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:
Showing posts with label Panini. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Panini. Show all posts
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
A Look Inside A Box Of 2012 Panini Momentum Football
$200 per box, 10 hits, 135 rookie autos, and a lot of anticipation and fun come from this redux of an old Donruss/Playoff hobby favorite.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Panini Presents A Blast From the Past with A Glimpse of the Future
I like surprises, do you? Upon the landscape of the trading card industry you get used to seeing similar products. If you listen to collectors rants, you'll hear all kinds of things like there are only certain things left to do on a 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 canvas, or if a collection doesn't have element A or element B, I don't want anything to do with it. That's all fine and good, but the truth is if one person doesn't like it, ten others might. Sometimes you gotta try new things to see what sticks. In this day and age of social media and instant replies it is even more of a task to keep things under wraps before people start shredding you to bits. Some people even do it when they have never seen a product, just because they feel justified in their opinions. Some like being first, some are interested in nothing more than linking to similar items for sale to make money. Good for them, but when I write it is my job, and on this day I received a product to review that exceeded any expectations I had after seeing a small preview. Panini America just released an NBA product that blew my mind. Past & Present Basketball hits the hardwood at $100 per 20 pack box. You'll enjoy players from all eras of the game and a design with a vintage flair. It doesn't hurt that it includes 3 autographs per box.
When the NBA went on strike, I pretty much boycotted watching the game. I have more important things to do than worry about guys not making enough money to put an orange ball through a hoop. I have a family to support and really can't see a gripe when they all make nearly $500,000 minimum. With the playoffs upon us, and the fact that I report on sports and sports collectibles, of course I had to tune in, but I was reluctant. I stopped collecting basketball cards too, totally. When I saw the early previews that Panini's Tracy Hackler posted on twitter, for Past & Present Basketball, I became very interested in seeing more. I think what caught my attention immediately were the sheer volume of great players on cards and a strong design that stood out among other recent basketball releases. It made me think about the history of the game and that's exactly what Panini needed to do to get a rise out of collectors that echo similar sentiments to those that I did above. On the flip side, there were just a lot of NBA collectors waiting for a product, any product after a long drought and a severe cutback from 2010-11.
All of the elements are present for a fun and educational collecting experience. Fun because of the blast from the past, educational, because after all, cards are like the pages of encyclopedias or your favorite wiki site. Past & Present introduces you to, or revisits the NBAs greatest ambassadors, most outrageous players, iconic game-changers and journeymen that shaped the game into the financial juggernaut it is today. The set could have been released without any of the big hits and I believe fans would still want to collect it. The combination of vintage photos, historical NBA moments chronicled on card backs and some amazingly fresh inserts utilizing new technology would have been enough for many, especially set builders.
No Time Machine Necessary
Hanging out with Doc Brown and his DeLorean couldn't get you this many retired, seasoned, and future players in one collection. A 200-card base set is comprised of four different vintage designs and includes players ranging from Jeremy Lin to Walt Bellamy, or if you don't like NY, how about Rajon Rondo to Robert Parrish? Stephen Jackson to George Gervin? You get what I'm saying right? There is something for everyone.
You'll also have the thrill of the chase because 1 hobby box will provide you with about 67% of the set, in my case it was exactly 134 of the 200 card set. A good majority of the base cards have also been autographed. Look for 'em.
Collectors seeking a bit more of a chase can seek out the 50-card base variation set. Seeded scarcely at only 1 per box, you are going to have to hunt these down to complete this elusive set.
Yo! Where are the Rookies?
Its been a tough year for collectors. The only rookie cards of NBA players that we've seen have come from a cello pack at the 32nd National and have you seen what that Kyrie Irving card is selling for? Well, rookie collectors can rejoice as you will find redemption cards for 2011 and 2012 NBA rookies inserted into this product. Let's be honest too, do you care what a book says? RC, XRC? People will want these, they will pay for them and if they look anything like the other cards in this product, they are gonna be splendid!
On the horizon are 35 autographed rookie cards from the 2011 class. These redemption cards are seeded into the product and the player checklist will be unveiled on Panini America's Knight's Lance blog at http://paniniamerica.wordpress.com.
You might also find a 2012 rookie redemption card in your packs. There are 25 of these cards including one good for a complete set of 2012 rookies. We won't know who these players are until the draft takes place, but you will know your draft slot as it is listed on the redemption card.
Bring on the Bread Winners
Like die-cut cards? Want more basic inserts? 150 total cards make up 3 different Bread themed sets. Bread for Health, Bread for Life and Bread for Energy are randomly packed and you'll find about 9 or 10 per box.
