First, we get the news of Press Pass closing their doors on Monday. Today, we get the news that Panini has gained exclusive access of the CLC license taking a big chunk of what Upper Deck does away.
Up until this point I have shrugged off things like this looking for the positive in the hobby, but for some reason it has got me to thinking tonight, does this mean the hobby is falling apart? Is it time for me to finally walk away after twenty-four years of collecting?
I can admit that this is the first time I have ever had these thoughts, but with the way this week has gone it worries me a little about the hobbies future. Losing a company like Press Pass, yeah, they weren't a powerhouse, but they provided some amazing NASCAR products among other products and had been for twenty plus years. Now gone. This was a company I relied on getting the first football cards of the year from and the occasional NASCAR cards. Now I can't. No more of this amazingness:
Then you bring on the Panini news, don't get me wrong as I am a big Panini fan, but I am also a fan of variety and of Upper Deck. By grabbing that license away, that takes away some of my favorite go to football products like Spx, Sp Authentic (I like basketball for this one too), my NEW favorite Flair Showcase and flagship UD. You know, all of these:
In closing, will what happened this week worry me enough to say I am done with the hobby right now, probably not. Does this make me more aware of things possibly to come, absolutely. In the meantime I am going to continue on collecting like I have been and will have to adjust when the time comes.
How do you feel about the recent hobby news?
I think the biggest thing we're losing with Press Pass is a company that has insisted on using ON-CARD autos. Also, Upper Deck has done some great stuff with the college license. I'm more than a little apprehensive about how Panini will handle their new share of that market.
ReplyDeleteI hope the one silver lining is that the companies really focus on making their licensed products the best they can be. Some have seemed to get lazy at times and just churn things out
ReplyDeleteI am going to miss Press Pass. Being a NASCAR fan they took their racing products seriously and I am not sure that any of the other companies will make it a priority for them. Regarding Upper Deck, I think any time you get close to a monopoly in any kind of market you are just asking for trouble.
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