Before I review a box of cards I like to sit with it. I record my first impressions upon
opening it and then wait a bit. I later revisit the cards with new eyes.
Most of the time I see minor things that support my
first impression. Other times my
mind is changed. With 2012 Panini
Prominence Football I find myself going back and forth. It probably stems from my personal
preference to have a release that carries a consistent theme all the way
through. After all, there are
quite a few releases to choose from each year. The more consistent and individual the release is the
better.
I have to admit, upon first opening the box I was not
enamored with the concept or the product. When
you have so many different varieties of cards to be pulled, but only 8 cards
per box, it feels like a disjointed smorgasbord of cardboard delicacies. But
after sitting with the cards you start to notice the craftsmanship, attention
to detail and subtle nuances that have gone into the making of these
cards. It does tend to amplify the
feeling of wanting more than just the 8 cards in the box, but it has allowed me
to grow an appreciation for what was contained within.
Prominence Football falls under our premium cards
category. Each box contains 8 cards,
all of which are limited and numbered, and includes 2 Autographs and 1
Memorabilia card per box.
Here are all of the cards we pulled from our box.
Base Set
Steven Jackson, front and back #/897
Tim Tebow, front and back #/897
Donald Brown, front and back #/897
Legend
Richard Dent #/897, Irving Fryar #/897
The Hits
Ronnie Hillman Diecut Rookie Projection Memorabilia #/299
Kevin Zeitler Apprentice Ink Autograph #/99
A. J. Jenkins Autographed Field Card #/175
Overall Look
The numbered base cards are really well done with smart photographic and layout choices.
I appreciate the use of different foil colors and sepia separation
for the backgrounds of the photos. The inclusion
of a different photo for the backs of the cards elevates these to premium
status. The Legend cards are also
nicely done. When it comes to hits
there are so many different configurations, somewhere in the neighborhood of
15. I like the familiar use of diecuts for
the Rookie Projections and the Field Autos are always a favorite, but while
that is a plus for the overall look column, its a bit of a drawback for the hit
satisfaction column.
Quality and Variety of Players
This checklist is ultra tight, but should be for an 8 card per box product. Top veterans are well
represented in the base and Legend cards but the hits are mostly Rookies which is well identified by the exclusive use of Andrew Luck on the box.
Do the Hits satisfy?
Taken as a Rookie Product, the hits do satisfy, but I have
to address the drawbacks. Since this is a hit mix of cards that are found in
other product, this can sometimes feel repetitive. This is also one of those products that consists of unbalanced
ratios. For veterans, the highest
numbered autograph hits are limited to 30 with most coming in well below
that. With the cream of the rookie
crop, the numbers are also limited compared to other rookies. I’ve called other products on this so
to be fair I have to do the same here. To Panini’s credit, they have made that clear through their
blog, The Knightl’s Lance that Luck, RG3 and others will not appear in the same
ratios as other Rookies. Since
knowledge is king, this helps collectors understand just what they are buying.
With Robert Griffin III as the least number of auto cards per category being
numbered to 70 and Ryan Broyles as the most number of auto cards per category
being numbered to 245, the ratios are reasonable for a high end, premium
product. Also to Panini's credit, they identified the date and event where the Ronnie Hillman memorabilia piece was obtained.
Will you keep coming back for more?
For some collectors, this is a special occasion box and for
collectors with deep products, multiple boxes are an easy purchase. For those in the middle, a box or two
with some secondary market PC purchases should be sufficient.
Rating
4 out of 5
2012 Panini Prominence Football is a mixed bag that will
work best for rookie centric collectors who appreciate a “best of” compilation
release.
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