By Susan Lulgjuraj | Contributing Editor

Gold Standard Basketball is coming back for its sophomore campaign.

With Panini America’s release of 2011-12 Gold Standard Basketball just a couple of months away, it’s time to get a closer look at some of the cards in the product.

Collectors can expect some of last year’s features back such as 14K gold discs embedded in cards or 14K gold trading cards. But Panini is offering even more to make 2011-12 Gold Standard Basketball even more successful. (Need a checklist for last year’s set or an OPG? Click here.)

Beckett had a first look at Gold Standard in April. But here are more preview pictures to enjoy.

Susan Lulgjuraj is a contributing editor for Beckett Media. You can email Susan here. Follow her on Twitter here.

Join Beckett Basketball‘s Chris Olds as he rips into three 2011-12 NBA Hoops hobby packs in this Box Busters teaser video.

What did he find? Watch and find out …

We’ll have a full box break later this week.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Basketball Editor | Commentary

The silence is deafening … and it says plenty so far.

While the NFL’s lockout robbed us of some meaningless training camp reports while the football card printing presses kept on a rolling with all the veterans and the newest rookies, the NBA is quite a different story.

How different? There have been zero officially licensed 2011-12 NBA products offered for pre-sale by Panini America, the league’s exclusive trading card licensee.

That shouldn’t be surprising considering that NBA.com has stripped players of their ability to appear on their own profile pages but it might be to some. It’s looking like the labor woes also could mean that collectors – fans – could be stripped of those same players’ appearances on NBA-approved basketball cards, too.

It’s all a bit circumstantial right now, obviously, but consider that a nearly 12 months ago, Prestige arrived on Sept. 29, 2010. It’s almost September. One should also consider that some of us were eagerly awaiting the return of NBA Hoops, a long-running staple of the basketball card market’s revival in 1989 and into the 1990s that hasn’t been around recently. That nostalgia kick housed in mylar had been teased for a late-September release.

One major online dealer contacted Friday noted that he hadn’t seen any pre-orders for 2011-12 — neither Prestige nor Hoops – and also noted that it’s “very late” for the ordering window to begin.

Ok, so it’s not just me wondering …

It should be obvious to us what’s going on, though — it’s got to all be on hold until there’s a new deal. When that will be? Who knows … (Let’s just hope the licensee doesn’t have to keep paying the electric bill if center court isn’t lit up.)

I contacted the NBA’s Vice President of Licensing early this week asking whether there had been a freeze on products for the upcoming season. No response. That answer was the same back from those contacted at Panini America. Like I said, the silence is deafening.

Meanwhile, the only new NBA product announcement from Panini since the lockout began on July 1 was a new high-end line – Black Box – interestingly fast-tracked and even more-interestingly branded as a 2010-11 release coming out after National Treasures, a somewhat traditional year-ending product for the company. Black Box was unveiled on July 25 with an initially announced arrival date of Aug. 31.

Seems like unusual timing to me, but, then again, timing is everything.

The poor timing of the NBA’s labor woes – and this apparent cardboard development – has come at the perfect time for sports collectors to pay more attention elsewhere.

Sadly, for fans of the hardwood, that elsewhere will end up being football, baseball and hockey cards — which are already stronger sellers than basketball.

A season without basketball is one thing — a season without basketball cards?

That could be ugly.

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.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

We all know how important the autograph is to the collecting world these days, and it’s more than obvious that’s the case if one strolls the floor of the National Sports Collectors Convention.

But the types of autographs found on the floor of the show?

You’d be surprised … it’s not just baseball … and it’s not just sports.

Sights like the one above – Albert Pujols, Roger Maris and Hank Aaron all within inches of each other — are common

See a gallery of images after the jump.

(Click on the image for an unobstructed look if it came in as a thumbnail.)

By Chris Olds | Basketball Editor

Upper Deck‘s latest high-end line of college basketball cards arrives on Friday packing a player-centric configuration and some big names in every box of 2011 All-Time Greats.

As previously reported, the product will include a melded version of Letterman and UD Glass cards with a strong crop of autographs in the product, but the real allure is the autograph checklist that includes just 20 players.

That means there’s a pretty solid chance at finding a Michael Jordan or LeBron James autograph inside the boxes, which will contain just four cards. The catch? Each four-card box will contain three base cards and one autograph — each of the same player.

However, there will be mystery packs to be found as well. Those will include several players inside.

