Happy First Break of 2011!!! (2010-2011 Threads)

Happy New Year everyone!

I thought we would start the year off right with a hobby box break of 2010-2011 Panini Threads Basketball. In the hobby box you get 24 packs/5 cards per pack, 2 autographs and 2 memorabilia cards per box (including one autographed Threads Rookie per box).

I had opened some retail packs and a blaster of this stuff and absolutely loved it. The one plus to the Threads over the Rookies & Stars is that the Threads are all action "in the game" shots, as opposed to just the player on a set background. I like action shots much better on cards, unless they are artist drawn cards.

So let's get to it. I scanned the inserts and hits for you guys to check out and let me and Panini know what you think.

All-Time Big Men: Wayne Embry and Alonzo Mourning


Century Stars: LeBron James and Kevin Garnett


Century Legends: Sam Perkins
Triple Threat: LeBron James

Foil parallel /199

Rookie Collection Game Used Dominique Jones /399

Rookie Collection Prime Material Xavier Henry /25

Hardcourt/Wood card Paul George on card auto /399

Mini Jerseys (All Threads Home/Away) I really kind of like these for some reason. Probably because it is something new and I haven't seen it before. If I had the motivation to collection any set it would be this one right now.



Now you might be wondering where the 4th hit is hiding, and so was I when I was done opening the box. I wasn't sure if my getting a Prime Material auto /25 was the reason I only got 3 hits in the box so I sent Tracy Hackler an e-mail asking if this was just a collation error and the box was short or it was because of that card. I was told that it was just shorted a hit, and each box should contain 4 hits regardless of the serial numbering.

While this disappoints me a little bit, I've sadly grown used to it from Topps products. Thus, I will give Panini some slack on this one since every product I have opened, be it retail or hobby, has been awesome.

Overall this may be my favorite mid-range basketball product of the season because of the photography on the cards and the promise of 4 hits per box, with inserts but not a crazy amount of inserts. This is one of those sets that are big enough to have fun with as far as trading, but small enough to complete a master set if you wanted.

Anyone else open a hobby box of Threads?

Blaster Break: 2010-2011 Panini Threads Basketball

The other day when I told you guys I went to Target and surveyed the new stock and prices I picked up a blaster. Most people have to rip them instantly, but me, I like to wait until I reaallllllly need to open packs. It's like a blaster for a rainy day, so to speak.

I picked up a blaster of 2010-2011 Panini Threads because I had liked what I had seen from the previews Panini posted, as well as the design of the cards. I am going to try and work on trading away the teams I don't want for some other cards if anyone is interested. I will also give away any of the base cards from the Rookies & Stars hobby box break if you e-mail with team preference and just pay the S&H.

I scanned some of the highlights and lowlights (Celtics) for everyone to check out. Honestly, it was well worth the $20 for the blaster.
Lamar Odom, Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher




Gotta love LeBronand his talents to pose for the camera like a tool.

The Shaqcard is the corniest pose ever, not to mention that uniform just doesn't suit him well.

The Gerald Henderson is an insert card /199


The only NY Knick I don't hate, Danilo Gallinari.

Willie Warren auto /399 which is on actual wood. No sticker, no "looks like wood" like the Topps Ginter "wood" cards, an autograph on the card that is wood. The card is awesome despite me not caring at all about the player. An autograph from a blaster is a win.




What do you guys think of the auto card design?

Target fully stocked

Last night I went to the mall and while in Target I noticed that there were blasters and packs galore of everything you could imagine, including sealed retail boxes of 2010-2011 Panini Threads Basketball, 2010 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects baseball, and 2010 Bowman Platinum. They also had rack packs and blasters of everything.

I won't lie, I opened each box and planned on grabbing a few packs from each and going on my way. I grabbed the bottom packs out of each box... Then I put them all back. $2.99 per pack for both Bowman products and you get 4 cards. 4 cards that I probably won't want since I don't collect many players. Then the Panini Threads... $2.99 per pack, 10 cards per pack. Sold.

I have had good luck with basketball so I stuck with those packs. While I didn't pull anything great, they were fun to open and I like the photography and design on the set.



As luck would have it I have a knack for pulling Boston Celtics cards. Go figure. Perhaps I can make a pile of Celtics to trade someone.

So I took note of some of the other products out and what you get in the blasters. Bowman Platinum blaster is 8 packs, 4 cards per pack- 32 cards for $20. Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects
you get 8 packs with 7 cards per pack - 56 cards for $20. The DPP is actually a break considering the loose packs only get you 4 cards and chances are the packs were searched unless you stumble upon a box that was sealed like I did. Still wasn't tempting for the price despite the odds being intact. Rack packs of Platinum go for $8.99 for 3 packs with a bonus 3 refractors, and I believe the DPP rack packs were $4.99 with 3 chrome cards (I forget how many cards total). Panini Threads blaster, 8 packs, 10 packs per box- $20.

Maybe I picked up a blaster....

I wish Topps could pack a few more cards per pack or an extra pack per blaster to make you feel like you are getting value like you can get from a Panini product.

Anyone happen to pull something good out of the new retail release wave that hit recently?