Donini's Recent Fails

I have been saying for a long time that Donini has no idea how to design a jersey card. After the ugly display in Elite, I want to go over a few things that I just cant understand.

Here are 5 cards that I think are very, very poorly designed. The swatches are all over the fucking place, and half of them just shouldnt be there. See, Donini really needs to understand that not every card should be jersified. That means that you may need to create more cards, god forbid, but thats your job, and I am fucking sick of having sets built around these pieces of shit.

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Match the letter above to the letter below:

A - I am not sure why they decided this was a good place for the swatch. This card is so fucking busy there really isnt ANY place for a swatch, it needs to be more simple.

B - Why put the Pats logo on a helmet? It looks fucking wierd and fucking stupid. Logos were designed so that they could be displayed as solo standing items, no reason to show it this way without explanation. It doesnt fit.

C - The script "elite" and the swatch should be in different spots. Im not really sure why they decided to do it this way, probably because they were too fucking lazy to switch the card around. Either way, the whole card looks ridiculous, not sure what is up with those assymetrical lines.

D - This swatch is placed well, but it is the wrong shape. The whole card is an ill fitting combination of straight edges and circles, but this card would look much better with a circular swatch and inward curving edges to the box that approaches either side of it. Considering that this card is about targets, not sure why they chose a design similar to that of the universal symbol for atoms.

E - More logos on helmets, completely unnecessary.

F - This swatch is completely in no mans land, but it fits the design of the card. Yet, because the card is split into quadrants in such a weird way, im not sure why they thought it would make a good fit for a swatch. Another floating window, another fail.

G - Another card that has no room for a swatch, despite the out of place presence of the one they forced in there. When you cover up the player, something done on many of Donini's awful designs, you takes everything out of the card that it was created for.

H - Brady's name just looked so ridiculous in that spot to me. Im not sure why it was done in that font in that allignment. They should have done a different font and had it cover the whole box. Get some better designers, my 5 year old cousin could do better with a crayon.

Now, its pretty simple to solve all of this freaky deaky ugly design work. Either design cards around the swatches and find places for the rest of the stuff later, or maybe dont shove the swatches down our throats at all. UD and even Topps have come up with some other filler ideas besides sets crammed full of relics, some good, some epic fails, but at least they are trying. This is complete fucking laziness in action.

SCU On Twitter

I hate that people talk about Twitter like its a fucking life choice, but I figured that I might as well get with the times.

Follow me on Twitter, a place where I can be even more annoying than I already am. If you have an account as a blogger, let me know so I can follow.

2009 SPX Football: What Are Shadow Box Cards?

Per the info that has been released for 2009 SPX Football, there will be a new technology that has never been seen before in the cards. Per the release, they are called "Shadow Box Cards" which bring in flooding visions of cards that look like recessed display cases.

Could we have a new thing where you have a mini display put into a pack of cards? Even if they dont contain pieces of jersey or autographs, its a cool concept to say the least.

The info also states that these cards will be one per case, meaning that they will be tougher pulls, and that auto versions are included.

I have put in a request to Gregg to give me an idea of what to expect. I will let you know if I hear anything, SPX is looking jam packed...

From the new presells:

2009 SPx Football (09/15/09 Release)
4 Cards per Pack/10 Packs per Box.

Look for a rare new technology that has never been seen before, the SPx Shadow Box Card, 1 per case!Search for Autographed variations too!Up to Four (4) Signatures in every box!Including one Rookie Signature Triple Memorabilia Card. Six (6) Memorabilia cards per box!All Memorabilia cards are foil numbered! At least 3 Autographed Memorabilia or Multi-Signed cards per case!

Product Review: 2009 Donruss Elite Football

We are four products into 2009, and Elite is the first product that actually holds some value for the collector in the long run. However, while looking at the final product, there were a few major questions looming that I may not have been able to get past. I was able to view a whole case broken by my friend, with disasterous results, but I am not going to focus on the pulls. Just the cards.

