Box Review: 2012 Panini Preferred Basketball

Panini's 2012 Preferred basketball went live last Tuesday as the second hoops release this years from the company. Panini is touting Preferred as a high-end product that combines previously successful designs like Crown Royale, Donruss Signatures, Panini's Choice (formerly Cramer's Choice) and my favorite Silhouettes. I checkout all the press releases for upcoming products months before they go live, and every once and a while I get excited for a product to come out just like I did with Preferred. Luckily for me, Panini was nice enough to send me a box for review. So a big thanks goes out to Panini and The Knight's Lance. Now for all the fun.

Each $200 box contains four individually wrapped cards. I know that four cards for $200 seems steep, but you can see the prices for singles on eBay justify that $200 price tag. Also important to note about these four card boxes is that each card is either an auto or jersey booklet. So every card is a hit. Here is everything else you need to know about Preferred:

• - Every autograph will be limited to a print run of 99 or less
• - Tons of on-card auto's
• - The first Panini America autographs of new Clipper Chris Paul
• - 10 Autographed Crown Royale die-cuts will feature retired legends
• - Three distinct autographed Rookie Card designs for each player — Silhouettes, Crown Royale Die  Cuts and Preferred: all limited to 99 or less
• - Next-level memorabilia cards showcasing never-before-seen player combinations on each booklet

You can see the cards I pulled in the box of Preferred I opened. The Walton is the gem for me. I love collecting cards of legends like Walton and it's a pretty limited at 04/15. The foiling on the Panini's Choice cards really shines and adds a level richness to the product. Also, the on-card auto's really pop off the cards against the white background where the signatures are located. The jersey booklet is nice as well. I love the themes of these booklet cards. You really can't go wrong with a Slam Dunk theme in a basketball trading card, especially when you have the likes of Dr. J, Dominique Wilkins, Blake Griffin and Larry Johnson featured. The only gripe I have with my box break is the Patrick Paterson. Admittedly, I don't collect Patterson, but my grip is less to do with the player and more to do with the design. Where it looks like the Panini team nailed it with every other card in this product, these preferred signatures just lack the effort or higher standard of the other lines in Preferred. It's almost like the Preferred Signatures don't even belong in the product. I know some of the cards are on-card autos for certain players like Kevin Durant, and maybe that would make a difference, but the Preferred Signatures just don't make the grade compared to an otherwise flawless product.

THE VERDICT: Aside from the Preferred Signatures, Panini hit a home run on this one, or should I say slam dunk. The Silhouettes and Panini's Choice are amazing. The on-card auto's are great and the list of current NBA superstars and legends is more than extensive. If you are a collector who is looking for hits, than this is the product for you. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

I Guess I Have Another Player To Collect: Welcome To Buffalo Super Mario Williams

Super Mario Williams at Press Conference

All of you who read the Hoopography blog know I have an infinite number of collecting interests. I have recently limited what I buy and collect to a number of insert sets like the late 90's SPs ProMotion sets in football, basketball, hockey and baseball and the '96 Jam Session Showstoppers 9 card set, but I am definitely going to have to pick up a card or two of my Buffalo Bills newest free agent signing. The Bills offered the biggest defensive free agent on the market the biggest contract for a defensive player in league history at over $100 million. I love the move as a season ticket holder. Trying to look at the move objectively, which is difficult considering the excitement, I hope the last two season ending injuries are a thing of the past.

So What Do I Do With This Now?: '08 Bowman Chrome Jesus Montero Blue Refractor RC

2008 Bowman Chrome Jesus Montero RC Blue Refractor #'d /99

As an avid sports memorabilia collector and Yankees fan, I decided a few years back to start collecting a Yankees prospect. I wasn't sure who that prospect would be, so I did a bit of research. I talked to other collectors, I read all the MLB prospect ratings and decided on Jesus Montero. Yeah, I know… big surprise there. In truth, I wanted to collect Austin Jackson, but the Yanks traded him just before I could pick up any of his cards. That was a lucky break for me I guess, since we all know it's no fun collecting a guy for your favorite team who ends up getting traded the next year.

So you can imagine my dismay when I heard about Montero being traded a couple months back. I do think my pinstripes made the right baseball decision, but the front office brass obviously weren't keeping my trading card collection in mind when they made the trade.

So basically, I have a card that looks great. I love the blue refractors, but I'm not sure I'm going to hold on to the RC. The whole idea of buying this card for me was to follow Montero as he came up through the minors and contributed to the big club. I know Montero is still one of the hottest young bats in baseball and he could become a big star, but you may see this one in my Trade Bait Album sometime soon.

