If there is one thing I absolutely despise about the way Panini’s sets are structured, its the fact that they build the cards backwards. What I mean by this is pretty simple. Panini parallels the hell out of every single insert in just about every single set they put out. They have a base card that has 8 parallels from 1500 to 1, a jersey parallel, a patch parallel, an auto parallel, an auto jersey parallel, and an auto patch parallel. If you believe it, the number of the parallels is only PART of the problem.

The main portion is the fact that Panini doesnt start with the base card and start adding on jerseys and autos until they get to the final parallel, they seemingly start with the jersey auto, and remove elements until they get to the base card. What collectors are left with are base inserts and jersey/patch cards that look incomplete, like someone forgot to finish designing the card. It looks amateurish and stupid, and yet it is done CONSTANTLY every single year.

Topps Rising Rookies is hitting shelves this week, and for the first time, they look like they are starting to employ a similar practice. Although the cards arent as bad looking as some of Panini’s visual abominations, I see a disturbing trend on the horizon if it continues.

Check out these cards:

Reggie Wayne Playmakers Patch Auto – this card also has a jersey parallel and a base parallel from the looks of it.

CJ Spiller Patch Auto Second Year – this card has a patch parallel, an auto parallel, a jumbo patch parallel, and a jumbo auto patch parallel. All look very similar like Panini does, but the patches dont look as incomplete as they do on Panini’s side.

Vincent Brown Rookie Auto – This card has a base parallel as well, although if it were a Panini card, there would probably be a floating swatch somewhere on this card in a ridiculous place.

I sincerely hope that Topps reconsiders this practice for future sets, because it does NOT reflect well on product and checklist quality. Im hoping that we get more products like Five Star out of them and less products like the disgrace that was also known as National Treasures.