Review: Panini Contenders Football 2012-WITH LUCK :)

One of my favorite rookie laden products year in and year out Contenders is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. And Panini did a great job in celebrating it with the product adding a base card flashback mocking the originals design from 98. Now onto the review and my thoughts on the 2012 edition:

First off, I would like to say thanks to the WONDERFUL people at Panini America for providing us with this box to review. Here are many places you can find Panini America: official site, blog, Twitter, and Facebook. If you don't follow them at all..you should! They talk to you on Twitter, have contests on their blog and Facebook and the site is also fun to visit!

Box Break Down:

• 24 Packs Per Box, 5 Cards Per Pack
• Five Autographs Per Box!
• Three Rookie Stallions Per Box!
• $140 a Box

BASE CARDS: I liked the original design which means I am going to like this one as well. There is just something about the Season Ticket design that is catchy. Is it because its supposed to resemble a NFL ticket? Is it the team color scheme on one side the white on the other? Hard to tell. But this is one of my favorite base card designs.

INSERTS: Die cuts make a great addition to this product which my favorite of the two is by far the Rookie Of The Year Contenders. Really like what Panini did there in terms of turning the die cut into a shape of a trophy. The Playoff Tickets are a parallel to the base cards and are numbered just like the original product. Another insert that is very catchy is the Super Bowl one. The design is spectacular and elegant and improved over years past designs. You get about almost 13 inserts in a box. Or thats what ours had.

And BAM!!! ON CARD ANDREW LUCK!!!!!

AUTOGRAPHS: The product says 5 autos per box but most of the time boxes will hand you 6 which I really like and for the price you pay you somewhat hope to land that many.  This product has always been about its autographs, especially its rookie ones. You get one on card per box, which we LUCKED out with ours. Still shaking from seeing this incredible card. The fun thing about this product is chasing the Sp rookie auto tickets, the variations of them (missing some data on the back check the link below to see how you can tell) and seeing rookie autos and rookie cards of players you don't find in every product. Some of whom turn out to be stars in the future.

A list of those Sp's can be found here which also brings you to the Knights Lance: http://sportcardcollectors.blogspot.com/2013/02/panini-contenders-football-2012-sps.html

JERSEY/PATCH CARDS:N/A

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Once again, if you are a fan of rookie autographs, this is the product for you. This product is not for everyone though. You can have those great boxes with some top rookie autos or you could have those ones that you never heard of with a few sprinkled in names. I have seen both. As was the case in this box. The first 5 autos were mostly nobodies than BAM came the big hit of Andrew Luck. It may not happen every time but there is plenty to find in this product with the rookie autos and all variations. And the occasional Emeril in you with the BAM in a box. With 6 autos and tons to chase, this product is well worth a try.

RATINGS:  Bloggers Note: Our ratings are based specifically on the blaster, box or packs we opened and do not express what the overall product could bring. Ratings based on a 1-5. 1 Being the lowest and 5 being the highest.
                Packaging: 5
                Base Design: 5
                Insert Design: 4
                Memorablila/Autographs: 4
                Blaster, Hobby Box, or Pack Value: 4

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Box Breakers: Score Football 2012-dacardworld break #1

Got a gift certificate to dacardworld.com and wanted to take advantage of a New Years sale they were having.  And finding this box for under $25 was very ideal for me. A lot of cards. Rookies. Inserts. A chance at printing plates and autographs. Couldn't pass it up!

Base Cards

Rookie Cards...not showing is Andrew Luck among other greats. Rookies are one per pack

Rookie SP that seems to be falling one per box

Glossy Insets-one per pack

More inserts

Even more inserts. You get one of these per pack as well.

Sweet looking inserts

Auto hit in the box

With the amount of inserts, rookies, and cards in this box along with an auto hit and rookie sp hit. Can't go wrong with calling this the best bang for your buck and it was well spent!

This box break is a:

5/5

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Box Breakers: 2012 Topps Chrome Blaster

Christmas was good to me in terms of getting a lot of cards. Here is a break I got as a present from a family member.I didn't know there was a difference though between getting Chrome from Walmart and Target. The first blaster I got from Walmart came with a jersey card. This one that my family member got came from Target and didn't. But heres how I did.

