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Set Review · 2023 Panini

2023-24 Donruss & Optic: Victor Wembanyama's Rated Rookie

2023-24 Panini Donruss is home to Victor Wembanyama's Rated Rookie — the most recognizable entry-level card in his rookie class — while Donruss Optic adds the chrome-finish version and its color rainbow. Here's how both sets are built and how to buy them.

2023-24 Panini Donruss is where most Victor Wembanyama collections begin. It’s home to his Rated Rookie — the badge Donruss has stamped on first-year cards for decades — and it’s the most recognizable, most accessible card in his entire rookie class. Its chromium sibling, Donruss Optic, takes the same card onto Prizm-style reflective stock and opens up a full color rainbow. Together they cover the entry tier of the Wemby rookie market from a few dollars up to genuine chase parallels.

Why these sets matter for Wemby collectors

  • The Rated Rookie is the entry point everyone knows. It’s widely printed and affordable raw, which makes it the natural first genuine Wemby rookie for new collectors and a staple of every set build.
  • Donruss Optic delivers the chrome version — the same rookie on refractor-style stock — plus Holo and a rainbow of colored parallels that step values up the way Prizm’s color lane does.
  • Beyond the base rookie, Donruss is known for eye-catching inserts. The Downtown SSP is the marquee case-hit chase, and the set carries the usual run of insert lineups collectors like to pick up alongside the rookie.

The numbers to know: the paper Rated Rookie is card #220, and the chrome Optic Rated Rookie is card #225 — use them to confirm exactly which card a listing is before you compare prices. The live eBay links on this page show what the base Rated Rookie, the Optic version, the color parallels, and graded copies are trading for right now.

How the sets are built

Think of Donruss and Optic as two finishes of the same rookie, stacked from accessible to scarce:

  • Base Donruss Rated Rookie #220 — paper stock, the widely printed entry card. The most affordable way into a real Wemby rookie.
  • Donruss Optic Rated Rookie #225 — the chromium version on Prizm-style stock, the base of the Optic rainbow.
  • Optic parallels — Holo and the colored Optic prizms, climbing through the numbered colors up to the top one-of-one chase. Scarcer colors and lower numbers command the premium.
  • Inserts — the Downtown SSP is the headline insert chase, with the rest of the Donruss insert lineup filling out the set.

Because the colored Optic parallels vary in scarcity and the base Rated Rookie is so widely printed, prices spread out a lot across this set — let the live listings show the ladder from a raw base card to a graded gem or a rare color.

Buying it smart

The entry tier rewards a little patience:

  • Decide finish and grade first. A raw base paper Rated Rookie is a very different buy from a graded Optic or a numbered color parallel.
  • On Optic and chrome, inspect centering and surface. Reflective stock shows print lines and off-center cuts that hurt grades — this is where the value gap between a raw card and a PSA 10 is widest.
  • Compare sold comps, not asking prices. Match on the exact finish (base vs Optic), parallel, and grade before you judge a price.
  • If you want a first Wemby rookie you can hold cheaply, the base Rated Rookie is the pick; if you’re chasing value, look to graded copies, the Optic color rainbow, or step up to the flagship Silver Prizm.

Where to go next

Open live eBay listings for the Rated Rookie and its Optic parallels using the rail above. For how Donruss and Optic sit among every 2023-24 brand, see the complete rookie card checklist, and for the broader buying framework read the collecting Victor Wembanyama cards guide. Ready to step up from the entry tier? Compare the Prizm parallels rainbow, the painterly Court Kings lane, or the ultra-premium National Treasures patch grails. New to his rookies overall? Start with the rookie cards top list or the flagship 2023-24 Prizm set review.

Find these cards on eBay

The singles from this set trade on eBay, not Amazon — these open live listings for each cut. Compare sold comps, and buy graded (PSA or SGC) for anything above four figures.

Rated Rookie Graded Rated Rookie Optic Rated Rookie Optic parallels Downtown insert Donruss / Optic lot

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Victor Wembanyama Rated Rookie?
Rated Rookie is Panini Donruss's long-running rookie designation — the badge that has marked first-year cards in the set for decades. Wembanyama's 2023-24 Donruss Rated Rookie is the most recognizable entry-level card in his rookie class: widely printed, affordable in raw condition, and instantly familiar to any collector. It's where a lot of people start the Wemby chase before stepping up to chrome or graded copies.
What's the difference between Donruss and Donruss Optic?
Donruss is the paper-stock base set; Donruss Optic is its chromium cousin, printed on the same Prizm-style reflective stock. Optic carries its own Rated Rookie plus a rainbow of Holo and colored parallels, so the Optic version of the card generally trades above the base paper Rated Rookie. If you like the shiny, refractor look, Optic is the lane; if you want the classic entry rookie, base Donruss is it.
Is the Wemby Rated Rookie a good card to buy?
For a first genuine Wembanyama rookie on a budget, yes — the base Donruss Rated Rookie gives you a real 2023-24 rookie at the most accessible tier. If you're thinking about long-term value, most collectors step up to a graded copy or move to the Optic parallels and the flagship Silver Prizm. Check live eBay sold comps to see where raw, graded, and Optic versions are actually trading before you buy.
Should I grade a Donruss or Optic Wemby rookie?
It depends on the card. A high-grade Optic Rated Rookie or a scarce colored Optic parallel can be worth slabbing; a common base paper Rated Rookie usually isn't unless it's a clean gem candidate. Chrome cards like Optic are graded harder on centering and surface, so inspect corners and print lines first. Compare the graded sold comps against raw prices on the rail above to judge whether the grading fee pencils out.