These days, I feel like I start off every post with a diatribe about how much I have hated Panini’s 2011 calendar. Its as tiring for me to write it as I am sure it is for you to read it. However, with their constant disregard for well conceived products, its a given. Maybe I should just put a disclaimer on every Panini post.

Prime Signatures was QC’ed on Panini’s blog yesterday, and we got a closer look as to what the set is going to be. For the most part, it is card after card that all looks exactly the same, with very little deviation from the base design. Normally I am a huge fan of the signed base card, but not when its the entire set. This product offers some awesome looking base autographs, very much like other products created in similar fashions, but there is nothing else.

I would even go so far as saying that the on card autographs of the rookies are some of Panini’s best this year, behind cards like the Crown Royale die cut patch autographs. Other than that, this set is a huge sticker dump, something that Topps has already tried with 2011 Precision, released almost 3 months ago. The difference with Precision is that it offered the same per pack content at 20 dollars cheaper, and also offered patch autographs and other cards that made the product seem deeper. Like Prime Signatures, it was a sticker dump that had some amazing looking on card rookie content, but the extra money paid for this product without the depth, will be heavily detrimental to the product’s success.

Check out some of the awesome cards that made Precision worth a try. I dont think Panini is going to have success like this:

Jake Locker White Ink On Card Auto

Andy Dalton Red Ink Auto

Jake Locker / Blaine Gabbert Dual Patch Auto Booklet

Demarco Murray / Mark Ingram plus 6 others octograph booklet

Lack of product depth, combined with the fact that National Treasures will be out next week, leads me to believe that Panini was really playing softball with Prime Signatures. Its almost april for God’s sake, and that is not a good situation. I get that Panini is trying to make football cards a year round thing, but its not going to work when the draft is less than a month away. Its like trying to release a 2011 car model when the 2012s are being off loaded in the parking lot next door.

Here is the way it is going to play out, with collectors opening pack after pack:

“Hmm, ill try a box of that new Panini stuff, please. It looked cool on their blog. 60 bucks aint much…”

“Okay, base, base, base, and my auto is…. Joe Lefeged? What the hell?”

“Give me another box, this cant be right. It cant be a product with this crap as my only hit.”

“Base, base, base, and…… Jeremy Kerley? Seriously. This is shit, im not paying for these.”

Here is a preview of the checklist, I laughed a bit:

Sports Card Radio Prime Signatures Preview/Checklist

Regardless, the rookie autos do look really cool, and I think I might buy a few singles. Other than that, I dont think I can advise using someone else’s money to buy this crap in pack form.