2010 Panini Classics Football

Review

Bad: lacks originality, feels generic, too similar to other Panini offerings, inserts don't mesh with base set, hits are a miss

Bottom Line:

The perfect word to describe Classics would be mediocre. It's a product that I would not recommend, I would definitely stick with Prestige or Elite out of the currently available football products from Panini. Classics is generic, lacks a spark, and struggles to find a balance of Rookies and Legends that makes sense.  If anything, Classics gave me a much deeper appreciation for this year's Donruss Elite. The one positive Classics has going for it is the numbered base rookies and legends, which should provide a dash of appeal to set builders.

Design: 2.5/5

The base card design is above average and a definite improvement upon 09 Classics Football. Where Classics design really struggles is with Inserts and Parallels. The insert design is essentially Prestige and doesn't mesh with the base set cards. Also, the numbering of inserts seems completely random, there seems to be no method to it. Classics just feels like a generic mish-mash that doesn't live up to the name "Classics" in terms of card design.

Checklist: 3.5/5

Classics captures all the NFL's current stars, relevantrookies, and legends from the past. The one issue I had with the checklist is the presence of cards like the "Dress Code" inserts, which like many other inserts has a relic version and a non-relic version. It makes the regular version seem unworthy of the name.

Value: 2/5

The only way I see buying a box of Classics paying off is if you get a "spectacular" box and I am not a big fan of products like that. The base set is well conceived, which ultimately means there will be people trying to put the set together, but I don't think there is much value in terms of "hits" in Classics.  Both Elite and Prestige offer a substantially better return on investment.

Enjoyment: 2.5/5

Opening any box is fun, but recently I've found myself enjoying Panini's less and less because of the inevitable stack of completely worthless base cards you end up with. I did get a Rookie Auto /25 of a player I like a lot, that being Patriots' WR Taylor Price, but it was a "Team Colors", which is an insert and the auto was a sticker drop. I just couldn't help but feel like Classics was just thrown together at the last second. The one thing that could save this product for "old school" football fans is the amount of relics featuring players from 60's, 70's, and 80's.

Box Break: