2009 Panini National Treasures Blake Griffin Rookie Logoman Autograph Card 1/1 auction ends with an impressive winning bid.

If given the opportunity to purchase a 2009 Panini National Treasures Blake Griffin Rookie Logoman Autograph Card 1/1 or a 2011 Kia Optima, which one would you buy?

Some one has chosen the card.

For the price of the car that Blake Griffin jumped over to win this year’s Slam Dunk contest, his Panini National Treasures card just sold at auction for a winning bid of $18,800.

Griffin’s cards have been skyrocketing in value for the past couple of months and this is a clear indication that trend seems to be continuing. 

Are you ready for some football? Well.. you'll have to wait until 2012. NFLPA moves to decertify.

Not good.   Those are the first two words that come to mind after hearing today's news that talks in the labor negotiations between the NFL and NFL Players Association for a new collective bargaining agreement fell apart and the players' union moved to decertify, which should lead to the league's first work stoppage in 24 years.

The players will now allow the CBA to expire at 11:59 p.m. ET. This will prevent the NFL from instituting a lockout which allow individual players to sue the league for antitrust violations which will probably be lead by Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

These are Drew Brees' most recent tweets on Twitter.

"To our fans - I give you my word that we as players are doing everything we can to negotiate with the NFL towards a fair deal"

"The NFL brought this fight to us - they want $1 billion back, we just want financial information to back up that request"

"They refuse to give that information to us. They think we should just trust them. Would you?"

"We have a responsibility to our players - past, present, and future, to advance this league forward, not take 3 steps back."

"I am very sorry that you as fans have to endure this. Football is more than just a game for all of us. We will keep fighting...always"

"Not once have the players asked for more money during this negotiation. That is a FACT. I don't expect anyone to feel sorry for us"

"Past players sacrificed a great deal to give us what we have now in the NFL, and we will not lay down for a second to give that up"

"We have a responsibility and at some point you just have to stand up for what is right"

Translation...  hope you like college football because that's all you'll be getting in 2011.

2010/11 Playoff Contenders Patches NBA Trading Cards. An All About Cards Review

When you have a product that is geared towards rookie card collecting and four out of the six players featured on the box are veterans, that gives you a good indication of what is coming.  Contenders Patches is a strong release during a weak rookie season.  That makes this year’s cards a gamble but rookie speculators wont care.

Contenders Patches Basketball definitely fits our premium cards category.  Each hobby box contains 20 – 5 card packs with a promise of four autographs per box.  Lets take a look at the cards we pulled from the box.

Kobe Bryant Season Ticket front and back

Carl Landry Die Cut Version of the base cards

From the Inserts

 Scottie Pippen Place in History

Rookie of the Year Contenders in regular and die cut versions

Starting Blocks

One Two Punch

Our hits were

Greivis Vasquez and Jeremy Lin Autos

Kevin Seraphin Auto

Chris Mullin Piece of History

Overall Look

The design will be familiar to Contenders collectors.  The players look great on the Season Ticket cards.  The Autograph Patch cards work well and the alternate logos are fun.  The Rookie of the Year Contenders, die cut Season Tickets and the Starting Blocks are sharp looking.

Quality and Variety of Players

The NBA Veterans are well represented but, unfortunately, this year’s Rookie Class is just not that impressive.  No knock to Panini on this one, they didn’t draft the players.  But this is a rookie-centric release, so the variety is there, but only time will tell if the quality of players is there too. 

Do the Hits satisfy?  Are the cards too base heavy?

If you are looking for this year’s NBA rookies, you will appreciate the patches and ROY Contenders autos.  Pulling the Chris Mullin Place in History card was definitely a thrill.

Will you keep coming back for more?

For rookie speculators...yes, but this is definitely a “hold and see” kind of year for this product.  For those less inclined to risk, a “just in case they hit big” box might be enough.

Rating

3 1/2 out of 5

2010/11 Playoff Contenders Patches is for the true rookie speculator.



Review box provided by Panini

2010 Playoff Contenders Football NFL Trading Cards. An All About Cards Review

Marlon Brando’s character in “On The Waterfront” laments missed opportunities looking back on his boxing career.   “I could’ve been a contender” is the famous line from this movie as Brando talks about things that could have been.  With this year’s explosive NFL rookie class, it’s doubtful that anyone will ever have to utter those words.  A large percentage of these players are true contenders for greatness.  That is a huge part of what makes 2010 Playoff Contenders Football such a great release.

Contenders Football fits nicely into our premium cards category.  Each hobby box contains 24 – 5 card packs with a promise of four autographs per box.  There are also plenty of inserts with die cut parallels.  For 52 lucky collectors, there are Golden Ticket redemptions for immediately available cards made out of 11 grams of 14K gold.  Wonka could only manage 5 Golden Tickets so eat your chocolate heart out, Willy.  Lets take a look at the cards we pulled from the box.

 The base cards front and back

From the inserts

 Rookie Playoff Ticket

Draft Class

Rookie of the Year Contenders

Rookie Roll Call

Legendary Contenders

Super Bowl Tickets

Our hits were

Ed Dickson and Everson Griffen Autos

John Skelton and Mardy Gilyard Autos

Demaryius Thomas Auto Variation Card

Overall Look

This is a familiar solid design.  The players really stand out on the base cards and the rookie cards have plenty of shiny.   Sometimes the autographs can get a little hidden on the rookie tickets but the cards works well for both sticker and on-card autos.  The Rookie of the Year Contenders are sharp cards as are the Super Bowl Tickets.  The Legendary Contenders also make for some nice cards.  Do we need to say the Golden Ticket cards are amazing?

