I think my biggest gripe with the collecting public in general is the fact that people have started to value patch quantity and size over design and look of the actual card itself. This was extremely evident over the last two years with Five Star football, performing against National Treasures. The only advantages that Panini had in their NT rookie patch autos were two: Age and Patch Size. Design, look, photography, etc, all were extremely better in Five Star – most evident with NT’s horrid 2011 belt buckle design.
So, even though the cards looked better, had better pictures, and a better design, because NT has bigger patches, they sell better. Mind you, these patches are worn for less than a second at the Rookie Premiere each year, so is it even worth the time to put value on these relics that are only “mildly” connected to the players? I dont think so, but many people do. Check out some of these comparisons from the last two years:
National Treasures:
2011 Cam Newton National Treasures 3 Color Patch Auto
2010 Sam Bradford National Treasures 3 Color Patch Auto
2010 Tim Tebow National Treasures 3 Color Patch Auto
Five Star:
2011 Cam Newton Five Star 3 Color Patch Auto
2010 Sam Bradford Five Star 2 Color Patch Auto
2010 Tim Tebow Five Star 3 Color Patch Auto
This year, I begged Topps to stick with the formula of focusing on the most important things – design, photo size, auto space for the player to sign. After some previews have been popping up on twitter, I have to complement the Topps design team for adjusting the game plan, while still maintaining the best looking set released every year. All of these things remain high end. Its very difficult to adjust patch size when design and signature have already been determined for the previous two years. Five Star, as long as the proof sheets stay similar, will be one of the most well designed products of the last 5 years without a contest.
Although we have not seen a preview for NT yet, Panini looks to be on track for another APRIL release. Last year’s set came out almost at the same time as the NFL draft, not to mention up against ANOTHER high end Panini product in playbook. Yeah, they released two high end sets in one week – in case you forgot. Even though the design of NT was widely panned here and on many of the message boards and blogs, it still sells well because it has large patches. Even though the signature space is SMALLER than the size of a sticker, and looks like a visual train wreck due to the needless ornate border around the swatch window, it remained more valuable than the vastly superior Five Star.
This year, with larger patches, I believe NT will still outsell Five Star, if not only because it has been around longer. Not only is this a travesty, but its the truth. Im honestly not sure how this happens year in and year out, but it does, and that sucks. At least Topps continues to produce cards, like the ones in their preview, that make me excited to see the finished product. Panini has a long way to go in that respect.
Here are pictures of the proof cards they previewed:
I picked up a 2010 Five Star Eli Manning Auto Booklet about a month ago and it has quickly become my favorite card. The new magnetic booklet holders are really nice and make for a great display.
From the card previews, it looks as though they might use a vertical jersey swatch on the horizontal card design, which I think looks awful. Hopefully I’m wrong.
Good read. I agree 100% that Five Star is looking stellar!! That Favre/Rodgers dual auto might be the biggest card in years for Packers collectors (the Rodgers/Starr from last year’s Five Star was big too). I know you’re a Vikes guy but I’m drooling.
I will reply to this article in the form of a post on my blog…began writing but decided my response needs pictures 🙂
Great article, btw.
I have gripes with “collectors” also and 2011 5 star vs NT covers most of them
Every one complains about redemptions and sticker autos and then everyone buys NT and 5 star drops like a stone.. The fact that NT comes out in April of the following year and has sticker should have everyone saying meh…
The hobby as a whole places too much value on the premiere jersey cards. To me they have little value at all. That silly Mark Ingram picture that showed him with 942 jerseys on at the same time should cause everyone to devalue any jersey card or swatch from that event.
But like I say about a lot of things that happen in the hobby… Its good for me because it seems the majority of people value things I dont at all
I still dont understand why anyone buys any UD football or basketball product or any Panini products before the MAPP price restriction is off and the retail price moves drastically down to the market….
It’s nice to see people agreeing with things I’ve been saying for years. These Rookie Premier jerseys (and JUMBO Patches) are almost WORTHLESS! After 2007 or so especially, card companies kept making MORE & MORE RC Jersey/Patch cards each year. Card companies just kept bringing more and more jerseys that players touched for a couple of seconds (if at all) and then jumbo multi-color patch cards of “never will be” rookies sell for $50.00+ on eBay.
Next these same buyers cry when they list these worthless cards on eBay three years later when the player gets traded as a fifth string player and are shocked when these cards sell for $2.00! These are the same sellers grossly overcharging for shipping (breaking eBay rules) thinking they are getting back some money because of what the hobby DID TO THEM!!! I have to keep asking myself: is almost everyone really this stupid? I’ve come to only one conclusion, yes they are this stupid!
NEXT…
The only autographs worth collecting are ON CARD autographs with an Autograph Authenticity Statement by a TRUSTED card company printed right on the card or stamped authentic as was done years ago.
I specify this because of the 2012 Leaf Wrestling autographs that have NO AUTOGRAPH AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT on the cards anywhere at all. These cards don’t even state the words AUTOGRAPH or SIGNATURE anywhere on any one of these cards! Not to mention the Printing Plates not stating anywhere that they are Printing Plates or what color they are, or don’t even state 1/1!!! LEAF SCREWED THIS UP PEOPLE & YOU ARE LETTING THEM GET AWAY WITH IT! This could have been trhe hottest autograph set of 2012, if not the whole decade!!! But they are missing the things that make these cards so sought after! <<<>>>
When I explain to the ignorant that I often give Certified Autograph Insert cards I buy to hospitalized children, plus I give these as gifts to those few who go out of their way as medical professionals to help me with my severe physical disabilities I want them to know that these autographs are real. It became an industry STANDARD by 2000 that all Certified Autographs automatically had an authenticity staqe,ment printed rightv on the cards so no matter who hands they fall into- they will know that these are almost 100% REAL autographs (like .01% are forgeries)! Also whomever these people show these cards to, they will also know these are authentic autographs. That just goes to show how greedy so many people in this hobby are. They couldn’t understand this concept until it was explained to them in detail because all these people NEVER GAVE THEIR CERTIFIED AUTOGRAPH CARDS AWAY TO ANYONE (except MAYBE close family or friends who already know this hobby)!!!
It may be a year, or three or five. But eventually these cards will be WORTHLESS or worth less than 10% of what they would have been worth if they had what is MISSING! I’m angry about this because of all the ignorance I’m seeing from hobbyists regarding these cards now. Leaf’s owner is an obnoxious narcisist to anyone who’s not buying a LOT OF CASES from him directly. He threatened to sue me when I blasted him for this screw-up & then refused to answer ANYTHING! He refused to admit that there’s ANYTHING missing or wrong with these cards until 3-days ago when I contacted him using an alias & kissed his butt suggesting he put the Leaf Authenticated hologram on these cards & add the COA card with the matching hologram (like with the Pete Rose Dealer Summit autographs)- HE AGREED! But he said he’d only consider putting a Autograph Authenticity hologram on all these cards. IF THAT’S NOT ADMITTING FAULT FOR A SCREW-UP- WHAT IS???
Then there’s all these eBay sellers (literally dozens) who claim to be collectors and told me there’s “NOTHING WRONG WITH THESE CARDS”! Well, you all eBay Certified Autograph “collectors” just got PUNK’D because Brian Gray admitted there is a problem with these cards!
I apologize to the 5% of hobbyists who WANT to know all the truth that is going on in your hobby. As for everyone else- there’s too much stupidity in this hobby for me to continue. Keep your heads in the sand, or in your butts and when the tide comes in you’ll all be spitting sand or s*** & I won’t be around to save anyone.
Good riddance…
James aka Cardcop