Right now, we are coming up on the end of the NFL season, and with the end of the NFL season, we will also be approaching the end of the 2010 card season as well. There are still QUITE a few big products on the horizon, and for each of those products, there will be cards to save your money for. The question is, which ones should you wait for and which ones should you not? Here is my take:

National Treasures Rookie Patch Auto

Im not going to lie, because of past fails in the execution of the NT patch auto sigs, im not sure how these will turn out. However, if they do end up being produced correctly, they will be great looking cards to chase for your 2010 rookie class targets. The patches are big, the autos are hard signed, and the design is clean and simple. Cross your fingers.

Contenders Rookie Ticket Auto

I was VERY excited for these cards when it looked like they had gotten the design right, but now that they are being done on the fairy princess rainbow foil, my excitement level has dropped considerably. They still could turn out okay, but im not one who is going to hold my breath. The design for these cards is the best its been in years, but rolling them out on foil is detremental to the way they look.

Topps Five Star Rookie Patch Autograph

These could end up being booklets, but from what I have seen in the previews, the base rookie patch autos look to be single cards, hard signed and VERY well designed. The set, minus the excess amounts of booklets, has a very exquisite like feel to it, which is something that I have been missing ALL YEAR LONG. The problem is that the last time Topps did a set like this, it was the worst super high end product ever produced. For that reason alone, I have to wait to see the final rendition of these cards.

Topps Supreme Rookie Patch Autograph

I think this whole product is the bastard child of 2009 Exquisite and Triple Threads. Sticker autos, overly busy design, borders on everything, its terrible. This product will be structured very much like Limited was this year, but I don’t think it will be worth your time to wait, especially when Five Star is being released so soon after it.

SP Authentic NCAA Rookie Patch Auto

I really love the design of these cards, but its still not set in stone when these will even be released. Upper Deck has already cancelled Ultimate football, so its safe to say that this may be the only other UD product to be released this year. If that’s the case, these cards had better live up to the expectations set by the previews, bottom line. UD has been in trouble ever since they lost all of their big licenses, but luckily for them, their design has not stumbled one bit. Hopefully we get to see these live, but I don’t think they will pack the same punch without NFL jerseys on them.

Gridiron Gear Hidden Gems Auto

People love these cards, and in some cases they may be thinking similarly to the way I do. However, these cards, like the rest of the stuff Panini has put out this year, is just rehashed and unoriginal BS, and it takes the fun out of it. I think that if you are extremely bored and have nothing else to buy, it may be worth your time to bust a few packs. But considering how many of the autos in GG will most likely be redemptions because of the EPIC fail that Panini has had in gathering their stickers, why bother?

My Future Purchases (in order)

1. Topps Five Star Rookie/Veteran Autos
2. National Treasures Rookie/Veteran Autos
3. Contenders Ticket Autos (depending on foil)
4. SP Authentic Rookie Autos (depending on release)

Basically, this year has been quite the disappointment with few exceptions. The end of the calendar will hinge on the success of the blockbuster big daddy cash cows, and hopefully they really bring the beef. If Five Star flops, and National Treasures ends up being typical Panini crap that is paralleled to kingdom come, we may have major issues. Football may not even happen next year, and these products may need to hold their own longer than originally expected. That being said, we need a big finish to secure collector happiness, especially when there are so many questions for 2011.