Panini America
Panini teases what could be most-unique memorabilia cards ever
Panini America posted this photo online this weekend with a simple statement.
"Why did this chicken cross the road? That's easy: To become a clucking cool memorabilia card in @paniniamerica's upcoming 2016 Donruss baseball."
If you've read The Buzz this past week, then it's not a surprise -- but here are more details.
Buzz List: Five NFL players to watch in Week 15
As the season winds down (and fantasy season's like Buzz's are flat-out over), some players are in situations where it's just about tallying their stats to see how it ends. Others have postseason potential, but for the stars on those teams -- like the undefeated Panthers and QB Cam Newton -- the expectations are set and they are set high.
With an undefeated team, it goes without saying that Newton is a player to watch this week and you should've been eyeing his Rookie Cards from 2011 for some time now.
Keep reading for four more players to watch ...
First Buzz: 2015-16 Panini Select basketball cards
What: 2015-16 Panini Select basketball cards
Arrives: March 3, 2016
Box basics: Three autographs or memorabilia cards per 12-pack boxWhat's buzz-worthy: Select returns for another season with on-card autographs and prime memorabilia pieces along with a rainbow of Prizmatic color and insert sets featuring the NBA's top stars and top rookies all in three types of base sets.
Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.
First Buzz: 2015 Panini National Treasures football cards
What: 2015 Panini National Treasures football cards
Arrives: March 2, 2016
Box basics: Eight cards -- three autographs, three memorabilia, two base/parallels -- per box. (Four boxes per case.)What's buzz-worthy: Panini America improves upon the impressiveness of Treasure Chest cards seen in its past NT hockey release with 24-piece memorabilia and 12-autograph booklet cards in this year's edition. These also will have patch and 1/1 NFL Shield versions. Also in this one will be autograph and memorabilia sets for America's Team, the Dallas Cowboys, and The Steel Curtain Pittsburgh Steelers.
Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.
First Buzz: 2015-16 Donruss basketball cards
What: 2015-16 Donruss basketball cards
Arrives: February 2016
Box basics: Three autograph or memorabilia cards per 24-pack boxWhat's buzz-worthy: The wave of retro-styled modern Donruss cards returns to the NBA and, just like its baseball counterpart, it includes plenty of inserts, plenty of base cards and more hits than the typical lower-end brand. This year's release also will be more limited than last season.
Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.
NFL & Panini America officially confirm exclusive licensing deal
One of the hobby's most chattered-about deals is now official.
Panini America and the NFL have signed a multi-year exclusive deal for trading cards and stickers that will begin before next year's NFL Draft. Combined with a previous exclusive with the NFLPA that was announced in August 2014, Panini will be the only company that will make fully licensed football cards beginning next year.
First Buzz: 2016 Donruss baseball cards
What: 2016 Donruss baseball cards
Arrives: March 2016
Box basics: Three autographs or memorabilia cards per boxWhat's buzz-worthy: A new wave of retro-styled but modern Donruss baseball cards arrives during spring training next year as Panini America revealed the basics on this new one, which will include autographed buybacks, plenty of inserts, plenty of base cards and more hits than the typical lower-end brand. Among the surprises? A memorabilia card for the famed The Famous (San Diego) Chicken mascot.
Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.
Panini Eminence shows its power immediately on BlowoutTV
From time to time, we'll highlight some crazy pulls from breaks done via BlowoutTV -- you know, the stuff that's truly buzz-worthy.
Just pulled: A 2014-15 Panini Eminence Stephen Curry championship tag auto 2/2
The box? It can be found right here.Want to watch the entire video?
So, what does the checklist for a $5,900 box of NBA cards look like?
The most-expensive box in Panini America history arrives on Wednesday in the form of 2014-15 Panini Eminence basketball cards.
It's a $5,900 box with as many as 10 cards inside -- all very limited and autographed.
Panini revealed the checklist for this one on Tuesday so we can all try to answer the million-dollar question ... just what's inside this one?
New Buzz: Products arriving this week (Dec. 13-19) include two Star Wars sets, Eminence & even more
If you haven't felt the awakening yet, you will by Friday.
That's the day that Star Wars: The Force Awakens arrives and that's also the day that the galaxy right here right now gets a new set of Star Wars cards -- one that includes full scenes from the film and the most-important thing of them all.
Autographs from the new faces of the franchise. (If you thought Star Wars was a force on cardboard before, you haven't seen anything yet. Guaranteed.)
In fact, Friday's release of 2015 Topps Star Wars: The Force Awakens is merely a first series of cards. In fact, it won't even be the only Star Wars set of the week ...
Panini prepares Thomas Rawls Rookie Cards & certified autographs
Seattle Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls' first Rookie Cards will be coming soon from Panini America.
The company teased his 2015 Panini Contenders Rookie Ticket on Sunday. That set is scheduled to arrive on Dec. 30, while it appears he's among the players in 2015 Panini Crown Royale arriving this week.
Browns TE Gary Barnidge can't buy two things with his new contract
Gary Barnidge is in the midst of a career year with the Cleveland Browns -- and he might be the team's only weapon on offense considering the craziness that is the quarterback spot for that 2-10 disaster.
The tight end is eight years into his NFL career -- he was a fifth-round pick out of Louisville in 2008 -- and has 60 catches for 817 yards and seven touchdowns this season. Before this year? Just 44 receptions for 603.
He signed a new contract with the team today, but there are two things he can't buy with that new cash.
Remembering early NBA legend Dolph Schayes on cardboard
Dolph Schayes, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and one of the NBA's dominating scorers in its early years, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 87.
In 15 seasons mostly with the Syracuse Nationals, Schayes averaged 18.5 points and 12.1 rebounds a game after he was picked with the fourth pick of the 1948 BAA Draft. (The Basketball Association of America merged with the National Basketball League to form the NBA in 1949.)
