The Triumphant Return of Panini America’s ‘Whose Autographs Arrived Today?’ Contest
In the almost two months since we launched The Knight's Lance, we've produced several posts that have been popular with the blog's loyal readers. From behind-the-scenes looks at the trading card process that you just won't get anywhere else to the first video breaks of Panini America's best products, we seem to have struck a chord with today's collectors. But far…
Panini Unwrapped: 2010-11 Donruss Hockey
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcQdQUPUkDs&fs=1&hl=en_US] Panini America Hockey Brand Manager Al Muir and his trusty sidekick Clint Hall join the gregarious Scott Prusha in this revealing episode of Panini Unwrapped starring 2010-11 Donruss Hockey. What do these three gentlemen (and we use that term loosely) have in common? More importantly, what will they pull from their box? Good questions. Stay tuned and find out.
The Six 2010-11 Certified Hockey Freshman Fabric Signatures Redemptions Will Be . . .
In a weekend vote conducted right here at The Knight's Lance, a massive majority of passionate collectors all over North America voted to see the identity of the six Freshman Fabric Signatures redemption cards from 2010-11 Certified Hockey right now, all at once, rather than wait any longer. Well, to the more than 66 percent of those polled who demanded…
Attention, Certified Hockey Collectors: Which Would You Prefer?
Panini America Hockey Brand Manager Al Muir sauntered over to my desk today to let me know that he's ready to reveal the identities of the six Freshman Fabric Signatures rookie redemptions from 2010-11 Certified Hockey. For those passionate collectors who've been waiting on pins and needles for this information, Muir's revelation is quite exciting. But since Al and I couldn't come…
A Day at Packout with Panini America
I didn't make my normal trek to Panini America headquarters in Arlington, Texas, for work on Tuesday morning. Instead, I ventured across town to the city of Allen to spend some quality time witnessing the finer points of trading card production. I left, however, with two huge regrets: One, that I couldn't stay longer -- like, say, two weeks longer; and…
The Details are in the (New Jersey) Devil
Add this to the incredibly long list of things at Panini America that you simply just don't see everyday: Hockey acquisitions guru Alex Carbajal on Wednesday wheeling a push cart stacked heaping high with an impeccable selection of game-worn hockey sweaters. At some point, I'm sure such sights will become old hat. But until then, I'm going to keep geeking out. I hope you don't…
Panini America Behind the Scenes: Inside The “Kobe” Conference Room
Every Monday morning, I join Scott Prusha, my product-promoting partner, for a weekly marketing meeting with Jason Howarth, Panini America's Vice President of Marketing and, more importantly, our boss. With so much exciting, marketable stuff going on around us all the time, no two meetings are ever quite the same. Well, aside from two key facts: The weekly marketing meetings always start the same…
Coming Soon to a Panini America Hockey Product: Sweaters Fit for Kings
I couldn't help but notice Panini America's Alex Carbajal living like a king (make that "King") early last week, nattily festooned in the most majestic, special-edition Los Angeles Kings sweater I'd ever seen. It was the purple-reigning "vintage throwback" gem the Kings' Drew Doughty wore on Oct. 9, 2010, in the game at Vancouver that celebrated the Canucks' 40th anniversary. It's one of three sweaters from that game Panini America acquired directly from the Kings -- in…
On the Routing Table: Contenders Football, Crown Royale Hockey, Century Collection
I went snooping near the back of the building late Wednesday afternoon to see what I could find that could tide us over during the Thanksgiving holiday. Well, I found a most bountiful harbinger harvest at the trusty routing table, a veritable cornucopia of product-previewing goodness. On this particular afternoon, I was treated to pre-production paperwork for premier Panini America…
Quality Controlling 2010-11 Donruss Hockey
Hey, remember earlier this week when I brought you that early look at 2010-11 Donruss Hockey? Turns out those were retail quality control cases yielding those sneak peeks. On Wednesday, Panini America Hockey Brand Manager Al Muir and Assistant Brand Manager Clint Hall had the pleasure of quality controlling two hobby cases of the highly anticipated product that releases next…