Over the course of the previous card year, there were a few styles of cards that caused anger and disgust on a regular basis when I saw them in products. The first was the autographed manufactured patch cards that were included in 4 different products this year from Panini, and the second was the autographed white pleather cards from Timeless Treasures. Aside from Panini overusing the manupatches every year since 2007, they are some of the most worthless and tired cards in their arsenal. The white pleather cards make absolutely no sense, as I dont understand how they relate to football. Signed brown leather I can understand, but as we saw in Sweet Spot, they dont last well.
Here are some examples of the cards in previous products:
2011 AJ Green Prestige Manupatch Auto
2011 Blaine Gabbert Rookies and Stars Manupatch Auto
2011 Demarco Murray Timeless Treasures White Pleather Auto
2011 Warren Moon Timeless Treasures White Pleather Auto
The reason I am speaking about these two types of cards is because both of them are going to be included in 2011 National Treasures that will be making its long delayed debut next week.
To further add to the confusion, why are these scraps from the lowest end and least successful products being used in the highest priced product of the year? It makes me cringe. Not only that, but after seeing the rest of the QC gallery from this set, National Treasures seems to be a relative afterthought this year. Poorly designed cards, mixed with a horribly weak checklist will not sit well with a lot of people. We can see that the rookie patch autos will be popular again, despite green and red foil, but I dont see many other factors that distinguish NT from a product like Gridiron Gear or Rookies and Stars.
Sure, the swatch sizes are bigger, and they saved premium patches for this set, but after looking at the colossal cards (which have horizontal orientation for some odd reason), its clear that this sticker fest is not worth half of the enormous box price they are putting on it. Five Star cards are losing value by the day, and I fail to understand why cards with amazing design work, on card autographs and a STRONG checklist are not worth more. Collectors obviously care more about the size and content of a swatch, cut from a jersey that was worn for 2 seconds at the rookie premiere. Shame on them, as I can tell you that the cards from Five Star may not have huge swatches, but they make NT look like amateur night at the apollo.
The fact that Panini is continuing to show that the non-jersey autograph cards are not a focus for this set, makes me so pissed off. Look at the way the cards look! You either have a situation that seems as though someone forgot to put the sticker on, or you have a card that looks like someone forgot both the auto AND the jersey swatch. Its bush league at best, and though it saves money in production, it is not visually appealing at all.
To make things worse, the brightly colored foil that surrounds the RPAs and a few other cards in this set, clashes horribly with the rest of the card. Look at that green foil on the Ingram, and how bad it looks against the black and gold. Team themes in color and design should be the standard, if not only because the NFL has some of the best uniforms in sports.
The worst part of this whole preview has to be the player quality of guys that are included in each subset. Danny Amendola? Michael Griffin? Vonta Leach? Wow. Its effing laughable the guys that are in this product year after year. Im waiting to see if Nate Washington makes his yearly appearance. dditionally, guys like John Brodie and Rickey Jackson were good players, but they dont need to be in this product. Save the scrub players for the low end stuff where people arent giving away a car payment on a box.
Lastly, it seems as though Panini is putting a focus on the use of Pro Bowl swatches in this set. Guess what? They are all event used, and after this year, they are celebrating a game that could face the axe due to play quality. With how much everyone despises the playing of the game itself, why are event used swatches (not game used), all over this set?
National Treasures has been a bloated sticker fest with a weak checklist for years now, and has been shown up in terms of design quality and autographs by Five Star for 2 years running. The way that collectors drool over the swatches and other cards bother me, mainly because of how better products have been received despite this. I dont think Panini should be proud of anything they have done in 2011, and after hearing they are claiming to put a focus on dropping the cookie cutter for 2012, I hope they pull their collective heads out of their asses.
The RPA’s look like they made the card with the patch and then realized they need to put an auto somewheres……Looks so out of place and shouldnt happen in a high end product like NT….
Yet another Panini football product that leaves me shaking my head in bewilderment… *sigh*
Sorry dude. Considering the hype is bigger than Five Star, you’re point is moot. I get that Topps probably pays you to bash Panini, but Panini has done a very good job this year.
I hate all the white space on a lot of these cards. They look like crap. There needs to be better card design featuring better images of the players.
Couldn’t agree more. Nat Tresures has been the worst high end product ever the last 2-3 years. In my opinion the only way high end football can work is give one rpa per box, make it a ten box case, and include one retired/vet auto per case w/the rpa as the case hit. I wouldn’t break Five Star, Natty, or Exquisite if I hit the Mega Millions. But as long as people break this crap this is what we’ll keep getting.
This product should be renamed, “How to Transform $400 into $45 for Dummies”.
I know the hobby shouldn’t be all about the money, but that requires both the manufacturer and the collector to meet in the middle. Dear Panini, please be honest with us and yourself and lower the price of NT to under $250.
Aaron are you serious? Have you been anywhere near the hobby this year? Panini has done a good job? Really? From the crappy rehashed designs, millions of redemptions, lousy to non existent customer service, lack of on card content, and the terrible MAPP program Panini has been the worst thing to happen to this hobby. For them to continuously turn out the polished turds they call products at the same price point with the same content is just laughable. Are there gems in the piles of crap, absolutely (crown royale die cuts for one). But people like you eat up that crap and tell them that it tastes wonderful so they have no need to change and innovate and make things better for all of us that enjoy this hobby. Everybody is entitled to their opinion but be honest with yourself the last time you purchased one of their boxes (any box, they are all the same) weren’t you disappointed too when you pulled your 2 scrub autos (one of which was a redemption) and 2 dime sized jersey swatches? If that’s a good job then this hobby really is doomed.
talk about someone who gets paid to have jaded (and ridiculous) views. I hope you are being paid by panini, because if you aren’t, you’re a complete idiot
Pingback: Around the Carding Blogosphere for March 30, 2012 : The Baseball Card Store | Hairline Crease