A new off-season product arrives Wednesday in the form of 2016 Panini Honors football, which mixes a low-numbered base card and autograph run with original cards from past Donruss and Panini issues.
It’ll be short on quantity with only three cards per pack/box and collectors will cross their fingers in hopes that what’s inside is worthwhile. Two autographs will be in each box along with a parallel or common.
Honors will have a 75-card base set with each card numbered to 75 or less. Each card has also been produced in parallel versions with one of those being 1/1.
There will also be a rookie autograph subset with 25 of this past season’s top rookies on the checklist. Autographs will be numbered to 99 or less and also include four parallel versions. Based on preview material, the signatures appear to be on stickers.
The ‘blast from the past’ will include two subsets of previously issued cards, each in its own one-touch holder with a special label across the top. The Originals insert will include such high-end cards as Rookie Tickets and Playoff Contenders with the very pricey 1998 Contenders Peyton Manning and 2000 Contenders Tom Brady autographs hiding somewhere. The cards haven’t been altered or labelled in any way, other than their placement in the holder.
Recollection Collection includes previously released cards from years past such as 2008 National Treasures Brand Logo, updated with on-card autographs. They’ll be hand-numbered and embossed with a special logo.
One of each card from the 1999 Elite Passing the Torch Autograph set has been distributed inside 2016 Honors boxes. The set includes NFL Legends Walter Payton, Jim Brown Johnny Unitas, Peyton Manning, Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith and other Hall of Famers.
Also among the cards from the past teased by Panini on Monday are 2000 Gridiron Kings which featured the likes of Payton, Joe Montana and Bart Starr.
Boxes are currently available online for around $210.