Who Said You Can Only Do So Much On a 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 Canvas?
On the box, it states, "Look for four cutting-edge technology cards in Breakout, Changing Times, Fireworks and Raining 3s!" Before I saw them, I was like hmmm... are we looking at a resurgence of the late 80s and early 90s inserts that have been setting eBay on fire of late? I actually didn't know what to expect because I didn't see any inserts, just base cards to this point. I was very impressed with the look of these cards. They are some of the nicest designs, not just from Panini, but from any company. Let's break them down one by one:
Fireworks
This 20-card collection features a combination of gloss and matte finishes and some interesting, eye-catching technology that makes the athlete literally appear as if he is engulfed in or omitting flames. I'd throw in some kind of modern catch phrase here, but its unnecessary, find some; the cards alone do the talking. I unpacked two in this box, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul.
Breakout
See your favorite NBA stars explode right out of the arena wall in this 30-card collection. Solid in action photos with a white cement wall cracked so you can see -AND- feel the exposed bricks. Think those silly Fleer ProVision with real photos and technology that's light-years ahead of its predecessor. The first 28 players on the checklist also have autographed variations. I found four of these in the box including Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, Gordon Hayward and Eric Bledsoe. I also scored an autographed version of the Bledsoe card.
Changing Times
Another 30-card insert is the Changing Times series. Another outstanding collection of old and new players, but what sets them apart is the attention to detail not only in the design elements like fonts, black & white and color images, but the product team killed it when they adapted the actual texture of the old NBA ball versus, the ABA red, white and blue ball and also, the newer NBA ball on the background image of the cards. This design or something similar could stand alone as its own brand in the future. I usually don't like to make comparisons, but it is reminiscent of the Ovation brand from Upper Deck, but it's better. There were 4 in the box. I have to say I would have loved to have seen these autographed, they look spectacular.
Raining 3's
This 20 card set, without going over the top, is my favorite design ever utilized by Panini America since they took over the Donruss/Playoff company. You wanna talk gorgeous? Talk. Again, a combination of gloss and matte finish with a black marble-like design just resonates to the artist in me. The cards are gorgeous and I'd love to see an entire product use this type of design. I only found two in the box, but you can bet that I will be seeking out the entire 20-card set. I am staring at them wondering how awesome they would look with gold, silver or other metallic ink colored autographs on them.
All four of these sets are scads better than some of the basic designs we have become accustomed to on trading cards. No framed borders, no mirror board, chrome, or anything other than a solid design and some wonderful printing techniques that should be utilized more by manufacturers to set themselves apart from others.
Big Guys And Big Swatches
It only seems natural that if you have a big jersey, you should use a big swatch on a card. Panini has given collectors the equivalent of tallboy swatches on the Gamers memorabilia cards. There are 100 of them to find and while some might be all white or all blue or all red, they are all HUGE.
What Else Ya Got?
There is even more to get excited about, especially if you are a fan of players that missed out on the memorabilia and autograph craze within the the hobby. Panini has assembled a group that has few or no autographs and some current players that are must haves in a hoops set. Between the Elusive Ink and Modern Marks signature series are names like Sleepy Floyd, Hersey Hawkins, Charles Oakley, Steve Kerr, Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Marc Gasol, Muggsy Bougues, Reggie Theus, Blake Griffin & Bryant Reeves. There are more but you can check out the entire checklist here.
Overall there is a lot of NBA goodness abound. The combination of good looks and good conversation is much like a good date and I am positive once you get the introduction to Panini's Past & Present Basketball, you'll want to spend a lot of time with your cards. You might even find yourself jonesing for a second date and $100 will get you to at least third base and maybe a little more. I found the three autos and one memorabilia card per box. You know that one of the autos was of Eric Bledsow. The other two were former Orlando Magic star Nick Anderson and Major Jones. Jones was one of four brothers that made it to the NBA. He was drafted in the same draft as Robert Parish and John Lucas, but went to the CBA and didn't arrive in the NBA until he spent a couple years in the WBA. He's an elusive auto for sure.
Your Take
Reviews have been mixed. The product has a lot of love for the design and the inserts. Some collectors think the auto checklist are scrubs, some love the fact that some of the guys that have few or no previous autos are now available. One collector even found a card that wasn't the player it was supposed to be, so you know people are watching this one with keen eyes. Many of the autos are very affordable on the secondary market, but the rookie redemption cards are starting to heat up with anticipation of who will be included in the 2011 auto set and who will be drafted for the 2012 collection.
