Panini Holding Less Value?

[JWinn]

Of course of a site like this you will see both collectors and flippers. I am both really. I love adding to my pc of Chris Paul whenever I can get something... But I often flip cards to provide the funds to add to me PC. I hope that makes sense.

The basketball card industry is just that an industry. They wouldn't make cards if it was for a profit, so I find it hard to get on people if they buy and sell cards for a profit. It is just like any other job. No one would be upset if cars company bought a used car and then sold it for less. Makes no sense at all. :)

That being said the hobby especially in basketball is in a lull. I have much easier time when I am in the football forum even though I own 85% basketball.

Hopefully with this great season and hopefully more to come the hobby will rebound :)

That's my two cents

Just wanna say I in no way mean to bash flippers. They make it possible for me to buy great cards that my LS would want a small fortune for.

I JUST paid $2.85 for three Bronco cards on ebay that my shop would have wanted at least 20 bucks for, easily. Got me a Rod Smith finest gold refractor/50 that he would have had a $15 tag on. He wold have given me a deal, but t=not that good, lol.

I totally understand parting with cards you don't want for cards you do. Of course! My buddy does it all the time, almost weekly at the shop, and he's built an amazing Yankee collection.

Being IN Denver though has it's drawbacks. I went to a trade night once, and found lots of really nice Bronco cards. Unfortunately, everyone wanted my Emmitt/Barry/Montana/Favre cards in exchange for an Ashley Lelie. (That's how long ago it was.)

Well, THAT'S not gonna happen.... haha

I should be able to better here. I just haven't pulled the trigger to start trading. My 1 feedback was from a purchase.

Sorry I am football, in the Basketball section, but I feel this is a hobby problem not limited to just one sport.

[bdoody42]

Just wanna say I in no way mean to bash flippers. They make it possible for me to buy great cards that my LS would want a small fortune for.

I JUST paid $2.85 for three Bronco cards on ebay that my shop would have wanted at least 20 bucks for, easily. Got me a Rod Smith finest gold refractor/50 that he would have had a $15 tag on. He wold have given me a deal, but t=not that good, lol.

I totally understand parting with cards you don't want for cards you do. Of course! My buddy does it all the time, almost weekly at the shop, and he's built an amazing Yankee collection.

Being IN Denver though has it's drawbacks. I went to a trade night once, and found lots of really nice Bronco cards. Unfortunately, everyone wanted my Emmitt/Barry/Montana/Favre cards in exchange for an Ashley Lelie. (That's how long ago it was.)

Well, THAT'S not gonna happen.... haha

I should be able to better here. I just haven't pulled the trigger to start trading. My 1 feedback was from a purchase.

Sorry I am football, in the Basketball section, but I feel this is a hobby problem not limited to just one sport.

It was a little over a year ago here that I had just started and I was also nervous. Since I have decided to jump in I have 128 trades in 13 months.

For What reasons do you have the anxiety?

[JWinn]

It was a little over a year ago here that I had just started and I was also nervous. Since I have decided to jump in I have 128 trades in 13 months.

For What reasons do you have the anxiety?

It's not really anxiety.

I am strictly a football collector, but I have a small collection of other sports, entertainment, etc.

For me, it's about collecting. And not just my team, which of course is my focus, but the league as a whole. As a long time season ticket holder, I have come to appreciate all the players, even the visitors.

I don't specifically collect Brett Favre for example. But I have seen him play a few times. So when I pull one, I am just as happy with it as I am a Bronco. Well, maybe not quite as happy, lol.

Understand?

I have books for a few dozen players, and I treasure them all. I just don't want to part with any of them.

I am a collector. The end of the line. When a card comes to me, it's out of circulation.

Would you believe, I have all my Becketts still since I first found one at a hobby shop 20 years ago? Two shelves of Tuff Stuff. Even still have my old Sports Cards mags.

I can't bring myself to part with any of it.

My wife hates it......

[bdoody42]

It's not really anxiety.

I am strictly a football collector, but I have a small collection of other sports, entertainment, etc.

For me, it's about collecting. And not just my team, which of course is my focus, but the league as a whole. As a long time season ticket holder, I have come to appreciate all the players, even the visitors.

I don't specifically collect Brett Favre for example. But I have seen him play a few times. So when I pull one, I am just as happy with it as I am a Bronco. Well, maybe not quite as happy, lol.

Understand?


I have books for a few dozen players, and I treasure them all. I just don't want to part with any of them.

I am a collector. The end of the line. When a card comes to me, it's out of circulation.

Would you believe, I have all my Becketts still since I first found one at a hobby shop 20 years ago? Two shelves of Tuff Stuff. Even still have my old Sports Cards mags.

I can't bring myself to part with any of it.

My wife hates it......

My fiancee would kill me if I kept everything that I have pulled. I can understand your willingness to keep everything but I myself would not have the space currently.

The variety Of people on this site is what I think makes it great.

[rockchalk]

Having been back in the hobby now for about 3 months I will say that it is definitely a lot different than what it was in the early to mid 90s. At first, I thought it would be a great way to just develop my interest of college and NBA basketball, as my other hobby is doing air and armor model kits.

