The Sooner, The Better: Previewing DeMarco Murray’s Upcoming Autographed RCs
Was it just coincidence that Dallas Cowboys rookie running back DeMarco Murray went out and rushed for a franchise single-game record 253 yards in a victory over the St. Louis Rams just days after visiting Panini America HQ to sign some of his upcoming Rookie Cards? We think not. Indeed, we'd like to think Murray's breakout performance Sunday -- which…
Panini Peek Preview Gallery: 2011 Playoff Contenders Football (10 Must-See Images)
We let the cat out of the bag to a certain extent last week by unveiling the Rookie Ticket Rookie Card designs for the upcoming release of collecting flagship 2011 Playoff Contenders Football. But knowing what the RCs look like is just one part of the equation. Clearly, there's a whole lot more to know -- and love -- about this…
Panini Unwrapped World Premiere Video: 2011 Absolute Memorabilia Football
As the buildup to next week's release of 2011 Absolute Memorabilia reaches frenzied mania stage, leave it to The Knight's Lance to inject your Thursday morning with something that should raise the anticipation level even higher: The world premiere episode of Panini Unwrapped. Panini America NFL Brand Manager Carlos Torrez joins Tracy Hackler in breaking the first two boxes of this heavy-hitting hobby superstar, a bountiful eight-pack…
Video & Gallery: On the Production Line with 2011 Absolute Memorabilia Football
Last Friday we gave you a tantalizing peek into the packout process for 2011 Absolute Memorabilia Football, an image-filled appetite-whetting precursor to today's exclusive video footage taken right there on the production line. In addition to the brief-but-compelling piece of cinematography that follows, we also managed to get our hands on some additional cards from packout that will shed just a little more…
Panini America On Location: Packout Begins for 2011 Absolute Memorabilia Football
"Rocket." It's the term we use inside Panini America headquarters for a product that is poised for an explosive ascent on the secondary market and in customer appreciation. Friday morning at the Panini America printing facility, I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with such a rocket. Indeed, 2011 Absolute Memorabilia Football is poised for takeoff. (more…)
Panini America World Premiere: The 2011 Playoff Contenders Football Rookie Tickets
Following a brief dose of social-media suspense-building yesterday and a visual history lesson earlier today, the time has come for Panini America to unveil the design for its ballyhooed 2011 Playoff Contenders Football Rookie Ticket Rookie Cards. The 2011 edition of this perenniel pigskin product-of-the-year favorite will hit shelves in early January, but we all know it's never too early to pull the curtain…
Before the 2011 Reveal: A Visual History of Playoff Contenders Football Rookie Tickets
It's no secret that the landmark 1998 Playoff Contenders Football product altered forever the way Rookie Cards were made, marketed and collected. The revolutionary union that year of Rookie Cards and autographs birthed the blissful Rookie Ticket -- and signaled a monumental shift in the industry that still resonates loudly today with virtually every product made in every sport. Based largely on the strength of that watershed 1998 edition, Playoff Contenders…
A Little More National Treasures Basketball Love to Get You Through Your Hump Day
While business inside Panini America HQ has continued at its usual breakneck pace this week with a considerable golden aura, a dedicated crew from Product Development has been punching in at our printing facility every day, still hard at work across town getting 2010-11 National Treasures Basketball ready for packout. The good news for those guys -- Keith Hower, Joe Reyes, Wes Elliott and…
Quick . . . Someone Call a Doctor! These National Treasures Autographs are Sick!
As the top vote-getter -- by a mile -- in our Knight’s Lance Readers Choice Weekend poll, this story is being brought to you by . . . well . . . you. Stay tuned for your final content selection, a gallery of some of our redemption prizes for the 2011 National Sports Collectors Convention. It's official: The hobby's appetite for the upcoming 2010-11…
The UPDATED Debut of the 2010-11 Playoff Contenders Hockey Golden Ticket Tracker
First things first: We offer our sincere apologies for just now bringing you this first installment of the eagerly awaited 2010-11 Playoff Contenders Hockey Golden Ticket Tracker. It's been a wild few months around these parts but we've finally devoted our full attention to chronicling the 20 pieces of precious 14-karat gold metal randomly buried inside packs of 2010-11 Playoff Contenders Hockey. To…