a message on Instagram or TikTok.

- Chris, AllSet24

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