In this episode, Brett examines a product that rarely gets treated like a true origin story.

2016 Donruss Optic was the first Optic.
The first Gold Vinyl 1/1 in the brand.
The first time Donruss moved to chrome stock.

Yet it does not carry the same cultural weight as 2012 Prizm or 2013 Select.

After spending time with his own Andrew Luck Gold Vinyl 1/1 run, Brett started asking a bigger question.

Why doesn’t 2016 Optic get debut chrome respect?

He breaks down:

• Why Panini launched Optic in 2016
 • How Optic fit into the product portfolio next to Prizm
 • The parallel hierarchy in football vs basketball
 • Why Gold Vinyl became hobby language
 • Why the market prices players first and sets second in this release

He also pulls real sales data from Card Ladder to frame the conversation.

Stephen Curry Gold Vinyl 1/1 sold for $25,000.
LeBron James Gold Vinyl PSA 10 once sold for $4,495.

Are those numbers reflecting origin status? Or is perception lagging behind structure?

If you care about first year anything.
If you chase Gold Vinyl.
If you value context over comps.

This conversation matters.

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