When the NBA went on strike, I pretty much boycotted watching the game. I have more important things to do than worry about guys not making enough money to put an orange ball through a hoop. I have a family to support and really can't see a gripe when they all make nearly $500,000 minimum. With the playoffs upon us, and the fact that I report on sports and sports collectibles, of course I had to tune in, but I was reluctant. I stopped collecting basketball cards too, totally. When I saw the early previews that Panini's Tracy Hackler posted on twitter, for Past & Present Basketball, I became very interested in seeing more. I think what caught my attention immediately were the sheer volume of great players on cards and a strong design that stood out among other recent basketball releases. It made me think about the history of the game and that's exactly what Panini needed to do to get a rise out of collectors that echo similar sentiments to those that I did above. On the flip side, there were just a lot of NBA collectors waiting for a product, any product after a long drought and a severe cutback from 2010-11.
All of the elements are present for a fun and educational collecting experience. Fun because of the blast from the past, educational, because after all, cards are like the pages of encyclopedias or your favorite wiki site. Past & Present introduces you to, or revisits the NBAs greatest ambassadors, most outrageous players, iconic game-changers and journeymen that shaped the game into the financial juggernaut it is today. The set could have been released without any of the big hits and I believe fans would still want to collect it. The combination of vintage photos, historical NBA moments chronicled on card backs and some amazingly fresh inserts utilizing new technology would have been enough for many, especially set builders.
No Time Machine Necessary
Hanging out with Doc Brown and his DeLorean couldn't get you this many retired, seasoned, and future players in one collection. A 200-card base set is comprised of four different vintage designs and includes players ranging from Jeremy Lin to Walt Bellamy, or if you don't like NY, how about Rajon Rondo to Robert Parrish? Stephen Jackson to George Gervin? You get what I'm saying right? There is something for everyone.
You'll also have the thrill of the chase because 1 hobby box will provide you with about 67% of the set, in my case it was exactly 134 of the 200 card set. A good majority of the base cards have also been autographed. Look for 'em.
Collectors seeking a bit more of a chase can seek out the 50-card base variation set. Seeded scarcely at only 1 per box, you are going to have to hunt these down to complete this elusive set.
Yo! Where are the Rookies?
Its been a tough year for collectors. The only rookie cards of NBA players that we've seen have come from a cello pack at the 32nd National and have you seen what that Kyrie Irving card is selling for? Well, rookie collectors can rejoice as you will find redemption cards for 2011 and 2012 NBA rookies inserted into this product. Let's be honest too, do you care what a book says? RC, XRC? People will want these, they will pay for them and if they look anything like the other cards in this product, they are gonna be splendid!
On the horizon are 35 autographed rookie cards from the 2011 class. These redemption cards are seeded into the product and the player checklist will be unveiled on Panini America's Knight's Lance blog at http://paniniamerica.wordpress.com.
You might also find a 2012 rookie redemption card in your packs. There are 25 of these cards including one good for a complete set of 2012 rookies. We won't know who these players are until the draft takes place, but you will know your draft slot as it is listed on the redemption card.
Bring on the Bread Winners
Like die-cut cards? Want more basic inserts? 150 total cards make up 3 different Bread themed sets. Bread for Health, Bread for Life and Bread for Energy are randomly packed and you'll find about 9 or 10 per box.
Who Said You Can Only Do So Much On a 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 Canvas?
On the box, it states, "Look for four cutting-edge technology cards in Breakout, Changing Times, Fireworks and Raining 3s!" Before I saw them, I was like hmmm... are we looking at a resurgence of the late 80s and early 90s inserts that have been setting eBay on fire of late? I actually didn't know what to expect because I didn't see any inserts, just base cards to this point. I was very impressed with the look of these cards. They are some of the nicest designs, not just from Panini, but from any company. Let's break them down one by one:
Fireworks
This 20-card collection features a combination of gloss and matte finishes and some interesting, eye-catching technology that makes the athlete literally appear as if he is engulfed in or omitting flames. I'd throw in some kind of modern catch phrase here, but its unnecessary, find some; the cards alone do the talking. I unpacked two in this box, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul.
Breakout
See your favorite NBA stars explode right out of the arena wall in this 30-card collection. Solid in action photos with a white cement wall cracked so you can see -AND- feel the exposed bricks. Think those silly Fleer ProVision with real photos and technology that's light-years ahead of its predecessor. The first 28 players on the checklist also have autographed variations. I found four of these in the box including Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, Gordon Hayward and Eric Bledsoe. I also scored an autographed version of the Bledsoe card.