Base Cards

Rookies

Inserts..really like the Luck. Got two Sanu's here

Sanu more

X-factors

Chrome Refractors

Overall, I thought once again the value was there. And once again I have to give this break a

5/5

What is your thoughts on 2012 Topps Chrome Football?

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Fan Box Break: 2012 Topps Strata Football

Another Fan Box Break from Jammin JDcards and this time its a product that I didn't get to bust but was very tempted by it. So now I get to see what the contents are and hopefully helps you on this product as well!

What Jammin JDcards says about Strata:
"I was really looking forward to breaking one of these hobby boxes. I broke quite a few of the retail version and really liked it. This is a pretty nice product with some really awesome hits. Unfortunately, none of my hits were that great but I have seen some photo’s of really nice stuff. The base set has a cool design, thick card stock and a ton of rookies. Every pack has 2 rookies which is awesome. There is only 1 type of insert; it is a Die-Cut rookie. I also pulled 1 parallel #ed to 100. Overall I still think this is a great product due to the amount of rookies included. The only real complaint I have is that the set lacks inserts and parallels. 8/10 for design, 8/10 for quality, 8/10 for value."

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Box Breakers: 5 PACKS OF PANINI BLACK FRIDAY 2012

I didn't get my hands onto any of these last year..but I did this year. Was pleasantly surprised with the results. This was a 5 pack break. Let me know your thoughts on this promo.

Should have taken pic before busting..but couldn't help myself

These are going on eBay for $5 each

Love these. Only five made!

Really hope he pans out!

The base cards look great. Everything is so shiny. I hope to break some more next year if not this year again. If I can search down some cheap packs somewhere. These babies are still going for a pretty penny on eBay.

Overall I would rate this break based on cost versus what I got a :

5/5

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Preview: Panini Prizm Football

The glimmer the shine the chrome technology..now Panini has caught my attention as they have taken a great technology, improved it and made it stunning.This is only early glimpses into the product but I am sure it will be even more amazing in hand like its basketball counterpart we reviewed:

http://sportcardcollectors.blogspot.com/2012/12/review-panini-prizm-basketball-2012-2013.html 

 

 

February is the set release for the product that contains a 300-card base set bolstered by 100 rookies seeded one per pack. In addition, there are autographed versions of all 100 rookies (numbered to 499 or less) and 100 of the veterans (numbered to 149 or less).

  

Each hobby box of 2012 Prizm Football (six cards per pack/20 packs per box) will deliver two autographs, three Prizms, one hobby-only Red Prizm, one Rookie Dominance, one Decade Dominance, one Brilliance and two additional inserts.

Also very exciting is a retail box version of 2012 Prizm Football (four cards per pack/24 packs per box) should yield one autograph, one Prizm, two retail-exclusive Green Prizms, one Rookie Dominance, one Decade Dominance, one Brilliance and one additional insert.

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Thoughts On The 2012 NFL Regular Season

Now that the NFL regular season has come to an official end we got to see an amazing year of football.

We got to see three rookie quarterbacks lead their team to the playoffs:

      

Some more great rookie performances by these two running backs:

   

And some great comeback performances and great stories

    

And a record breaking season

Not to mention some surprise teams making runs to the playoffs in Seattle, Washington, Minnesota, Cincinnati and of course Indy which was the greatest story of them all with their coach Chuck Pagano who came back in the teams final game after starting treatment for leukemia in September. That team rode #Chuckstrong to the playoffs.

But we also get to see some sad times as well. First the bounty gate scandal that not only put a little hurt on the league but also hurt the Saints and their season as well. Lucky for them they resigned their coach to a huge contract so they can make a run next season and this scandal will be passed them hopefully. Also, even though I am a huge Giants fan, no longer seeing Andy Reid on the Eagles sidelines will be a little different next season. Reid was was the longest-tenured coach in the NFL at 14 seasons, going 130-92-1 during the regular season. He led the Eagles to nine playoff appearances, including five NFC title games and one Super Bowl that they lost to the Patriots in.

Players and teams that had magic last season like Tim Tebow sat on the pine watching another big shot quarterback falter to lead his team anywhere. The Giants, hate to even talk about this, starting 6-2 looking to defend their title and leading the division by two games and looking playoff bound falling apart towards the end of the season finishing 3-5 and missing out.

