Sorry for the prolonged absence. The move to NJ and less disposable income has resulted in a longer than expected delay from posting recently. I've unpacked some of my collection but still have a good amount of unpacking to do.
Enough with the excuses and onto my first box break and product review since my move to NJ. Last week I purchased a box of 2013 Panini Triple Play off eBay with some eBay bucks that were about to expire. I really enjoyed last year's set and was hoping to see some improvements in 2013, but I have to admit that I was rather disappointed with some aspects of this years' release. Here are a few bulletins on what I enjoyed and didn't enjoy about the box break:
Overall, for the price it is a very enjoyable break and a fun set to put together. I love the tattoos and eye blacks for kids (and some adults!), and it's definitely still a significant upgrade over the initial Triple Play set that came out over a decade ago.
What are your thoughts on the Panini Triple Play product? Is it better than Topps Opening Day? Which of the two would you rather purchase: Panini Triple Play or Topps Opening Day?
Enough with the excuses and onto my first box break and product review since my move to NJ. Last week I purchased a box of 2013 Panini Triple Play off eBay with some eBay bucks that were about to expire. I really enjoyed last year's set and was hoping to see some improvements in 2013, but I have to admit that I was rather disappointed with some aspects of this years' release. Here are a few bulletins on what I enjoyed and didn't enjoy about the box break:
- Product Images: The set features cartoon-ish drawings of players and it worked really well last year as it provided a unique take on the player's picture on a sports card. This year they mixed up the drawings a bit and some of them are so far off base that it really took away from the player's picture. There seem to be 3 different types of drawings, the Dustin Pedroia type (very good), the Anthony Rizzo type (poor, low grade) and the Starlin Castro type (awful, caricature like). Just my personal opinion, but I think Panini could have selected some better quality pictures for some of the cards this year.
- Collation: Last year's collation was pretty weak as a box break didn't even yield a full base set. To make matters worse, the sticker collation last year was abysmal with collectors getting 3-5 of the same sticker in a box. This year's set collation improved dramatically as I was able to put together a full base set in the one box that I purchased. The unfortunate news is that the sticker collation is still an issue that Panini needs to fix. Three R.A. Dickey stickers and ten overall sticker doubles in one box should not happen.
Overall, for the price it is a very enjoyable break and a fun set to put together. I love the tattoos and eye blacks for kids (and some adults!), and it's definitely still a significant upgrade over the initial Triple Play set that came out over a decade ago.
What are your thoughts on the Panini Triple Play product? Is it better than Topps Opening Day? Which of the two would you rather purchase: Panini Triple Play or Topps Opening Day?
