NT this year - 2 things that annoy me

[SacGWYNN19]

1. Why are there so many player worn relics for vets and retired players?

2. I've noticed, more than once, that the rookie book name plate auto has a letter as the patch that isn't in the players last name. You have to work really hard to suck that bad - #paninifail

[Siberian13]

Just the way it is now. Will only get worse. Don't forget to collect the 7 different types of 1/1's of the exact card too.

Curious to what happened when the housing market bubble popped, did card collecting take a hit and how bad? I didn't start until 2015.

[TWard]

Poopnini, herpa derp.

[purejd86p]

1. Why are there so many player worn relics for vets and retired players?

2. I've noticed, more than once, that the rookie book name plate auto has a letter as the patch that isn't in the players last name. You have to work really hard to suck that bad - #paninifail

It's because Panini uses the jerseys the players wore at the Rookie Premiere Day. All of the jerseys say "ROOKIE" on the back of them.

[packman80]

Part of reason I left cards quality is down and everything mass produced. Moved to mem and love it displays better and does not have issues of having to worry about dinged or white corners.

[roberth404]

Just the way it is now. Will only get worse. Don't forget to collect the 7 different types of 1/1's of the exact card too.

Curious to what happened when the housing market bubble popped, did card collecting take a hit and how bad? I didn't start until 2015.

Is that an exaggeration, or is there really 7 different 1/1 RPA's? Checklists do seem more and more confusing these days, felt it started with 2014 Contenders (my earliest recollection at least, of any major brand/product) especially with different numbering across different players and all sorts of other stuff that I can't even begin to discern or segregate

[Seahawks fan]

Is that an exaggeration, or is there really 7 different 1/1 RPA's? Checklists do seem more and more confusing these days, felt it started with 2014 Contenders (my earliest recollection at least, of any major brand/product) especially with different numbering across different players and all sorts of other stuff that I can't even begin to discern or segregate

The issue with this is the consumer market. Back when jersey cards came out in the mid 90s people complained they were too hard to pull so then wham they were mass produced and companies caring about maximizing profits they went to player worn. Autos in the late 90s/early 2000s were 1 or 2 a case and people complained they were too hard to pull so they made it easy...same with 1/1s and nice patch cards.. now we have what everyone asked for,. Lots of autos, jersey cards, patches, and 1/1s.

The other half is their main consumer base..group breakers. They mostly rip and flip and do not care about game used or on card. So again the company has given their main demographic what they want and maximized profits. It sucks for collectors and anyone trying to have cards "hold" value in the long term.

[SacGWYNN19]

It's because Panini uses the jerseys the players wore at the Rookie Premiere Day. All of the jerseys say "ROOKIE" on the back of them.

Makes sense now, thanks. Pathetic they would do that actually. The Nameplates are still numbered to the number of letters in their name. So bad

[Cavaliercards]

Makes sense now, thanks. Pathetic they would do that actually. The Nameplates are still numbered to the number of letters in their name. So bad

It’s been around for years.

Love this product and company

[majestik101]

NT this year is trash. I've seen enough breaks of it by now to make that my final answer.

[NYGiants72]

I think in 2011 and prior they used jerseys for some products with the actual nameplates. I remember having some NT RPAs and other jumbo patch cards with correct lettering/etc. But they've been doing the generic jerseys for a while and the market hasnt really dipped, so I think this is the new normal.

Also, eBay prices for some player worn vets in Plates and Patches were pretty high (20-30 for dual patch). I just assume it is the portion of the market who doesnt know any better.

[majestik101]

Only 2 things? Off the top of my head I can think of at least 5 things wrong with this year's NT.

[IronMonkey415]

Layton Sports is starting to wear gloves when they open this product. Residue on the cards or what?

[Longshot18]

I'm going to date myself, but I kind of chuckle when I see gripes about how much stuff is being produced "these days". Or how the quality sucks.

Many of us went through an entire era of late 80s-mid 90s where things were very bit, if not moreso, mass produced. Many refer to it as the "junk era". And it seemed half the cards we pulled were cut like a 3rd grader was in charge.

I still have my first ever #d card, a Terrell Davis #d/5000! back then, that was "rare". And if you have any #d insert say to 25 of HOFers from that era, they are worth a boat load. 2003-04 Upper Deck Die Cut blacks are almost never seen, kind of like a 4 leaf clover, and even Vince Carters #d to 25 go for hundreds. I saw an Iverson for sale for 999, and one fs at a card show of Dirk for $500.

Today, #d /25 non autos are almost considered commons because now, even numbered cards are mass produced.

And guess what, in 20 years there will be a new generation griping about how the 2038 set is just ruining the hobby because "man, these 4K video cards" are worthless- there is just too many, and complaining about the newest mid level product costing $1700 a box...

To me - if you are going to focus merely on the $$$, then there are a billion better things to invest in than cards. And if, to you, something is not worth it, ugly, too mass produced, too expensive, then don't buy it. Collect how you want the way you want and realize that there are ways to collect on a budget- the real issue is that most don't want the "cheap" stuff.

