Thursday 16 May 2013

Pack Attack #1 (11-12 Contenders)

Intro/Rules 

In this series I will be giving away FREE cards in each and every episode. How do you get your hands on these free cards? It's simple. I pick a product for each episode and write about the it. I will then show a card I got in a pack(s) from the specific product and tell the story behind it. I am asking you to read my review and make one of your own through your response. 

I am looking for creative responses with good stories. It is not so much about the card but the awesome story behind it. I don't care if it is a base card, although a patch or something may get you some brownie points. It's the story that really matters. 

Pictures are encouraged 

Whoever gives the best response will win a free card from the product that is featured in the episode.  

Ready. Set. Read and respond! 


Review 

Contenders 

What comes to mind when you think of Contenders? Hmmm...... Booklets! On-card Autos! Rookies!  

Yes, Contenders has some cool sets in it along with some awesome aspects. But does it have depth? To me, no, it does not. It is a very basic product in my eyes. Basic is fine. Its just.... basic. Sure you can get booklets but how many sets are there really? I want a product to have that really rare card that everyone wants. This is more of a product that revolves around set-collectors rather than the collectors that want some sweet, funky, rare cards. Perhaps that is why the price dropped. Ever since it did, mine along with many others' attention has been caught. Maybe it was a good thing that the price dropped. I rarely buy boxes yet I have had 2 Contenders boxes. Doesn't that say something? The bottom line is, this price drop was a really good thing for us buyers. Sure, its a basic product, but it's extremely solid for $60. The design is nice, the autos are sweet, and the chance at a 1/1 patch/auto is pretty cool too. Don't forget the booklets as well. Overall, for the price, this product is pretty good. 

Pack Attack 

My pack attack pull came from the second box of Contenders I bought. I bought this box at the Toronto Spring Expo. Here is the pull.... 



Going into the Expo I figured I would buy a box, but what? Then, I walked into the huge room full of tables and searched for the best deals. I came across a box of Rookie Anthology for $70, and a box of Contenders for $60. I was torn. There was only one thing to do... wait. Yup, that's what I did. I continued my search (this time for cards) and let my mind think for a little bit. In the end, I bought the box of Contenders for $60. Boy was it a good investment. I went into the car to go home but before we left, I had one thing to do... bust the box! I busted it with my mom and when I saw that thick redemption I froze. Then when I saw more names than I can read without flipping out, I... well, I flipped out! 

That is my story! I hope you enjoyed and I look forward to your response!

The winner will be determined on May 23 2013


Don't forget to check out my Youtube

This was written by Riley (NothinButHockeyCards)
Please be sure to comment and share with all your friends. Your views and contributions are much appreciated.
Thank you

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

The coolest thing I've ever gotten in contenders was a laneskog Calder contender auto,

My family went down to buffalo for a hockey tournament and I knew dacardworld was in the area, but didn't know where it was. We got lost and needed to pull into a plaza, and in that plaza was dacardworld. When I went to open the door I found out it was closed, missed it by 20min.

About a month later, a week after christmas i went back to niagra falls and wanted to go to dacardworld. When I got there i got 3 boxes of pinnacle, and my bro got 2 boxes of contenders, my dad even got a box because they were on sale. I pulled a starting six prime of the rangers( you had before) and my bro got a lanskog auto, read auto, couturier auto, and more!


-43kadrirocks-

Anonymous said...

So I visit my local card shop about once a week. He always has the usual current UD series 1 wax packs of that year. He also open a few of more expensive boxes and sells the packs individually. This was about a few months back and I decided to buy a 11-12 playoff contenders pack(8 bucks a pop. This particular pack was a bit thicker, a little heavier than the rest. So I buy it and what do you know...its a filler. So me the idiot leaves the filler on the table at the card shop and proceed to leave. The store owner Dave, of which im good friends with, told me to clean up before I leave (he was with another customer). So I run back to the table and as I pick up the filler, feel something on the back. It felt like a sticker almost. I turn it over and what do I see? A REDEMPTION CARD! My first reaction was pure joy and excitement. My second was feeling like a complete and utter tool for not checking the back of the filler. I ended up getting a Calder Contender Signatures of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins! The lesson here is check the back of everything in packs children, even the fillers! I actually ended up trading the card away but the story is one I tell all the time!

Youtube : thesens8

Anonymous said...