Design / Creativity

This year's Elite is basically Prestige Chrome, and from my review of Prestige, you can pretty much get the feelings I have about this product. First, the set looks eerily familiar, or rather very close to last year. There is also an ugly addition to the base cards with the electrical storm that seemed to be present at the printing of these cards. In the words of my friend "What the fuck is this? Are they on the set of Crank?" Ha.

The subsets have also dropped considerably in terms of looks from last year. The throwback threads is a perfect example of how bad this has gotten. Last year, the cards were so good looking, I actually went out and bought my first non-auto jersey card in a year. This year, they look stupid to me, mainly because the jersey looks like an add on piece rather than part of the design like last year.

The staple of this set, Passing the Torch, has been updated - I guess for the better. It is no longer a front and back card, making it much easier to display. I don’t think the design is awful, but I don’t think it lives up to being THE cards from this product. Plus, when you look at every other company, not many have their crown jewel cards available in millions of parallels, unless you look at Topps High End. But that doesn’t count.

Also, im not sold on this mirrorfoil they have coating each card. In previous years it has become extremely succeptible to pack fresh damage, and my friend's case definitely felt the brunt of it. Many of his cards were damaged, and though they werent too important, its frustrating. I think they need to get rid of this practice of using condition senstive materials to produce their cards. That is the one thing Topps has down with chrome and finest.

Lastly is the diecuts, something I used to like a lot. However, as a result of the coating on the cards, I saw a lot of damaged diecuts in my friend's case. Some people love these cards, but I am indifferent, something you could attibute to my lack of love for the base cards. I don’t think it’s a win on these, but its not a fail either.

Rating =

Relic Cards

The floating swatches are back, and Donini fails to incorporate the windows into the product with any sort of good ideas. Most of the time the windows look like add ons, as said before, Im guessing because of how many parallels they have of each card. See, with UD, most jersey cards are designed to avoid the floating windows, most likely because the jersey window is incorporated into the design, and the sticker is added later. With Donini, it seems like they just try to fit everything onto a pre designed card. This leads to cards that have floating and out of place jersey windows that don’t fit into the overall feel of the design.

I am continually disappointed with Donini relic cards, they never do favors for my eyes. After the Prestige debacle where cards were designed that covered up the players with swatch windows, I thought things would get better. They didn’t.

I mentioned above that I didn’t like this year's throwback threads set. Chain reaction and Prime Targets are worse than those, and you have to look hard to find a good looking relic card in this product.

Rating =

Autograph Cards

I am a big fan of paralleling the base cards with auto'ed versions, but its tough to find the autos in this set with the time travel residue, the dark cards, and the black marker that was used. I think when it comes to designing auto cards, you have to figure that a special light space needs to be present. On Bowman chrome last year, Topps did a higher half circle. On many other cards from last year, a light picture with a background included is used so that the stickers don’t blend in. None of this consideration was used for Elite.

As for the College ties autos, the cards look completely unbalanced. The autos weigh down the cards completely on the bottom and things look out of place when you throw a sticker on card designed as a base insert. Same thing tends to happen with many of the other subsets with auto parallels, and I think its scary that people think this shit is "cool." Have we gotten that complacent?

As said above, I liked the PTT autos not being front and back this year, but I still hate all the parallels. I didn’t like that they switched to two tiny pics on the side, however, when you get into duals on one card, its tough to avoid. The PTTs are still the best cards of the product, but for this set, its not saying much. I sincerely hope Classics is much better. Yet, with that school colors preview we got, I am very, very scared.

Rating =

Value to the Collector

This is the first set of the year that minimally holds its value, especially in the low numbered diecuts and autos. I think its possible to make some money on a break of this stuff if you get lucky, but if you are looking to keep what you pull - wait for later sets. The PTT autos are some of the more valuable Donini duals, and have been the focus of many collectors who have liked the set.

The rookies arent going to hold too much value unless they are low numbered, but the diecuts and status cards should hold well over the months. I call this set Prestige Chrome, and its funny that the parallels of the RCs really fit this mold.

Lastly, I think its within your best interest to buy the singles as the price of the box is most likely not going to be eclipsed by what you pull. Still not an awful product to buy if you are looking for cards that wont be hurt by the release of the post premiere sets.