Happy Collecting and… "Enjoy The Smell of that Spring Training Grass". Actually, scratch that. Have you ever seen a baseball field after professional baseball players are through with it? Those folds are disgusting. Guys are spitting who know what every five seconds. Grounds keepers are throwing manure and pesticides everywhere. With all the half eaten sunflower seeds on the ground, you would think they were getting ready to produce sunflower oil. It's a mess out there. How about this…, "Enjoy Every Crack of the Bat".

Another 90's Insert Set: '93 TSC Beam Team Set

There certainly were insert sets before 1993, but it really wasn't until that year that inserts really exploded. Many companies only had one or maybe two insert sets per product in the late 80's and early 90's like Fleer with its Stickers sets ('87 - '90) and Upper Deck with its Award Winner Holograms ('92). However, as the trading card industry took off in the early 90's, so did the size and scope of its products. Companies started producing smaller sets to insert into base product packs to entice the influx of new consumers that were flooding the hobby and market. Also known as the "Golden Age" of trading cards, the 90's helped spur-on creativity and design in the hobby. As far as the basketball trading card hobby was concerned, a perfect storm was created to coincide with the insert revolution.

Not only were trading cards being designed at a higher level to bring in the "Golden Age", but the NBA was in the midst of an upswing of its own. Collectors wanted cards of players like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'neal. The sports card industry and NBA could not have been hotter, and one early 90's insert set captured the essence of all that excitement, new creativity in design and insert magic.

The '93 Topps Stadium Club product was a premium product that showcased superb photography and a high gloss surface. Sure laugh now, but take a look at a '91 Hoops card and you'll appreciate what Topps did with its '93 TSC release. To go along with its awesome 400 card base set, TSC also inserted a 21 card set into its series 2 boxes at a rate of 1:36. The TSC Beam Team insert set was truly a masterpiece of its time. The Beam Team set features the great photography found in the base set and combines it with the best stars from a hugely popular NBA and cool design. Some of the action shots Topps came up with for this set are really tremendous. Just look at the Dominique Wilkins card. Simply Awesome!

The list of players found in this set is really mind boggling. From Ewing, Robinson and Olajuwon to Barkley, Stockton and Rodman, this set has just about everyone in it. Unfortunately, two glaring omissions are that of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. I know neither played during the '93 NBA season, but they are in the TSC base set. Otherwise, a checklist for an early 90's set doesn't get much better than this.

Many collectors jumped on this set because of the "Shaq' Attack" craze of the mid 90's and Jordan found in the set. The Jordan Beam Team is considered to be one of his "must have" cards for Jordan collectors. I've seen varying prices for this set, so be cautious if you're looking to build this one. There currently are a number of Buy Now sets up on eBay with exorbitant prices from $199 to $350. That is way too much for this set that has a book value of $120. Yes, in 1993 the set did sell for well over $300, but the calendar reads 2012 today. I've seen this set sell for around $75 on the lower end and $150ish on the high end. I stole mine at $55.00. The set is a nice buy if you can grab it for $100 (click here) or under as the Jordan and O'neal typically sell for around $35 and $40 respectively. The Jordan really is a $25 - $30 card, but we all know those 90's Jordan inserts can get crazy. It's not uncommon to see one of these go over the $50 mark.

I myself built the set the easy way and bought it completed about three years ago. I know that's like cheating, but I saved a lot on shipping charges by not having to pay $2-$3 each to have all 21 cards shipped from different sellers. The Jordan, Clyde Drexler and Dominique Wilkins are certainly favorites of mine, but the Shaq' is where it's at for me. Easily one of my favorite cards in my collection from one of my favorite 90's sets.

It's All In The Details

1998 Upper Deck SPx ProMotion Warrick Dunn (Front)

1998 Upper Deck SPx ProMotion Warrick Dunn (Back)

It's true what they say, "…it's all in the details". Check out this 1998 Upper Deck SPx ProMotion card of Warrick Dunn. The foiling, hologram and die cut details are nice, but look at the football helmet shaped Upper Deck hologram in the bottom right corner. If you look closely, you can even see an earhole. There was some definite thought put into the detail of this card.

The detail of these SPx ProMotion cards is why I am currently trying to put together four SPx insert sets from the late 90's that feature similar diecut and hologram designs. Here's a little more background on these Upper Deck SPx inserts I'm collecting.

