As the anticipation continues to swell for the long-awaited launch of the official Panini America Michael Jackson trading card set,we figured another world premiere sneak peek might keep the momentum building. Last weekend we previewed some of the scene-setting base cards gracing the June 8 release. Today, we unveil for the first time the Number Ones subset, a 13-card tribute to The King of…

Collectors have been asking and Panini’s here to deliver. Here’s a complete list of the autographs from the Spring Expo wrapper redemption. (more…)

In a late-breaking development that was as completely unexpected as it should be universally embraced by the passionate prospecting community, highly touted Baltimore Orioles prospect Manny Machado finally returned his 2010 Donruss Elite Extra Edition autographs to the company. But no one, it should be noted, is happier with this special delivery than Panini America Brand Manager Mike Payne, who developed 2010…

In the more than six 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 exclusive first looks at Panini America’s best products, we seem to have struck a chord with today’s collectors. But some of the most…

Rosalinda Rios’ revelatory emails arrive every morning with uncanny precision, setting off the Microsoft Outlook notification chime that has become music to my ears. Like that first swig of lo-carb Monster energy drink, her electronic missives provide the perfect start to my every work day. Rios is something of a signature siren around these parts, the woman responsible for receiving and verifying each day’s new arrivals. She then sends…

My hands are a little shaky at the moment so you’ll have to excuse any typos in this post. I just spent the last 10 minutes marveling at the preliminary product information and images for 2010-11 Dominion Hockey . . . and I can’t stop shaking. Frankly, I don’t even know where to begin previewing a product of this magnitude. (more…)

Given the rare opportunity to create from scratch a special insert set for 2011-12 Panini NBA Hoops, The Knight’s Lance readers have spent the last month letting their voices be heard. First, you selected the theme (single-game NBA records). Now, you’ve selected the name: A Night to Remember. Next up is a biggie: We need you to select the 20 players/records…

In an effort to keep collectors updated on the status of those Panini America redemption cards that are currently being processed at a breakneck clip, we’ll post a list, like the one below, detailing the most recent cards being fulfilled. The following list is by no means complete, but it does let collectors know which redemption cards from which products are being processed this week. We’ll…

So I was back in Product Development early this morning helping NFL Brand Manager Carlos Torrez and NFL acquisitions guru Joe White QC a few early retail boxes of 2011 Prestige Football (great-looking product this year, by the way). On my way back to marketing, I passed the vaunted Panini America Routing Table and had to do a double take. Then a…

Another contest, another astonishing show of collecting passion from readers of The Knight’s Lance. Last week, in honor of Derrick Rose winning 2010-11 NBA MVP honors, we asked collectors to show their own MVP (Most Valuable Panini) card for a chance to win a stunning Rose 1/1 memorabilia gem from Panini America’s fabled 2011 Industry Summit Black Boxes. (more…)