Panini done?

[heros88]

As a customer, I'm afraid by a Panini exclusive licensed, just can't believe it, they are the poorest hockey cards in the industry, just don't like the way they work in the hobby in general. What they do in basketball is simply pure pocket digging.

UD have to improve their products, I have also some issues with their fake memorabilia past.

The doors are wide open for others brand, but hockey cards are really sick. Just look to what we have to pay to have some on card autos and it's simply arrogance by the industry. Bowman have 3 on card autos for a hundred in baseball, football and Topps have 2. But the most important, they have on card auto in low-end products. In hockey, the cheapest on card autos licensed product this year is Dominion at 200$.

The customers miss something in hockey, and maybe, it's one of the reason why the industry didn't or sell less hockey cards than the other sports. Hockey have to be cheapest than the other sports. Hockey never gonna be bigger than baseball and football.

[sedinfan]

Attachment 79694

UD's 148 per player is too high, frankly. The thing about it is, this is the only complaint I have with Panini. Other than the ridiculous amount of parallels, I much prefer their cards and sets.

I'm ready to become an exclusive ITG guy though.

Yeah, UD's parallel count is somewhat high - though more than a third of their parallels come from a single set, Artifacts... and from the remainder of their sets it's roughly a half-n-half split of real vs. parallel cards - not great but decent. Personally I don't mind one set a year with some extensive rainbows, especially since Artifacts is usually one of the more attractive sets (nothing worse than scads of parallels in an ugly set).

I'm with you on the ITG front for sure - already excited to do my upcoming Stick Work break, and the One of a Kind sneak peak from the good doctor has me thinking my next break after that is more than likely gonna be ITG Used. While I love some individual cards from the licensed guys, none of their boxes strike me as fun to bust.

[Wickabee]

Yeah, UD's parallel count is somewhat high - though more than a third of their parallels come from a single set, Artifacts... and from the remainder of their sets it's roughly a half-n-half split of real vs. parallel cards - not great but decent. Personally I don't mind one set a year with some extensive rainbows, especially since Artifacts is usually one of the more attractive sets (nothing worse than scads of parallels in an ugly set).

I'm with you on the ITG front for sure - already excited to do my upcoming Stick Work break, and the One of a Kind sneak peak from the good doctor has me thinking my next break after that is more than likely gonna be ITG Used. While I love some individual cards from the licensed guys, none of their boxes strike me as fun to bust.

Yeah, I thought about Artifacts hoisting the majority of that after I posted, and I agree, that's the allure of the Artifacts set for certain and, frankly, I do love the look of a rainbow.

I say I'm going ITG only, but due to budget since my diagnosis, that likely means 1 box. year, which likely means H&P or BTP.

[centrehice]

Most of the collectors that don't get excited about Panini Parallels, were not collectors when Pacific did the same thing. Pacific parallels were and are still beautiful, and ate UD lunches daily.

Pacific fades away and 2 years later so many of you all of a sudden become Hockey Collectors? You started at a time when there was only one manufacturer (Upper Deck), and somehow you feel the right to defend them, when in essence they have not been very generous in providing interesting cards not enough of them based on the price you are paying.

Panini comes along and has parallels that would generate some interest if your schtick was not about protecting Upper Deck for some obscure reason.

I don't get it. I don't bust wax, but I am not a fool. Panini has, and is building cards, that in their base sets designs are far superior to anything UD has ever made, yet they get no support.

The last nicely designed UD card made, was the 99-00 SP Authentic FW Rookie Cards #/2000, prior to that the 97-98 SP base set.

Panini's Prizm this year, and Select are far superior to anything UD has designed in it's history, by a very wide margin. There's room for 5-10 card companies to have licenses, the NHL and NHLPA only shoots itself in the groin for not providing these opportunities, and this decision is out of collector's hands.

[ChuckNorrisFearsS]

I've agreed with a lot of what you've said thus far but this I do not. I think Select on a base level is a sharp set, I really do, but once those stickers go on and the colors start changing I think it makes for some of the ugliest cards on the market. It's just too much going on, too busy, too shiny and reflective for my tastes. If it wasn't for the sticker autos I'd probably feel much differently about that product to be honest. I guess they're trying to compete in a market that is so auto and game-used trained and crazed that they have to follow suit. Unfortunately for me in this instance it doesn't work.

