REVIEW:2018 Playoff Football

Playoff football is back 90's fans! Much different layout than the 90's. It's even double the amount of hits from 2017. Instead of two, this years has four. I actually think that's the better layout and might attract more collectors to it.

This is my first break of it since it's return so let's see how that goes.

 

In every box of 2018 Playoff football there are 12 packs of 8 cards per pack. Boxes have two autographs and two memorabilia cards per box. Boxes run about $100 so not bad for the amount of hits. I would rather take a risk here for that price with 96 cards per box instead of a higher end product with only 7 cards.

The base set is 300 cards. 200 of those are veterans and 100 are rookies. The design is pretty simple but has some nice photographs.

The rookie photos are from the rookie photo shoot. (no Barkley in my box)

There are also parallels to find as well in the product as with any product.  I pulled two 1st downs /99 (Garoppolo and Sutton) and one 3rd down /25 of Coutee.

  

Then this /10 Fourth Down of Julius Peppers.

Inserts include the following parallels, Gold, and Touchdown 1/1.

The inserts in Playoff are reminiscent of those from the 90's. They all look great and I was really happy with the insert finds here with all of the rainbow shine foil. The layouts and design were well done too. Probably the best inserts I have seen Panini do yet.

Playoff Heroes:

Rookie Wave: (I want the Barkley!!)

Hidden Gems:

Air Command:

Thunder and Lightning:

Star Gazing:

Now onto the hits.

Accolades of Matt Ryan

Turning Pro. Nice four color patch of DJ Chark Jr.

Nice! Another Sony Michel find! The autograph cards are thick like a jersey card vs the thinner base.

And a Rookie Ticket autograph preview from Contenders. Playoff has a few preview autograph products such as Contenders and Optic. This one is /24 because it's a variation of Dolphins RB Kalen Ballage.

Other hits not found in my box but could be in yours include,

• Rookies Autographs Red Zone
• Rookies Autographs Touchdown
• Rookie Autograph Variations
• Rookie Autograph Variations 4th Down
• Game Day Signatures
• Hall of Fame Autographs
• Touchdown Tandems Autographs
• Contenders Preview Rookie Ticket Autograph
• Donruss Optic Rated Rookie Autograph Bronze
• Game Day Memorabilia
• Rookie Stallions Memorabilia

OVERALL: A fun product overall. Nice looking base set to chase, some big hits await and most of all finally some nice looking inserts. All of which I would build a set of if I was looking at sets currently. Right now I have enough other projects but who knows, maybe I will return to it.

The product is also pretty affordable for four hits and also comes in retail box form at $40 and two hits including one autograph. Rookie cards however are not plentiful in the product as I found I got veterans 3:1 over rookie cards.

However, if you don't want to fork out the money, I think for a product like this it's best to stick with a box break and I strongly recommend using Midwest Box Breaks for your breaking needs. THEY HIT ME A HUGE CARD in this product and I can't wait to show it off. They are always hitting the big pulls so if they are currently breaking this, you could put yourself in a good spot.

Please thank Panini America and Tracy Hackler for providing this box for me to review to giveaway some of the hits in my Christmas giveaway!! Please follow them on all social media sites and visit their website for all your card needs, HERE.

REVIEW:2018 Panini Phoenix Football

Panini Phoenix returns for another season, it's third, with it's chromed technology and funky background designs.

The product does produce some good looking hits. I didn't fair great in my first break in 2017, so let's see if something improves in 2018.

 

In every box of 2018 Panini Phoenix football, there are 12 packs with 5 cards per pack. Boxes will have two autographs and one memorabilia card per box and boxes will run around $110.

The base set uses a chrome technology, one closer to Bowman Platinum a few years back than Topps Chrome, and has 200 total cards to collect in the base set with 100 veterans

and 100 rookies. None in my box were a guy named Saquon Barkley. I know, I am obsessed okay. But, if you got one and wanna donate it or trade it, let me know.

 

 Parallels are very hard sometimes to define in this product especially these red ones. You have to base the background color on it. These are the reds /299.

