The Set:
2010-11 Panini Classics
18 packs per box, 8 cards per pack
Base set contains 100 base cards, 40 Legends, 40 Autographed rookies

Our Break:

Complete set of 100 base cards plus 30 duplicates
Legends /999 (2): Michael Finley, Chris Webber
Silver /250 (1): Jeff Green

Classic Moments (1): Rajon Rondo
Classic Combos (1): Karl Malone/John Stockton
Dress Code (2): David Lee, Andrea Bargnani
Dress Code Silver /250 (1): Toney Douglas

Classic Greats (1): Artis Gilmore
Blast From The Past (2): Kevin Durant, Chris Bosh

Membership Materials /499 (2): Tayshaun Prince, Pau Gasol

Autographed Rookies /699 (2): Luke Harangody, Terrico White

Impressions:

The base set design is one of my favorite designs from the past several years.  It does have a throwback feel with script text of the player, position, and Classics logo.  The primary team colors filling the majority of the background on the base cards make for a relatively bright and colorful set.  The base set had at least 3 players from each team, with a good mix of stars, established veterans, and up-and-coming players.  We also received a complete set of base cards, which is pretty rare and definitely a plus for those set collectors and the player collectors who want to be sure to pull a favorite player.

The two ‘Legend’ cards we pulled had a red and black color scheme with a black and white photo to give the card a look of nostalgia.  While the obvious legends were included like Bird, Magic, Dr. J, Moses, etc.., some of the choices confused me a bit, such as Michael Finley, Glenn Robinson, and Jamal Mashburn, among others.  Are these guys really ‘Legends’?

While I found the base set appealing, the inserts were another story.  I found most of the inserts relatively bland, lacking the vibrant coloring of the base set.  Instead most of the inserts have a similar look, feel, and color scheme.  The Blast From The Past inserts confused me as well.  Chris Bosh’s card, for instance, features him in a Raptors uniform.  Glad to see we have blasted back a whole year to revisit his exile in Toronto.  I’d imagine most folks would be more excited to pull a card featuring Bosh in his new Heat uniform.

The insert ratio is appreciated, which including memorabilia and autographs was close to one per pack (15/18).

The Membership Materials cards are made to look like membership cards, and contain a mix of retired and current players.  Seeing at least one of the memorabilia or autographed cards from the box feature a retired player would have been nice.

We pulled two rookie autographs in the box- no complaints there.  The rookie autographs in the set are just excellent as they follow the base design and are signed on-card.  Surely the top rookie autographs are popular and selling well.

Recap:

Base Set: 5/5 Stars
Inserts: 2/5 Stars
Memorabilia and Autographs: 4/5 Stars
Value: 4/5 Stars
Overall: 3.75/5 Stars

My biggest suggestion for a future Classics product would be to include more retired players per box (only 4 cards in my box), which is what most would probably expect from a product labeled ‘Classics’.  Maybe this was just an odd box.