Category Archives: Basketball Breaks

Review: 2012-13 Panini Preferred Basketball

  By Sports Card Blog | May 9, 2013 - 4:05 pm | ,
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The NBA Playoffs are here which means the close of the NBA season is approaching. That also means  we are shifting into more of the high end basketball products from Panini sure to make the season even more memorable. Panini Preferred is out again this year, bringing it’s high end mark with “just the hits”. Does it stack up compared to last year? Let’s see what the product brings this year…

Design: 4 and half stars blue

 This design does not have any central theme. It also changed extremely little from the last installment of the product. But it continues to work for a couple reasons. The first is there isn’t a saturation of that design in the product. When you see the same cards over and over again in a product, you don’t want to see the same design next year. It also works because these designs are tweaked very lightly. It isn’t the same exact card, except for maybe Panini’s Choice, but there are small enough changes to keep it interesting. Small tweaks every year in a product like this may be what this product is known for, and I don’t really mind that.

Checklist: 4 stars blue

 The checklist this year is not nearly as good as last time the product came out. The last product was low on rookies because of the restraints and also higher on veterans and retired players. This one had the double rookie class so you knew you were going to get more than one rookie autograph in the product. That said, the names in the booklets are always solid and continuing with a strictly veteran subset is a nice touch. I think it can even out more next year without alll the rookies you need to pack into the product.

Value:

3 and half stars blue  

Right now this product is sitting at $190 over at DA Card World. Because of the abundance of rookies this year in the product, I think it is sitting a little too high for a four hit product. It is a high risk/high reward product. Many people are opposed to product this expensive for no base cards, and I disagree with that. How much are base cards worth anyway on the secondary market? One of the benefits this year was every card, except the booklet, was numbered very low. Like 25 and under low. That was a good thing for my particular box, including the awesome patch autograph. While it may not be a top star, that card would bring in some good money because of the quality of the patch.

Overall: 4 stars blue

 Overall the product took a small step back after the last installment because of the checklist. The double rookie class has taken away from a bit of the content in many products this season if you aren’t totally into just rookie autographs. With that in mind, the designs, while not themed, are still great to look at. The value is mostly dependant on the checklist and what you pull in the box. This is a high risk/high reward product. I think my box would be about average for the product. The low print runs help a bit, but I’ll be happy when the double rookie class thing is done. Then I get to look forward to all the rookie autographs in hockey…

Thanks again to Panini America for providing this box to review. You can find them online on their official site, blog, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.

You can find the checklist of this product over at Cardboard Connection.

Subscribe to us on YouTube and see the video break of this product.

And here’s what we pulled…

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Preview: 2012-13 Panini Momentum Basketball

  By Dan Gladstone | May 6, 2013 - 8:34 pm | ,
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Another Panini Basketball product is on it’s way out, and this time, they bring us 2012-13 Panini Momentum.

2013momentumbk3

The first thing collectors should be looking for in Panini Momentum are the Momentus Rookie Autographs. These cards will feature the best rookies from the 2011 and 2012 drafts. Another autograph set to look for are the Momentum Autographs. This set has a very clean look and will feature some of the leagues most talented players.

A third Autograph set that collectors may find interesting are the Monumental Marks. This set will feature some of the best players from the present as well as the past. It’s also important to note that there will be a 300 base set featuring 85 of the best rookies.

2013momentumbk2

Each box contains 1 pack with 15 cards per pack. In each box, it will contain 5 autograph cards per box.

You can find the product at DA Card World for around $190 when it releases May 15, 2013.

You can also find the checklist on Cardboard Connection and more information on the official Panini America blog.

Review: 2012-13 Panini Basketball

  By Sports Card Blog | May 1, 2013 - 6:43 pm | ,
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Panini is back with their flagship basketball product, a product that features base cards from all of your favorite players in the league in a large set, a number of inserts, and autographs from some of your favorite players. 2012-13 Panini basketball is out now and perfect for set collectors and hit lovers alike. Want to see what is in a box? Check it out below:

Design:

3 and half stars blue

The design of the product looks similar to the former NBA Hoops product from a couple of years ago. Almost too similar. Actually, alot of this product remind me of Hoops. Maybe not the insert designs, but just the feeling of the entire product feels exactly like the other product. I’m not quite sure if that is a good thing. The insert designs are kind of bland to me. One the plus side, I love the use of the Panini Knight in the product. It’s about time he got his due. I also think the game used jersey cards are great in the product with a very generous piece of memorabilia. The addition of foil parallels and die-cuts helps the cause too. I just can’t help but be a bit bored with the design.

Checklist:

4 and half stars blue The checklist on the other hand is solid and very complete. A huge base set means you are going to get just about everyone. With the double rookie class, yeah, that is a lot of players in the product. Rookies, veterans, stars, Hall of Famers, fantastic. The product is going to be loaded with rookie autographs, but that is fine for a lower end product like this. It was nice to get a future Hall of Famer memorabilia card as well.

Value:

4 and half stars blue $60 at DA Card World gives you a product with a couple autographs and some memorabilia. The base set is huge, there are some short print cards, and the hits as well. This product has the value you look for when opening a lower end product and the price should be perfect for just about any type of collector out there.

Overall:

4 stars blue Overall, a solid low end product for Panini. The design needs some variety to it. It looks alot like a product that just came out a couple years ago and it is visually a little bland. But everything else about the product is right up every collector’s alley. Low price, big base set, autographs, game used, short prints, you name it. Continue with this formula for next year, but be a little more creative with the design, and you will have another winner.

Once again, a big thank you goes out to Panini America for providing this box for review. You can find them online on their official site, blog, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.

You can find the full checklist over at Cardboard Connection.

