CHICAGO — On a postcard-perfect Saturday evening in late July, right there in the heart of Chicago’s Fulton Market district, the stars came out (and kept coming out, it seemed) as Panini America’s sixth annual National VIP Party delivered another one of those remember-where-you-were-when kind of nights that have become the marquee event’s calling card. The electricity was palpable. The vibe was vibrant. The memories? Well, they were the kind that tend to last forever.
As has become customary, Panini America’s 2017 National VIP Party unfolded amid considerable pomp and circumstance as more than 250 special guests basked in the fairytale brilliance of a fantasy come to life inside the sprawling Revel Fulton Market, a 30,000-square-foot, urban-chic warehouse that seemed tailor made to host what many party-goers called the best Panini VIP Party yet.
In an effort to keep collectors updated on the status of those Panini America redemption cards that are currently being processed, we’ll post a list every week, like the one included in the attachments below, detailing the most recent cards being fulfilled this week.
The following list is intended to inform collectors about which redemption cards from which products are being processed this week. We’ll update this list every week so stay tuned next week if you don’t see your card here.
Panini America Offers Detailed First Look at 2017 National Treasures Collegiate Football
If the overwhelming hobby response to Panini America’s recent release of 2017 Immaculate Collegiate Football is any indication of how fans and collectors feel about this year’s rookie class as collegians in the higher-end form, well, the outlook is bright for the company’s soon-to-be-released 2017 National Treasures Collegiate Football.
Set to arrive in mid September, the third annual installment of the brand will deliver, on average, six autograph or memorabilia cards in every eight-card box. And like Immaculate Collegiate Football before it, the product is brimming with spectacular multi-prime memorabilia pieces.
Panini America officials on Thursday announced several personnel changes to the company’s Product Development Team to address the departure of Jim Stefano as the company’s Senior Director of Product Development. Former Football Product Development Director Nick Matijevich, a 20-year industry veteran who’s been with the company for three years following stints at Donruss and Press Pass, has been promoted to the Senior Director position. He will oversee the day-to-day operations and long-term goals of the department.
Rob Springs, another longtime product development specialist with stints at Beckett Media and Donruss, has been promoted to Product Development Director for Panini America’s NFL and soccer divisions. Ben Ecklar, who has spent nearly two decades overseeing brands for Donruss and Panini America, will direct the product development teams for the company’s baseball, collegiate and NASCAR lines. David Porter remains the company’s Director of Basketball Product Development and will also direct all U.S. Sticker and Album collections.
Anthrax Frontman Joey Belladonna Delivers a ‘Flawless’ Performance in Must-See Video
Joey Belladonna rocks. Like, seriously. The dude rocks. For a living. Perhaps best known as the powerfully piped frontman for legendary thrash-metal group Anthrax, Belladonna has spent more than three decades shredding stages with a mic in his hand, passion in his heart and an international legion of fans head-banging and mosh-pitting every steel-toed stomp of the way. Of course, Belladonna’s day job (which usually is more of a night job) tends to mask the fact that the New York native is a diehard sports fan.
His biggest love? The Minnesota Vikings, for whom he’s had the chance to perform the National Anthem. Of course, that’s just the beginning. He’s friends with Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, fond of Syracuse athletics and, as a former high-school hockey goalie, has a soft spot in his heart for Philadelphia Flyers legend Bernie Parent. (Speaking of the Vikings and Bills, Belladonna just last Thursday performed the National Anthem before those two teams met in their preseason opener.)
Panini America Provides Detailed First Look at 2016-17 Impeccable Basketball (Preview)
Panini America’s upscale Impeccable Football brand made a bold debut last October and almost immediately became everybody’s frontrunner for Best New Product of Year honors. Equipped with a daring combination of precious metal cards, on-card autographs and designs that were, well, impeccable, the product was immediately embraced by collectors. Based on that overwhelmingly auspicious debut, it was really only a matter of time before the Impeccable brand crossed over — and that time is now.
In late September, Panini America officials will unveil 2016-17 Impeccable Basketball, introducing the many merits of the brand — on-card autographs, one-per-case precious metal cards, striking aesthetics — to a new audience. On average, each hobby box (eight cards per box, three boxes per case) will deliver five autographs.
In many ways, 15-year-old card collectors Bryce McMahon and his father, Andy, are just like millions of fathers and children who bond through collecting sports memorabilia and making trips to their local hobby shop. But unlike the thousands of collectors who live in the Los Angeles area, when it comes to their NBA fandom, the McMahons root for the Lakers’ hated rival — the Boston Celtics.
That’s why, when Bryce was selected from nearly 100,000 collectors at 400 hobby shops nationwide as the 2017 Panini NBA Player of the Day National Grand Prize Winner, the team at Panini America had their work cut out for them to find a player that would appeal to Los Angeles basketball fans as well as to Bryce and Andy.
