Bring on Ultimate

[comfortably9numb]

i understand where all of you guys are coming from, while i have not had a problem with either company...i would not be so quick to attack Panini...i think that there is one key point in regards to the redemptions...

UD has had access to many jerseys and autos over the past few years. Now, i am making an assumption here, but i feel its a rather safe assumption...but UD most likely has hundreds of jerseys already for next years products (whither it be no name players or "studs" in the hobby). This most likely gave them an advantage in this years sales in terms of what was already "in house". They were most likely stocking up on sticker autos and GU material in late 2009 for the 2010-2011 products. Heck, they might have thousands of autos ready to go that were signed in the early 2000's still. Panini did not have that luxury...everything they obtained was most likely obtained within the last year at most. I mea, why would you buy material for cards you cannot make (seeing as UD had an exclusive contract)...so i think UD had an advantage in sticker autos and material already being in house....so i wouldn't be so quick to bash Panini....I'm sure with a year under their belt, they will have less redemptions

[max91ess]

Read the full thread not just that part..

https://www.sportscardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1396753

you'll see what people think, i have redeemed so much and got 5..not normal 1 damaged...redemption

I can't wait for Ultimate such a nice product...Same price as limited way more to offer !!

[edthesandwich]

Listen, if Panini comes out and finishes this year spectacularly, with fewer redemptions, more on-card signatures and better collation, I'll happily eat my words. Like many people on here, I was elated to find out they were going to be taking a bite out of Upper Deck's market share, and I was willing to look past certain issues early in this process because every company should expect to have some growing pains.

But we're now into a stretch where one of their premier products (Limited) was riddled with redemption hits. Given that so many people have had issues with customer service, and that the majority of the redemptions themselves have taken a long time to ship (not as long as UD in some cases, but let's judge them on their own merit ... a long time is a long time, no matter who's to blame), why on Earth should anyone see a redemption hit as anything but a kick in the junk?

And I won't get started again on the collation. Let me just say that Panini's response to this issue (paraphrased as "Hey, sorry 'bout all the doubles and triples ... it didn't happen when WE opened a case, so how could we possibly know it would happen to YOU?") is a little too dismissive. Especially when the people who spent the most money on their product (case breakers) ended up having to deal with the most collation-related problems.

Barrie, you're absolutely right. Panini has earned the right to a large sample size. Just as you're willing to back off your unabashed support if the same problems arise in 2011-12, I would be delighted to sing the company's praises if things improve. But for what these card companies are asking in terms of SRP, I demand my money's worth -- and I'm not talking about getting back a certain dollar amount in value. I mean, give me cards, not scratch codes. And if I get a case, I want to be able to finish sets -- not be forced to figure out what to do with eight extra Nick Spaling RCs.

Perhaps if each of the three hockey card producers spent more time perfecting a smaller number of releases, rather than pumping out double-digit sets a year with dollar signs in their eyes, we wouldn't have to have this conversation in the first place. But that's a discussion for another thread.