First look: 2011-12 Gold Standard basketball
By Chris Olds | Beckett Basketball Editor
Panini America‘s Gold Standard was a memorable rookie and it’s going to be back for a sophomore season.
While full details are not yet available for the sophomore release of the high-end brand, the basics on the sterling product are. When 2011-12 Gold Standard arrives on June 20, it will include one 2011-12 Draft Class Redemption Autograph in every box, three additional sigs and two memorabilia cards to go with a selection of base cards in every $200 (or so) pack.
The solid gold and gold inlay cards will be back — obviously with a name like that there’s a bit of a standard to maintain — with redemptions for the 2012-13 NBA Draft class to be found as well.
Some of the other highlights teased by the company?
— A redesigned Gold Rush set, which will better service the gold disc on the card.
— 24-karat Autographs, a set showcasing players who scored 24,000 or more points in their careers.
— 14-karat Autographs, a set showcasing those who topped the 14,000-point mark.
— Greatest Graphs, an autographed selection from the NBA at 50 honorees.
We’ll have more on this one right here when it becomes available.
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In other NBA card news from Panini, the company is planning a product exclusively revolving around its top spokesman, Kobe Bryant. In each 2012-13 product that is released, there will be a pack of the Kobe cards included with autographed and game-used cards in the fold. We’ll have more on this one right here when it becomes available as well.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Basketball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
I’m not going to buy another panini product until they decide to have rookie cards in their base sets. They seem to think that they can just slam the market with autographs and patches and forget about the foundation of basketball cards.
Really, who is going to want to buy anything from the 2011-12 season 5-10 years from now when panini is bankrupt, those redemptions have expired? No rookie cards to chase.
i agree.. why the redemption? wtf..it this is the case then redemption should have no expiry..