4-Pack Break – 2017 Leaf Holiday Bonus Pack

When I purchased my box of 2017 Leaf Metal Draft Football from Atlanta Sports Cards, I received (4) 2017 Leaf Holiday Bonus Packs.  According to Leaf’s CEO Brian Gray, these were given to distributors based on 2017 purchases.  Inside each pack is an autograph, relic, or printing plate from a wide range of Leaf products.

Here is what I pulled:

Autos

• Miles Plumlee 2012 Leaf Basketball
• David Levin 2016-17 Leaf Metal Hockey Purple Parallel #’ed/15

Printing Plates

• 2017 Leaf Q The Superlative Six – Joe Greene/Lawrence Taylor/Bruce Smith/Reggie White/Howie Long/Richard Dent – Yellow Plate #’ed 1/1
• 2016 Leaf Lumber Kings Hockey 50 Goal Club – Rick Vaive – Magenta Plate #’ed 1/1

2016 Futera Liverpool Unique Collection Pack Break & Review

Futera’s name is synonymous with high-end cards.  To put it simply, they are the Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Bentley of the trading card industry.  Their focus is mainly English Premier League football (soccer) clubs.  International collectors have been familiar with Futera ever since they began in 1989.  Last year it was announced that their products would have more of an American presence.

The level of detail that Futera has put into their “Code For Collectors” and “Colour Grading” services is literally off the charts.  “Code For Collectors” allows you to see how that autograph, memorabilia, and/or special insert card was made.  The database features photos and a full detailed write-up about that specific card.  Futera’s “Colour Grading” service displays the number of different colored relics there are for a certain card.  For example, lets say you pull a memorabilia card serial numbered out of (25).  Their database will tell you out of those (25) which ones contain a 1-color, 2-color, 3-color, etc relic.  This is the exact setup every card company should have.  With all of this documentation, it makes it almost impossible to fall for a counterfeit.  American card companies have only scratched the surface with tools like these.

I was able to get my hands on a pack of Futera’s latest product, 2016 Liverpool Unique Collection.  The entire product focuses on the Liverpool Football Club which has a deep history given that it was established in 1892.  Many other products from their Unique Collection line are team specific as well.

2016 Liverpool Unique Collection is a high-end set.  Each box contains (4) packs with a “hit” inside every pack.  Full boxes sell for $300, and individual packs go for $80.  Futera only made (30) total cases.

The base set consists of (50) cards.  Heritage parallels were made for (40) cards each limited to (30) copies.  Other product highlights include:

• “Memorable” memorabilia cards #’ed/43
• “Superstars” memorabilia cards #’ed/43
• “Team Heroes” dual memorabilia cards #’ed/32
• “Then & Now” dual memorabilia cards #’ed/29
• “Kitcard” dual memorabilia cards #’ed/27
• “Memostars” memorabilia cards with 24ct gold-plated title #’ed/15
• “The Mythicals” memorabilia cards with 24ct gold-plated frame #’ed/7

You’ll also find a good share of autographs too.  Speaking of autographs.  I don’t believe that Futera knows the meaning of a sticker autograph.  Everything I’ve seen has been signed on-card.  You have to admire that.

I really enjoy the way Futera designed these cards.  Lots of heavy white card stock makes the colored action shots pop.  A high-end look can be seen from the base cards all the way up to the rare “hits”.  Those Mythicals cards are some of the most ornately designed cards I’ve ever seen.  They look as if they were made to hang in a museum.

Overall, it was an entertaining break.

Here is what I pulled:

Base

• John Barnes #32
• Philippe Coutinho #16
• Jordan Henderson #18
• Sadio Mané #27
• Robbie Fowler #39
• Jerzy Dudek #38
• Cameron Brannagan #13
• Roberto Firmino #25
• Graeme Souness #50

Memorabilia

• Gerry Byrne Mythicals Matchday Programme #’ed/7 – contains a piece of programme from the 1965 FA Cup Final between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Wembley Stadium; 24ct gold-plated frame

Unboxing Panini’s Prize Pack!

If you recall, last week I announced that Sports Card Info was one of three runner-up winners in Panini’s 2013 NFL Player of the Day Hobby Blogger Promotion.  With that great honor came $100.00 and a prize pack.  Well the prize pack came, and it was beyond what I thought it would be.  Take a gander at what was inside.

2-Pack NBA TeenyMates Break

Pictured above is what I pulled from two packs of NBA TeenyMates.  Each pack contains two figures and two puzzle pieces.  I got the Bucks, Rockets, Trailblazers, and Bulls.  All common figures.  I have yet to pull any of the chase figures.

NBA TeenyMates are new for this year.  As with their other products, there are rare figures that you can pull – Glow-In-The-Dark, East, West, and Gold.  Each carry a premium on the secondary market.  They sure do make interesting conversation pieces.

2013 Panini NFL Player Of The Day Contest! – NOW CLOSED

Welcome to the biggest contest giveaway in Sports Card Info’s 6+ year history.  This year Panini asked Sports Card Info to participate in their 2013 NFL Player of the Day promotion, and there was no way I was going to turn that down.  Panini sent over a ton of stuff to giveaway.  Please read carefully in order to be eligible to win this huge prize pack.