Subscribe to us on YouTube if you like watching box breaks.

Check out some of the cards from our box below:

(Not shown, redemption for Lavoy Allen Rookie Autograph)

Review: 2012-13 Panini Timeless Treasures Basketball

  By Sports Card Blog | February 15, 2013 - 4:19 pm | ,
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Timeless Treasures basketball has arrived featuring the one pack per tin content that many collectors enjoy due to its quick break that yields plenty of hits. The product has returned this year after last year’s lockout and come with a few base cards and three hits per tin. With the double rookie class, there are a ton of great rookies for you to find in the product, with the chance at some solid veteran content as well. Want to see what you can find in a typical box? Here we go:

Design:4 and half stars blue

The design of the product is simple and elegant all around. I have to start by saying that I really enjoy products that come in collectible packaging. Specialized tins and wood boxes are under utilized in the hobby today and provide a collectible that many like to keep to either store cards or display. I received a Kobe Bryant tin and it looks great. Might I make a suggestion to hide the identity of who is on the tin and include rare autographed tins? That may increase the length of time to work on packaging, but wouldn’t a Kobe autographed tin be kinda cool? Other than that, the base design of the product is simple and utilizes foil in all the best ways highlighting exactly what is needed. I also enjoy the acetate rookie autographs where they sign what seems to be a super large sticker. (You can see an example of the super large sticker on a card from my Absolute basketball break.) But overall, sometimes simplistic is best and this product showcases that.

Checklist:4 stars blue

The double rookie class means there are generally more rookies this season, and that is both a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing being that you can get some solid rookies from the past couple of years. The bad thing is there isn’t as much veteran content to fill the product and you can also find some scrub rookies from the past couple of years. It’s a difficult proposition and while it made the product cheaper to produce (most likely) the content isn’t as good as it could have been.

Value:4 stars blue

Right now, you can find the product for $87 at DA Card World which isn’t a bad deal itself. At three hits per box, you have the chance for some decent cards as always. This isn’t really a set building product unless you are building the rookie autographs which are definitely appealing to the eyes. Other than that though, you may end up with 3 rookie hits or a couple and a plain game used card like my box. Most previews and sell sheets say the product guarantees at least one on-card autograph, but that was not the case here and many others I’ve seen. That doesn’t hurt too much, but it would have been nice to have one.

Overall:4 stars blue

Overall, not a terrible product from Panini at all. The product looks nice and I really like the rookie autographs on the acetate and stickers. It would have been nicer to see those directly on the acetate, but the sticker doesn’t look totally bad in it’s place. It’s something that looks even better with the sticker area being cut out as opposed to just a sticker. The checklist is what you’d expect this season, heavy on the rookies, which still needs to be toned down a little. But the value is there at the current price of the product. I’d pick up a tin or two, especially if you like collecting the different player tins as well as the cards. It’s a nice little bonus for collectors.

Once again, a big thanks goes out to Panini America for providing this product to review. You can find them online on their official site, blog, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.

You can also find that full checklist over on Cardboard Connection.

Want to see a video of the break? Subscribe to us on YouTube. Then check out the gallery below.

Review: 2012-13 Panini Absolute Memorabilia Basketball

  By Sports Card Blog | January 24, 2013 - 8:08 am | ,
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A full season of NBA products has Absolute Memorabilia coming to basketball this year, and it features all the things about Absolute that you love. Rookie autographs, sweet memorabilia cards, and other big hits that only this product can bring you. Each box has four packs with each pack containing an autograph or game used memorabilia card. Also included are the Spectrum inserts which you can find nice low numbered cards as well. Let’s see what we pulled.

Design:4 and half stars blue

Designing this year’s Absolute Memorabilia is nothing earth shattering from Panini, but it does have points taken from last year’s Limited product. They share a similar design with foil team colors and similar set up in the layout of the cards. I’m all for the team colors foil, but at least keep it to the same brand. The one thing I like about changing designs is that it keeps a similar theme across one product. For instance, you wouldn’t have a ticket design for anything other than Contenders. Other than that, it is a solid foundation this year. The one thing I found strange was the GIANT sticker used for the Fat Lever autograph. More room for autos is nice, but that would look so much better on card.

Checklist:4 stars blue

The checklist for this product is much better than other Panini products this year as the double rookie class isn’t as prominent compared to other cards you could receive. While I did receive two rookie autographs (one is a redemption), I pulled two other autographs with one from a retired player and one from a current veteran in the league. When I pull current players, I always shed a tear of happiness as the hobby doesn’t have to be so rookie centric.

Value:4 stars blue

The value of the product is one that is hit or miss with this type of product. The one thing I am really impressed with this year was I received four autographs in my box. To me, in a product like this the hits are all about how much ink and how many colors your memorabilia cards are. When you pay as much as you might for this product ($127 at DA Card World) you want to find some value. Four autographs is always good in my book and when only two are rookies, you got my attention. Pretty nice collation in this box, so I hope others are similar.

Overall:4 stars blue

Overall, after missing out on last season of Absolute, Panini has come back with a solid offering for basketball fans this year. The design of the product is nice, despite the similarities to last year’s Panini Limited product. The checklist is improved over other Panini products this year as you aren’t bombarded with the double rookie class and have some decent veteran and retired autographs. The best part, in my opinion, was that I received four autographs in my box. At that kind of price, the more ink the better in my opinion. Good work to Panini on the product this year.

Thanks to Panini America for providing this product for review. You can find them online on their official site, blog, Twitter, and Facebook. Make sure to follow them for awesome giveaways.

You can find the full checklist and more information on Cardboard Connection.

Make sure you Subscribe to us on YouTube to view the breaks and here is what we pulled:

Not shown: Redemption for Jae Crowder RC Auto