Kobe, Panini America Make Hobby History with “Vino” Autos in National Treasures
With a simple 14-word Tweet that included a hash tag heard 'round the world, the incomparable Kobe Bryant uncorked his newest nickname. The meaning-filled moniker, "Vino," was given to Bryant by a mystery friend to imply that Bryant, like fine wine, is only getting better with age. As a result, so is 2012-13 National Treasures Basketball. (more…)
Catching Up with Kobe: Panini America Sits with Bryant for Intense Signing Session
During a strict business trip to Southern California this week, Panini America's Brian Bayne has spent parts of two days -- and is about to spend part of a third -- meeting with Los Angeles Lakers superstar (and Panini exclusive athlete) Kobe Bryant for a series of intense but profusely productive signing sessions. Bayne departed for LA with a priority list big…
Panini America Teams with Lakers to Honor Landmark Achievements of Kobe, Nash
During tonight's game between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center (9:30 p.m. CST), Panini America will be in attendance to honor the recent significant statistical feats of Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash like only the company can: With two special trading cards available only by visiting the Panini America booth at the game. The special Score…
Must-See Video: A Special Holiday Message from Panini America and Kobe Bryant
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er0btzmDS6g&w=600&h=338]
The Drool Gallery: Panini America Explores the Rarest Gems Inside Kobe Anthology
With today's release of 2012-13 Threads Basketball, Panini America's stunning cross-brand Kobe Anthology tribute set is now three products old. By now, you've no doubt been able to appreciate many of the 200 base cards in the set that chronicles Bryant's record-setting career up to now. What you likely haven't seen much of so far -- if at all --…
Panini America to Honor Kobe Bryant with Special Card Set in All 2012-13 Products
Panini America, the world’s largest sports and entertainment collectibles company and the exclusive trading card partner of the NBA, will pay tribute to Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant during the 2012-13 season with a unique year-long trading card set, Kobe Anthology, devoted exclusively to the five-time NBA champion. One five-card pack of Kobe Anthology cards will be included inside…
Panini America Video Diary & Gallery: Ohio Collector Nick Gauder Meets Kobe Bryant
LOS ANGELES -- Ohio collector Nick Gauder inadvertently created a firestorm of controversy last week when he admitted to Beckett.com that he passed on an offer of $20,000 for the Golden Ticket he pulled from 2010-11 Gold Standard Basketball. That once-in-a-lifetime pull guaranteed Gauder the opportunity to meet Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant. But as it turns out, it…
PPI Special Report: Skyrocketing Values of Key 2011 Panini Preferred Basketball Cards
Last week we brought the first of what's sure to be many fun-filled segments of what we call the Weekly Panini Price Index (PPI for short). As this segment continues to evolve, we couldn't help but turn your attention to the astronomical dollar values that 2011-12 Panini Preferred Basketball continue to yield after only a few short weeks on the market. At $200 per box,…
Panini Authentic Donates Rare Kobe-Signed Shoes to 2012 Industry Summit Auction
Panini Authentic, the high-end autographed memorabilia division of Panini America, announced today that it will donate a rare pair of autographed Kobe Bryant shoes as the headline item in the annual 2012 Industry Summit Silent Auction. The extremely rare Nike ID Zoom VI shoes utilize a design created exclusively for Bryant through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Bryant wore one pair of…
Pieces de Resistance: Turning Kobe Bryant’s Game-Worn Jersey into Classic Collectibles
Earlier this week we detailed the West Coast road trip of Panini America's Brian Bayne as he attempted to secure on-card autographs from the likes of Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe for the upcoming 2011 Preferred Basketball release. As is his custom, Bayne went above and beyond the call of duty. In this case, that meant extending his stay by…