Contest Details

In order to be eligible, you must do the following:

• Leave a comment to this post telling me what your favorite Panini football card brand is – National Treasures, Gridiron Gear, Signatures, etc…  You can identify a specific year if you want to.
• You must be following Sports Card Info @sportscardinfo on Twitter.
• You must provide a valid e-mail address while entering.
• You can enter once per day, but your first entry must contain your favorite Panini football card brand, Twitter handle, name, and e-mail address.  Your entries after that can contain whatever you’d like.
• A perfect first entry would look something like this – “Andrew Chrisman, National Treasures, @sportscardinfo, sciblog@outlook.com“
• U.S. residents only.
• This contest will only have one winner, and that winner will be notified by  e-mail.
• The winner will be selected at random.
• The winner has one week to send me their contact information or the contest will be held again.
• Once the contest is over, I will need the winner’s mailing address so I can ship them this prize pack for FREE!!!
• This contest will end Halloween night, 10/31/13 at 8:00pm EST, and the winner will be announced 11/2/13.

This prize pack contains the following:

• (2) Panini NFL Player of the Day T-shirts
• (2) Panini America T-shirts
• (1) Panini backpack
• (1) Matt Ryan McFarlane Series 29 Figure
• (1) Rob Gronkowski McFarlane Series 29 Figure
• (1) Giovani Bernard 2013 Score Hot Rookies Panini Authentic Auto Photo
• (1) Mark Sanchez Attack Plan Playbook Football
• (1) 2013 Certified Football sealed Hobby Box
• (1) 2013 Prominence Football sealed Hobby Box
• (1) Jarvis Jones 2013 Panini NFL Player of the Day RC Auto card
• (4) 2013 Panini Football Hall of Fame Sets
• (1) 2013 Panini National Sports Collectors Convention VIP set
• (4) packs of 2013 Score Football
• (1) Panini USB Storage Device
• (13) packs of 2013 Panini NFL Player of the Day promo packs

TeenyMates NFL Series 2 Pack Contest Winner Announced

Congrats to @ZacknPhilly on being the lucky winner of the TeenyMates NFL Series 2 Pack Contest.  Once @ZacknPhilly sends me their mailing address, TeenyMates will ship your (2) packs ASAP.  Thanks!

TeenyMates NFL Series 2 Pack Contest! – NOW CLOSED

This contest is for (2) sealed packs of NFL TeenyMates Series 2.  Each pack comes with two figures, and two puzzle pieces.  Good luck!

Contest Details:

• This contest will end Friday, August 9, 2013 @ 8:00 p.m. EST.
• To enter, please leave a comment in this post.
• You can enter once per day.
• The winner will be selected at random.
• Please provide a valid e-mail address when entering.
• The winner will receive an e-mail when the contest is over.
• The winner has one week to send me their contact information or the contest will be held again.
• Once the contest is over, I will need the winner’s mailing address so TeenyMates can ship them these packs for FREE!!!

4-Pack TeenyMates Break

Breaking open these blind packaged toys is fun and a nice change of pace.  I want to see more.  This afternoon I opened (2) packs of the new TeenyMates NFL Series 2, and (2) packs of TeenyMates NHL.  No rare figures, but fun!  These make great conversation pieces.  Put them on your desk at the office, and they will get people talking.  Have them sit in for you on all those important meetings.  But whatever you do, don’t feed them after midnight.

Flashback Product of the Week: 1989 Score Football Vending Box/Pack

Today is the day card collectors live for.  It is the first day of the 2013 National Sports Collectors Convention.  Dealers are setting up, and manufacturers are getting all their promo programs in order.  Its heaven!  Unfortunately yours truly won’t be in attendance this year.  Driving twelve hours didn’t really appeal to me, and I don’t trust the airlines with my power wheelchair.  So far, everything is looking good for Cleveland next year though.

In today’s social media world, collectors can keep track of their favorite vendors on Facebook and Twitter easily.  While setting up their booth, the folks from Baseball Card Exchange were posting photos on Facebook of some of the rare gems they will have for sale.  If your a collector looking for a little change of pace from all the modern day boxes that flood the show floor, stop by the Baseball Card Exchange booth.  They carry tons of sealed boxes that are decades old.  Even if you can’t afford something, its still fun to look.  I’ve always enjoyed the artwork on older boxes.  That’s something many of today’s products lack.

Rare and 1980’s usually aren’t two words that go together when you’re talking about sports cards.  But there are always exceptions.  This is one of them.  Score had a hit on their hands when they entered the football card market back in 1989.  The 1989 Score football set contains the most popular rookie cards of players like Barry Sanders, Troy Aikman, Deion Sanders, Derrick Thomas, Thurman Thomas, and Chris Carter.  This is why boxes continue to sell for $250.00 to $300.00 today.  You can find boxes with ease.  Even the sealed case or two pops up for sale from time to time.  But the vending box/pack are the rarest.  Not too much is known about these.  The cards inside are no different than what you would find in a normal box.  Its just the box itself that is difficult to find.  Supposedly less than 60 vending cases were made, and only provided to top distributors.  Be sure to stop by the Baseball Card Exchange booth in the corporate area to see more rare boxes like this.

Super Bowl XLVII Promo Pack Break

Last week I took advantage of Panini’s Super Bowl XLVII promotion they had going over on iCollectPanini.com.  In order to get one of these promo packs you had to purchase a 2012 football product worth $60.00 or more.  Luckily I was able to get in on the deal by picking up a retail box of 2012 Absolute before they sold out.  This weekend I plan to break the Absolute box, but I couldn’t wait to open my promo pack.

Inside was a Joe Greene autograph #’ed/25.  There really isn’t a bad pack when it comes to this promo.  Each pack has an autograph of a veteran or popular 2012 rookie numbered to 25 or less.