First Look: 2014-15 Panini National Treasures
By Stephen Laroche | Beckett Basketball Editor
Expected to be a hot summer release once it hits the market in July, 2014-15 Panini National Treasures is back once again and it will be delivering a few new twists to an already-solid formula this time around.
Containing 10 cards per pack, there is a heavy focus on autographs and memorabilia with eight of those highly sought-after pieces being found inside. As always, Rookie Patch Autographs are expected to be a major part of this collection and with a strongly-hyped freshman class, the competition will be tight for big names. There are five different types of these cards to collect, including horizontal versions that contain a Logoman patch piece. The pieces on each card are large and often eye-catching as well.
Panini America is also debuting college-themed cards of rookie players, which may give an early indication of how they will incorporate these themes into their basketball products.
What else can collectors expect to find inside of 2014-15 Panini National Treasures? Find out after the jump.
Among the bigger memorabilia highlights in National Treasures this time around are the Colossal Jerseys, which contain an oversized piece from both active stars and legends, and Sneaker Swatches, which are sure to gather quite a following.
Panini has also teased a several autographed sets which offer on-card signatures, including Game Changers and Signature Moves. One of the most popular sets are sure to be the Notable Nicknames that will include a player’s personally inscribed nickname. Another major draw will be the NBA Champion Signatures which turn the focus to players that have won it all on what may prove to be one of the striking sets of the year due to its combination of gold ink autographs on a black background.
Autographs and memorabilia are also paired up on several sets, including Treasured Tags, Colossal Jersey Signatures, and Clutch Factor.
Stephen Laroche is the editor of Beckett Basketball and Beckett Hockey magazines. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at slaroche@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Stephen_Laroche.
why are the wiggins and other cards considered rookie cards? the season is over, they’re no longer rookies. there should be a cutoff date regarding when a company can use the “rookie card” label
The basketball card season/year is not over.
Imagine if this product would hit during Dec/Jan timeframe when all the players in the league are playing night in and night out . You might actually have a chance at selling some of the smaller hits to help out the cause. Middle of summer no one cares about the smaller stuff. so if you don’t hit the big one , most likely its a big loss at the price it costs. Makes no sense to release your best product in the middle of summer… EXCEPT they know it will still sell out so good for Panini and the big wholesalers, bad for the people opening it up.