As many of you know, I currently have what seems like a thousand collections going. I can't help it. There're just so many great cards, magazines, kicks and posters out there to collect. One of the first actions that got me back into the hobby several years back was the rediscovering of late 90's SPx inserts. Mainly, the '98 SPx Duo View hockey cards, '97 and '98 SPx Pro Motion basketball cards, the '97 SPx Cornerstones baseball cards and the '97 and '98 SPx Pro Motion football cards. With the exception of the '98 Pro Motion cards, these sets are all very similar featuring cool die cut designs and crystal clear holograms. Because of those design attributes, I've always liked them.

So far, I have a few cards in five out of the six SPx sets listed above. The first set I started building was the '97 SPx Pro Motion basketball set. In my humble opinion, it's highlighted by one of the best looking Michael Jordan cards in the hobby (click here). Ironically, that's the only card I need to complete that five card set. Even without the Jordan, I'm pretty excited to be 80% done with the set. Unfortunately, I'm not as far with the other five sets. I have a few cards in each set and am slowly building each set. I would like to complete two out of the six sets this year as they are my highest collecting priority.

If anyone has any SPx insert cards from the six sets I'm collecting, let me know. I'd love to get these collections jump started with a few trades. You can look at my want lists and trade album by clicking here. There are a few jersey and auto'd football, baseball and basketball cards in there now. I'm always open to trades with fellow bloggers as well as anyone who is a member of Collectors Card World and Sports Card Forum. Thanks for reading and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Do You Think Anyone Can Score 100 Points Again?

Wilt Chamberlin scores 100 points

In honor of Wilt The Stilt's 50th Anniversary 100 point game, I thought it only fitting to ask, "will anyone accomplish this feat again"? I don't believe any player in the Association will ever get to that magical 100 point plateau.

The talent is certainly there today. There are a small handful of players currently in the Association who I feel can score 100 points in a single NBA game, but I just don't think today's NBA will allow it. The game is just too complicated. Remember when David Robinson needed to score 71 points to win the NBA Scoring Title in 1994? His Spurs teammates were feeding him the ball left and right, and he still couldn't couldn't even come close. This is just one example to show how great of an accomplishment Chamberlin's feat was. Look at Kobe's attempt or Jordan's 63 agains the Celtics in '86 for additional support.

The bottom-line, this is a much different NBA with more complicated defenses and more talented players than the Chamberlin's 1962 NBA. What do you think?

2011 Panini National Treasures Chris Mullin Auto 10/25

2011 Panini National Treasures Chris Mullin Auto 10/25

I've got a few Chris Mullin cards in my collection that are worth a mention (click here), and this one is no different. I picked it up a few months ago and I'm pretty excited to show it off. The pic of Mullin is cool and the auto is as bright as it is big. For this collector, it doesn't get much better. Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball.

Video: Which NBA Slam Dunk Contest Performance Ranks #1 (Jordan '88, Webb '86, Carter '00, Richardson '03, Wilkins '88)?

There have been a number of physically and creatively amazing performances in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest over the years, but which is the best overall performance? I've picked four videos of the best performances that include each dunk form the selected contests. Sure, there have been some memorable single rounds or dunks by contestants, J.R. Rider's East Bay Funk Dunk, but what if we could compare all the dunks and all the rounds of the best overall performances from the most memorable contestants? Well now you can.

I know, I know. Everyone has their favorite Dunk Contest performances, but I really think these are the best five of all-time (not in any order): Jordan '88, Webb '86, Carter '00, Wilkins '88 and Richardson '03. So checkout the videos and get to ranking the best overall NBA Slam Dunk Contest performances. Make sure to take into consideration each dunk from all rounds. I hope everyone enjoys these dunktacular videos and of course "…Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Spud Webb '86 Contest	Vince Carter '00 Contest
Jordan/Wilkins '88 Contest	Richardson '03 Contest

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What's Your White Whale?

1997 Upper Deck SPx ProMotion Michael Jordan

I should preface this post by saying that I really have like 10 white whales, but this 1997 Upper Deck SPx ProMotion Michael Jordan is a card that I've been after for about 4 years. Ever since I saw it I new I wanted to build the entire set. Luckily for me, the set is only five cards and I have four out of the five. The bad part, the Jordan sells for over $100.

This card and design got me so excited way back when that I'm also building the sets from the other sports too (click here). I love 90's inserts from all sports, but this '97 SPx ProMotion Jordan is easily one of the best looking inserts from the era. I hope one day to complete the set and make Captain Ahab happy. So that's my white whale, what's yours?

Upper Deck The Cup In The Hoopography House: '10 Myers/Ennis Dual RC Auto

2010 Upper Deck The Cup
Tyler Ennis/Tyler Meyers Dual Auto 32/35

We all love our hometown teams, and I'm no different. As a Buffalo Sabres fan, I love collecting Sabres inserts/auto's of some of my favorite players like Dominic Hasek, Tyler Myers and Tyler Ennis. Actually, Ennis is my favorite current Sabres player. He's having a down year this year, but he's an exciting young forward who I hope will be around Buffalo for a while.

