Redemption cards have always been a hot button issue between trading card makers and those who buy their products. When players don’t send their cards back in time for release, the manufacturers still what’s essentially an IOU in the product for that particular autograph. Sometimes it’s fulfilled quickly. Other times, it can drag on for months—or even years. … [Read more...]
Panini in New Partnership with eSports Giant Complexity
Panini America has become the first major trading card company to strike a partnership with an esports organization. While that might mean trading cards featuring some well-known gamers, the deal with Complexity Gaming of Dallas is about much more than that. The expectation is that the deal will help Panini grow its business with a younger audience that likes … [Read more...]
Panini Lands Notre Dame for Trading Card Deal
Four years ago, Panini America announced a series of deals that essentially gave it a monopoly on the licensing of college-themed trading cards. The lone holdout among major schools was Notre Dame, which had signed a contract with Upper Deck just months before. Now you can put the Irish in Panini’s stable, too. The school has signed an exclusive multi-year trading … [Read more...]
Notes: The Athletic Visits Panini; Wagner Update; Charity Jersey Auctions; Holiday Sales
The Athletic published a story about Panini America this week, discussing the company’s exclusive licenses with the NBA, NFL and most college sports programs as well as its exclusive autograph agreements with athletes. After 50 years with Topps, the NFL gave an exclusive deal to Panini a few years ago and the NBA has done the same. Topps just renewed its deal with MLB. … [Read more...]
Brady, Rookie RBs Top Panini-NFLPA 4th-Quarter Trading Card Index
Panini America and the NFL Players Association recently unveiled its quarterly NFLPA Trading Card Index, which ranks the top-performing football players in the licensed trading card industry. This latest index ranks the cards from the fourth quarter of 2017. Each quarter, the top 15 rookies and top 15 veterans are ranked based on several key factors, including … [Read more...]
Panini Signs Saquon Barkley to Card, Memorabilia Deal
Where he’ll play pro football is still a mystery but Panini America is banking on Saquon Barkley. The company announced an exclusive agreement with the former Penn State running back on Monday, one that will put his autograph on trading cards and his signed memorabilia on Panini’s website. Expected to be one of the top picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, Barkley is the … [Read more...]
Notes: CNBC on Cypres Collection; Panini Chat; Starr’s Big Donation; Series Program Art
We’ve written about the collection of Gary Cypres, a former investment banker who grew up in New York but now own the Sports Museum of Los Angeles, which has been open on and off for several years. Cypres’ collection of memorabilia from virtually every sport includes a T206 Wagner and thousands of other rare cards, a Jackie Robinson game-worn jersey and hundreds of other … [Read more...]
Prescott: No Idea How Autopenned Cards Happened
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and his representatives claimed late Friday they have no idea how 277 trading cards were allegedly signed by an autopen machine and returned to Panini America. A statement on Panini’s corporate blog was posted around 10 PM Central time. It was the first time the company had addressed an issue that became a national news … [Read more...]
Leonard Fournette Signs Autograph, Memorabilia Deal with Panini
He was an NCAA athlete just a few weeks ago but Leonard Fournette is already raking in some endorsement money. The former LSU running back has signed a trading card, autograph and endorsement deal with Panini America. Fournette’s first licensed trading card was schedule to be released through the Panini Instant (PaniniInstant.com) on-demand platform and … [Read more...]
2016 Panini Contenders Football Info, Checklist
Panini Contenders football goes live this weekend with some big hits and limited ticket items. A full checklist is at the bottom of the page. 2016 Panini Contenders Basics Set to hit hobby shops Friday, the 2016 product will consist of 24 packs per hobby box, with five cards to a pack. Panini is promising at least five autograph cards in every hobby box (and … [Read more...]