Changing Times
Another 30-card insert is the Changing Times series. Another outstanding collection of old and new players, but what sets them apart is the attention to detail not only in the design elements like fonts, black & white and color images, but the product team killed it when they adapted the actual texture of the old NBA ball versus, the ABA red, white and blue ball and also, the newer NBA ball on the background image of the cards. This design or something similar could stand alone as its own brand in the future. I usually don't like to make comparisons, but it is reminiscent of the Ovation brand from Upper Deck, but it's better. There were 4 in the box. I have to say I would have loved to have seen these autographed, they look spectacular.
Raining 3's
This 20 card set, without going over the top, is my favorite design ever utilized by Panini America since they took over the Donruss/Playoff company. You wanna talk gorgeous? Talk. Again, a combination of gloss and matte finish with a black marble-like design just resonates to the artist in me. The cards are gorgeous and I'd love to see an entire product use this type of design. I only found two in the box, but you can bet that I will be seeking out the entire 20-card set. I am staring at them wondering how awesome they would look with gold, silver or other metallic ink colored autographs on them.
All four of these sets are scads better than some of the basic designs we have become accustomed to on trading cards. No framed borders, no mirror board, chrome, or anything other than a solid design and some wonderful printing techniques that should be utilized more by manufacturers to set themselves apart from others.
Big Guys And Big Swatches
It only seems natural that if you have a big jersey, you should use a big swatch on a card. Panini has given collectors the equivalent of tallboy swatches on the Gamers memorabilia cards. There are 100 of them to find and while some might be all white or all blue or all red, they are all HUGE.
What Else Ya Got?
There is even more to get excited about, especially if you are a fan of players that missed out on the memorabilia and autograph craze within the the hobby. Panini has assembled a group that has few or no autographs and some current players that are must haves in a hoops set. Between the Elusive Ink and Modern Marks signature series are names like Sleepy Floyd, Hersey Hawkins, Charles Oakley, Steve Kerr, Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Marc Gasol, Muggsy Bougues, Reggie Theus, Blake Griffin & Bryant Reeves. There are more but you can check out the entire checklist here.
Overall there is a lot of NBA goodness abound. The combination of good looks and good conversation is much like a good date and I am positive once you get the introduction to Panini's Past & Present Basketball, you'll want to spend a lot of time with your cards. You might even find yourself jonesing for a second date and $100 will get you to at least third base and maybe a little more. I found the three autos and one memorabilia card per box. You know that one of the autos was of Eric Bledsow. The other two were former Orlando Magic star Nick Anderson and Major Jones. Jones was one of four brothers that made it to the NBA. He was drafted in the same draft as Robert Parish and John Lucas, but went to the CBA and didn't arrive in the NBA until he spent a couple years in the WBA. He's an elusive auto for sure.
Your Take
Reviews have been mixed. The product has a lot of love for the design and the inserts. Some collectors think the auto checklist are scrubs, some love the fact that some of the guys that have few or no previous autos are now available. One collector even found a card that wasn't the player it was supposed to be, so you know people are watching this one with keen eyes. Many of the autos are very affordable on the secondary market, but the rookie redemption cards are starting to heat up with anticipation of who will be included in the 2011 auto set and who will be drafted for the 2012 collection.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Panini Limited Football Video Box Break (Old School Style) - Who Let the Dogs Out?
So I just opened up a box of Panini's Limited Football. I got a card I wouldn't want anywhere near my collection, so I took measures to extract a bit of revenge for dogs everywhere. Tune in to see what I mean...
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
2010 Panini Threads - Rob Gronkowski Rookie Class Auto
One of the products I enjoyed last season was Panini Threads. A lot of collectors are not fans of the manufactured patch cards. I don't see any need for fake patches as a hit if they aren't autographed, but when you attach an auto to it, I think it is a much better solution than a sticker.
Threads boasted rookie patch autos #'d to 500 and while most everyone was hoping for an auto of Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy or even Ndamukong Suh, I actually wanted Rolando McClain of the Raiders.
After opening the box, I wasn't disappointed when I found a Rob Gronkowski. I remember doing the Cardboard Connection Radio show that week and discussing the product. I talked about the signed letter cards and that at that point in time, the box might not have looked that good, but I needed to give it some time acquire value. A lot of collectors were griping to me that I gave a decent review to a product that seemed to yield nothing near the cost of the box. A similar incident happened with the Limited product a little later in the season. Even one of my co-hosts thought it was a bust. I didn't.
What I saw was potential. Tom Brady is one of the most gifted quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL. Yeah, he even gets some gifts from the officials too. But he likes to target the Tight End and when you put a 6'6" 260lb target in front of Captain America, he is going to throw that shield at him often and accurate.
