I have talked some about Totally Certified lately, especially about how little a product like this is needed in the marketplace. As mentioned before, the quality of the design and the concept of the product is poor at best, and it literally adds nothing to the card season. Considering how many sticker auto products Panini puts out, combined with the other products that Topps puts out, it should be very obvious why these cards sell for peanuts.

Now that its live, the above opinion continues to be reinforced:

2013 Totally Certified Kenny Stills Auto Jumbo Logo Patch /49

2013 Totally Certified Aaron Dobson Auto Jumbo Logo Patch /49

2013 Totally Certified Tyrann Mathieu Auto RC

2013 Totally Certified Eddie Lacy Auto Relic RC

2013 Totally Certified Markus Wheaton Emerald Jumbo Patch Auto /5

Here is something to consider, at least in terms of comparative opportunities to break wax. Next week, Topps Strata comes out, which costs less than 70 dollars a box. You are guaranteed an on card auto relic, and it also includes one of my favorite cards of the year – the Strata Signature relic at one per case. Totally Certified costs 108 per box, and will likely be dropping in cost VERY quickly from what the cards look like.

My question:

Why would anyone choose Totally Certified and poorly designed crap like this?

Why wouldn’t everyone want better cards, at a better price, with only 7 days to wait?

Even if you have the money to spare, its not worth even considering a break of this horseshit, as the best player you can likely pull wont even cover the cost of half the box, let alone a full box. With Strata, the cards look incredible, most of the box hit autos are hard signed, and the case hits are some of the best rookie cards of the year. With every indication that there will be non-rookie strata signatures, wasting your money this week is a BAAAAAAAD idea.

Without a doubt, Strata wont perform the way it did last year, as the class isn’t as strong. However, the SP list will be non-existent, and the odds of pulling a nice auto will be higher. I just cant stress enough how much better it will be, despite the fact that this will be similar to what we got last year. I thought Strata was one of the best new products of the year in 2012, and I expect it to continue to get better. If more Veteran content is included, consider it a first punch knockout.

What we are quickly starting to realize, is that collectors are growing tired of event used rookie relics with sticker autos. With a class that is markedly weaker than previous classes, it makes these challenges even worse. Panini seems to think they can churn out product after product without any tweaks, and somehow they will sell despite no drop in price. Wrong. They may also just be hedging bets until 2014, from what we have seen out of them, although I think that will lose more customers than it is worth. Totally Certified needs the axe, its as simple as that.