As a 16-year-old freshman, Schayes led New York University to a Final Four appearance in 1945 and had an NBA championship by 1955. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973 and named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996.
Buffalo Bills QB Tyrod Taylor gets his first game-used football cards
Panini America took a few minutes to examine and snap the images of a game-used Tyrod Taylor gamer that arrived in its door on Thursday because it's going to make a little history after it goes through some de-construction.
Despite its 2014 tagging, the jersey is from Sunday's 30-21 win over the Houston Texans - a game where the Buffalo Bills quarterback threw three touchdowns and rushed for one more.
Why is this a big deal? He's never had a memorabilia card despite playing time in each of the last five seasons.
Former rugby star Jarryd Hayne a hit on Panini America's NFL cardboard
The story of Jarryd Hayne is a unique one that reached a peak back in September when he made the roster of the San Francisco 49ers.
Why? His previous sports experience was as a player in Australia's National Rugby League.
But now there's another peak for the running back -- he has NFL cards that have recently arrived and his newest ones are to be found in 2015 Panini Crown Royale, which hits stores next week. Those that are available have been peaking pretty well as his career waits to see what's next.
Chiefs RB Charcandrick West finally gets a Rookie Card next week
Nobody really expected un-drafted Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back Charcandrick West to do a whole lot in the NFL this season.
Why? Well, a four-time Pro Bowl selection Jamaal Charles was ahead of him on the depth chart -- he of five 1,000-yard seasons in the last six years.
But then Oct. 11 happened.
Board Buzz: Five must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Dec. 8)
The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.
What's Buzzing: This one includes perhaps the craziest case break ever recorded ... where nearly every card in the case is a case hit.
Eminence cut autographs include big, rare names beyond basketball
The most-expesnsive box of NBA cards ever is about a week away and Panini America took some time to tease a massive non-basketball inclusion in the brand that includes names well beyond the world of basketball.
One example? George Armstrong Custer who died at The Battle of the Little Bighorn back in 1876. Just think how much the world has changed since that time -- and then wonder aloud how many of his autographs could even still exist. And then what it might have cost to land the document.
Although many of the cut autograph sets made in the last decade or so aren't fully checklisted, it appears this is his first cut autograph -- and it will be found in a box of 2014-15 Panini Eminence basketball cards next week. (For trivia's sake we'll also mention here that basketball didn't exist until about 1891 -- just one of those many world changes since Custer.)
Javorius Allen, Marcus Mariota & Ryan Fitzpatrick among NFL's most Buzz-worthy players in Week 13
Take a look at the NFL's stat sheets for running backs and it's not a pretty sight these days in terms of production that would wow anyone.
At least not on the Emmitt Smith Standard.
However, with the game continuing to change so, too, are the roles that RBs play. Take a look at the stat sheet for catches on Sunday and there was a new name right at the top -- and it wasn't a receiver. Ravens RB Javorius Allen had 12 catches for 131 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. Tack on 17 carries for 63 yards and the fourth-round pick out of USC looks even more impressive.
Could it be a fluke? Could it be an arrival? Only time will tell. For the season, Allen now has just 367 yards rushing and 242 yards receiving with just two touchdowns total on the year. Buzz bets there are some bargains to be had.
>> Click here to shop for football boxes on BlowoutCards.com.
Keep reading for four more guys who generated some buzz on the field this week.
Panini readies White Sparkle Prizm football packs only on Rewards site
Panini America's Rewards program is the home for an entire parallel of one popular football card set, according to a company announcement made on Saturday.
Buzz List: Five NFL players to watch in Week 13
With the Patriots jettisoned from the unbeaten ranks, all eyes are on MVP candidate Cam Newton as his 11-0 Carolina Panthers take on the high-powered offense and no-powered defense of the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon.
Newton has thrown for 2,466 yards and 20 touchdowns this season, scoring seven more times on the ground. His 2011 Rookie Cards have to be among the most-watched right now, too, with Topps Chrome and Panini Contenders autos among perennial favorites with more tradition-minded collectors who can't swing for the high-end brands. (Or maybe that's just Buzz.)
Something wants Buzz to call an upset here because the Saints have potential on offense, but ... we'll see.
Keep reading for four more guys to watch on Sunday.
New Buzz: Products arriving this week (Dec. 6-12)
After a lull in new arrivals around Black Friday, there are a whopping 13 new products set to arrive this coming week with some heavy hitters in baseball, the college ranks and even non-sports territory on the calendar.
The biggest just might be 2015 Bowman Draft, which will arrive redemption-free on Wednesday with a selection of the newest MLB draft picks in their official MLB uniforms. Autographs for 31 of the 35 first-round picks will be found in this one. For prospectors, this is perhaps the biggest day of the year ... every year.
Board Buzz -- Break Edition: Five must-read threads found on the Blowout Cards Forums (Dec. 3)
The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.
Stephen Curry's Contenders Rookie Ticket is among many selling well
Stephen Curry is the reigning NBA MVP on the defending NBA champions who are 19-0 to begin the season.
What is there to say? Not much other than the NBA's win streak record is 33 set by the 1971-72 Lakers and that his Golden State Warriors ended last season with four wins -- so you do the math. We all know the NBA record for most wins in a regular season is 72 set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls -- so you do the math. Those are the bars that are set on the court -- and it sure seems like it's all or nothing is the expectation for the Warriors right now.
Those kinds of expectations are a good thing to have -- just like an autographed Curry Rookie Card these days.
Buzz-worthy image: 2014-15 Panini Eminence basketball cards
If you're a regular Buzz reader, then you know a bit about 2014-15 Panini Eminence and how it will be the new high-end of all high-end releases when it arrives in just 15 days.