The scan really doesn't do this card justice. The silver foiling doesn't show up in the scan as it does in hand. I also like that Upper Deck used a home and away jersey. Hopefully this card will be in my collection for a long time to come along with two of the Sabres youngest stars.

Athletes are often on a team one season and gone the next. Who are some of the younger players on some of your hometown teams that you would like to see stick around for a few seasons from any sport?

What Card Reminds You Of Why You Are In The Hobby?

Gary Sheffield/Dwight Gooden '92 Upper Deck Score Board Dual Auto

We all have cards that remind us of our youth or fund memories. There are also cards that are just plan cool too. I love auto'd cards and this Sheffield/Gooden Dual Auto is no exception. It's not the rarest of auto'd cards out there at 1,992, but it definitely is cool. So no fund memory here… just coolness. I bought the card a couple months ago and it came with the COA from Score Board. I paid around $10.00 for this one, and I am happy with that. However, the prices do vary (click here and here).

Now to the coolness. I'm sure Mr. T himself would be envious of the bling around these guys' necks, and that's part of the fun of this card. I also like how Sheffield is sporting a basketball shirt for a trading card shoot. Again, it's all in the fun of this card. Between the card itself, the auto's and reasonable price, this card reminds me of why I'm in the hobby.

Are there any cards that remind you of why your a collector?

Should The Cavalier Fans & Organization Want Lebron Back?

I hate Lebron James just as much as the next guy, but there is no denying his talent on the basketball court. Even if he is the prince. So amid the recent developments of the past 24 hours, should Cav's fans and organization want Lebron back?

It's apparent the Cav's just don't know what they are doing when it comes to building a professional basketball team. I mean if it wasn't for winning the Lebron James lottery sweepstakes back in '03, the Cav's organization would not have played a meaningful game since the Mark Price days. They couldn't even put a decent team around LeBron when he was there (i.e. Mo Williams & Wally Szczerbiak). Let's be honest, the NBA wasn't Wally's world like the MAC may have been. So it's a pretty safe bet that whatever the Cav's end up doing in two years when Lebron can opt out of his contract will end up being the wrong decision. Just like The Decision was.

I would not want Lebron back if I was a fan or running the Cavaliers. Lebron will be 29 or 30 by the time he can opt out of his contract with the Miami Heat. This is by no means old in the NBA, but it's not the youngest either. Plus, the Cav's would have to basically throw the towel in on the next two and a half seasons. The NBA is a business and basically losing money for two and a half seasons it's really smart business, but they would probably lose money over the next two seasons regardless. So that argument is really mute. Basically, it comes down to the prince himself.

The fact that he hasn't shown up in big games and can't make decisions that he can live with is enough for me. The guy just doesn't know what he wants, and he should know what he wants. He should want to win. That's what he should be talking about. Not a Blake Griffin dunk or where he wants to play next. As the ever eccentric and late Al Davis said, "Just win baby". The prince is just not a winner. Not even in a watered down, fundamentally unsound and passionless NBA. Maybe D-Wade can help LeBron get on his stylish coattails.

I would just once like to see the fire and determination that the likes of Jordan, Zek, Bird and more showed for entire careers. That type of passion and intensity coupled with the most talented and gifted player in the Association one of the best of all time.

That's my take. However, I'm looking at the whole situation from a basketball sense. Money wise, he would bring in a few bucks for a number of years. Despite the Cavalier's inability to put a decent team around LeBron, Cleveland was rocking downtown on game nights. The upcoming NBA Draft should be a decent one and it might be best to end all the talk if the right player is there to couple with Kyrie Irving.

Those are my thoughts. What are yours? Should the Cleveland fans and Cavaliers organization want LeBron back?

How Dumb Does This eBayer Think We Are?

Empty Upper Deck Authenticated Box

I'm all for buying the most obscure and meaningless pieces of sports memorabilia, but an empty Upper Deck Authenticated (UDA) box is a bit ridiculous. At least, that's what I think. However, this opportunistic eBay seller doesn't agree (click here), or he/she thinks most collectors are really dumb.

I guess I can't really blame the seller here. I have seen auctions featuring obvious counterfeits, fakes and frivolous items sell for big money. The empty UDA box has a starting bid of $19.00 with a $7.95 shipping charge. I guess it cost a lot to ship lightweight small cardboard boxes. Anyways, I'm going to watch this item and see if anyone actually bids on it over the next four days. Oh, and the seller's location is about 25 mins from where I live. So please do not generalize this seller's greed on the good people of WNY.

