Panini announces NSCC event for high-rollers
By Chris Olds | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor
Are you planning to spend some big bucks on wax at the National Sports Collectors Convention?
If so, Panini America wants to see you … in the VIP room.
The Texas-based company announced on Wednesday that it will host an exclusive event for high-rollers at the NSCC on Aug. 4. The Saturday-night event will only be open to those who receive an invitation after they redeem $6,500 worth of Panini Bucks at the company’s booth.
—
Loading ...—
Loading ...—
How do they get Panini Bucks? By buying wax on the show floor from one of five dealers — Dave & Adam’s Card World, Blowout Cards, Pittsburgh Wholesale, Atlanta Sports Cards and Marty’s Sports Cards. They’ll receive Panini Bucks after their purchases.
“It’s no secret that we pull out all the stops for the National every year so that attendees know that no one cares as much for them and this industry than we do,” said Jason Howarth, Panini America Vice President of Marketing. “This year, we’ll take our industry-leading engagement one step farther with a special evening that will generate buzz and positive memories that will last a lifetime.”
No more than 50 collectors will be admitted to the event, what the company bills as a “once-in-a-lifetime VIP experience” that will include Black Boxes, free autographs and an auction to get in on “rare Panini America experiences.”
The eligible Panini products for the event are:
Baseball
2011 Limited
2011 Prime Cuts
2011 Contenders
Basketball
2011-12 Gold Standard
2011-12 Limited
2011-12 Past & Present
Football
2012 Elite
2012 Prestige
2011 Totally Certified
2011 Playbook
2011 Prime Signatures
Hockey
2011-12 Elite
2011-12 Contenders
2011-12 Rookie Anthology
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Sports Card Monthly magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
what a dumb question
Hopefully, they’ll also be doing things at their booth for the more casual collector as well as kids.
good idea to get rid of these poor products, i wonder if they will let these dealers dump this product and a low level
I mean heck if your going to spend that much of course you deserve a little vip treatment but Panini really needs to focus on the average collector and kids.
I suppose that if you are able to buy enough of it cheap enough that you can resell it at
only a small loss, it might be worth it. *shrug*
I have no idea which, if any, of these products has something that people really want.
The baseball is not licensed.
The basketball has no rookies in it.
It would be easier to try and get one of the dealers to say you made the purchase and instantly resold it
to them. You say you make only 5%? OK, here is $325 cash. :-)
Great idea to say thanks to the BIG customers. Panini has a track record of doing GREAT PROMOTIONS
(Black Friday Packs, Father’s Day Packs, Silver Packs at some of the big shows). Panini has and will continue to take care of the average collector. This is just a way to say thanks to a few (50) of the BIG BOYS.
First of all the idea that anyone i repeat anyone would take this seriously is nutts I really don’t care who would do this or pay for any crap a card company touts as exclusive— blah blah blaI guess for the selctive few who can afford the ‘LIMTED Events more power but for me NO !!
I have nevr been to this kind of a show and for me and my son it’s a chance to enjoy the hobby and meet people. we don;’t get a chanc to see very often and maybe save up enough to try those rare sets or rc’s.
I’ve had medical issues 3 kidney transplants new hip so we r not always able to afford a lot of products but we enjoy it together.
Thats why we continue to collect.—–TW
Seeing the list of products to choose from, you can expect a mere 10 to 20 percent return on your investment, not to mention about 25 percent of those being redemptions of absolute scrubs. At least Upper Deck, in spite of all of their problems, can insert some solid hits in their products. Panini better get a MLB license before Leaf does, and get rid of the sticker autos, or they will be done. I spent quite a bit with Dave & Adams at last year’s National, and they are great to work with, but very little of it was Panini. Not going this year, but if I were, I wouldn’t buy any of those boxes on the list.
A pretty ingenious way for Panini to blow out wax. Even if you can’t afford $6500 on wax (and most probably can’t), the scrip you’ll get in return will provide something of value.
If you spend $75 on a waxbox and get $75 in scrip back, and sell that scrip on the NSCC floor for 20 cents on the dollar (assuming the exchange rate on the script is .20), it’s like getting 20% off on all your Panini wax purchases. And if the exchange rate is $0.20 on the dollar, an enterprising collector could “buy” one of these packages for much, much, less than $6500.
Pretty disgusting article for most collectors. Thank goodness that most collectors arent the 1% who could afford to spend money like that at the card show. I love cards and spent a great deal on them, but this is truly ridiculous. If you buy $6500 of goods from me, than I will give you a $100 bucks of amazing items too.
I say that you tell them where to shove the Panini Bucks. Just my humble opinion.
I would love to hear from more companies offering something for someone who buys some packs or A BOX of their product. I know Topps is offering minis from 5 wrappers and UD something similar. But more companies are offering stuff for opening CASES or in this example, spending $6500. An average or even moderately hardcore collector is not going to drop $6500 at the show.
Johnny, I sense jealousy of us one percenters in your post. Just work harder, stop being so lazy and maybe one day a few decades from now you can think about joining us. You’re welcome.
Am I going to open $6500 of wax box at the convention? Um… no. Do I want to? Yeah. I’m not going to say I agree with Panini in this sort of promotion, or why they picked this specific number. I will, however, say that the people knocking on Panini for this, well, need to not. Panini has a right to price themselves out of the market for most people, if they choose to. Just don’t buy. If it isn’t in your range, it isn’t, and that should be that. Oh well… good for them.