2010-11 Zenith Hockey
Product Review
2010-11 Zenith Hockey Product Review
Reviewed By Doug Cataldo
Good: More than 200 rookies that should offer a market for prospectors and speculators, a fresh look for a classic brand, and the return of, “Dare to Tear" oversized cards with another card inside are just a few of the goodies Zenith delivers. You can expect on-card rookie and veteran autographs as well.
Bad: There really isn't much not to like with Zenith. Aside from the obvious names missing from the checklist, the Panini crew loaded this up with an insane amount of rookies. They even managed to squeeze in an ode to the movie Grease, and they brought back a collector favorite with the Epix inserts.
The Bottom Line: For just under $80 you can expect a combination of three memorabilia or autographed cards. Those signatures could include hard-signed autos of some of the greats of the game, including Steve Yzerman, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Ray Bourque, and Stan Mikita, just to name a few. This impressive autograph lineup is accompanied by 40 promising rookies.
Card Design: 4.0/5.0
A lot of mixed things have been said about the recent designs coming out of the Panini offices. Some collectors love the similarities to the designs that they are familiar with, while others are craving a new look for many of their brands. With Zenith, Panini has scored with a crisp design that lets the images take center ice. The base cards aren't too flashy, but are simple and elegant. Zenith is definitely a sign that they are moving in the right direction and if they continue down this path, the designs are only going to get better with time. The inserts will have fans of past Pinnacle and Zenith products ooohing and ahhhing over the return of Dufex in the form of Nufex. Even the parallels, labeled Red Hot and White Hot, utilize the popular printing technology.
Checklist: 4.0/5.0
The 200 rookie cards included on the checklist gets instant props for Panini. This set is custom-made for those who simply cannot get enough rookie cards and want to build sets, once again proving the company IS listening to collectors. As with many Panini releases, they kept to their formula of delivering the best current players in the game, a select group of legends, and, if you've been following along, you know about the rookies. Of course, there are a select few key players missing and it is only because they are locked up in exclusive deals with other manufacturers, but Panini is working around them and putting out solid products regardless.
Value: 4.0/5.0
Ten packs per box puts 50 cards in your hands. It doesn't seem like a lot, but it fuels the groundwork for building a set. That's where the value is going to be for Zenith. Yes, it will deliver big hits, but for the first time in a long time collectors can put together a hefty-sized collection. These packs will deliver value and they won't wind up in the dollar bins. Some boxes might actually deliver more than the specified odds. It has been verified that there are some extremely hot boxes of Zenith that deliver an entire case worth of hits.
The Fun Factor: 5.0/5.0
Zenith has it all. You get to reminisce about the past and enjoy it all over again with modern technology and a modern checklist. You get to build a hockey set that has incredible potential to grow for many years with 200 young guns hoping to become the next generation of all-stars. And then there is the box topper. The over-sized Dare to Tear jumbo cards create an element of fun that is unique to the product. You get to take a gamble on what's inside. It is the trading card equivalent of Let's Make A Deal without Monty Hall asking you what's behind door number one. The act of destroying a trading card is taboo among most collectors. Cards have value, but what if you were told that inside the card was another card and it was most assuredly more valuable than the outer shell? If you purchase Zenith, you'll get the opportunity to find out exactly what you would do in that scenario and it adds a whole new (Or is it renewed?) element to collecting.
|
Set Checklist
2010-11 Zenith Hockey Set Checklist Index
Browse our sortable subset checklists for this product by clicking on the desired subset below:
3.8 average based on 59 reviews.
Best Stockx Deals
Best Deal Products
