2011 Panini Limited – The Death of the Last Shard of Quality

Did Panini fire all of their card designers and use people who have no idea what they are doing?

Card design at Panini this year has gone from poor to, “AVERT YOUR EYES!!!” Since that we have seen design failure after design failure for collector favorite football products, there should be no question that the standard once present in 2009 and prior is unimportant. Panini is obviously more concerned with cutting corners in methods than they are making good looking cards that will inspire a bump in collectors who buy instead of a bump in those who leave.

There is growing dissention in the ranks of people who are starting to see the error of Panini’s ways, and of course, Panini could not give less of a shit. Its truly unfortunate, especially with only two viable options for buying licensed cards. Without a second company who actually cares about quality AND cost, it really limits which products we are able to chase.

I used to believe that it was a matter of preference on some of this stuff, but I am beginning to wonder how anyone can like cards like those jersey cards, or the jumbo patch cards. Also, I don’t get why the Initial Steps set came back, if not only because of how stupid the set name is. Lastly, prior to this year, I believed that an on card autograph can overcome a lot of short comings in design. I was wrong.

In terms of box content, I am continually shocked by two things. The inclusion of players on the checklist like Eddie Royal, and the need for formatting like Panini uses in every single product. No 100 dollar per pack product should advertise jersey cards as part of the content. Its worthless and insulting when that is counted as part of your hits. If companies wonder why people have stopped buying boxes, that’s why. Its also why Gold Standard was one of the worst wax breaking products ever produced. Limited suffers from that syndrome too. In order to return even a smidgeon of value on your break, you have to hit Cam Newton or some crazy rare autograph. That isn’t right. Its why Chrome now costs 100 bucks a box instead of 60. It would be one thing if you broke the box, got no return on your investment, but the cards looked cool or had on card autos for EVERYTHING like SPA. Because this is just more of the same, Id rather set my hundred dollars on fire and drink the ashes before buying a pack of this junk.

Here are the photos from the Panini preview, I am so depressed by what they did to a brand I used to love every year. It’s a complete disgrace.

4 thoughts on “2011 Panini Limited – The Death of the Last Shard of Quality

  1. Like the Rookie autos. The Cam and Ingram are really nice looking. The Letterman isn’t half bad. Everything else (which would surely make up my box) is absolute junk.

    I swear if I ever pull a Lee Evans auto in a post-2004, I will just quit with cards all together. Seriously? Flacco dual with Evans? Not Rice…..Not Boldin……Not Ray Lewis or Ed Reed…….Not Torrey Smith……Heck not even Ngata! That’s just a lazy sticker dump in a mid-level product.

    For the last time, Panini, you sticker dump in lower end product like Rated Rookies or even Threads. Don’t dump in your nicer products. My dog doesn’t even s**t where he eats. He just licks in both places. sorry, bad analogy.

  2. Why the FUCK is this company still in business?! The ‘half card empty with marble-like background’ is a freaking joke. Slab of 1 color jersey in there, check! Just there.. just floating around in the vast abyss of complete lack of caring one fucking bit about your job and collecting a paycheck. Absolutely pathetic.

    Listen, I collect certain players. Troy Aikman happens to be one of them. I got more pissed off by a card than should be normal last week. Somebody’s got an Aikman ‘stickergraph’ card on eBay with the freaking sticker on upside down. Companies who have people working in “Quality Control” (yeah, right) who don’t know an upside down Troy Aikman autograph from a right side up one need to be greeting people at Wal Mart. I’d be ashamed to even admit I work for them if I knew the standards of the Company were on par with making sure you shit in the toilet, not your pants. [/ rant ]

  3. Panini’s cards are not worst designed ever; they are the least creative designs ever! Some of the cards’ designs are okay, while others are simple and boring (Why can’t they be simple and bold instead of simple and boring?). And what is it the diamond edge designs in some of the cards; they feel out of place (diamond edge designs look better on baseball cards). I went to school to become a graphic designer but couldn’t get a job after school. If they hired me, I could easily do a better job. Then again, it’s brainless Panini. So, why bother? I guess you to be a “nini” to work at Panini!

  4. Why not make lettermen a die cut overlay like they do with crown Royale? Seems like this would solve the issue of trying to cram the worlds smallest picture into an already cramped up design. Or just put a regular sized photo on the front and have the back of the card be the letter patch.

    Time and time and time again Panini has insisted on using incomplete cards instead of moving the search box. I have no idea why. I have never heard anyone say they like that look or would buy those cards.

    Its clear Topps is the last quality brand to buy. What the industry needs is competition and this practice will end.

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