Review: Panini Golden Age Baseball 2013

First off, I would like to say thanks to the WONDERFUL people at Panini America for providing us with this box to review. Here are many places you can find Panini America: official site, blog, Twitter, and Facebook. If you don't follow them at all..you should! They talk to you on Twitter, have contests on their blog and Facebook and the site is also fun to visit!

Had to show off the unique and bold wrapper for the product:

Box Topper:

Box Break Down:

• 24 Packs Per Box, 6 Cards Per Pack
• One Box Topper Per Box
• One Signature Card Per Box
• One Memorabilia Card Per Box
• Look for The Three Stooges Insert Set
• Under $70 a box

BASE CARDS: 150-card base set features personalities from the world of sports, entertainment and politics. I really dig the throwback design and feel of the product. Some may say this base set does not have a lot of pizzaz, but sometimes its nice to see something a little different which is why I really like what Panini did here. It feels retro which is what this product is supposed to be all about.

You can find a lot of names in this 150 card set. Anyone from the Bad News Bears (new inclusion this year) to Abraham Lincoln to Eva Gabor to Red Grange among many others. There is something fun for everyone in this checklist young and old.

 

 

INSERTS:  Mini's galore! And not only minis...but mini parallels! The hardest to find seems to be the red backs as blue are the most common. You find one mini per pack.

 I like the inclusion of Bread For Energy an insert they took from Past And Present Basketball product and brought into this one. Its a great fit for a throwback product like this one.

I also enjoy the other inserts in this product because they have the same appeal as the base cards.

However, one insert that really stands out to me is the Golden Age playing card deck. They are a really nice inclusion and have the look of a playing card. You can find 8 playing cards per box and if you are like me you will wanna collect the 52 card set. And two jokers as well.

AUTOGRAPHS:  On Card and very bold in terms of design for the Historic Signatures that you can find one per box. A nice checklist of players and personalities from several sports and occupations, including: Sugar Ray Leonard, Yogi Berra, Thomas Hearns, Bo Derek and legendary comic artist Stan Lee, among others. There is a lot to chase here.

JERSEY/PATCH CARDS: We were only supposed to hit one of the Mueseum Age pieces per box but man did we hit a nice one. A piece of the Hindenburg! How much more unique does it get! Not that George Brett is a bad pull, but this card made the box. I really dig unique pieces such as this. This is one of the key pieces  in the product along with swatches from a pair of 1919 fight-used Gene Tunney gloves. How cool is that??!!

There are also sport and actors pieces to find as well.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:If you enjoy a good time busting, love pop culture and a product with a lot to offer and a classic appeal at a great price...Golden Age is for you. Not only did I enjoy breaking every pack searching for favorite personalities across all sports and non sports, I also looked for the mini's, the inserts, mini parallels and of course the autographs and Museum Age pieces.

I really enjoyed last years product and this years is just as great. Go to your LCS and try some today!
 

RATINGS:  Bloggers Note: Our ratings are based specifically on the blaster, box or packs we opened and do not express what the overall product could bring. Ratings based on a 1-5. 1 Being the lowest and 5 being the highest.
                Packaging: 5
                Base Design: 5
                Insert Design: 5
                Memorablila/Autographs: 5
                Blaster, Hobby Box, or Pack Value: 5