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Box Review: 2011 Panini Absolute Memorabilia
I received a box of 2011 Absolute Memorabilia Basketball this week from Panini for review. Absolute Memorabilia is known for providing collectors with foil surfaces and plenty of jersey pieces. So if you are not a fan of the foil Spectrum coatings, then this is not the product for you. I however, enjoy anything shiny. So a big thanks to Panini. This was a fun box to bust open. Also, stay tuned to Hoopography. I will think of a contest to give some of the cards away. The contest might be Final Four inspired!!!
The Pros:
Absolute Memorabilia starts right off the bat with cool packaging. Sure, does the packaging mean much in the end? No, but the four individually boxed packs did serve to get me even more ramped-up to open each pack. Each of those packs contain four cards plus one jersey or memorabilia card. Because every card had either foiling or the reflective Spectrum surface, it almost seemed like every card was an insert. Speaking of inserts, the DeMar DeRozan Frequent Flyer #'d 86/100 was my favorite card I pulled. I love the passport inspired design. I also enjoyed pulling a Larry "Grand Ma Ma" Johnson Absolute Heroes #'d 3/100 insert. The overall design of Absolute is strong. Again, it is certainly a product for those who like foiling and the Spectrum coating.
As you can see, the hits were very nice. I'll never complain about pulling a Kevin Love jersey/auto #'d/10. Nor will I complain if I ever pull another Jason Kidd auto. The overall design of the Rookie Premiere Materials is great. I really like the use of team colors and the multiple jersey and basketball pieces doesn't hurt either. However, I do have one complaint with 2011 Absolute Memorabilia.
The Cons:
With as much fun as Absolute Memorabilia was to open and everything I liked about, I have one glaring disappointment. I understand that at approx. $140 a box this isn't Panini's most expensive product nor is it their base product, however, nobody likes sticker auto's. With that said, I'm very happy to pull a Kevin Love auto/jersey card and Jason Kidd auto, but on-card auto's would have been better.
The Wrap Up:
Absolute Memorabilia is certainly one of those products that you either love or love to hate. I really enjoyed opening the four box packs. Every player was a star, legend or superstar and it was definitely fun to pull a card of one of the hotter players in the hobby with Kevin Love. Again, the sticker auto's take a little away from an otherwise nice product. If you're a fan of rookie auto/jersey cards and the Spectrum surface finish, than 2011 Panini Absolute Memorabilia is the product for you. Stay tuned to Hoopography for a Final Four inspired giveaway and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".
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