Brady in a little more than a season and a half has helped make Rob Gronkowski a superstar. This past Sunday, the two made history when Brady connected with Gronkowski to establish a single-season record for most TD grabs by a TE. His record-breaking 14th TD of the season was a nice 49-yard completion against the Washington Redskins. Later in the game, they connected again and he notched his 15th TD.
To say he's having a stellar season would be an understatement. He still has three games to go and he's got 1088 YDS from 77 catches. He has become Brady's go-to-guy in only his second NFL campaign. Barring injury, he had a very bright future ahead of him and I'm happy to say I saw it coming.
After pulling this card out of a pack of Threads, I immediately put it aside knowing it would be one I wanted to keep. I honestly didn't know I'd be writing about it this soon though.
The card itself is one of his best looking rookie cards. A clean, blue signature on a white letter K says it all. It is #'d to 500 and is #193 from the 2010 Threads set.
Monday, December 12, 2011
2011 Panini Gold Standard Football Video Box Break
One of the most talked about NFL products of the year has arrived and I vannnnt gooooooold Austin Powers...
Check out what I found in a box of 2011 Gold Standard Football.
Check out what I found in a box of 2011 Gold Standard Football.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
SIGnificant Cards - 2011 Andy Dalton Prestige Draft Picks Rights Rookie
The Bengals are improving at a steady pace. They dropped games to superior opponents, but they are holding their own. Don't be surprised if they find a way to continue winning and earn a wild card in the very even-keeled AFC. The are currently on a 2-game skid, let's see if they can run off another 5-game win streak and make Dalton's rookie campaign even more of a success story. It won't be easy as they face Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Houston among others in their last six. They hung tight with their fellow AFC North franchises and the Texans are going to struggle without the services of starting QB Matt Schaub.
Football. Ain't it great?
This Dalton rookie card comes from the early Panini America release Prestige. It's usually the first NFL product on the market and is loaded with rookies. A box usually provides a couple of autographed rookie cards in addition to the regular base-card variety. This is card #207 from the set and is sequentially numbered to 499. It is the Draft Picks Rights variation and sports a really nice looking sig on a sticker. I usually don't like closeup images on cards, but take a look at Dalton's face, he is determined and you can see that he's taking all of the experience from his TCU days into the NFL. The fifth QB selected and a second rounder, the Bengals couldn't pass him up and got a franchise player; exactly what they were looking for.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
SIGnificant Cards- 2009 Panini NFL Draft Matthew Stafford
For the past three years, they have been building on both sides of the ball. Drafting Matthew Stafford #1 overall in 2009 was a huge move. Each time the payoff looked solid, Stafford got hurt, mainly due to a pretty weak offensive line. For two years they've waited and it seems that after the first quarter of the season, they are finally reaping the rewards of a few strong drafts.
Stafford has a lot of targets to hit, mainly Calvin Johnson who already has 8 TDs, 4 shy of his entire 2010 total. Javid Best already has 5 TDs, he's a result of the Lions second 1st round pick of 2010 (Ndamukong Suh was their first at #2 overall), and he also has Brandon Pettigrew (22 catches) who was drafted behind Stafford at #20 in 2009.
They are a talented young group and that's not to say they aren't going to make mistakes, but that was their undoing last season, well that and the injury to Stafford.This year, they have cut down a little (not a lot) on the stupid penalties and they are taking advantage of turnovers.
Here's a look at the hit from Julius Peppers that put Stafford out:
I was a fan of Stafford while he was at the University of Georgia, it was hard not to be. He was hyped like crazy and he was THAT good. So I was pretty pumped when my Cardboard Connection Co-Host Russ Cohen called me up and told me he was sending me a present. It was a pretty awesome one that he won via a social media contest from Panini. The card pictured here is 1 of only 7 in the world.It was made for the 2009 Draft, contains a full NFL logo patch and a beautiful, hard-signed auto from Matt Stafford. What I really like about the card in addition to its rarity is that it is also stamped with a seal authenticating the autograph, something I think would be great on ALL autograph cards.
By now you are probably thinking, man this guy is a Lions fan. The answer to that is yes and no. I root for a few football teams. I grew up on the Jets, like the Raiders and sometimes root for the Da Bears. Like baseball, I like specific players. There is no loyalty from many players to stay on a team, so I think I should enjoy my fan free agency and be comfortable liking whoever and whatever I like. Besides Stafford, I collect Aaron Rodgers, Matt Forte, Kurt Warner, Brett Favre, Tim Brown, Jerry Rice, LaDainian Tomlinson, 70s Cowboys & Raiders and a few Jets.
Now all I need to do is hope Stafford survives the season and the Lions don't choke. I'm not expecting a Super Bowl win or even an appearance, but ya never know.
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