Rating =

Overall Impressions

I am very disappointed by Elite, I think this could have been done a lot better, especially if they had thrown in a few new concepts. See, with many other products, creativity factors into new subsets and better designs on the existing cards they are remaking. When you don’t change a thing and you throw it out there just to throw it out there, I am going chide you for your laziness. SP Authentic is the set to buy each year because they do a great job of combining the old with the amazing ideas they have for the new. This does absolutely nothing of the sort, and to me that is very frustrating. At that rate, you should just update your set each year with new cards, a "living set" as I saw someone suggest on one of the boards, mainly because I am so bored with stale concepts.

Average Rating =

2009 Product Leaderboard (SO FAR)

1. 2009 UD Draft Edition (3/5 GELLMANS)
2(t) 2009 Donruss Elite (2/5 GELLMANS)
2(t). 2009 Playoff Prestige (2/5 GELLMANS)
2(t). 2009 Bowman Draft Picks (2/5 GELLMANS)

Upper Deck Now Selling The Pieces Behind Masterpieces

Im glad that they finally got around to selling these, as I loved a lot of the artwork from the last two years of Masterpieces Baseball and Football. Now you can own many of the ones that inspired your cards. They are all 1/1 pieces, and you can pick up all of your favorites for $299.

Very cool, though out of my price range.

Gregg, hopefully you saved this one for me:

Book Value Idiots: Message Board Edition

Thanks to Bad Wax for this idea.

For the record, I do not trade on message boards anymore, its just too frustrating. I encourage you to do the same. The number of douchebags and idiots vastly outnumber the nice people who actually want to trade. Of those nice people many of them still idiotically trade by book value rather than actual value, so that leaves me with such a miniscule amount of people trade with, I just don’t do it anymore. Despite my rules, sometimes I get random PMs from people who have found old cards or lists on sites and figure I am worth a chance. Not often do I respond, but when I do, sometimes its just to have some fun with people who are stupid beyond belief. This is one of those stories.

Two days ago I get a PM from someone who was interested in card I posted a long time ago on a message board I never go to anymore. It was one I still had, and he actually had some stuff I was somewhat interested in. I PM him back and say that I was interested, and then it starts:

Book Value Idiot: So, what does your card book?

Me: Considering that I havent bought a Beckett in years, I have no idea.

BVI: Well, ill see if I can find out and let you know.

(at this point I know I am just going to continue the conversation to fuck with this guy)

Me: Okay, let me know when you find out.

BVI: It books at 155 or something like that, mine books at 250, do you have anything else to trade?

Me: Here is the link to my photobucket, help yourself

BVI: I found some other stuff, but the combined BV comes to 230, can you throw in 20 bucks to get this done?

Me: What other stuff did you find?

BVI: I liked the Mauer, the Peterson RC, the Garnett RC and maybe one other card. Those BVs come to 230 total with the other card, so 20 bucks should cover the rest of it.

Me: Well, considering that your card books at 250, but sells at less than 100 on numerous occasions, here, here, and here, I think that we should ditch the book value conversation all together. The card you Pmed me about sells at About 90 give or take, and the other cards you want bring the actual price to about 70 bucks over what yours sells for. How about we just do a 2 for one, you pick which one of the cards you want from the others you picked

BVI: Sorry, I don’t go by sell value. eBay is too crazy when it comes to pricing. I would like to work this out via BV.

Me: Well, if you look back over the three month listings, your card hasn’t fluctuated THAT much. Maybe 5-10 bucks here or there.

BVI: Yeah, but the card has an up arrow in the new Beckett. And is on their hot list. I cant let this go unless I get a good deal or at least equal BV.

Me: Okay, so if we were to figure it out where things were even, minus five bucks on your end, you wouldn’t do it, even though you searched back 6 months on the forum to find me with this card?

BVI: Sorry, it needs to be exactly even, otherwise you get the better deal.

Me: I just showed you that in terms of actual value, you would be taking me to the cleaners. Is that fair?

BVI: Book value is the way we price on this board, it makes things even. So yes, its fair.

