[DeanStone]

Considering I’m not rich and I fancy myself a “regular guy” who scoffs at the idea of spending $800-$1500 on a pack of trading cards. Last years Prizm release was hands down one of my favorite sets in recent memory. A favorite for myself to collect and for the hobby at large. Being reminiscent of 1996-97 Topps Chrome, it was hard not to be enamored.

Well, I was excited to see that this years 2013-14 release finally hit the market. After doing some searching online and checking out some early eBay auctions, I find myself somewhat horrified.

Is it me or did they just totally shoot one of their most exciting products in the head, behind a dirty cold barn, without warning or a warm meal?

Being a Grant Hill collector, I happen to notice that his #245 base card has a few options to seek out. Oh Joy!

2013-14 Panini Prizm #245 Grant Hill / Base
2013-14 Panini Prizm #245 Grant Hill / Prizm
2013-14 Panini Prizm #245 Grant Hill / Prizm Blue
2013-14 Panini Prizm #245 Grant Hill / Prizm Green
2013-14 Panini Prizm #245 Grant Hill / Prizm Red
2013-14 Panini Prizm #245 Grant Hill / Prizm Red, White and Blue Mosiac
2013-14 Panini Prizm #245 Grant Hill / Prizm Black 1/1
2013-14 Panini Prizm #245 Grant Hill / Prizm Black Mosiac 1/1
2013-14 Panini Prizm #245 Grant Hill / Prizm Gold 1/10
2013-14 Panini Prizm #245 Grant Hill / Prizm Light Blue Die Cut 1/199
2013-14 Panini Prizm #245 Grant Hill / Prizm Orange 1/60
2013-14 Panini Prizm #245 Grant Hill / Prizm Purple Die Cut 1/49

11 Prizm Variations of one base card!?!?! And half don’t even have serials. LAME!!!

To be frank, who gives a crap about pulling a Prizm anymore. Last year’s product was perfect. 3 Regular Prizms per hobby box, 1 gold per case and Green prizms for people who shop retail. Less is MORE! Ugh.

Considering this years draft class is weak and they totally just killed Prizms, I'll be sitting out this release and hoping they get their act together for next years.

/ Rant over.

[jdetter23]

Odds are they add more before they take any away. Chrome has about 14 or 15 variations. The problem I have with prizm is the fact theres 3 different colors found in a retail rack pack and only 1 guaranteed color prizm in the hobby. I'm all for something like the green in the retail but put all the others in the hobby boxes.

[rjcj2017]

I hear you ... Besides the prism quandary, I just busted three hobby boxes, and the best auto I pulled BY FAR was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

I mean ... Norm Nixon? Really?

My autos out of three boxes:

KCP
Nixon/25
Chandler/25
Alexei Shved
Mason Plumlee
Carrick Felix

WOW!!! For $300!!! Norm Effing Nixon autos, everyone!!!

[DeanStone]

I don’t even know what to say, It hurts my head to think that they could potentially have around 15 variations for any particular card in one product. Being that I’m pretty much B-Ball exclusive, I haven’t really been keeping tabs on Chrome since Panini finagled a Monopoly on the NBA License.

I guess if I had to put on my business hat for a second, it kind of, in a really f’d up abstract way, makes a little sense. Considering the true lack of ACTIVE collectible stars in todays league, the typical high end collector being in their mid twenties and above (I’m assuming/being kind), and eBay single sales running rampant. Loading current products with **cough** “rare cards” of Hall of Famers from the 90’s and beyond makes would be collectors more interested in buying product. I get it. But at the end of the day, what’s the cost?

Perhaps I’m overreacting a bit, it’s probably all ok because we can look forward to dropping around three hundred dollars of our hard earned money to pull the likes of a precious Red Auto Prizm of NBA Perennial Super Star, NORM NIXON. (Sorry to hear rjcj2017. Yeah, that sucks. Unless someone is a Lakers fan, but come on…even then that’s a crap pull.)

I could start another thread on fluff craptastic autos used as filler. Or I could just list my Greg Stiemsma and Shelvin Mack 2012-13 Prizm Autos up for trade and call it a wash. I don’t know tho, I kind of grew fond of them in an ironic way.

I guess the bigger question is, who is this hobby for anymore? If “the kids” don’t get back into collecting sports cards, who is going to want to buy all of our pristine retro collections when it’s time to cash out years down the line? If one would even consider doing that anyway.

[bballfrk44]

Wait there's 2 Prizm blacks??? I didn't know that. How am I ever going to complete the Ty Lawson set. Had no idea there were 11 refractors, i thought just 7. Wow

[xstreaminsanity]

Being a person with OCD in many aspects of my life, especially my collecting, I am not a fan of too many variations. I think it also makes it worse for me simply because I'm a team collector as compared to a single player (or even a few players) collector. There are 12 base Detroit Pistons cards in 2013-14 Prizm. There are 11 variations of each. This means that there are 132 cards I would need from just one set not including Inserts and their Parallels (then it's 222 total cards). That's just too much, though it is really cool to collect rainbows. Three color rainbows aren't as cool looking as more color rainbows.