This is purple /149

Pink /199

 

Orange /99. Nice one here!

Yellow /75

Green /25. This guy is going to be good.

And these color burst that fall 1:6 packs which ends up being one per box and one pack that has them all.

 

Other parallels not found in my box include Black /10, Blue 1/1, and Printing Plates 1/1.

Inserts. There are a few and all of them have the parallels of Color Burst that fell 1:60 packs which is the Eli above, Red /299, Pink /199, Purple /75, Orange /49, Yellow /25, Green /10, and Blue 1/1.

 Unmatched:

QB Vision. Bortles is a red /299

Adrenaline Rush. Howard is purple /149

Most Valuable, Cam is Red /299

Now onto the hits! They have the following parallels of, Purple /75, Prime Yellow /25, Prime Green /10, and Super Prime Blue 1/1.

 RPS Jumbo Memorabilia cards.Josh Allen purple

Rising Rookie of Traquon Smith. I used to hate seeing this guy in boxes since he flooded them but now that he is starting to turn it up with Drew Brees. Cool football swatch.

And the best hit of the box is of Sony Michel who is having a good first season with the Patriots. He is also helping my fantasy football team since I traded for him.

Other hits not in my box but could be in yours includes,

• Class of 2018 RPS Rookie Jumbo Auto
• Retired Signatures
• Veteran Autographs Relic
• Dual Patch Autographs
• Triple Patch Autographs
• RPS Memorabilia
• Retired Patches
• Veteran Materials
• Veteran Materials Prime Yellow / Green 

OVERALL: A nice looking product despite its sometimes confusing parallels. The price point it what you would expect for a product with three hits and my break actually wasn't that bad with three names I knew. I have seen better and I have seen worse.

I think for a product like this it's best to stick with a box break and I strongly recommend using Midwest Box Breaks for your breaking needs. They are always hitting the big pulls so if they are breaking this, you could put yourself in a good spot.

Please thank Panini America and Tracy Hackler for providing this box for me to review to giveaway some of the hits in my Christmas giveaway!! Please follow them on all social media sites and visit their website for all your card needs, HERE.

Calling In The Rooks

As all of my readers know, I love my rookie card collecting. It has been that way since the beginning of my collecting.

Even back in the late 90's I was chasing rookie cards. Kordell Stewart, Travis Lee, Allen Iverson, Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb, Ricky Ledee, Derek Jeter and so on and so forth. I had to have at least one of each player.

The last couple of years I haven't had the funds to pick up much football rookies and missed out on some key guys. I still don't even have those guys today and it bugs me to no end. You know, my Hobby OCD kicking in.

So when I had the opportunity to trade for some guys I was missing for 2018 and knowing I wasn't ever going to be able to add them any other way, I jumped at the chance.

This is only a small sampling of my trade mail day from @Brent3323. The other part is waiting for Big Blue Sunday's so that alone is telling you where that's going.

Here are a couple of rookie autographs,

And now the onslaught of top round talent. This isn't even all of them as I only took pictures of the big named guys. Of course that doesn't mean that others can't become big names but for now this is the talented "right now" guys.

Josh Rosen, So far he hasn't played so great and makes me glad the Giants avoided him for Saquon.

My one and only Sam Darnold, He has had his ups and downs but seems the Jets have a bright future with him.

Lamar Jackson. He is only autograph card want list, I think he could be stud.

Kerryon Johnson. He has played extremely well for the Lions who haven't had a dominant rusher since...well...

Nick Chubb will continue to get more and more carries.

Baker Mayfield. He has been impressive so far.

Josh Allen doesn't have a lot of talent around him in Buffalo, so he has to use his legs often to score. Hard to grade his talent so far.

Sony Michel started off slow, then has come on strong. Hard to see the Patriots get better with him. Grrrr.

A big thanks goes out to @Brent3323 for the mail day, well part of it. At least I know in 2018 I will have most of the key rookies unlike 2017 where I may never.