Is Panini Threads The Start of a Rehash Downfall?

I thought things were a changin’, I thought that Panini had finally made a push in the right directions by starting to avoid some of the major design problems that the last 2-3 years of their cards have had. Then I saw the preview for threads yesterday, and all of that promise and hope deflated like the soccer excitement in this country after Saturday.

On top of the fact that these cards look terrible to begin with, they have changed VERY little since 2009’s offerings. We still have the same design for the main rookie hits, and most of the subsets are so boring that I had to drink a red bull to stay awake while looking at them. That’s not the scary thing though, it gets much, much scarier.

Last year, National Treasures was a 400 dollar box of Threads to begin with, featuring the worst looking product since its inception in 2006. What used to look like aged relic of the past, instead looked like half the shit out of Threads, minus the foilboard. That will not ever fly with me, and if this set is any indication of things to come, we are looking at ANOTHER down year of National Treasures. I was hoping that Panini would learn that you cant just rehash every single part of previous sets and not expect people to notice, but I assume as soon as we get the Absolute Preview, its going to be more of the same ole shit.

This is where the consumers really need to speak up, but with a lack of licensed product from the company known for producing the best looking cards, they may not be able to have that luxury. Then when you consider that so far, Chrome and Flagship are the only products out of Topps’ lineup worth being excited for, it may be a full year’s worth of boredom on the horizon.

For shame Panini, for shame.






First Look: 2009 Donruss Threads Football

Threads football has been posted, and it doesnt look much different from the last incarnation of threads. The good this is that instead of taking the all white approach and then chroming the hell out of the autos, they at least gave it some black to offset that obvious flaw from last year.

The letters, always a focus of this set, havent changed much, and they look good as usual. The rookie collection cards, which act as the true RCs from this set (if you care to define a card by outdated lingo), look pretty much identical to last year.

Basically, if you love threads, you wont hate this set. Dont rock the boat or anything Donini, Right?

(Click To Enlarge)

Update: April Box Buster’s Club

So slowly the results are trickling in. There should be 4 hits out there to those who received the random Threads packs for slots that did not get anything from the National Treasures.

So far 3 have been reported. Meaning there is 1 more out there (unless it was a hot box and that means there could be more).

Here are the results so far:

HCC- Curtis Lofton Auto /299
Voluntarheel- Danny White GU Jersey (Century Legends)

and Bdavid got this beauty:

One more hit is out there.

****UPDATE**** I think we had a hot box folks. So far here are the results

Lofton Auto
Ryan Auto
White Jersey
Mendenhall Jersey
Edwards Jersey

Monthly Box Break Club: April Showers (FULL)

***TEAM RANDOMIZATION COMING TONIGHT AROUND 10 P.M. Central Time***

Schedule: Tonight by 10 p.m. Team Randomization
Trades Open: Until Saturday at 10 p.m. central time
Break w/video post & scans: Sunday Afternoon by 6 p.m. central time

April Showers usually indicate May Flowers, but in this case they equal fun little bonuses. Nothing has baffled me more than the fluctuating prices of National Treasures for all years over the past few months. One month some are between $220-240 and then bam two weeks later they are $330 or almost $400. Well we caught a down swing and I couldn’t pass it up for us, so for April we will be doing (2) Boxes of 2007 National Treasures with an added bonus.

***Added Bonus: Along with the two boxes of 2007 National Treasures will be one box of 2008 Donruss Threads. All those slots which do not get a “hit” from the National Treasures will get a pack from the 08 Threads Box (so everyone gets something for their money). So say only 9 teams are represented by the “hits” from NT, then that would mean 23 packs of the Threads box would be divided between the 23 non-hit slots. The extra packs will be broken on video and any “hits” would be given to the teams owned in the break.***

As usual slots are reserved for those participating the month before and they have until March 31st to get their payments in to keep their reservation. On April 1st any slots not paid for will be available on a first come, first served basis. Details below:

(1) (2) Boxes of 2007 National Treasures (with added Bonus Packs described above from (1) Box of 08 Threads)
(2) $15 per slot
(3) Slot = 1 random team (assigned via video of random.org)
(4) Payments sent to: justin.halbersma@gmail.com (via paypal)—**Make sure to include address and handle/screenname**
(5) Until April 1st only those people listed below should send payment. On April 1st (or before if someone says they are passing) slots can be paid for on a first come, first served basis.
(6) Once break is completely full, teams will be assigned and can be traded the next two days between participants.
(7) Break as usual will be videotaped and posted on here and youtube (and as usual everything is done on camera from opening boxes to pack to showing cards)

Hopefully this one will yield some nice rookies along with some nice veteran/legend cards.

1. Holy Hitter (paid)
2. wheeler (paid)
3. kickstand (paid)
4. houstoncardcollector (paid)
5. Wheeler (paid)
6. bdavid (paid)
7. cardman312 (paid)
8. I Am Joe Collector (paid)
9. I Am Joe Collector (paid)
10. scubasteve (paid)
11. scubasteve (paid)
12. Psad21 (paid)
13. Psad21 (paid)
14. Holy Hitter (paid)
15. kickstand (paid)
16. Groat (paid)
17. Groat (paid)
18. scubasteve (paid)
19. arfmax (paid)
20. arfmax (paid)
21. fatcat4262 (paid)
22. fatcat4262 (paid)
23. darkship (paid)
24. darkship (paid)
25. whitesoxcat(paid)
26. whitesoxcat(paid)
27. sonic (paid)
28. sonic (paid)
29. voluntarheel (paid)
30. voluntarheel (paid)
31. darkship (paid)
32. wheeler (paid)