Kon Knueppel Topps Rookie Debut Patch Receives PSA 10 Gem Mint Grade
PublishedQuick Facts
- Kon Knueppel’s Topps Rookie Debut Patch Autograph card received a PSA 10 grade
- Knueppel’s card follows Cooper Flagg’s PSA 10 grade
- Flagg, Knueppel, and Dylan Harper’s card are all headed to the Fanatics Collect September Premiere Auction
- Estimates for Knueppel’s card are expected to easily surpass the previous high of $396,000
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The one-of-a-kind Kon Knueppel Topps Rookie Debut Patch Autograph card that is headed to the Fanatics Collect September Premiere Auction has received a Gem Mint 10 grade from PSA. Knueppel’s card will join the Rookie Debut Patch Autograph cards of Cooper Flagg - which also received a PSA 10 - and Dylan Harper in the auction that is expected to bring in millions of dollars in bids and plenty of attention to the sports card hobby business.
The “Story” Behind The Knueppel Redemption
The redemption for the card was pulled on a Backyard Breaks uh… break on August 22. Unlike the story behind the Cooper Flagg card that included trips across state lines and 12-hour-long conversations by Fanatics executives with the lucky collector in order to bring the card in for consignment, the Knueppel redemption did not have a similar made-for-social-media moment. Considering the leadership behind the breaker, it’s probably for the best.
Six days after the redemption was pulled, the Knueppel card was announced as part of the Fanatics auction. Five days after the announcement, Backyard Breaks revealed the card’s grade from PSA. Based on that timeline, it looks like the owner of the card went with the Premium 10 tier service, the highest level at PSA. Cards at the Premium 10 level have an insured value of over $250,000, which the Knueppel card easily clears, with a turnaround time of five to seven business days. I’m a Value tier type of collector personally, when it comes to my submissions, which means I might have to wait a month or ten before my cards come back, but I can understand wanting to go that route.
Where The Rookie Debut Patch Came From
Introduced in 2023 in Major League Baseball, Topps has brought their popular Rookie Debut Patch program to the NBA and, most recently, the NFL. The patch is stitched onto the jersey of every NBA rookie who made their regular-season debut. After the game, the patch is then removed to later be added onto a card that will eventually be signed by the rookie. Knueppel wore the patch during the Charlotte Hornets season opener against the Brooklyn Nets on October 22. Knueppel recorded 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist in his first game.
Estimated Value Of The Knueppel Card
While Flagg’s card is expected to rake in millions of dollars at the Fanatics auction, Knueppel’s card - not to mention Dylan Harper’s - also has million-dollar potential. The previous high for a Knueppel card was $396,500 for his one-of-one Superfractor Autograph card from 2025-26 Topps Chrome Basketball. The card’s grade? A PSA 7 with a perfect 10 for the autograph. Did the grade hurt the value of the card? The rule of thumb in the business hobby is that grading one-of-ones is typically not worth it beyond verifying its authenticity. With only one card in existence, the owner has the market covered, and there’s nothing to compare it to. The 7 grade probably did not hurt the value of the card and likely would have ended around the same range if it had come back an 8 or even a 9, but a 10 would have increased the value by a significant margin.
From video game journalism to veteran of the sneaker blog era to podcasting about well, everything, Juan is smiling through it all and can't believe this is his life. After recently getting into Formula 1, he now has hot takes about who the greatest driver of all time is. Email: juan@soleretriever.com
