Monday, April 9, 2012

OPINION - How Far Is Too Far?

Innovations.  Evolution.  The ever-changing industry that is trading cards.

For every few steps forward, there seems to be the odd step back.  Companies try new things....re-inventing the wheel.  Concepts to entice collectors and keep things from feeling redundant.  But where do you draw the line?  How much is too much?

In Panini's new football product, National Treasures, there is definitely new ground broken.  But is that always a good thing?

I'll let the video explain the rest.


All I have to say is...wow.

And not "Wow...I'm impressed" but "Wow....why did they do that?"

Sure, the physical size is impressive, but it seems like more of an inconvenience than innovation.  Would I be happy to pull one of these cards?  Sure.  But looking at it from a collecting standpoint, if my guy Linden was on it....I'd want no part of pursuing that card.

It's just too unrealistic.

To me, this is a set of cards that happens to be attached together.  Give me some hinges and some patch cards and I can do the same thing.

What are your thoughts on this history-making card?  What's the desirability factor of something like this?

16 comments:

  1. How is someone supposed to store that thing? I personally think it's a dumb idea, but if someone is willing to pay for it, then I guess good for Panini...

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  2. Pretty cool to see, but it just leaves me with two words.

    ...or, rather, one word split into its two syllables.

    GIM

    MICK

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  3. Indeed.

    Just an FYI. I had to refrain from posting one of the comments I received. I'd appreciate it if that person could comment again, but remove the profanity.

    No harm, no foul. Just a heads up.

    Cheers.

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  4. I can think of a number of reasons why the gimmicky idea sucks, but I fail to come up with a single reason why it's a good idea.

    If it was card(s) of a single team or, even better, a single player it could've worked, but a bunch of "random" players? Nah.

    Also, it kinda felt like it was just loads of cards taped together. Gimme a couple of minutes and I'll produce an even-less-amazing-but-definitely-longer card!

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  5. Is this a late April Fools joke by Hackler?

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  6. I'm pretty sure I'd be able to tell what pack it's in.

    Unless the geniuses at Panini put 31 decoys into every other pack.

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    Replies
    1. Wasn't there supposed to be a redemption for it? That would make the most sense, right?

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    2. I think it should be put in packs.

      That would be fantastic!

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  7. Yeah, pretty lame from my standpoint. I was expecting to see some form of continuity from one card to the next...dozens of pictures intersecting each other or something. But, as several people have said, it's just a bunch of random cards taped together.

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  8. How far is too far?

    I thought it was too far when they started cutting up uniforms and equipment of long-dead players like Ruth and Vezina. It's one thing to put jersey swatches of current players as that's basically a renewable resource. Ruth's jersey? Vezina's pads? Those belonged in a museum somewhere, not sliced and diced so that a 1" square could be stuffed in a card.

    That was a disgrace.

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    Replies
    1. From what I've heard, the HHOF had first dibs on the Vezina pads and passed.

      Their loss is ITG's gain.

      I'll admit, I like the fact that I can own a piece of that kind of history (albeit a small piece).

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    2. They passed because they didn't have the money, not because they didn't want it. That's the shame of it.

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    3. Ah ha. Interesting.

      I'll admit, part of cringes at what might come down the pipe in the next 5-10 years.

      How far will the line be pushed?

      I remember years ago in one of the Beckett Monthly magazines, there was an article on cutting up some of the Stanley Cup. Of course it was done as sort of an April Fool's joke.....but how long before we see that?

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  9. Sorry about my profanity! I didn't think about it as I was typing.

    But anyway I saw the video yesterday and thought that it was pretty lame; where would one keep a massive stack like that protected? Maybe it is delivered in it's own case or something.

    What's next from Panini? World's largest sports trading card ever? A life sized die-cut of Tim Tebow. I like Panini but this 'world's longest' trading card thing is a bit over the top.

    I say the chances of pulling a redemption for this is pretty rare. I have no desire for something like this but would be pretty stoked to pull it.

    On the other hand, if it was hockey and not football I'd probably love the thing.

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    Replies
    1. Hey, no problem. I appreciate you re-posting.

      I think they should go the other direction and com up with the smallest card.

      We're all about making things smaller these days aren't we?

      Delete