Day One At The National Nightly Recap

Today was "Get your feet wet" day for most. I was time to get your badge, settle in and get a feel for lay of the land.

This is the daunting image that hits you once you get into the venue.

Mind you, this is just one row of the floor. Where you see the ceiling break downwards is we're the corporate section starts, but it is so far away, you can't even see it from this side of the floor.

Topps jump started the day for most collectors looking to score one of the coveted Bowman Blue Foil sets.

Those were gone inside of 45 minutes. With only 100 available to be given away each day, it is not surprising these went fast. For those of you that are here in Baltimore, get here as early as you can manage. I would imagine that it will get tougher and tougher to secure a set as the days go on. Also at the Topps booth were the Gypsy Queen Minis.

Obviously the quickest to go were the Yu Darvish and Bryce Harper minis, with the daily allotment running out 1 1/2 hours after the doors opened. At 2 hours in, the rest were snapped up. These minis felt a little more glossy than those found in the regular release.

Over at the Panini booth, things were hopping with their wrapper redemption. They had the big hit cards on display. Here are the NFL player sketch cards.

These two were going to town, busting packs and then moving on to the redemption packs.

While I was there, they pulled this out of one of the redemption packs.

It is one of the Panini Employee relic auto cards. And the best part about it was Scott Prusha signed the card right on the spot.

If you pull one of theses you have the choice to have it personalized or just a straight forward autograph.

As much as we might kid about pulling an employee auto card, it is very obvious that the folks at Panini are in on the joke, and I must say, it was a fun and different thing to have the process happen in front of you. It is also important to remember that these cards do not come at the expense of the huge hits that are seeded in the redemption packs.

Another big reason collectors come to the show is for the in-person player signings. For those that are new to this, your autograph ticket gets you just that, the autograph. There are plenty of dealers that have items you can purchase to have signed. TriStar has you covered too with 8x10 photos of the players who are signing for $5 a photo, a great pickup if you don't already have something to be signed.

You can pick up a protective holder for an extra $1. Their merchandise is right next to the autograph pavilion which is very convenient.

After checking these out I saw some activity near the pavilion so I went over to see what was happening.

It was Robbie, Sr. And Sweet Lou from ABC's Ball Boys. Their shop is just 20 minutes away from the Convention Center and would be a great side trip for fans of the show. They don't have a booth at the National, but there should be someone from the shop walking the floor each day. They were gracious enough to talk to fans and even signed a baseball for one collector. They just seemed like genuine nice guys, very approachable, which is tough to maintain when you reach a certain level of recognition. Robbie, Sr. was really glad to have the National in Baltimore. It does a lot for the city and for the hobby in general. Sweet Lou informed me that everything has been shot for the first season of the show and they are just awaiting word about when the second season will start. I suggest if you are a fan of the show to contact ABC and let them know how much you like it and inquire when the second season will air.

I stopped by the Leland's.com booth. Front and center was the Babe Ruth jersey they just bought at auction for over $4 million. It is the earliest New York Yankees game-used jersey known to exist.

Other than that, it was an easy going couple of hours. I got to hang out with Ryan Tedards of Sports Crad Radio and Sports Card News over at the FCB area with Chris Gilmore and his wife. There was still a bit of unpacking for some of the smaller venders and then, very quickly, the first day was over.

Afterwards Ryan and myself got together with Jason of Field Level View to sort out VIP gift bags and bust some boxes. I did notice something interesting about the Topps National set.

The cards are just slightly bigger that a regular card. Here is a size comparison with a base card from Series 2.

As a last note, Jason had the pull of the evening from a box of Bowman Platinum.

It's a Trevor Bauer auto printing plate. Sweet!

That's all I have from day one. Keep following our twitter feed for timely updates and keep checking back here for daily recaps and maybe even a contest or two. Goodnight from Baltimore.

Getting Ready To Head To Baltimore For The National

Just a few hours and I will be on my way to Baltimore for The National. Lots of exciting things planned. The business card minis are in along with the glossy parallels #/10, the 1/1 black and white and the 1/1 signed canvas version.

Should be a lot of fun. Stay tuned for more!