[TBarn291]

All of the variations have definitely taken a toll on the secondary market. If you recall last year, a prizms of Lillard, Irving, or any of the better draft picks were selling for insane amounts. Especially considering they weren't really SP. I saw a MCW Green Prizm for $100. Last year a Green Kyrie was pushing 4 figures. The only thing they needed to add were the Blacks and gold autos. So you would have - base, prizms, retail green prizm, gold prizm /10, and black 1/1 prizm. Same for the auto... Although I do kind of like the purple diecuts. They look pretty nice.

[odditycards]

I actually like the idea of "retail only" parallels. It's the thrill of the hunt. I don't like that 60% of the "rare cards" and "autos" always seem to be all the retired players, and even players that most of this collecting generation hasn't even heard of. I mean geez...70 cards last year for Hornacek...217 for Stockton...and even 30 for dinosaur Mark Eaton! Guess it's better than the 1475 different last year for Kobe...no wonder no one wants to collect him!

I think that Panini needs to do a retro edition and include designs from the 70s/80s sets. Maybe include a TRUE HOF set that might actually include ALL of the HOF'ers *cough* *Cosic* *cough*

[DeanStone]

@bballfrk44
I know, right? Two 1/1 blacks kill me. Are mosaics equal or on par to regular Prizms? Who the hell knows?

@xstreaminsanity
I feel your pain. Haven’t even considered team collectors. 220 cards for one set is indeed ridiculous and makes me that much more chapped. For shame, I say. For shame!

@TBarn291
Agreed. It pains me to see the value of the cards being undercut by oversaturating the product. That was the appeal of pulling a rare Prizm last year, they were actually selling for exciting amounts of money. It’s looking like gold’s from this years set are averaging around 100 bucks. For a 1 out of 10 card from one of last year’s hottest chase insert sets, it’s a little worrying.

@ odditycards
I agree, the retail exclusive chase card is a nice touch. Also dig the idea of moving all retro stars and HOFers to a separate skew and calling it Prizm Retro or something similar.

---

Here’s my pitch to fix Prizm for next years release. Panini, the first ones free. Get ahold of me for more ideas, I have a bunch.

The cornerstone of my pitch ... 5 Prizms Max.

Standard/Silver Prizm (No Serial, Standard Prizm)
Bronze/Copper Prizm Die-Cut (No Serial, Retail Exclusive)
Team Color Prizm (1/49, Read Below)
Gold Prizm (1/10, Hobby Exclusive)
Black Prizm (1/1, Ultimate Chase)

… That’s one sexy rainbow if you ask me.

*** Team Color Prizm
I don’t know about you guys, but I hate it when the parallel color of the card clashes with the jersey color (Green 2013-14 Grant Hill Prizm = Yuck). It happens to be one of the things that bothers me about Certified. Green/ Emerald Parallels no matter how rare, can look pretty damn ugly depending on the players Jersey.

How about for the team color Prizm, the parallel color reflects the primary or secondary color of the Jersey of the player being worn. For example, the Bulls = Red Prizm, Celtics = Green, Lakers = Purple, Suns = Orange, Heat = Dark Red. Cavs = Wine …

How amazing would a teal Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets Prizm look? Pretty damn awesome, that’s how it would look. Imagine how a retro jersey Gary Payton, Seattle Supersonics Green or Yellow Prizm would look ... excuse me while I change my shorts.

This isn’t exactly rocket science.

In conclusion …

- Include the best 100 Active players.
- Don’t include every rookie. 15-20 Max. That’s what Hoops and Prestige are for.
- At the most, include 20 Hall of Fame caliber retro stars.
- Include a 10 card base subset numbered 141-150. (Award Winners/All Stars/Playoff Team Cards from the year prior)
- 150 total card set max.
- Each player should only have ONE 1/1 card per release. Get out of here with that black mosaic crap.
- Enjoy my money.

[carrollm09]

I can definitely get on board with the retired stars. From 2012-13, there were 249 new Pippen cards, 123 of which were autographs. I miss Finest/Chrome of the 90's and their one parallel. It's about the ridiculous number of high-end sets that one company produces, too. By previous standards, Absolute, Elite, Elite Series, Innovation, Limited, Momentum, Contenders, Crusade, Gold Standard, Intrigue, Marquee, National Treasures, Preferred, Prizm, Signatures, Select, Threads, Timeless Treasures, Totally Certified, and then finishing up with Flawless and Immaculate in case you had any money left...on top of Past and Present, Hoops, Panini base, Brilliance, Prestige...it sucks to be a player collector.

That being said, my Prizm break was solid. It looks like SHowley made out like a bandit, and what luck was leftover went into mine. If I can resist I'm done breaking for the year just to try and focus on the PC.