Thanks and as always… "Enjoy Every Thrill of the Auction".

The Jordan Collection (Part 8): '91 Sports Illustrated Michael Jordan Sportsman Of The Year Hologram Proof

In this 8th installment of The Jordan Collection post series, I'm featuring this commemorative printer's proof of the Michael Jordan hologram featured on the 1991 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year cover. The proof is exact in every way to the hologram on the cover of the magazines, with the one exception of the proof being double sided. You can read an earlier post I did on the actual Sportsman of the Year Sports Illustrated magazine by clicking here to get a background on the item.

The printers proof hologram featured in this post is rare. How rare you might ask? I've only seen three of these on eBay in the three years I've been searching for one of these. So although I don't have an exact number to provide you, I'm assuming there aren't too many of these out there. That makes this approximately 5' x 3'' Jordan hologram a very unique item. I was lucky to grab this item several months ago.

The slide show above includes 18 images of the hologram in which I tried to capture as many of the images in the hologram as possible. Hopefully you can see the clarity, detail and vivid colors this awesome Jordan hologram possesses.

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you probably recognize this post from a few months ago. I am reposting some of my favorite posts from The Jordan Collection series prior to a new video post of a Jordan item that I am pretty excited about. I just got a new item in and I hope to have it posted this weekend.
Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

The Return of Retro: 2012 Panini Hoops And Upper Deck Fleer Retro

It's no secret I'm a fan of 90's inserts and design, so I'm always excited when I hear a company is going to release retro cards. In the case of Panini and Upper Deck, both are releasing 2012 cards featuring actual designs from previously released products. I know some collectors aren't fans of the recycled design idea, but I'm liking what I'm seeing.

Panini is releasing buyback auto'd cards from the '89-'90 Hoops set in their 2012 Hoops release and Upper Deck is producing some inserts from those awesome late 90's Fleer insert sets for their 2012 Upper Deck Fleer Retro release. It's hard to argue with those great 90's insert designs, but I love buyback auto's too. I think the buybacks will be nice and certain players like David Robinson will be highly sought after, but the use of several designs in the Fleer Retro product is a nice plus. I'm definitely going to have to go after both.

Which one do you do you like best and think will get the hobby into a frenzy?

 2012 Upper Deck Fleer Retro

  2012 Upper Deck Fleer Retro

 2012 Panini Hoops

2010 Upper Deck The Cup Tyler Ennis Printing Plate (Black) 1/1

The push for the NHL Playoffs is here and that means I get to showoff this really cool Tyler Ennis printing plate from Upper Deck's 2010 The Cup release. I've been trying to add a printing plate to my collection for some time now as I think they are pretty cool. To own a piece of memorabilia that was made in the manufacturing of a trading card is definitely up my alley.

There are different versions of these plates, but I like the black as the images stand out a bit more. Hopefully Tyler Ennis will stand out a bit more for my Buffalo Sabres. He had a strong year last year, but has struggled this year with injuries. Since he's come back from those injuries, he has played better and has really been a spark for the Sabres. That's a good thing since the Sabres need to make up a lot of ground to even get into the playoff conversations.

This 1/1 printing plate of Tyler Ennis is really one of my nicer hockey cards. I've made an effort over the last few months to add a couple hockey cards to my PC, so there are a few more to come in future posts. Enjoy your day and… "Every Hat in the Hat Trick".

I'm Back Baby!

For a span of about eighteen months, I posted on Hoopography nearly everyday and sometimes twice. Between the original Hoopography Blog ran through Apple's iWeb and MobleMe services and this Blogger.com page, I've somehow managed to post more than four hundred unique posts. To say I enjoyed the hobby, meeting fellow collectors, sharing my memorabilia collection, reviewing product and posing polling questions is an understatement. As much as I enjoy the previously just mentioned, and just like for many readers, life is multifaceted.

Between work, working on purchasing a home and marathon training, this blog has had to take a back seat. More so than any of those other endeavors, I also experienced the single most amazing moment of my life when I proposed to my now fiance this past November. So a lot has been going on to prohibit me from getting on the computer and posting. However, things are quieting down a bit.

Things are settling down a little bit now, and I have been collecting periodically throughout my time away. So after a nearly seven month layoff from the blogospher, I'm back. I have a number of new items that I recently added to my collection and I'm going to a Sports Card and Memorabilia show tomorrow at Batavia Downs and Casino in Batavia, NY.

I enjoy the hobby and I look forward to posting at least a few times a week again. Thanks for reading and as always... "enjoy every bounce of the ball".