Maybe it's just me, but with this hobby I focus on what I enjoy, not what I don't. For example, while I know contenders football is the better collector item, or bowman chrome is in baseball, or prizm is in hoops- I happen to think they are all freaking ugly cards. I don't choose to fight on the battle, and I don't gripe when the rookie prizm refractor sells for more than the auto of a set I collect goes for. In the end, I make a choice to collect what I want, how I want, and understand the benefits and negatives of my choices.

[twenty4seven]

Maybe it's just me, but with this hobby I focus on what I enjoy.....

I agree with your post.

Card collecting is really just that: card collecting. The collecting aspect follows the card collector just as any other realm of collecting. There is a certain 'drive' that beckons a collector to continue building what they started. It seemingly never ends. Call it a 'hobby' or 'pastime' but there is a certain amount of earnest in finding or discovering an item and the satisfaction of getting it in-hand and adding it to a growing collection.

Every product industry or service industry will continue to provide/produce a product or service as long as there is the demand. When the demand dwindles or dries up, the market morphs, adapts, or creates new ways of staying profitable.

It just seems that folks who are readily addicted to busting open a card product are hoping for an immediate return or profit. They somehow equate gambling into a model of profit or business venture. In some ways the internet has expedited this flurry. When someone scores a high value card it seems to make it possible for everyone to get so lucky. When reality finally meets up with logistics and the high of chasing a lucky pull is over, doom and gloom ensues. The wayward addict is left feeling cheated... but not for long; there is always another chance next time.

I will say it: the purity of the hobby is gone.

Sometimes I muse about my entire card collection being burned in a bonfire by my nephews and nieces when I finally pass. I can hear the conversation:

"Man, our uncle sure collected a lot of crap!"
"Yeah, but what a nice warm fire it has made."

So, I collect because it is fun and enjoyable to me (I almost said relaxing but that is not always true). I collect because it, both, satisfies and fuels a drive within me that has perhaps always been there. I am free of disillusions that cards will ever add monetary value to my life.

If I'm lucky I can someday bulk sell it all to some sucker for a down payment on a motor home when I retire.

[Ferg1945]

And this isn't confusing at all.........

/41
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/hMkAAOSwrXdatJn-/s-l400.jpg

/41
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/zMkAAOSwUUdatcNc/s-l400.jpg

[meandsharon11]

And this isn't confusing at all.........

/41
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/hMkAAOSwrXdatJn-/s-l400.jpg

/41
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/zMkAAOSwUUdatcNc/s-l400.jpg



Nope. Just the one on the top is worth hundreds more and looks almost the same. This is the biggest thing that baffles me.

[MIRRABB]

I think we've reached the point where there are no more game-worn jerseys to cut up for retired guys from the 90s and early 2000s.

As for the vets, Panini has fully embraced the idea of using photo shoot jerseys in high end products many, many years after guys have entered the league.

[callou2131]

well, on one the dude is looking straight, The other the guy is looking to the right

[packfan15412]

this is why I only collect game worn stuff... but even then Panini is still coming up with Walter Payton "Game Used" gear that looks brand new lol who knows anymore

[SanAntonioSpurs]

It would make sense if they just went to generic wording since they seem to screw up the simplest tasks because they are in a rush to pump out 100 different products out per yr.


Front
https://sportscardalbum.com/c/163jz1d8x450.JPG (https://sportscardalbum.com/card/163jz1d8/n-a)

Back
https://sportscardalbum.com/c/hcdbe78yx450.JPG (https://sportscardalbum.com/card/hcdbe78y/n-a)

[Longshot18]

I might be in the minority here, but I don't get concerned about game worn vs. player worn. I understand in the hobby they have different values, but a sick patch is a sick patch to me visually. I'm not one of those who gets panties in a bunch based on when/how it was worn.

[packfan15412]

So you're given a choice... you can have a game worn jersey of Tom Brady or a jersey Brady wore at a event with lots of sick patches... and you're gonna take the player worn? Yea it makes a difference especially with the prices people are paying for a case of this stuff

I might be in the minority here, but I don't get concerned about game worn vs. player worn. I understand in the hobby they have different values, but a sick patch is a sick patch to me visually. I'm not one of those who gets panties in a bunch based on when/how it was worn.

[3124508 on COMC]

I might be in the minority here, but I don't get concerned about game worn vs. player worn. I understand in the hobby they have different values, but a sick patch is a sick patch to me visually. I'm not one of those who gets panties in a bunch based on when/how it was worn.

Part of it is that Panini doesn't even use jerseys that look like they're from the correct time period. For example, the Joe Montana PW pieces look hideous because the jersey looks like it was made last week.

[TheFrenzy]

Want to be a happy collector?

- Collect vintage. It's the simplest solution.

- Collect 90s inserts. It's the most fun solution.

- Collect Chrome refractors, possibly graded ones. It's the shiniest solution.

