Panini's first year of the NFL card monopoly shows you why competition is good for the collector.
ndleo
Posts: 4,087 ✭✭✭✭✭
Against my better judgement I dipped into a few 2016 Panini products this year. Generally speaking my fears about Panini's monopoly have come true. It is almost like Panini is just putting out product to sell with no strategy. I cannot tell the difference between many of their shiny releases. Plus I don't understand why they still mix college jersey products with NFL product. It is clear they know how to use Photoshop since most of their cards are player photos superimposed on an obnoxious background.
The early season products - Elite and Certified - were not too bad but out of the pack quality, especially for Certified, was bad. Many of the hits I pulled had lifted foil corners and Panini refused to replace them since they considered it "within tolerance". 2016 Donruss is by far the best product of the year and the only 2016 Panini product I can recommend.
I also notice the hits per box are lower. 2016 Prizm Jumbo has 3 autos when it had 4 in previous years. After the 2015 Flawless debacle, I am hesitant in buying any of the higher end products that come out at the end of the season. On the bright side, maybe I can save my money and buy 2015 Topps Chrome FB to reminisce.
Comments
I hate Panini products. I hate they have an exclusive on football. I will probably only collect baseball for new product and grab key rcs of rookies I like in football. I doubt I ever open another football hobby box going forward.
djr - That video made me laugh until I had to cry.
Stiffler, that is the funniest video I've seen in a while. Hilarious. You ought to put that up on it's own. ROTFLMFAO. I'm going to watch it again.
Collecting Unopened from '72-'83; mostly BBCE certified boxes/cases/racks.
Prefer to buy in bulk.
Panini products are garbage and I have refused to buy any products from them for a few years now. Their customer service is terrible and I won't even get into their redemption problems. One of the worst things the NFL has done, among many.
Every league has an exclusive so apparently they go with what's easiest for them versus what's best for us
Does anyone know how long the current exclusive contract lasts?
That is true. For baseball card collectors - How do you think Topps has handled the baseball monopoly?
I kind of liked the Elite, then the others came out and it was virtually the same set in every one of them. I built the Ezekiel Elliot rainbow and stopped there with it
I'm old school. Stayed pretty much with Topps,UD,Fleer through these many years. Am more apt to buy older boxes of these brands. Even the cheap stock. Have not bought one Paninni product. Probably only will if/when way below initial price.
I believe the current Panini/NFL contract is 10 years.
I think the Panini NFL and NFLPA license is through 2020 based on what I read. The terms weren't fully release so it could be longer. The NFLPA license move was a nice FU to Topps since it pretty much prevented going to logo-free designs. The Topps Translucent flop shows that you need to at least have the player name on the card.
Panini had to pay huge min guarantees, so they will need to move product just to pay the NFL. This is starting to look like another money grab by the NFL. I have a feeling this will not work out well for Panini.
I just have to comment again. Maybe it's just me, because I haven't gotton out of my cave in a long time, but DJR's vidoe link above is off the charts funny.
Collecting Unopened from '72-'83; mostly BBCE certified boxes/cases/racks.
Prefer to buy in bulk.
i like Prizm, but man its on fire this year!
WTB: PSA 1 - PSA 3 Centered, High Eye Appeal 1950's Mantle
I have seen that video used in other places and it is always a riot!