Information About Sports Card Radio, All About Cards And Field Level View At The National In Baltimore

In previous posts I've covered what some of the companies are doing at the National in Baltimore, which starts Tomorrow, but now for some really big news.  Sports Card Radio, All About Cards and Field Level View will be working together at the National to bring you updates, recaps and contests for collectors in Baltimore and those that can't make it to the show.  Make sure you are following all of our twitter accounts  - both Colin "@SportsCardRadio" and Ryan "@SportsCardNews" of Sports Card Radio, myself, Ian (You mean you aren't following me already?  Shameful!) "@AllAboutCards" and Jason "@FieldLevelView" of Field Level View, for up to moment info on the events of the day.  We will be tweeting our thoughts, great deals we see, booths you should hit and a whole bunch more.

Here are some of the other things we will be doing.

Sports Card Radio will have updates, contests on Facebook and Twitter, YouTube videos uploaded at night. They will also be feeding Twitter with information 24/7, mostly on the @SportsCardNews account. They will also be interviewing companies and collectors for later podcasts. And there might even be a nightly radio show.  More details on that soon.

All About Cards will be providing live blog posts of events and happenings, giving you a taste of what it is like to be at the National if you can’t make it and important last minute changes for those whole will be attending.  And since minis are hot right now, I’ll be handing out 2012 All About Cards NSCC mini business cards.  There will also be limited, numbered to 10, glossy versions that will correspond to a giveaway and two 1/1’s, a black & white version and an autographed canvas version, that will mixed in with the rest of the cards, that will be randomly handed out.  We will also be burning up twitter with information and giveaways both live at the National and for collectors at home along with compiling coverage, interviewing companies and collectors, for future posts.

Field Level View will have at least one giveaway per day as well as nightly recaps highlighting what his purchases and impressions of the day’s events.  They will also be interviewing companies for future posts.

All three of us will be looking to talk to collectors and vendors at the National, so if you spot us, make sure to say hello and talk about the hobby with us.

Information On Panini America At The 2012 National In Baltimore

I kept from writing a post about Panini at the National until now because I knew writing too early would just lead to tons of updates and I wanted to have all the information in one location.  Even now, with less that 48 hours until the start of the National, I’m sure there will be more announcements to come, so forgive me if I’ve left something out. 

We must start with Panini’s wrapper redemption program.  By opening packs of Panini cards at their booth, (#D1) collectors will receive special packs that contain cards exclusive to the National along with some other incredible items.  Items that can be found in these packs include cards from a show-exclusive base set of some of the star player, legends and rookies found in other Panini products, Cracked Ice parallels, Team Colors sets, Tools of the Trade Towel Swatch cards, instant-win packaging printing plates, one of a kind 2012 top NFL rookie sketch plus autograph cards, instant win autographed memorabilia like team hats, footballs, helmets and more..

To get these packs there is a must-bust program.  Just bring your purchased Panini boxes to their booth and open them infront of a Panini representative.  You will get a different amount of redemption packs depending on which product you bust.  Here is what your purchased hobby boxes will get you.

1 hobby box of 2011 Prime Signatures Football = 3 Redemption packs

1 hobby box of 2011-12 Limited Basketball = 4 Redemption packs

1 hobby box of 2011-12 Rookie Anthology Hockey = 4 Redemption packs

1 hobby box of 2012 Prestige Football = 4 Redemption packs

1 hobby box of 2011-12 Past & Present Basketball = 5 Redemption packs

1 hobby box of 2011-12 Contenders Hockey = 5 Redemption packs

1 hobby box of 2011 Limited Baseball = 6 Redemption packs

1 hobby box of 2011-12 Elite Hockey = 6 Redemption packs

1 hobby box of 2011 Totally Certified Football = 6 Redemption packs

1 hobby box of 2011 Elite Football = 6 Redemption packs

1 hobby box of 2011 Contenders Baseball = 8 Redemption packs

1 hobby box of 2011 Playbook Football = 8 Redemption packs

1 hobby box of 2011-12 Gold Standard Basketball = 8 Redemption packs

1 hobby box of 2011 Prime Cuts Baseball = 12 Redemption packs

VIP and SuperVIP pass holders can look forward to a bonus six-card set in their gift bags. The set, styled after the legendary Diamond Kings art cards, will include Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kyrie Irving. The last two cards are feature mystery subjects will be unveiled during the opening day of the National, Wednesday, August 1.

