And So It Begins: Panini America Preparing 2012-13 Classics Signatures Hockey Autos
The often-arduous journey to producing a predominantly hard-signed trading card release can be a grueling, obstacle-filled test of patience and production. But the payoff, both for collectors and all of us here at Panini America, is a compelling set that stands the test of time -- which is a perfect summation of the upcoming 2012-13 Classics Signatures Hockey. The newest addition…
Panini America On Location: At the Printing Facility with 2011-12 Dominion Hockey
First things first: I owe you a huge apology. I inadvertently lied to you last Sunday when I said that day's gallery would be the final pre-release look at 2011-12 Dominion Hockey. Turns out it wasn't. It was supposed to be, but then a quick trip to the Panini America facility this afternoon changed all of that. Marketing comrade Chris…
Gallery: Panini America Previews More New Images from 2011-12 Dominion Hockey
The week-long marathon that was the 2011-12 Dominion Hockey pre-packout process is a gift that keeps on giving. After all, while Panini America's NHL first-liners Chris Barr, Karvin Cheung and Tim Trout were busy hand-inspecting every last card produced for inclusion in this year's Dominion product, they were also taking tons of pictures. And we've shared many of those with you right…
Tuesday Tease: Panini America Previews 70 New Images from 2011-12 Dominion QC
Panini America NHL brand developers Karvin Cheung and Chris Barr have spent every waking hour of the last four or five days hand-inspecting thousands of collection-making cards -- one by one -- to make sure they're ready for insertion into the juggernaut known as 2011-12 Dominion Hockey, which begins packing out next week. Throughout the time-intensive labor of love that's taking place…
Panini America Begins the Quality Control Process for 2011-12 Dominion Hockey
Remember a few days ago, when we previewed some of the historic Gordie Howe inclusions coming to 2011-12 Dominion Hockey? In that post, we mentioned the cool cache of images hitting my email inbox at a breakneck pace compliments of Panini America NHL Brand Manager Chris Barr, who is currently scrutinizing every single card slated for the product in advance…
The Panini America Drool Gallery: 2011-12 Prime Hockey Prime Ties (103 Images)
I have a confession to make: When I first laid eyes on the overwhelmingly unique Prime Ties insert cards from the new 2011-12 Prime Hockey, I was speechless, my tongue tied and twisted in knots like the laces I was looking at. That was two weeks ago, during the quality-control process for the ballyhooed product. Here's what I wrote at the…
The Panini America Quality Control Gallery: 2011-12 Prime Hockey (Updated Images)
Hockey collectors, rejoice. The day you've been waiting for has arrived. At this very moment, Panini America NHL Brand Manager Chris Barr is at the company's printing facility not-so-patiently waiting to scrutinize the first 2011-12 Prime Hockey QC boxes straight off the production line. Luckily for all of us, he found something to occupy him while he waits: Several glorious…
Gallery: Pre-Packout Process Continues for Panini America’s 2011-12 Prime Hockey
You can trace the considerable buzz that reverberated throughout the hockey collecting universe last week (and reverberates still today) directly back to The Knight's Lance. Indeed, our gallery documenting the pre-packout process for Panini America's upcoming 2011-12 Prime Hockey was nothing short of an appetite-whetting, hit-generating sensation. The good news? We have more sneak peeks to show you today. Panini America…
Updated Gallery: Panini America Initiates Pre-Packout for 2011-12 Prime Hockey
I returned to the office this morning following a whirlwind five days at the 2012 National Sports Collectors Convention to an email inbox overflowing with an array of stunning images from the upcoming 2011-12 Prime Hockey release. Turns out Karvin Cheung, Panini America's Director of Product Development for the NBA and NHL, is spending time at the printing facility today…
Panini America Offers Pre-Ink Peek at the Peerless Patches in 2011-12 Dominion
Let's be honest: There's never a bad time to preview a product like 2011-12 Dominion Hockey. So even though it's still a ways out on the release calendar with 2011-12 Prime Hockey to come before, I couldn't resist sharing some of the serendipitous scenes I saw back in the Acquisitions department earlier this week. Among the rush of incoming collection-makers…