Now as we move onto Wild Card Weekend:

NFL Wild Card Weekend schedule

Saturday
4:30 p.m.: Bengals at Texans (NBC)
8 p.m.: Vikings at Packers (NBC)
Sunday
1 p.m.: Colts at Ravens (CBS)
4:30 p.m.: Seahawks at Redskins (Fox)

It will be interesting to see how this exciting season ends and who will be crowned this years Super Bowl champ. I know I have my favorites to win and some I hope that don't. I am sure you do as well.  I am already looking forward to free agency and the off-season as well especially since the Giants missed out. There will be many changes I am sure with players and coaches. And I will be there watching all of it and waiting til next August when training camps and preseason begins.

 Bloggers Note: As for my Wild Card Weekend Picks..I am going Texans, Packers, Ravens and Redskins. But I would rather have the Seahawks win.

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Box Breakers: 1 Rack Pack of Topps Football 2012 With some LUCK

My Mother in Law is pretty awesome! Hate to brag..but I have too. Everytime she goes and takes a trip to Walmart or other shops she stops by the card section to make sure her favorite Son in Law gets a little something. Its different every time in what she gets and how much...this time it was a rack pack of Topps Football 2012. I don't argue with her on what she chooses...I just open whatever she brings.

Here was my results..pretty awesome!

Base Card

Other Rookies and stack of base cards with some star players

David Wilson..pretty stoked on that and Weedon and Sanu who killed my Giants

Here is my first Luck from Topps..gotta take any of him you can!

4 inserts total.

And a auto card numbered to 100. Now he is not a star per say but odds of hitting it is 1:720 so not going to argue.

I would rate this break an easy...

5/5

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Random Card Of The Day: Andrew Luck Score Rookie Card

With a winning record so far in his rookie season at 8-4, Andrew Luck has shown a lot to his doubters. Leading a very young team, filling Peytons shoes, and breaking records..you can't go wrong picking up any of his rookies as I see him as the leading candidate for Offensive Rookie Of The Year especially if he leads this team to the playoffs.

So far Luck is 279-503 for 3596 yards and 17 TD's

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SPORT CARD COLLECTORS PANINI'S PLAYER OF THE DAY CONTEST #4

 

There are 6 players on the front of the box, from left of Calvin Johnson, Eli Manning, Trent Richardson, Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin. Choose ONE player and give us the amount of TD's for only their main category such passing, running, or receiving that player will have WITHOUT going over!! So if for example, RG3 passes for 2 TD's and runs for 1.we are only counting the 2 TD's he passed for since he is a QB and his main scoring comes from passing. This is part 1 of the contest...part 2 is to pick the winner of these five games. But in order to move onto part 2..you must get part 1 right! If you go over on part 1...part 2 will not count unless everyone else doesn't get part 1 right. 0 is an answer for part 1...but remember if they score 3td's that could hurt you in the second part because you will be 3 off when someone else might be closer. But its a risk you could take and it could reward you.

Here are the 5 games:

Dallas @ Baltimore

NYG @ SF

Minn @ Wash

Green Bay @ Houston

SD @ Denver

The person closest to getting the amount of TD's and the most games wins this week. Winner will be announced on Tuesday 16th.

We wanted to make this weeks a little different and a little bit more challenging :) We will also join in for fun.

YOUR ENTRIES ARE DUE BY SATURDAY NIGHT THE 22ND UNLESS THE PLAYER YOU ARE CHOOSING IS PLAYING ON THURSDAY NIGHT.
Bloggers Note: ALL OF THE BOX PICTURES FEATURED WHEN CLICKED UPON LINK YOU TO A PLACE YOU CAN PURCHASE THEM. MAKES IT EASIER THAN HAVING TO SEARCH FOR THEM WHEN THE BOXES ARE IN FRONT OF YOU TO PURCHASE.

PLEASE also MAKE SURE you click onto the link below to check out the Panini Player Of The Day website! A lot of fun stuff to be found there and WE and Panini will much appreciate it!!

To double check the rules and prizes..follow this link: http://sportcardcollectors.blogspot.com/2012/09/sport-card-collectors-panini-nfl-player.html

YOU ARE ENTERING TO WIN THIS:

PLAYER OF THE DAY PENNANT..AFC EDITION

3 OF THESE

PACK FROM THE NATIONAL..INCLUDES RG3 AND OTHERS

*Contests are open to U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY! (sorry) 

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