Panini America will also offer a Live Redemption Trade-Up program live at the Panini America booth. Collectors in attendance holding multiple outstanding redemption cards will have the opportunity to trade them in for a card or cards of higher value.

For example, a collector holding four outstanding redemption cards with a combined Beckett value of $100 will have the chance to swap those four cards for one $100 card via a carefully constructed grab-bag system. Prior to the National, the Panini America Customer Service team will assign values to replacement stock and will offer grab bags containing one autograph or prime memorabilia card at $50, $100 and $200 levels.

Each grab bag will offer minimum values at the depicted levels but many will deliver more than the listed value. Some $50 grab bags will contain cards valued at as much as $80; $100 grab bags will contain cards valued at as much as $140 and $200 grab bags will contain cards valued at as much as $250. Each grab bag may also include live onsite redemption cards good for boxes of product.

The Panini America Redemption Trade-Up program will be separated by sport, and collectors will get to choose what sport they select as a replacement.

In order to help expedite the process, collectors participating in the Panini America Redemption Trade-Up program are encouraged to bring with them print outs from the Panini America Website of the outstanding redemptions they want to have replaced at the National. A Customer Service team member onsite will verify the outstanding redemptions as well as their values, before completing the replacement process.

Each redemption card being swapped out must be a minimum of four months old and collectors may swap out up to $400 in value at the show while supplies last. Collectors also will be required to sign a waiver that states they agree to the random pulled replacement.

Panini will also offer a very special experience for collectors who are willing to spend some serious cash on cards. Collectors who purchase at least $6,500 worth of select Panini America products on the show floor through select retailers will gain access to a once-in-a-lifetime VIP experience that is by-invitation-only on Saturday night.  This private reception will include Hall of Fame special guests, Black Boxes, free autographs and the chance to bid on rare Panini America experiences.

All products must be purchased on the floor of the National at either Dave & Adam’s Card World, Blowout Cards, Pittsburgh Wholesale, Atlanta Sports Cards or Marty’s Sports Cards. At the time of purchase, collectors will receive their product and Panini Bucks.  Earn 6,500 Panini Bucks and you can redeem them at the Panini America booth for an all-access invitation to Saturday evening’s VIP event, which will also include case wars battles with 2011-12 Elite Hockey and 2011-12 Limited Basketball for a chance to win exclusive Panini America experiences.

I will have one more very important post, with information about the National, tomorrow.  Don’t miss it.

Information On Other Events At The 2012 National In Baltimore

Here is a general guide to some of the other events taking place at the National.

 

Collectors will have the opportunity to see part of what has been labeled as the "greatest attic find" of all time, the "Black Swamp Find" which is nearly 700 pristine E-98 cards from the early 1900's that were discovered in Ohio by the Kissner family. Nearly all of the more than 700 cards in the "Black Swamp Find" will be publicly exhibited for the first time anywhere by PSA at booth #A4. Heritage Auctions will offer 37 of the finest cards in a public auction in Baltimore and online, August 2.

There has been extensive nationwide news coverage about the discovery of the cards that are estimated by Heritage to be worth a combined total of up to $3 million or more. The cards apparently were originally acquired in 1910 for promotional purposes by Carl Hench, a German immigrant who owned a meat market in Defiance, Ohio.  His heirs were cleaning their late grandfather's house when they found the cards in a box under an old doll house in the attic.

Leaf Trading Cards (booth D3) will have several autograph guests.  The Wizards 1st round draft pick, Bradley Beal will be signing in their booth, Friday, Aug 3rd between 3-5pm.  In addition, Dave Hester, the star of A&E Network’s Storage Wars will be singing in their booth Saturday, Aug 4th between 2-4pm.  Nnemkadi “Kneka” Ogwumike, WNBA’s 2012 #1 draft pick, will be signing Saturday, Aug 4th between 11am-1pm.

           

Lelands.com is bringing the record setting Babe Ruth jersey to the National Sports Collectors Convention.  It is the highest price ever paid for sports memorabilia and will be on display Aug 1-5. This is the earliest game-used Babe Ruth NY Yankees jersey known to exist.  It set a record when New York auction house Lelands.com purchased it for a record $4.4 million. It will be displayed at the Lelands.com booth number 313/412.

