Panini America PC Profile: Robert Sobon’s Championship-Worthy Packers Stash

You'll have to forgive longtime collector Robert Sobon if he's still a little giddy these days. Watching your favorite quarterback -- who hails from your own backyard -- earn Super Bowl MVP honors while winning a championship for your favorite team tends to leave you feeling flighty for quite some time.

You’ll have to forgive longtime collector Robert Sobon if he’s still a little giddy these days. Watching your favorite quarterback — who hails from your own backyard — earn Super Bowl MVP honors while winning a championship for your favorite team tends to leave you feeling flighty for quite some time.

Let’s face it, Sobon could’ve made the Lambeau Leap from all the way in NorCal following the Green Bay Packers‘ scintillating victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in last Sunday’s Super Bowl XLV.

Somehow, though, Sobon found time this week to gather his collective collecting thoughts — and a ton of sweet card images — on his relentless pursuit of the Green Bay Packers, a green-and-gold amalgamation of greatness that undoubtedly just took a huge jump up in value.

Panini America Personal Collection Spotlight
Who:
Robert Sobon, Shingle Springs, Calif.
What: The Green Bay Packers — Super Bowl XLV Champions!

It all started after the 2005 NFL Draft, when Aaron Rodgers, California standout quarterback and Northern California native started to drop down the draft board, skipped by the team I had followed for years, the San Francisco 49ers. It was time to focus my collecting efforts on a new team: The Green Bay Packers.

At first it was just a quest to pick up Rodgers Rookie Cards, then memorabilia cards and autographs; and then it evolved into to picking up Rodgers and Packers Rookies Cards from every new release. From there, my collection expanded to other players, with a focus on Greg Jennings, A.J. Hawk, Donald Driver, James Jones, Ryan Grant, Jordy Nelson, Jermichael Finley, Clay Matthews and many others.

Searching eBay, breaking boxes, trading and engaging in group box breaks on Trading Card Central all added to the collection. Thousands of cards later, my Packers collection is continuing to grow with each year. Recent additions include a 2010 Gridiron Gear Aaron Rodgers autograph patch card numbered to 15 and a 2010 Classics Significant Signatures Ryan Grant autograph numbered to only 5.

Some of my favorites cards have always been from the brands of Panini America: Limited, Contenders, Classics, Gridiron Gear, Playoff Absolute and National Treasures. From the 2005 Playoff Contenders Rodgers SP Rookie Ticket’s clean styling to the multi-colored patches of Playoff Absolute like the Nelson patch autograph to the dramatic images of Limited and National Treasures like the Hawk and Finley autographs to the Monday Night Heroes from Classics like Jennings and Ryan Grant, each card is a treasured part of my collection.

BONUS: Speaking of treasured parts of Sobon’s collection, he’s offered to part with one of them: A BCCG 10 2005 Rookies & Stars Longevity Aaron Rodgers. To be eligible to win this card, please comment on Sobon’s collection here on The Knight’s Lance or follow him on Twitter.

Sobon will select a winner of this sweet Rodgers card next week.

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26 Replies to “Panini America PC Profile: Robert Sobon’s Championship-Worthy Packers Stash”

  1. Nice pc. Some people don’t understand the sleepless nights it takes to get the cards you need haha. Setting the alarm clock for 3 am to wake up and ensure you win the card off ebay that you absolutely have to have.

    1. Not to mention, watching the clock at work, and then “excusing” yourself to the Men’s Room, so you can lock yourself in a stall, pull out your smartphone, and get that last minute bid in!

  2. Great collection!! I remember pulling his rookie auto and getting the whole ” He’s a good player, but he’ll spend his career as Favre’s back-up. If he’s lucky, he’ll get traded to another team or something.” speech..

  3. Robert congrats on your team and player winning the bowl!

    For those of you who dont know Mr. Sobon , you have no idea of the kindness and generosity of this man!

    A true pleasure to say I Know him well!

    1. Steve,

      Thank you so much. My collection is so small in comparison to the great cards I have seen you pull and in your collection.

  4. Pretty sweet man. I am a Vikings fan but even I have to give it up to Rodgers and Clay Mathews, those guys are beasts. I say in a year or two Rodgers will be the top QB in the NFL, hands down. His story is such a great lesson to kids on how to stick to it and know your work will pay off in the long run. Hopefully the Vikes can find a QB and really make things interesting the the Norse division.

  5. Sometimes when you get that itch you just have to scratch it. I am proud of you man! You set out to do this a couple years ago & you stuck it out and now are reeping the benefits. Good news is I don’t think that GB is one and down either. They might be riding this wave for a while. The Packers have the second youngest team in the NFL. And the best QB, WR, TE, LB, CB in the NFL. You are a wise man and have a great eye spotting talent & cards.

    1. Thanks! Aaron Rodgers is the bulk of the collection and my collecting and purchases have got up and down, just like his prices. High first year, low 2nd & 3rd year when I pick up a bunch, and rising last 3 years.

      The big thing about player collecting is to pick up those duplicates when you see good deals and sell them later to finance purchases when prices are high. That and hope for some lucky pack pulls like the 2010 Rodgers Auto.

      Even though the analysts talk down a player you like, stick to it if you believe.

  6. This collection is unreal! Being a Northern California Cheesehead, it is great to see a local boy make it to the top of the NFL. And I’m sure your collection rivals among the best in the country too.

    I don’t have any Rodgers’ rookies yet, but I’m working on it. Thanks for being an inspiration to us all!

  7. nice to keep the faith in what you collect! nice pc and congrats on the best prize of all a super bowl for you and your team! sick!! 🙂

  8. Like you, I am soon going to start my own journey with my own hometown hero JAKE LOCKER! As of right now I don’t know his NFL destination but some team aside from my SEAHAWKS are soon going to have a new fan following them and watching JAKE become an NFL quarterback. I see some similiarities between AARON and JAKE and the roads they have had to take leading up to the draft. Great story and continued Good Luck on your collection!

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