Quality and Variety of Players

The roll call for the Season Tickets cards are made up of the best the league has to offer, but you won’t be buying this product for that.   This is THE release for rookies.   It’s like shooting fish in a barrel when it comes to pulling this year’s rookie class. Bradford, Tebow, Matthews, Bryant, Spiller, Best, Thomas, Berry, Hernandez, Ivory. and more.

Do the Hits satisfy?  Are the cards too base heavy?

This set is a mix of on-card and sticker autographs.  With a promise of 4 autos, we pulled 5 total with 3 stickers and 2 on-cards, all rookies.   You can pull a Super Bowl or Legendary auto and be very happy too.  But most will be seeking the Rookie autos and be pleased.  If you like base sets, these cards work well too.

Will you keep coming back for more?

Most rookie speculator will not stop at one box.  This stuff moves by the case.  With over 100 Rookie Tickets, even more variations, 25 ROY contenders and 30 Rookie ink cards, it will be hard for most not to come back for more.  That’s not even taking into account those searching for a golden ticket.

Rating

 

4 1/2 out of 5

2010 Playoff Contenders is a no brainer for rookie speculators, but you just might have to fight it out with Veruca Salt to get your hands on a box.

It's Official. Owning a Blake Griffin Rookie card is a Slam Dunk.

We've been following Blake Griffin's rookie cards from the All About Cards 2010 Sports Card Award winning set for Best Ultra Premium Cards, 2009/10 Panini National Treasures Basketball.  From our previous post you know his cards from this set number to 99 have been going for several thousand dollars. Now there is a card up for auction that will blow these out of the water.

The card pictured above is still from the National Treasures set, but its the 1/1 logoman version.  There is just a little over 3 days and 2 hours left on this eBay auction, and with 21 bids in, this card is already at $18,500.   No telling how high this thing will go.   

We will keep you up to date on this auction and announce the final bid price when it closes.

Kobe Bryant moves to number six on the NBA all-time scoring list.

Last night, Kobe Bryant scored 26 points to pass Moses Malone, becoming the sixth-best scorer in NBA history.

Kobe passed Malone’s 27,409 points when he made three free throws with 2:05 remaining in the first half.

Bryant has moved past an impressive list of Hall of Fame scorers this season. He passed Elvin Hayes last week and has also topped the scoring totals of Hakeem Olajuwon, Oscar Robertson, Dominique Wilkins and John Havlicek this season.

The Lake Elsinore Storm, a minor league baseball team, is already "winning" before playing their first game of the season.

Living in Southern California, I am a short drive away from the Dodgers, Angels and Padres, so there is an accessible baseball game being played almost every day of the season.  Still, I find myself going to minor league games with about as much regularity as the majors.

Because of all the competition in the area for fans, there is a promotion for almost every minor league game.   Most of them involve some form of free/cheap food night, but sometimes they get wacky.   The Lake Elsinore Storm just might be in line for the wackiest of the upcoming season, or a new low.

On May 5, 2011, Cinco de Mayo, the team will be hosting the Bakersfield Blaze with a promotion they are calling "Charlie Sheen-co de Mayo."  They are referring to this night as a different kind of rehab, one that will feature one-dollar beers and Coke products, an in-game taco-eating contest, a Rehab-style party on the exclusive Tiki Terrace featuring tigerblood cocktails and a two-for-one Ho Hos special.

In addition, they’ve invited Charlie Sheen, his entourage and "goddesses" to attend as guests of the team.  They are also offering all current cast and crew members of Two and a Half Men, who are currently unemployed thanks to Sheen, tickets to the game that night for two and a half cents a ticket. 

So, what do you think?  Is this funny or has the team hit a new low?

Panini 2010/11 Playoff Contenders Patches Basketball, Another All About Cards SPEED-break™.

Some thing old, something new...   here is our box break of Panini 2010/11 Playoff Contenders Patches Basketball for you.

Michael Jackson set to return to trading cards with Panini's 2011 release

In 2009, Michael Jackson was set to make a comeback with a tour that featured 50 dates in London's The O2 arena.   He generated $85 million in ticket sales just before his untimely death.

On June 8, 2011, Jackson is set to make a different kind of comeback... to trading cards. 

The last time Michael Jackson was featured on trading cards was back in 1984.  Now, more than a year after the first details were announced, Panini will be releasing a set to celebrate the long and successful career of the King of Pop, a man who spent 45 of his 50 years as a professional musician, who had 47 singles that appeared in the Billboard Hot 100, 13 singles that hit No. 1 on the charts and sold more than 750 million records worldwide.

For more details, visit Panini’s blog, The Knight’s Lance, using this link. 

Shamone.

2011 Press Pass Element NASCAR box break, another All About Cards SPEED-break™

Big news this week out of Las Vegas with Danica Patrick placing higher than any other woman in NASCAR history and Carl Edwards coming away with a big win on Sunday over a disappointed Tony Stewart.

We've got two weeks before the drivers hit Bristol, so in the mean time, let this SPEED-break™ of a hobby of 2011 Press Pass Element hold you over.