Scott "The King" Engel and Adam Ronis, RotoExperts analysts and co-hosts of the RotoExperts Morning Drive Show, will be on-hand giving a seminar (Room 303) on Friday, August 3 at 5pm.  They will be sharing tips, tricks and insider info to help you with your Fantasy Football league this year.  They will also be in the Fantasy Football Fest exhibitor booth (corporate area) on Saturday up to 2:30pm.  This seminar will be a sneak peak at what you can expect at the Fantasy Football Fest August 18 and 19 in Atlantic City.

We will have more information coming soon.

2011 - 12 Panini Rookie Anthology Hockey Box Break Recap And Review

A lot of the elements found in 2011-12 Panini Rookie Anthology Hockey are based on some of the best-designed cards from this year's Panini hockey products.  Surprisingly, bringing them all together in one update-formatted package, then combining them with brand new cards makes for a confusing release rather than a box of the best of the best.  The exclusive-to-Rookie Anthology 100 base card set turns out to be the bulk of the cards found in this box, a set that does not include a single rookie, which makes for a release that is incorrectly titled, struggling to figure out what it wants to be. 

The interesting thing here is that the base set would work beautifully for any other release, but for inclusion in this release, the better way to go would have been just rookies, no veterans. Now I realize that a product made entirely of rookies might not have enough mass appeal, so as an alternative that includes veteran players, the base set could have been made of various Rookie Reprints, or even have new cards that utilize photos of the players from their rookie season.

And if Panini took the literal definition of Rookie Anthology, a collection of various chosen works, in this case Rookie Cards, brought together and issued as a single release, just utilizing the rookie hits found in this product would have been fantastic.

Even after all of that, there are some gorgeous hit cards to be pulled, so there is a lot of value here to be found.

Rookie Anthology falls into our premium cards category.  Each hobby box contains 10 – 5 card packs with 2 memorabilia and 2 autograph cards per box with a bonus hit card pack.

Here is a look at some of the cards we pulled.

Base set

Anze Kopitar, front and back

Claude Giroux, P.K. Subban, Jeff Skinner

Phil Kessel, Antti Niemi, Ryan Kesler

Rick Nash, Shane Doan, Taylor Hall

Teemu Selanne, Jarome Iginla, Patrick Kane

Pinnacle Ice Breakers Inserts

 Carl Klingberg, Erik Gustafsson

 Marcus Kruger, Matt Fraser

Other Inserts

 David Ullstrom Crown Royale Rookie, Mark Borowiecki Calder Contenders #/999

The Hits

Rookie Rivalry Dual Swatch Memorabilia Cards

 Adam Henrique & Erik Gustafsson, Ryan Johansen & Craig Smith

Autographs

 Cameron Gauce Rookie Treasures Mem/Auto, Zack Kassian Limited Phenoms Auto

Bonus Hit Card Pack

Marc Staal Luxury Suite Combo Swatch and Stick

Overall Look

These cards look great, from the base set to the inserts to the hits. One minor point of confusion, I was a bit into collating my cards when I released the card number was in the middle of the card and not at the  top of the card.  If you look at the back of the Anze Kopitar base card you will see it has his sweater number, 11, at the top left but the card number, 30, is found in the middle.  The Crown Royale  Silhouettes and Certified Freshman Fabric Autographs are standouts.

Quality and Variety of Players

While there is tremendous quality and variety of players, I’ve already touched on some of the issues I have with the set as a whole.

Do the Hits satisfy?

As individual hits, these cards deliver. The bonus hit card pack is fantastic.  Collectors would be happy to pull any of these hits.

Will you keep coming back for more?

The real question for collectors will be “do I bust boxes or look towards the secondary market.”  There is enough here to hold interest and certainly enough to try a few boxes, but the best route in determining whether this product is for you is to go over the checklist rather carefully.  Here is a link to a great one found at Sport Card Radio.  One possible detractor for collectors ties into any update release.  Many of these cards are new and can’t be found in the previous releases they are based on so certain collectors will not appreciate having to chase these cards after they have already built sets for Crown Royale, Contenders or Pinnacle.

Rating

4 out of 5

2011-12 Panini Rookie Anthology Hockey slightly reconfigured could be one of the best releases of the year, but as it stands it might be a little too much variety for its own good.



Review box provided by Panini