Also to be found are an All-Time Nine autograph booklet as well as Legacy Booklets, which pair a modern star with a cut of a past legend.

See more images from the brand below.

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.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Basketball Editor

The Black Box is Back — but this time it’s a brand and it’s in basketball.

Panini America unveiled its newest high-end product line for NBA cards on Monday with 2010-11 Elite Black Box Basketball, a high-end release that’s fast-tracked for an Aug. 31 release.

It will pack three autographed cards, two memorabilia card and two insert cards per box. Each memorabilia or autograph will be limited to 149 or fewer copies, while all inserts will be limited to no more than 99.

“We realize that by naming this product ‘Black Box’ we’re setting collector expectations really high as that name carries the biggest of big-ticket connotations with collectors,” said Panini America NBA Brand Manager David Porter in a prepared statement. “But based on the incredible content that we’ve injected into Black Box, I’m certain this is a product that will not just meet those expectations, but surpass them.”

Also to be found inside the product are striking Thunderstruck insert cards showcaseing Kevin Durant — each limited to 10 copies and signed directly on the cards — as well as Champions autograph cards which will include five autographs from championship teams such as the 1969 Celtics and the 1980s Lakers. Also new will be a basketball debut for Crusade inserts, which were popular in baseball ranks years ago, while there will be prime versions and USA Basketball patches to be found in the product as well.

“There is game-worn memorabilia in this set from the greatest legends of all time,” Porter said. “But of all the great content in here, I’m most excited about the Booklet Cards and the designs. They’re truly spectacular. This is definitely high-end and it absolutely lives up to the Black Box name.”

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.

Beckett Basketball Editor Chris Olds stopped by Nick’s Sports Cards in Dallas (for supplies!) and caught one collector ripping 2010-11 Panini Gold Standard.

What will he find inside? Watch and find out …

Join Beckett Basketball’s Chris Olds and Rob Springs as they rip into a pair of 2010-11 Panini Gold Standard boxes in this latest episode of Box Busters.

What will they find? Watch and find out …

Join Beckett Basketball’s Chris Olds and Rob Springs as they rip into a pair of 2010-11 Totally Certified boxes in this latest episode of Box Busters.

What’d they find? Watch and find out …

By Chris Olds | Basketball Editor

If you haven’t heard, the Dallas Mavericks are the NBA champions.

And now comes the championship boxed set from Panini America, the exclusive trading card licensee of the NBA.

Unveiled on Wednesday, the 36-card set will include a card for every member of the team, highlight cards for all 16 playoff victories that came en route to the Larry O’Brien Trophy and cards of coach Rick Carlisle and a card noting Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki.

The set will arrive on July 14 but is available for pre-order on Panini’s website. Collectors who order there will be entered into a drawing to win an autographed Nowitzki game-used card if they are among the first 100 to pre-order.

See more images and get a full checklist … after the jump.

#1     Dirk Nowitzki
#2     Jason Kidd
#3     Jason Terry
#4     Tyson Chandler
#5     Shawn Marion
#6     J.J. Barea
#7     DeShawn Stevenson
#8     Brendan Haywood
#9     Brian Cardinal
#10     Caron Butler
#11     Peja Stojakovic
#12     Ian Mahinmi
#13     Corey Brewer
#14     Dominique Jones
#15     Rodrigue Beaubois
#16     Alexis Ajinca
#17     Sasha Pavlovic
#18     Steve Novak
#19     Rick Carlisle
#20     Playoff Win 1     Portland Game 1
#21     Playoff Win 2     Portland Game 2
#22     Playoff Win 3     Portland Game 5
#23     Playoff Win 4     Portland Game 6
#24     Playoff Win 5     Lakers Game 1
#25     Playoff Win 6     Lakers Game 2
#26     Playoff Win 7     Lakers Game 3
#27     Playoff Win 8     Lakers Game 4
#28     Playoff Win 9     Thunder Game 1
#29     Playoff Win 10     Thunder Game 3
#30     Playoff Win 11     Thunder Game 4
#31     Playoff Win 12     Thunder Game 5
#32     Playoff Win 13     Heat Game 2
#33     Playoff Win 14     Heat Game 4
#34     Playoff Win 15     Heat Game 5
#35     Playoff Win 16     Heat Game 6
#36     Dirk Nowitzki     FINALS MVP

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Basketball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.