Granted, there are other solutions as well. But if pick one of the three above and ignore the plague of rookie hype, early releases, overproduction, poopy quality, then collecting is a lot of fun.

[MIRRABB]

Want to be a happy collector?

- Collect vintage. It's the simplest solution.

- Collect 90s inserts. It's the most fun solution.

- Collect Chrome refractors, possibly graded ones. It's the shiniest solution.

Granted, there are other solutions as well. But if pick one of the three above and ignore the plague of rookie hype, early releases, overproduction, poopy quality, then collecting is a lot of fun.

Couldn't agree more.

[BirdLaw]

I think we've reached the point where there are no more game-worn jerseys to cut up for retired guys from the 90s and early 2000s.

The "optimist" in me thinks many of those were fake, so maybe there are still some real game used jerseys out there.

[gottagitdemjs]

I've noticed, more than once, that the rookie book name plate auto has a letter as the patch that isn't in the players last name. You have to work really hard to suck that bad - #paninifail

As much as NT costs, this right here is complete and utter bull #@#@#@#@. #@#@#@#@ you Panini. Here's to the day that a company with real integrity rises above you.

[Longshot18]

So you're given a choice... you can have a game worn jersey of Tom Brady or a jersey Brady wore at a event with lots of sick patches... and you're gonna take the player worn? Yea it makes a difference especially with the prices people are paying for a case of this stuff

Again, I understand why there is a difference in the $ value of items. I'm just saying that for me personally, I don't get my panties in a bunch if I hit say a nice /5 patch auto of John Elway and he wore it at an event, not a game. And me personally, if I was buying- I'd be more apt to buy the $100 amazing looking patch vs. the $200 "game worn" single color, assuming other things were equal. But then again, on the scale of collecting for fun and collecting for $, I am more on the fun side. Not to say $ does not play a role, but the reality is I don't view this as "investment". I have stocks, real estate, CDs and a savings account for that. This is a hobby and if ultimately I don't strike it rich because a card is player worn vs. game worn, I'm ok with that.

I also don't get all the griping about things collectors buy. If I don't like something, I don't buy it. So if a set has too many "player worn" stuff for your liking and pocket book, don't buy it. Get something else, be it a box or a single card.

Just too much griping about it all IMO.

[Longshot18]

Want to be a happy collector?

- Collect vintage. It's the simplest solution.

- Collect 90s inserts. It's the most fun solution.

- Collect Chrome refractors, possibly graded ones. It's the shiniest solution.

Granted, there are other solutions as well. But if pick one of the three above and ignore the plague of rookie hype, early releases, overproduction, poopy quality, then collecting is a lot of fun.

I agree. I'll add this. When my son got into collecting 2 years ago, I said if you want the best bang for buck, never break open a box of wax, just buy singles. Also told him to never buy singles of the "latest/greatest" rookie. I pointed out how I have an Elway PSA 10 rookie, but last year many Dak rookies were selling for more than that! Think about how crazy that is. Elway is a top 5-7 QB of all time, and people honestly expect a Dak they buy for more than you can get an Elway for to increase in value? Its nuts.....

If you break open a box of wax and are expecting to make money, you are the problem, not the company. Simple math says for the top rookies to have value, it means boxes of drek have to be mixed in. You will win some, and you will lose some.

Further, I told him, if there is a product that he does not like, don't waste time griping about it, simply don't buy it.

Lastly, I will say this. This should be a hobby and fun for people doing it. Don't spend $ on things you can't afford, and don't collect in a way that brings you angst. There are many ways to enjoy this hobby even if you think a certain product is drek.

[Seahawks fan]

Want to be a happy collector?

- Collect vintage. It's the simplest solution.

- Collect 90s inserts. It's the most fun solution.

- Collect Chrome refractors, possibly graded ones. It's the shiniest solution.
.


Problem with all 3 of those is you won't get any new collectors that way as none of those leave options for new players. Vintage and 90s inserts also alienates many fan bases like Texans, Ravens, or even teams like the Saints and Seahawks who didn't have many good stars in the 90s. Chrome also has a small checklist so again doesn't leave much to collect.

[hawkeyecards]

Problem with all 3 of those is you won't get any new collectors that way as none of those leave options for new players. Vintage and 90s inserts also alienates many fan bases like Texans, Ravens, or even teams like the Saints and Seahawks who didn't have many good stars in the 90s. Chrome also has a small checklist so again doesn't leave much to collect.
BUT IT'S A HOBBY!!!! /s

I think that this hobby is dying and dying fast. Prices are insane and no stability. People ruining it by getting in a break and selling their top hits for money to get in the next break thus decreasing the value even more.

The 90s inserts and vintage cards aren't keeping the hobby alive nor is the $2000 case of NT with the same sticker autos, pictures, and relic as a $20 blaster at Target. Points cards added to $1500 cases and STILL have to pay shipping. This hobby definitely won't be around in the next 10 years.