Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Preview: 2013 Panini Rookie and Stars Football


Scheduled Release Date: August 2013
Box Configuration: 24 packs/box, 8 cards/pack
SRP: Not Announced Yet


Box Break:
2 Autographs
2 Additional Hits (Auto or Memorabilia cards)
8 Inserts (2 Crusades)
6 Parallels
2 Additional Inserts or Parallels
24 Rookie cards


What to Expect:
When R&S is released it should be under $100/box and when you consider what you get for that price it is a pretty good break. Each pack will contain one rookie and most packs will also contain a hit or insert/parallel.

A number of inserts are returning like Rookie Premiere Slideshow Signatures, Team Chemistry, Rookie Materials Signatures, Game Plan and Touchdown Club. There will be some new inserts including Cross Training Materials. There are a number of parallels throughout the set; base cards have an Emerald parallel and a handful of the inserts have numbered cards (#/99, #/49, #/5 and 1/1).


My Thoughts:
This is a set that is geared to the set builders and pack busters; there are plenty of autographs and relics too. Over the years Panini has used some nice images but they were often ruined by the overwhelming designs. Last year they began moving in the right direction and this year they have continued that trend of focusing on the player and not the angles, lines and visual texture in the background. Some inserts still are overdesigned but at least the base cards are a strart.

Crusade and Rookie Crusade will probably draw some attention along with the dual-autograph Team Chemistry cards


Pros:
Nice photography
Inexpensive
Good value


Cons:
Sticker autographs
Some over designed elements in the inserts


Rating:
This is a pretty solid set and 3 out of 5 would be a fair rating because Panini is starting to drop the over design aspect and focusing on the players.





1 comment:

  1. I love that Panini is bringing back the Crusade inserts!

    ReplyDelete