Now I am in NO way a UD supporter. For years I was ITG only and only recently started opening UD/Panini stuff.

Most of the collectors that don't get excited about Panini Parallels, were not collectors when Pacific did the same thing. Pacific parallels were and are still beautiful, and ate UD lunches daily.

Pacific fades away and 2 years later so many of you all of a sudden become Hockey Collectors? You started at a time when there was only one manufacturer (Upper Deck), and somehow you feel the right to defend them, when in essence they have not been very generous in providing interesting cards not enough of them based on the price you are paying.

Panini comes along and has parallels that would generate some interest if your schtick was not about protecting Upper Deck for some obscure reason.

I don't get it. I don't bust wax, but I am not a fool. Panini has, and is building cards, that in their base sets designs are far superior to anything UD has ever made, yet they get no support.

The last nicely designed UD card made, was the 99-00 SP Authentic FW Rookie Cards #/2000, prior to that the 97-98 SP base set.

Panini's Prizm this year, and Select are far superior to anything UD has designed in it's history, by a very wide margin. There's room for 5-10 card companies to have licenses, the NHL and NHLPA only shoots itself in the groin for not providing these opportunities, and this decision is out of collector's hands.

[Topps Gold Label]

I'd welcome a UD exclusive. Their high-end cards (Ice, The Cup, Ultimate) are aesthetically beyond compare.

ITG has nice memorabilia, but their card designs have deteriorated markedly since they last had a license. Moreover, people don't seem to realize how cheap and enjoyable complete game used sticks and other memorabilia are.

Some of Panini's products (Prime, Crown Royale) are nice, but others are uninspired. Every year Dominion's base set is a white background with color images. Nothing distinct (compared with, for instance, the silhouette of the Stanley Cup in 09-10 The Cup or the engraving plate in 05-06).

And please don't compare the worst UD cards with the best ITG or Panini cards. Yes, UD makes some ugly cards, but it makes masterpieces as well that are not approached by the other companies.

[ChuckNorrisFearsS]

I think the more recent Cup products pale in comparison to Dominion. Peerless Patches eat Limited Logos for breakfast!

Their high-end cards (Ice, The Cup, Ultimate) are aesthetically beyond compare.

ITG has nice memorabilia, but their card designs have deteriorated markedly since they last had a license. Moreover, people don't seem to realize how cheap and enjoyable complete game used sticks and other memorabilia are.

Some of Panini's products (Prime, Crown Royale) are nice, but others are uninspired. Every year Dominion's base set is a white background with color images. Nothing distinct (compared with, for instance, the silhouette of the Stanley Cup in 09-10 The Cup or the engraving plate in 05-06).

And please don't compare the worst UD cards with the best ITG or Panini cards. Yes, UD makes some ugly cards, but it makes masterpieces as well that are not approached by the other companies.

[bprice]

I have heard that the deal is done.

Why there has not been an announcement is beyond me.

Some of you will be pleased, other disappointed. ITG is in the latter category.

Brian Price

[Topps Gold Label]

I think the more recent Cup products pale in comparison to Dominion. Peerless Patches eat Limited Logos for breakfast!

I don't completely disagree with you regarding LL/PP. Frankly, I don't care for either.

This, however, is where The Cup is much much better:







Dominion: All white backgroud, signature not well incorporated, image not well incorporated, no distinct design elements, image of player "facing" memorabilia (which I despise...so contrived)
The Cup: beige background with semi-circles that carry across all subsets/inserts, white "mist" that integrates player image into background, absolutely killer photo of player looking straight into camera, patch and auto seemlessly integrated without detracting from player image (and the card is, after all, about a player, not an event-used piece of cloth)

Is there anything wrong with having both options for collectors? Absolutely not. But whether the Dominion card had existed or not, I am going to buy the Cup version.

And to be perfectly clear, I am no UD fanboy. I check Panini's blog every day as well as Dr. Price's posts and wish the best to all of them. I just hope the latter start paying for some top artists/designers.

[Topps Gold Label]

I have heard that the deal is done.

Why there has not been an announcement is beyond me.

Some of you will be pleased, other disappointed. ITG is in the latter category.

Brian Price

Presumably because Panini's late season products would take a massive hit.