The national convention continues to be one of the largest gatherings of collectors each and every year. This past year, Panini tried something different for their top customers, inviting them to what looked like an absolutely amazing event. This VIP party had autograph signers, prizes and all sorts of fun stuff. It also had special packs that were given to the attendees, and the cards are just starting to show up on eBay.

Here are some of the bigger ones:

2012 National Convention VIP Kyrie Irving Auto RC – Ridiculous price.

2012 National Convention VIP Robert Griffin III Auto Score 1/1

2012 National Convention VIP Anthony Davis 1/1 RC Base Card

2012 National Convention VIP Andrew Luck Auto RC 1/1

2012 National Convention VIP Anthony Davis Sketch Card Auto 1/1

2012 National Convention VIP Peyton Manning Prestige Broncos 1/1 Cracked Ice – Ahhh, so this is where those cards went.

Aside from the crazy amount of big hits that are available in these packs, there are an absolute ton of 1/1s, unique giveaways, and all kinds of content that wasnt available in the normal wrapper redemption packs given to attendees of the show. The hits span football, basketball, baseball and hockey, and have gotten a lot of attention over the last few weeks as the collectors receive and open their packs. I have yet to see any sealed packs come up for sale, but that might be deliberate.

If there is one thing Panini does well, its giveaways. They will be having their third consecutive black friday giveaway this year, and they deserve a ton of credit for thinking of creative ways to engage their customers. I may hate a lot of the work they do in terms of design and content, but I will never complain about giveaways in which free stuff is given out to deserving people.

As these cards become more and more available, the pricing tends to drop, but its still worth taking a look. Black Friday packs are EXTREMELY popular to the point where Panini can sell awful products at regular price, just so people can have a shot at them. These typs of packs seem to be a great way of gaining traction in an industry where they seem to be outgunned in product quality, and that I give them a tip of my hat.