Contenders is an amazing product. I bought one box and I pulled some sweet cards including a Habs/Sens Match Up booklet. The other autos in the box were Habs autos, which sucks because I hate the Habs lol. But probably my best pack pulled card was on my birthday last year, I got 2 packs of BTP and 2 packs of H&P. I pulled an auto of Dominic Poulin, and I got a vintage game used jersey gold 1/1 of Terry Sawchuk. The is my best pull ever.

Congrats on your sick redemption. :)

-Kurtis(alstonk98)

Unknown said...

When I first started collecting (10-11) I was in a checkout in Shopko and getting ready to go when there were boxes of retail hockey cards. And I decided to buy a box and it was 10-11 Artifacts. I got ripping into it, and I was thinking this is crappy not going to buy anymore hockey cards, until I opened a pack with a thicker card, and at that moment I had no idea what a jersey card was. I knew they had autographs though.

Then I looked at the jersey first it was silver and black...little confused on who it could be. Then I saw the picture in the name and it was Wayne Gretzky! for minutes I just looked at the card, and my dad was confused on why I was looking at the card so long without saying anything, then he finally asked what wrong with you!?! haha. I replied. I don't know what to think right now. Dad came over and told me...That's a good card, and I replied "No Sh*t!!!

YT: Datsyukify

http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/HockeyTown13/media/High%20End/PICT0012.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1

Hockey Card Reviewer said...

Although I never got the card, because I asked for a redemption, the bets card I ever pulled from contenders was the Original Six Booklet of Gionta, Phaneuf, Toews, Lidstrom, Chara, and Callahan! It was numbered out of /25 and I must say, i scared my grandpa when I yelled. It was a little loud, but it was definitely ok, because my family loves seeing me that happy over a box. Now, my replacement that I got for it is the best card I own, or ever owned. 10/11 Dominion Quad Auto of Ovechkin, Malkin, Datsyuk, and Kolvalchuck /25!!! It is a sick card, and it is now my best card, all from a single box of contenders :)

YT: Alex Parr (HockeyCardOpener)

Unknown said...

My Favorite card from Contenders was a Drew Doughty Sick Patch out of 100. It was my first patch and it was probably one of the best looking patches ive seen in my life!

Anonymous said...

O, I was at an expo, and I bought a box (or well all the packs in a box, except for one) I got LEGIT nothing, no Calder Contenders, no Cup Contenders I literally freaked. So I talked to the owner of the booth and he said he would contact Panini and see what he could do so I gave him my info. So the next week I get a box in the mail. Inside it was a Contenders box! In that I got a Cal Clutterbuck NHL Ink a Mika Zibanejad Calder Contenders Auto, a Ryan Johansen Calder Contenders Auto and a Calder Contenders PATCH auto of Stephane Da Casta! Would had like to switch the Ottawa players around but I'm still happy because Da Costa is my favourite auto! So in the end it all worked out.


-WeberCollector6 (SCF)
-VanCityCollectibles

ryannturnaa said...

Well I dont have a very exciting story about Contenders. I guess I can tell you what my whole experience was with the product... I refrained from buying a box of this for whatever reason. Well the reason was I bought a couple packs one day and pulled a Landeskog auto RC. And was like, "WTF! Holy shit, I'm happy, no need to buy more." Then I think a couple months passed and i said, "Ah why not see what it a box of this can offer." And did it pay off. I got a patch auto /25 of Brendan Shanahan. Cards like that go into the "trophy case" or magnetic cases and are really special. I was stoked.

-ryannturnaa

Ryan Davis said...

Up until last week I have never invested in any type of Contenders product. I decided to go down to my local card shop and pick up 3 single packs.

They had a deal on packs so I couldn't resist just trying it out to see how I like the product.

I opened the first pack and it was nothing but base. I figured that was going to happen since I bought singles so I shrugged it off and went to the next pack.

Nothing on the 2nd pack just more base. I was starting to get a little discouraged because I was hoping to at least get something. Even a $1 insert would be nice.

I decided to keep my 3rd pack and open it at home rather than instore because if I pulled all base I would probably have had some choice words for the store even though its not there fault.

I got home before I could even get my shoes off I opened the pack and I managed to pull a very respectable NHL Ink Card.

Not a tripe but I knew that was a given... But it was a double of Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman.

All in all I was very impressed by what I got out of those 3 packs. I am currently still deciding if I will purchase a box or wait until next years.

Youtube: Starnsfan00

Ozzie said...