Me: I always say that something is only worth as much as someone else will pay for it. As crazy as you may think that sounds, no one will pay the prices you want for your card - as I showed you. It only shows how ridiculously arbitrary the prices are in your bible.

BVI: I have traded and collected for 20 years. You are an idiot if you think that BV doesn’t mean anything.

Me: 20 years ago it may have, but that was before the internet, before people could actually communicate at the drop of a hat. Now, we can find out how much something is actually worth for free. Its called eBay. The price guide is obsolete.

BVI: Well everyone else on here seems to think you are wrong.

Me: I see that, and that is why I havent posted here for a long, long, looooooooooooong time. This place is filled with people like you who think they know everything about value, when in reality they cant seem to fathom that a price guide makes no sense - IN ANY HOBBY. See, this trade should be like this. I have a card you desperately want. You have a card that I want. I want your card more than I want my card. They are similar in value. I will trade you.

BVI: People like you just try to rip people like me off. I see it all the time.

Me: YOU CONTACTED ME FROM A SIX MONTH OLD POST! Why would I try to rip you off? In fact, I showed you how I was NOT ripping you off via actual value. Its not my fault you want to use arbitrarily selected prices deemed "appropriate" by some harem of douchebags in texas who know nothing about cards.

BVI: F off, go somewhere that accept trolls like you for who you are - idiots.

Me: I love how you think I am the idiot. Have fun trying to find this card again, I havent seen it anywhere since I got it.

BVI: I will.

(end of PMs)

I loved every minute of this conversation, looking back, he said some of the craziest things I have ever seen. Up arrows? This guy was amazing! It really sucks that stupid people are EVERYWHERE and it is beyond frustrating to work with them when you need to. I swear to god, this hobby would be a better place without the price guide around. 20 years ago it was advertised as a tool to help people avoid getting ripped off by dealers who had the ability to set their own prices. In reality, it probably just furthered the façade they were displaying, because then they had widely accepted price justification to sell cards at what they wanted.

Now, since the advent of the internet and ebay, price has become a completely different ballgame now that people can communicate world wide. The privilege of information is no longer something you have to be on the inside to have. You can get it FOR FREE pretty much anywhere. Hell, most of the time you can get Beckett pricing without paying just by asking someone. Regardless, the line stands: "something is only worth as much as someone else will pay for it." If you arent living by this in the hobby, you and I will never get to tradin', because you are lighting fire with sticks and I am walking around with a lighter. Its that simple.

Where Your Subscription Money Goes...

Well, looks like Beckett has pissed off more people, including former employees. Ha, love it. Despite the fact that I have received internal communications that Beckett is not at all well to do in terms of finance, this post on Boycott Beckett seems to show that they at least have money to threaten the bloggers with lawsuits.

Well, glad to see that Beckett's priorities are in the right order:

1) Suck Donini's cock

2) Threaten former employees with libel suits

3) Use the "millions" of dollars in the bank to file said suits

4) Try to get leg up on bloggers who do everything for free

5) Make excuses for epically failing at #4

6) Suck Donini's cock

7) Put together Donini marketing event at Beckett HQ

...

...

...

100) report on hobby "info" (actually more advertising for Donini)

Good job there on establishing these. Glad to see Beckett is still the number one source for Douchebaggery.

June Football Boxbusters Club - Mailed Out

A day later than I wanted, but everything was mailed out tonight.

Shameless Plug: Extra Innings Poker Tourney

Mike and Mitch over at Extra Innings Sports Cards are having another poker tournament, and this time there are going to be some awesome prizes again.

If you guys are looking for some fun stuff to do next weekend, I would check it out. Texas Holdem for cards and autos? You cant beat that. 100 dollar buy in, and you get a box for your money with the chance of winning the prizes.

Last time, the winner got a Black box from the trade conference, and second place got an extra box of product with their entry.

Guys, this is a great way to come and hang out with like minded people and have a guys night. Mike and Mitch are VERY nice guys and really love talking shop. Even if you cant make it in on the 20th, stop by some other time if you are in the area. Tell them I sent you, the address is on the flyer below (click to enlarge).