Panini Did It Right

Before the unusual of Panini doing something I like, a trade with someone I always like trading with, Tdorsay at TCDB. This small PWE saw the following come my way...

A 1993-94 Kraft Jell-O pudding "card" or panel, which is the only Toronto Maple Leaf one, so yay for a one and done on the oversized object.

As for the Hostess cards, both are in wrapper, which will remain the case, though I do still want opened ones.

Speaking of open, the Juan is the final one I did need open for the Jays set, so that's a nice box to tick as done. We also get a solid Vaive upgrade as I had a VERY beat up copy which I can replace in my team set. I don't usually replace for quality, but it was very miscoloured. Still keeping it, just as a duplicate.

A couple Jay needs and an awesome 1985 O Pee Chee WWF card. That is the one set I know I had a lot of (though they were well loved), but over the years had disappeared before getting back into collecting. Well, I have this one back now at least!

So, I may not be a fan of many things Panini when it comes to their cards, but I found something I actually REALLY like when it comes to the design on the 2022-23 Panini Contenders cards which come up from the 2026 Lot today.

If you are going to do a fake ticket style design, make the ticket mean something. Here, The section, row and seat numbers are the weight, height and jersey number. I know Panini does this on other sets like this, but nice to see it done, as the ones I am use to (thinking some of the inserts from Timmies hockey sets), don't mean anything.

Of course Panini then goes and screws it up by being all Panini-like and using the same back photo as the front, not putting on much for stats, but I guess a plus is a plus.

We actually get a red parallel of Hardaway Jr. which is pretty neat. Actually seeing junior is neat, though I'd say I remember his dad playing much more than anything now since I don't follow basketball now, but at least watched Inside Stuff regularly on the weekend as a kid. I didn't know that Inside Stuff was actually on until 2006 in it's initial run. I did watch through most of the 1990s, starting in 1990, but was out by the end of the decade.

Still, an above average offering here from Panini.

I finally fixed a little calculation snafu in the basketball total - oops. All good now though, and not doing too bad at about 19% keeper rate on the lot so far.