Contenders is maybe my favorite product ever. It was last year around this time and i was starting to stop collecting base... I went to my LCS and i decided to buy a pack of Contenders. I opened it now knowing what i was going to get and i saw a Calder Contender Auto of Patrick Weiroch, at the time i was very very excited because i never pulled an auto. But from that moment on every time i went to my LCS i got a Pack of contenders.

After maybe buying 20 packs i started to save up for my 1st ever box. Every day i went on youtube and watch box breaks of this product to learn more about it. When i finally got enough money for the Box, I went down to my LCS and bought the box. After buying it I remember my Mom asking me what i was hoping to get I said a Gabriel Landeskog Auto.

I was opening it i was getting some decent inserts and some low end auto's. There was only 1 pack left and i though it was a pretty awesome box already. I saw a Gabriel Landeskog auto. I put the card down stunned for a minute or 2. I was thinking it was worth like 200$, but then later discovering it is selling for 30$, but you can't put a price on that card.

11-12 Contenders Marks 2 big things in the Hobby for me.

- My 1st ever box
- My 1st ever Youtube Video: http://tinyurl.com/b3maz2t

Thanks for the contest :)

Youtube: Sports149

SJSharkzz3 said...

I went to my LCS in the summer the day before my brother went to Hawaii, and got 3 Boxes, and a bunch of loose packs, basically to congratulate myself on a good year. The boxes were Contenders, Certified and Titanium! I also picked up 2 Packs of SP Authentic a pulled a Price Auto/Patch SP /25 BV $250!
So after that I was ecstatic! In Contenders I got a nice 4 Auto Box which is always nice, in Certified I hit a Thomas Auto /5 and in Titanium I hit one of the quad mem cards, of Tuukka Rask! But my main excitement from Contenders came when I found someone who had a card that was a white whale for me, the Sharks Starting Lineup Booklet, definitely a must have card for me that I didn't think I would get! To this day that booklet is one of my favorite Cards in my collection! I also picked up one of those Iginla Patch/Autos and they are amazing looking cards! Thanks for the great read Riley!

----SJSharkzz3----

Anonymous said...

That must be the coolest card you haave ever pulled !!!!! IKt would definitly be for me. I got a box of contenders and I got no autos and i was really mad so i contacted them and they said they would send me cards soo i got really excited. when the mail came in i ran right to my room and opened it. I got a Greg Nemisz auto, a lennart petrell auto and antiii neiemi auto they didnt send me any inserts. the box that i had boguht didnt have anything. my cardstore is very trustworthy and it wasnt them. I really need this cards / cards because it would reallly motivate me to get back into collecting. I already am collecting but I dont know if I will continue unless i get some good cards coming in. lol I love your videos nothinbuthockeycards and You and blacksheep are the to youtubers I watch the most. I NEED THIS CARD!!!! LOL I wanted to ask you a question? You should make a video for NHL PLayoffs Predictions. My youtube channel is Riley Thomson. Thanks very much.

Josh said...

The best contenders card I ever got was a Matt Duchene gold patch and auto numbered 1/1 I was planning to get a case of contenders down in Buffalo at DandA so I get the case and start opening so the very first pack I open has that card in it so I am sort of keeping a straight face but my mind was telling me to scream. I hope you enjoyed my story

By Josh

D said...

In my opinion, my best card in my collection has got to be my SP Authentic John Tavares Rookie Auto. It may not be my most expensive but it definitely started a new PC. I always liked John Tavares since watching his performance in the World Juniors but his cards were out of my range because of his draft status. One day I just didn't have the motivation to collect anymore, thought I still went to my LCS to buy a few packs of the newly released SPA. First 2 packs...nothing, next an insert, and then in the final pack I open, lo and behold a Johnny T auto! I was excited and speechless. It gave me the inspiration to keep collecting and love hockey even more.

Unknown said...

My biggest pull ever came from Contenders. Was at a small show about a month after Contenders released and decided to buy a box since I'd seen some big hits pulled from it. I saw a redemptions and was hoping it was a Nugent-Hopkins since I knew he had some redemptionbs in the product. Turns out I did much better. Pulled a Sidney Crosby NHL Ink Gold /25! My hands were shaking. I've also pulled a booklet with Scheifele from Contenders. I'm actually suprised the price for a box has dropped so much since the release

Hockeyfreak313 on CNC and Kaplan397 on YouTube