Panini Instant - Does Anybody Collect It?

[kdnist]

I've started stumbling on some of these cards on ebay. While I like the idea of new sets on the fly, does the fact that you can just jump in the store and pay for the 1/1 hurt the value of these sets? Wouldn't the idea still be to distribute the cards randomly and say limit each customer to 1 hobby box or X amount of packs since the print runs are so short?

Anyone have a view on this or collect them? I have a card that I actually want, but its pushing $400 on ebay and the guy probably stumbled on it in the panini store and bought it for $150. Also, wouldn't bots be able to snipe all of these in the store as soon as they list?

[JWinn]

I grabbed a few of these as they came out, for Broncos.

I never bought a 1/1 of them, just the base cards at 10 bucks a pop. Plus the first one, Andy Janovich. That one had an orange version numbered to 50 (I think, not in my hand at the moment) for 20 bucks.

The base cards are all pretty rare, most under 100 copies.

They changed the rules on Instant, clearly. At first, they were only going to be offered for a certain time, and if they didnt sell, I assume they didnt make them. But then, as the program progressed, they stopped limiting the time for some of the cards.

The NE Super bowl set was available for about two weeks it seemed, and the end of the season cards seemed to be available for more than 24 hours, or whatever it used to be.

But during the season, those cards were only available for a short time each week, and that was it.

What card interested you?

[kdnist]

Antonio Brown Immaculate Extension from Christmas day.

[JWinn]

Antonio Brown Immaculate Extension from Christmas day.

This card?

https://store.paniniamerica.net/cata...1-december-28/

[kdnist]

This card?

https://store.paniniamerica.net/cata...1-december-28/

Yeah the guy is flipping it on ebay for like $385

[kdnist]

Panini is essentially selling to scalpers. Someone will just buy all the 1/1 and list them immediately on ebay. If the cards are not distributed in packs, then the playing field isn't really even, and its not even really collecting. They already have another "instant" type of product with the black friday, cyber monday, silver, gold packs. Would be nice if they released these types of cards into regular "instant" type releases in pack form.

[pwaldo]

Panini is essentially selling to scalpers. Someone will just buy all the 1/1 and list them immediately on ebay. If the cards are not distributed in packs, then the playing field isn't really even, and its not even really collecting. They already have another "instant" type of product with the black friday, cyber monday, silver, gold packs. Would be nice if they released these types of cards into regular "instant" type releases in pack form.

I'd call them resellers but everything else you said was spot on

[JWinn]

Yeah, it's really no different than what I see here everyday.

Someone buys a box of something they clearly had no real interest in, only to offer the singles up here. Not really collecting, just looking to flip for profit.

The buyers at Panini Instant just paid attention, and were there on Tuesday when the cards became available.

I had the chance to buy this card. I remember being on their website that Tuesday looking to see if any new Broncos were going to be added. I did every Tuesday this last season.

Yeah, there were times when the 1/1 of some cards had already sold. But this was/is a first come first served thing.

If these came in packs, that would defeat the whole purpose of the program. The idea was to give collectors a chance to buy the players they want, and avoid pulling players they had no interest in.

That Flippers also bought some of the cards, just to flip for profit, is part of this game.

In a way, kdnist is lucky. That AB card could have gone to a collector, and never be available again at any price. Had I been an AB collector, and bought that one, he would never even get the chance to buy it now.

However, I feel for him. I find it frustrating how poeple are only in this hobby for profit. Seems these days, there more of those than there are collectors.

Personally, I don't think this card is worth anything near $400.

[kdnist]

Yeah, it's really no different than what I see here everyday.Someone buys a box of something they clearly had no real interest in, only to offer the singles up here. Not really collecting, just looking to flip for profit.The buyers at Panini Instant just paid attention, and were there on Tuesday when the cards became available. I had the chance to buy this card. I remember being on their website that Tuesday looking to see if any new Broncos were going to be added. I did every Tuesday this last season.Yeah, there were times when the 1/1 of some cards had already sold. But this was/is a first come first served thing.If these came in packs, that would defeat the whole purpose of the program. The idea was to give collectors a chance to buy the players they want, and avoid pulling players they had no interest in. That Flippers also bought some of the cards, just to flip for profit, is part of this game.In a way, kdnist is lucky. That AB card could have gone to a collector, and never be available again at any price. Had I been an AB collector, and bought that one, he would never even get the chance to buy it now.However, I feel for him. I find it frustrating how poeple are only in this hobby for profit. Seems these days, there more of those than there are collectors.Personally, I don't think this card is worth anything near $400.

I understand your stance on me being lucky, but in this situation, no collector is lucky to have someone swoop into the Panini online store, and relist the cards immediately on ebay for 2-3X the cost. This is no different than say the latest Nintendo console releases. All of the online sales, are monitored and purchased by bots (computer programs that instantly emulate a real person). Those purchased units are then flipped immediately on ebay. If you beat me to bestbuy at 5AM, fine, you beat me. If you snipe 20 systems online with a computer program, shame on you.

That is why my stance is that these things need to be in packs, or even epacks (if you could open them in the app, and redeem them for a real card). I don't mind if a customer beats me to the LCS and hits the 1/1. I do mind if someone buys them all up instantly in the online store while I'm at work and relists them. There still needs to be some sort of random luck to collecting. Sure a rich person can always throw money at the problem, but the kid who buys 2 or 3 packs with his dad might still hit a monster too.