The photocopy is rarely as sharp as the original. This looks to be the case with Origins as a literal rip off of Topps’ extremely popular Inception product. Now that we are getting more of a preview of the way the rest of the set looks, it becomes extremely concerning just how far they went.
Here is why its concerning.
Panini needs to create a number of new products to fulfill the 31 flavors they promised to the NFL. We all know that Panini’s brand development track record is about as clean as a dilapidated house riddled with squatters, so that is what gets us to this point. To see that they are opting to bite a Topps brand down to the name of the set, shows how little creativity there is to go around over at Panini HQ. They couldnt even think of a way to build a brand on their own. When they do, well, we get garbage like Unrivaled.
Look at them side by side. Hilarious. pic.twitter.com/AvV1qssDNN
— Gellman – SCU/DCC (@SCUncensored) June 10, 2016
Similarly, if Panini is going to need to fill out a calendar to make up for the products the NFL lost from Topps, they are going to need to invest significant resources in their team. They will need more designers, more production, and more autographs. NONE of these things are cheap, and some – like high quality talent for designing trading cards – are like unicorns. We already know Panini hasnt exactly done a bang up job building their design team as it is. Just look at the way Prizm Draft Picks turned out.
When we first saw the cards for Origins being signed, they looked really good. Collectors were interested because the cards had some good looking designs. Considering how much they took directly out of Topps’ bag, this should not be surprising at all. Topps is great at building a loyal following across their brands, and a lot of it has to do with the way their cards look. Panini has yet to come within the same continent in that type of quality. When you see how far their products drop on the secondary market, that type of thing isnt going to help.
The NFL didnt consider anything other than money when assigning an exclusive, and to them, trading cards likely means about as much as a flea on a dog. Sometimes you gotta scratch where it itches, but other than that, completely insignificant. In fact, I would argue that moving to an exclusive shows that they have so little desire to interact with cards, that they just want one entity to deal with. The problem is, they chose the company with an inferior product all the way around. Money talks, and that I get, but we are the ones that suffer.
Origins will sell, but it might be the first set to do so on their calendar. Funny how the ideas that Panini comes up with are slashed in price as soon as possible, but Origins probably will have no issue. Mainly because it isnt theirs. So far, we have had a bunch of sets that have no reason to buy. Lots of stickers, lots of college uniforms, lots of junk that hasnt held in the slightest on the market. Again, based on Panini’s shitty track record, this isnt surprising at all.
They dont have a Father’s Day or Black Friday promotion because things are selling great. They have those promotions because the distributors are stocked full of rotting product that no one wants. If Panini really knew how to design their own brands, not run the presses overtime, or even negotiate a license that doesnt overpay the market by millions, we might have a shot. Of course, all of those things dont apply thanks to Panini’s terrible approach, but I guess thats what happens when Fleer minds take over.
Origins is just the first straw in Panini showcasing how outclassed they are, and I doubt it will be the last. Cant wait to see what product they steal next.
