When Panini put out the first edition of Plates and Patches last year, there were parts of the set that were absolutely awesome, and many parts of the set that were so bad, I cannot assign an adjective to them. This year, Panini is bringing it back for a second go around, this time with hard signed rookie content, and for the most part, the set looks unchanged in every way. Basically we are continuing to see that the main box hit of the product looks to be in the middle of the spectrum in terms of normal Panini, whereas the rest of it is WELL below even the worst of where Panini has built their brand at the bottom of the design heap.
My main complaint with P&P is the final design around the rookie autographs. There is so little space for the rookies to sign that many of them are forced to squeeze in their signature to space smaller than a sticker would offer. Not only does it look disproportionate, but it has shown that Panini doesn’t know their ass from their elbow when it comes to card construction. Something as small as moving the window up on the design of the card would have provided a balanced design that actually fits into the normal paradigm most collectors assign to hard signed autographs.
Outside of the rookie patch autos, this set is nothing but a metric ton of donkey crap, and that is putting it lightly. There are so few redeeming factors in regards to any of these cards, that it is pretty shocking to say the least. I would expect some type of wow factor in one minor part of the product, but it is so flat and uninspired, that I cannot even say I would buy a single card from it.
Not only is Panini moronically continuing with the use of the white box behind the stickers on every card, but the backwards construction that leads to incomplete looking cards continues for the 250th set in a row. I am convinced as to how little effort Panini puts into conceiving new product ideas each year, and these ones that blur together with the rest of their junk is a perfect example.
Where Precision, Supreme and eventually Five Star succeed is that they offer things that are unique from any other product on the calendar. They are not perfect products, but they present something worth pursuing outside of what has already been released. I want Panini to consider next time they are sitting around the conference table, “is this something that is different from what we have already done?” Im guessing the answer will be a resounding negative, and this is where collectors are continually boredom stricken with the release calendar. It’s a bad situation, and I don’t think there is a plan or a commitment to improve in the football arena. I think people should be very concerned.
Christian Ponder Rookie Patch Auto /199
John Elway Signal Callers Auto /10
If the Elway was hard signed, it would be a decent looking card.
I don’t know if the Vincent Brown is part of the good element from last year group or the ugly design group (or both) but either way, this product looks too much like Crown Royale (and there is no rookie silhouette here).
This product needs to go.
It IS crap for the most part. However, it’s STILL the ONLY place you find someone like Patrick Peterson. I find it criminal that one of THE top draft picks doesn’t have any autos in ANY Topps products! What a joke. I won’t be foolish enough to buy full boxes of any of the Panini crap, but at least I can get a few singles that aren’t your standard cookie cutter rookies!!! Both companies need to pull their heads out of their asses and sign ALL the first round picks at a minimum. Those first rounders should be on card for everything… at least on the premium priced products!!!
Are the path auto’s encased again this year? I liked that aspect of it last year
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