I learned about 1 1/2 months into the hobby that buying packs and boxes was just a sink, because I never got players I was interested in or anything I could trade with. The other thing is that some players have 100 plus rookie cards with all the variations and different offerings. I have spent a small fortune it seems just to get my collection going and get decent rookie cards and autos for players I like, none of which are star players - the exception being Pierce and Chalmers who I have few cards of.

I find this discouraging especially since as a kid I remember having all of Shaq, Majerle, Kevin Johnson and others cards, when have base cards was the norms.

I find that LS might have some decent cards, but typically I found that I can get things cheaper online - this site has been a great way for me to add to my collection. Even though I am buy for my collection and not to flip - I feel as though a lot of people are trying to flip and think I am flipping.

That said, I have actually started collecting older cards from the 60s and 70s.

Anyways my 2 cents . . .

[Kadamscards]

Why don't people stop buying panini?? It is no good if you want to make money. I don't even think it's great to collect....Why don't they ever put out a deep set including the whole teams roster. It would make the star players cards harder to pull and worth more. Instead you can pull multiple cards of star players rendering them worthless to sell. Also the hit's--gu auto's are usually kinda crappy...and if the player is half decent it won't sell for much anyway....
Now Im reading the Kobe's auto's are barely paying for the box....GEEEEZZZZ...kinda glad I just bought a couple baseball boxes...I'm wicked bummed out with basketball

btw... I like the studio because it seemed like the first time there were random legends, not the same old superstars, but some mid level stars..etc.. I could be wrong...but I saw Hornacek and was pumped

[JWinn]

The variety Of people on this site is what I think makes it great.

Totally agree! I have learned so much since I joined here. All the different people, and the different ways they go about the hobby.

Just wish I had found this place years ago.

[bdoody42]

Why don't people stop buying panini?? It is no good if you want to make money. I don't even think it's great to collect....Why don't they ever put out a deep set including the whole teams roster. It would make the star players cards harder to pull and worth more. Instead you can pull multiple cards of star players rendering them worthless to sell. Also the hit's--gu auto's are usually kinda crappy...and if the player is half decent it won't sell for much anyway....
Now Im reading the Kobe's auto's are barely paying for the box....GEEEEZZZZ...kinda glad I just bought a couple baseball boxes...I'm wicked bummed out with basketball

btw... I like the studio because it seemed like the first time there were random legends, not the same old superstars, but some mid level stars..etc.. I could be wrong...but I saw Hornacek and was pumped

I myself pulled a Hornacek auto number to 10 in elite Blake box.

If your looking for a product with a deep base set Hoops is your best bet. I think panini is starting to listen to it's customers and past and present has a huge amount of autos of retired players who have either never signed autos or barely ever have.

Also if you don't think buying boxes is a good investment try buying the singles of what you like. I personally wish people would just deal with the panini cards we have at the time because that is basically what it is...I just make the best of it. :)

[JWinn]

Why don't people stop buying panini??

Because the cards are pretty nice. Like before, when they were Playoff. They made some of the best cards.

It's hard to think about the flood of product that already exists, and the flood that is to come, when staring at a really nice National Treasures card you just gotta have. You forget about all that, and even the fact that there's 5 parallels of the the same card.

Collectors are consumers, the worst kind. Panini plays on that. Smart Italians.

[BigAl_83]

I agree with a lot being said here. Panini has made a little to much $90-$130 products (Threads, R&S, Classics, Crown Royale, Prestige, Timeless, Absolute, Elite etc).

But i think one of the problems is also that products live and die by a good rookie class. In todays sports card collecting in general it is mostly about the rookie autos. Star/HOF/Superstar autos have just become a secondary.
With the exception of LeBron, Jordan an Durant (for basketball). And that is where Panini's problem kicks in, they only have one of those three (Durant). We wouldnt be having this discussion if you could pull Jordan or LeBron autos from Panini products.

But as much as it is Panini's fault, i also feel Upper Deck is much to blame for this. "If we cant win, they cant win". Best value can only be had from the best player in basketball, Michael Jordan. There hasnt been a NBA licenced Jordan card in 3 years (not even base)!! It has become a prestige battle between card companies, and us collectors are stuck in the middle!

I really think Panini is trying to get better, last year signing Durant as an exclusive. This year adding Chris Paul. They already have a great line-up of players with Bird, Magic, Pippen, Russell, Oscar, Dr.J, Stockton, David Robinson, Kobe, Shaq, Durant, Blake, Wall, Mourning, Rodman, Rose, Jabbar, Olajuwon etc.
But they also have really tried hard to get players that havent signed much stuff like Nowitzki, Oakley, Worthy, Mitch Richmond, Pat Riley, Kukoc, Mutombo, McHale heck even Phil Jackson coach autos!

I think the Panini autograph line-up is outstanding (only a few missing players that have not or will not sign anyway: Barkley, Miller, Ewing, K.Malone).

But with no chance of getting a Heat uni Lebron auto or Bulls uni Jordan auto, a lot of people have lost interest in card collecting and breaking boxes in particular.
I just hope that one day we will be able to get some new Jordan Bulls stuff and LeBron Heat stuff, that would revitalize basketball card collecting.