Panini knows how to put the “fun” in….collecting. Okay, that may not have worked out so well but it’s definitely true. I’ve been saying for almost as long as this blog has been alive that Panini puts out the best low-end offerings of any company out there. Their Score line in football and hockey are great and the newly redone version of Hoops is great as well. Triple Play adds that baseball product that anyone can collect and does it well.
This may scare young children.
Panini Triple Play is another product brought back from the dead. I remember collecting the old school Triple Play as a kid but this version is a lot different. First, this product is 99 cents per pack, so both kids with allowance to spend or really big kids like me with some change can pick up packs of this product.
While the base set is kind of small at 90 cards, it’s something new and interesting with every card done with illustrations. It makes every player look like comic book characters but every illustration shows some personality.
Who's was this?
The insert subsets in this product are fun and educational at the same time. From the actual Eye Black that you can peel off the card and wear to the Baseball 101 and Hall of Fame inserts, you can learn about the rules and the history of the game. This product also introduces game used materials cards if you’re a new collector by including a piece of a game used bat embedded into a card. While it doesn’t say who it’s from (which I think it should), it provides a glimpse into how these cards are made.
At 24 packs per box and for 99 cents per pack, it’s a great starter product for new collectors, young collectors, or young people at heart who just love collecting. Definitely fun and definitely affordable.
You can find out more from the official Panini blog.
The basic structure of the set at 350 cards, minis, and paper parallel inserts is just about the same. You’ll get just about everything that appeared in last year’s product once again, including some new hits. Every box will contain 4 hits at 2 autographed and 2 game used relics per box.
Some new inclusions in the “hit” realm are patch cards and 1887 Indian head pennies embedded into the cards. I know I’ve given Topps flak for embedding coins into cards but I like the 1887 pennies in here. Also included is the “Gypsy Kings” insert set, kind of mirrored off the “Gypsy Queens” from last year. These “Gypsy Kings” are a fictional 1887 team with “autographs” and “relics”. Again, if these count as one of my hits when opening this product I would be pissed.
Featuring 100 players and each card a 1 of 1, there will be quite a few to chase after from some of the top players who have ever played the game…and Nick Swisher. Here are the 100 names:
For all intents and purposes, I call 
