I don't know why, but I watch a lot of card-related youtube videos. Especially from the card companies and Beckett. It's torturous, I know. But only in this way can you see what they really think of the consumer. For example, when they go on and on in this video showing the "Quality Control" of the new National Treasures release coming out, I can tell that Panini doesn't think much of the quality the end user gets at all.
Let me state that this release is SRP $400. For 8 cards a pack. $400 for 8 cards.
And the Panini people go on and on about how this is the premier release of football. Well, Panini themselves put this quote in the video description:
"True to its name, National Treasures isn't so much a trading card set as it is a bona fide national collecting treasure."
So that's good. 8 cards for $400. Collecting treasure. Yadda yadda yadda.
Oh, it's got sticker autos. In fact, in the video where Panini busts a case to look for chipped cards and other errors, they pulled a Mark Sanchez auto - with the sticker upside down. But Panini didn't catch it, a comment from a viewer caught it. Probably a Mark Sanchez collector who knew right off the bat it was wrong. I'm the same way with Batum. I know his signature.
So above you can see a good Sanchez auto, and a snippet I got of the one that's upside down. Now Panini will fix it, sure. But really, what are they going to do about the other autos that are upside down that they don't know about? Well, if there's one found in a box, I imagine that a buyer would send it in and Panini would make a new card. Because that's what you do with sticker autos - you just peel another one off the sheet and slap it on there.
But what does Panini think about you, the collector, if they really try to sell you a 'collecting treasure' with sticker autos that sells for $400 a box? Not much.
I have to admit, I feel perfectly justified to write this right now. I know what my budget is for my hobby, and I know how picky I am with how I use it. I know that when I'm done collecting, I want my collection to be something real, tangible and most importantly, worthy of being called a collection. The fact that the company would spin a PR campaign telling me how good this product is is a joke. Sticker autos....I'll just never understand how a sticker that is bound for a general release and a sticker bound for a "upper-tier" release can have such a price disparity.
And because I don't accept free boxes (thanks again to Fuji for opening my eyes to that) I have found that I have great potential for free speech regarding my beloved hobby. Charging a consumer that much money for stickers is a sham. People need to wake up to that.
So Panini made a great video saying it's a bona fide collecting treasure. I can't wait to see how Beckett talks it up when they get their free boxes.
8 comments:
I do agree that the "True to its name, National Treasures isn't so much a trading card set as it is a bona fide national collecting treasure." comment is more than a bit of an over statement and that $400 for a product that has sticker auto's is outrageous, but Panini has made strides in the past year.
More of their products are featuring on-card auto's. I'm not saying Panini or any card company is perfect. Last year's National Treasure basketball was a big disappointment (with the exception of the RC auto's which featured on-card auto's and larger patches), however, products like last years Panini Classics and Hall of Fame featured on-card auto's of RC's and legit legends.
I think the problem has less to do with an inditement on Panini itself, although they are not perfect, and more to do with the National Treasures line. It's time for a total revamp of the product and it's philosophy.
Lol... I would have never caught the upside down Sanchez autograph... but I'm glad someone did. I left a comment on the video asking if they had a plan in place to fix the issue. Hopefully, they'll approve the comment and leave a response.
This stuff is way too rich for my blood... but if I were able to drop $400 on a box and I pulled a sticker autograph... I'd be disappointed. For some reason, I thought they fixed this issue with sticker autos in National Treasures a few years back... guess I was wrong.
If Topps can secure on-card autographs for their Five Star Football product, then Panini should be able to too.
I understand that stickers make it more feasible for manufacturers to get players 'graphs on cards in a more timely manner... thus avoiding redemption cards. However... when a company is releasing a 2010 product in March 2011... you kind of expect that they've had enough time to manage their checklist and obtain all of their autographs (on-card).
In a way, I'm kind of glad I can't afford these cards. There's less room for disappointment. I'll stick to busting $40 box of UD Masterpieces... where my expectations aren't so high. Oh wait... that product has on-card autographs... LOL.
Charles,
I do think this is an indictment on Panini though. True, they can do a good looking product with on card autos. I loved Classics from last year. It shows they are capable. But how are they going to reserve sticker autos for their high-end stuff?
It just shows that they want to put out high end product with minimal effort. It is HARD and EXPENSIVE to get on card autos. But for $400 a pack - it has to be that way. And again, to their discredit, they post a video with and upside down sticker on it. And they DIDN'T catch the upside down sticker in their own "quality control" video.
Basically, if somebody hadn't have commented on it, I doubt they would've noticed at all.
Fuji,
I'm glad I can't afford it either. To me it's like an Eddie Bauer wattle bottle. It's holds the same water as the bottle right next to it at Target, but you basically pay for the name alone.
Sticker autos in a $400 pack? It still boggles my mind.
Saw of Offy's blog that you were interested in collecting Peavy's.
I have a refractor available from 2010 Chrome, the Chichle insert.
Check it out here:
http://tomahawkchopping.blogspot.com/2011/02/trade-bait-lets-make-deal.html
I don't really have a problem with sticker autos in general, but you're right, on a $400 box, they really need to be on card or don't bother.
Not that it really matters. I wouldn't spend $400 on a box even if they were full of relic cards with locks of Tom Brady's beautiful, full, luscious, flowing Bieber mane.
What? I said I WOULDN'T. Why is that wierd.
TJ,
Can you imagine for one second what a card with Tom Brady's hair WOULD sell for? It would be staggering I'm sure.
Much more than whatever Abe Lincoln's hair sold for back in the day. Just guessing.
And if you read your comment, you have the words 'beautiful', 'luscious', 'Bieber' and 'Brady' in the same sentence. I don't care how you mix and match those words - that's a weird sentence.
@ G, I totally agree with you on the sticker auto's in a $400 box. Unacceptable!!! And the upside down sticker thing is also unacceptable.
It was the Bieber comment that put it over the top wasn't it?
Post a Comment