A Pack of 'Something Else'

Everybody has been making a trip down to their local card store or big retail location to pick some brand new 2017 Topps Series 1.  I thought about doing it... briefly, and that's about as far as I've got.  I won't lie, I have put some low ball bids out there on a Braves team slot in a half case break, but that's me knowing I'll eventually want a couple copies of the Dansby rookie, and a case break seems like the most efficient way to do that.

So no, you will not see any brand new cards here.  Instead, I grabbed a single pack from my LCS on Tuesday.  2012 Panini Cooperstown.

Normally, I'd say I avoid Panini like the plague.  Yes, the missing logos do play a factor, but its more than just the logos for me.  I simply haven't seen a set from Panini of which I enjoy the design.

  

Donruss: mostly hideous.  

Prizm: way too much going on.  

USA sets: boring.  

Elite: suffers more than any other set from a lack of logos.  

Optic: just foily Donruss... so still mostly hideous.

I'm not going to touch the high end sets, but there's also three sets I haven't mentioned.  The first is Diamond Kings.  I honestly haven't held a Diamond Kings card in my hand yet.  Every time I see one on a blog, my first reaction is surprisingly a good one "ohh, that's kinda neat."  I think a lot of it has to do with the watercolor effect that reminds me a lot of 2009 Ginter.  My LCS actually has a hobby box at a pretty good price that I keep looking at, but every review of the product I've seen has been more negative than positive, which makes me very hesitant.

The other major set I haven't mentioned is Contenders, and that's because I actually very much like the design of this set.  My main problem is that I really don't enjoy the set contents.  I'm not very big into prospecting and don't really enjoy the college uniforms, so I simply don't buy any.  It's unfortunate, since I really do think Panini nailed this design.

The last set.  This one.  Cooperstown.  This was my first pack of it (from any year).  I suppose I enjoy it for what it is.

Positives:

• Black and white or gray-scaled photos (I love this, and from what I can tell, it's throughout the entire set... the way it should be)
• Very cool fonting.  The year up top on the two banners, the large red "Cooperstown," even the player name.  I like all the text.
• Best card backs Panini has or probably will ever make. 

Negatives:

• The framing makes for a small, and in many cases, oddly cropped photo.
• No logos still make me cry in many photos.
• This design seems to scream "add a team nameplate at the top or bottom"... but they can't do that because they're Panini.

Overall, I think the set is pretty good for what is available to Panini.  It's certainly no Donruss, and I'd probably be pretty happy to eventually pick up some more of these.

It also greatly helps your opinion when you happen to pull a numbered autograph in the first pack you open.  It's on card too!!!  A Panini miracle!  I'll admit... I had to look up who Pat Gillick was, and when I actually did, I didn't really feel bad about not knowing who Mr. Gillick was.

He the was the GM for the Blue Jays, O's, M's, and the hated '08 Phillies.  He's got 3 rings to his name over the years and was inducted into the HoF in 2011.  I appreciate the auto, but this one's up for trade if anyone happens to want it.

The rest of you... enjoy your 2017 Series 1.  :D