What's Inside: 2013 Panini Prizm Baseball

It seems like only a few days ago (OK, months) 2012 Prizm hit the streets running. Collectors loved it and they didn't have to wait for more. 2013 Prizm is here with its shiny goodness, 4 levels of parallels and 2 autographs per box.

I was eager to check this one out. Not only was it a good looking set, both autographed card were actually in the product! That alone scores some points with me. So, what was in the box? Let's go to the videotape!

 

What's Inside: 2013 Panini Certified Football

As the 2013 Football products continue to hit shelves, one long-running product, Certified gives collectors 4 hits, a mix of memorabilia and autographs, a little lower price and lots of colorful parallel cards. What's inside? Take a look:

With A Label Like Finest You Better Bring Your A Game and Leave The Redemptions At Home

For 20 years Topps Finest has been my favorite consistent product from Topps. It always brings out the best from the Topps designers and has continued to evolve into one of the best looking products. It's also been a source of many incredible autographed memorabilia cards. When Topps began producing cards for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, they added Finest to the lineup because like it's baseball and football counterparts, it showcases the best Topps has to offer.

The 2013 edition is no exception. It boasts an outstanding design, a perfect balance of Octagon ring generals and some incredible memorabilia and autographs from fighters and fans of the sport. Broken up into 2 mini-boxes you'll get a whopping 6 hits in the product, a mix of fighter gear, ring mats, ring girl kisses and autographs!

One thing though hits collectors like a kidney shot, too many redemption cards. A brief count after the products release showed over 15 key cards as redemptions in the product. Believe me, Topps doesn't want it that way, but it is, and if you are dropping $85-$95 for a product and the two main hits in the box are not actually in it, I believe you have a valid beef. Have a look inside a box of 2013 Topps UFC Finest...

What's Inside: Topps Tier One Baseball

Ah, Topps. Collectors either love or hate them. There doesn't seem to be much in-between does there? The company with the greatest legacy in sports cards is sort of an enigma. They do many things well and some other things not so well. In a day and age where customer service should be everything, it isn't. With social media, collectors have made and broken companies. It isn't the largest portion of the hobby by any means, but it is the direct lifeline for many to reach out and get their opinion heard. I've seen careers and companies ruined by stories told on Twitter and Facebook. Faith in a company should be the #1 reason why you put your hard-earned dollars behind a purchase. Why anyone would buy something they aren't happy with is beyond me. They are the company that is supposed to be the industry leader. This year, my confidence in them has wavered. It truly bothers me. Perhaps it is just me wanting something from my childhood to live on the way I've always remembered it, or simply because I want collectors of today to get the absolute best service they deserve. Maybe, I expect them to live up to the legacy. I've had my ups and downs with some of the recent Topps releases, but I can tell you that with Tier One, it's nothing but love from me.

Tier One shoots straight. It's a box with 3 cards in it (some contain 4). On average 2 autographs and one memorabilia card. It features outstanding designs, some unique takes on past Topps releases and contains one of the best mixes of past, present and future MLB stars that you can have. There are a couple of more greats I'd like to see on the list, but this one is nothing to sneeze at. I'd also like to see them up the basic relic cards here to be a little more high-end. I'm not saying 4-color patches, but maybe save the good stuff for this product next time around. There are unreal patches included, but a basic relic is sort of mundane in a product that could make an even bolder statement with collectors. I was very happy with my box. So happy, I bought more. Have a look at what I found:

What's Inside: 2013 Press Pass Showcase Video Box Break

Consistency means something in the world of trading cards. I don't take a lot of chances purchasing a product that I don't believe will provide me something I absolutely won't keep in my collection after opening it. I mean if I wanted that kind of gamble, I'd head to Vegas. Do you ever think about that when making a trading card purchase? You see for me, I go in with the thought of getting something I'd like to add to my collection. Many people go at it from a completely different perspective. They go in hoping to get something great to sell. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard the only good trading card is a sold trading card, I wouldn't be talking about trading cards...

There are a small handful of go to products that will deliver something worth keeping or that will deliver something of significant value to use as trade material for another collector. Two of those products are manufactured by Press Pass. They are Redline and Showcase.

As the chase for the Sprint Cup gets underway, Press Pass delivers one of the most potent racing products of the year. Showcase is loaded with some of the most diverse racing gear and plenty of outstanding autographs. Would you like to see what's inside a box? Watch this:

Wizard’s Comic C​on Converges On Chicago

The Donald E. Stephens Center was PACKED for Chicago Comic Con.

Once a year a large portion of humans descend upon the venue known as the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center to gather for a small event known as the Chicago Comic-Con. This microcosm, aw who am I kidding… this enormous event continues to reach astronomical proportions with each passing year. 2013 was by far the largest Comic-Con I’ve seen in Chicago. The event took up two stories of the Stephens Center’s floor space, to facilitate the exhibitors and the attendees.

>> Read more at Comix Corner

What's inside a box of 2013 Press Pass FanFare Racing?

Over the years, I've had some outstanding autographed cards come out of packs of Press Pass Racing cards. In fact, a large part of my personal collection is made up of NASCAR Champions and the current crop of starting Sprint Car drivers. Of late, their products have been absolutely stellar. Redline has become my go to product when looking for autographs to add to my collection, and FanFare has such a wide assortment of drivers from all facets of NASCAR signing, that it to has become a huge fan favorite. The 2013 edition of the product is no exception, its loaded with great graphs.

Have a look at what I found inside a box of the new racing product:

New Configuration on Old Favorite Proves Winning Combination For 2013 Score Football

Great photos, a large base set, a 25th Anniversary celebration and more are packed into the 10, 50-card packs of 2013 Score Football. Have a look at the newly configured hobby edition of this old standard.

Press Pass Ignites a Flame For NASCAR Card Collectors

Filled with gear from the 2013 Daytona 500, autographs from today's top drivers and a beautiful looking base set, Press Pass revs up racing cards with 2013 Ignite. With at least 1 autograph and 1 memorabilia card per box, Ignite, now in its 2nd year provides plenty of thrills and even some bonus hits for some lucky collectors, giving new meaning to the term Hot Box! Have a look at what the product delivers:

Find On-Card Autos of Top Prospects in 2013 Press Pass FanFare Football

The Draft is done. It left many confused and bewildered, but if you listen to Cardboard Connection Radio, you'd know we spoke about how all of the offense players getting hyped were NOT going to get selected early. It seems the NFL agreed, as names like Geno Smith, Matt Barkley and many more weren't chosen until round 2 or later!

In a year where OTs, DTs, OLBs, and S had the advantage, it will be interesting to watch 2013 sets because the early ones are offensive player heavy with QBs, WRs & RBs that were left on the board for much longer than they anticipated.

There's no doubt that a talented player or group of players will emerge as outstanding from deep in this draft, it always happens. Some of the best players in the NFL Hall of Fame came from later rounds.

Let's see how 2013 Press Pass FanFare football fares... It contains on-card autographs of the top prospects and some very low numbered parallels and inserts. Priced at about $85-90 you'll get 5 cards per box or will you???

SAGE Autographed Football Delivers Draft Pick Autos Just In Time For Annual Event

With 2 autos per pack, hot packs, hot boxes and unique new packaging SAGE Autographed Football returns for 2013 with over 60 subjects including Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, Manti Te'o Giovani Bernard, Eddie Lacy, Cordarrelle Patterson and more.\

With a draft that's leaning heavy towards a 1st round full of linemen, the checklist also includes Luke Joeckel, Datone Jones, Sheldon Richardson, Bjoern Werner too.

Have a look at what I found in a box: