QUARTER BOX CHRONICLES - PART 1

I FOUND THE BIG PILE OF 2021 PANINI CHRONICLES CARDS I FOUND IN THE QUARTER BOX AT MY SECONDARY CARD SHOP LAST SUMMER AND SCANNED THEM SO I CAN SHOW THEM OFF. I WASN'T A BIG FAN OF CHRONICLES WHEN THEY FIRST CAME OUT BECAUSE THE BASE CARDS WERE GARBAGEY LOOKING BUT I HAVE SINCE BECOME A FAN AFTER PICKING UP A BUNCH OF EM CHEAP. I GOT ABOUT TEN BUCKS WORTH FOR A TOTAL OF 31 CARDS OVER 18 DESIGNS. THAT'S TOO MANY FOR ONE POST SO I BROKE IT UP INTO THREE POSTS OF SIX DESIGNS EACH. FOR EACH DESIGN I WILL ANSWER THESE THREE QUESTIONS: 

• 1) HAVE I EVER HEARD OF THIS PRODUCT?
• 2) WHAT ORIGINAL SET IS THIS RIPPING OFF?
• 3) IS THIS DESIGN WORTH A DAMN OR NOT?

ALL RIGHTY, LET'S GO

CHRONICLES BASE DESIGN

1) YES, I HAVE HEARD OF CHRONICLES

2) IT'S NOT RIPPING ANYTHING OFF I CAN THINK OF, BUT THERE IS A BIT OF A 1994 UPPER DECK VIBE GOING ON HERE

3) IT AIN'T THE BEST LOOKING CARD, BUT IT'S NOT TERRIBLE EITHER. NOT LIKE THE 2017 BASE DESIGN WITH A TINY PHOTO AND A BUNCHA TEXT. THAT ONE PUT ME OFF THE WHOLE PRODUCT FOR YEARS

THE BACK IS AS BLAND AS THE FRONT IN THAT BLANDNESS THAT ONLY PANINI CAN PROVIDE. IS LUIS ROBERT STILL GOOD? I KNOW AT LEAST FOUR OR FIVE NEW CAN'T MISS PROSPECTS HAVE SURPASSED HIM BUT WASN'T SURE IF HE WAS BAD NOW OR JUST HOBBY BAD. ALSO: FOR SOME REASON ALL THE BASE CARDS SHOW THE SET AS CHRONICLES LEGACY BASEBALL WHICH IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THING, AS WE SHALL SEE:

LEGACY DESIGN

1) DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS, IT LOOKS LIKE A HIGH-ROLLER GAMBLING PRODUCT THO. EXTRA THICK AND GLOSSY

2) NO IDEA IF THIS IS COPYING A PREVIOUS LEGACY SET OR WHAT

3) THE DESIGN IS OK. THE LEGACY LOGO HAS AN ART DECO KINDA FEEL AND THE BORDERS ARE SUFFICIENTLY FANCY BUT IT MIGHT LOOK BETTER IF THE BORDERS WEREN'T WHITE. MAKE 'EM MARBLED OR RICH MAHOGANY AND IT WOULD LOOK LIKE A RICHY RICH LEGACY CARD

YOU CAN SEE HERE WHERE THE SET NAME MATCHES THE ONE ON THE BACK OF THE BASE CARD. IF THIS WEREN'T THE CARD I SCANNED AFTER THE BASE CARD I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN NOTICED. I AM NOT GOING TO HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THE BACKS AS THEY ARE ALL JUST A SLIGHT VARIATION ON THE FRONTS. I FIND THIS EXTREMELY LAZY WHEN PANINI DOES IT AND COMPLETELY CHARMING WHEN TOPPS FLAGSHIP DOES IT. YES, I AM A HYPOCRITEBUT AT LEAST TOPPS HAS STATS. I THINK THIS MIGHT BE MY FIRST PETE ALONSO CARD? NOT A METS FAN OBVIOUSLY, BUT IT'S NICE TO HAVE AT LEAST A COUPLE CARDS OF BIG FAT SUPERSTARS

PINNACLE DESIGN

1) HELL YEAH PINNACLE!

2) THIS LOOKS A LITTLE BIT LIKE THE 2013 PINNACLE SET THAT FLOPPED LIKE THE DC CINEMATIC UNIVERSE BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK A WHOLE LOT LIKE ANYTHING I RECOGNIZE

3) THIS WHOLE DESIGN CONFUSES ME AND THE MORE I LOOK AT IT THE MORE IT MAKES ME ANGRY. WHY DID PINNACLE BECOME THE SET OF DIAGONALS. WHAT IS UP WITH THE SLASHIES ON THE TOP RIGHT. WHY DOES THE BOTTOM LEFT LOOK LIKE A FANCY CLOTH ZIP-UP BINDER. WHY CAN'T PANINI FIGURE OUT THAT CLASSIC PINNACLE IS BLACK BORDERS OR A SHITLOAD OF GOLD FOIL, NOT SLASHY BINDERS. I WANT TO LIKE PINNACLE BUT I CAN'T WITH THIS

BACK LOOKS BETTER THAN THE FRONT AT LEAST. I LOOKED THIS GUY UP AND HE'S APPARENTLY OUT OF THE LEAGUE AT 24? SO MUCH FOR THAT RC LOGO

TIMELESS TREASURES DESIGN

1) WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? IT AIN'T HIGH-END OR AT LEAST I HOPE NOT

2) THIS LOOKS VERY ODD AND REMINDS ME OF MIX OF A WEIRD ONE-OFF LEAF SET FROM THE 00S COMBINED WITH UPPER DECK ARTIFACTS

3) I DON'T LIKE THIS ONE. TOO MUCH NONSENSE SURROUNDING A SMALL PHOTO REMINDS ME OF TERRIBLE SETS FROM DAYS GONE BY

STILL NOT USED TO GEORGE SPRINGER ON THE BLUE JAYS. I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF SPACE IN MY RAPIDLY DEGENERATING MIND FOR THE AMERICAN LEAGUE AND TORONTO IS EXCLUSIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH VLAD JR. AND DAVE STEIB AT THIS POINT. I HAVE NOTHING MORE TO SAY ABOUT THE DESIGN AS ONCE AGAIN THE BACK IS BASICALLY THE FRONT

ZENITH DESIGN

1) FUCK YEAH ZENITH! I LOVE ZENITH, EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE TIME THEY COMPLETELY REVAMPED IT AND MADE IT A GIMMICKY RIP CARD. OK SO MAYBE I LIKE THAT ONE A WHOLE LOT. BUT I DON'T LOVE IT

2) THIS IS REHASHING A ZENITH FOOTBALL DESIGN FROM THE 90S. I HAD TO LOOK IT UP BUT IT'S 1997

3) THIS LOOKS FANTASTIC ON BASEBALL CARDS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE CIRCLE DESIGN BEING HOLOFOIL INSTEAD OF THE TRADITIONAL GOLD. I REALLY REALLY LIKE THIS ONE

THE BACKS AREN'T GREAT BUT THE ORIGINALS HAD A WEIRD CHART THING FOR THE STATS THAT ONLY WORKED WITH QUARTERBACKS AND RECEIVERS. SO POINTS TO THE BASEBALL VERSION FOR DUMPING THAT BUT THE FOOTBALL SET AT LEAST HAD A DIFFERENT PHOTO ON THE BACK. NORMALLY I'D SAY IT WAS A DRAW BUT THE FACT THAT PANINI HAD THE BALLS TO USE YELICH GETTING BOOED AT WRIGHLY AS HIS HIGHLIGHT IS WORTH SOME EXTRA CREDIT 

ELITE DESIGN

1) I KNOW I'M AN OLD FART STILL LIVING IN THE PAST CENTURY DOES NOT SCREAM 'ELITE' TO ME. ELITE SETS I KNOW WERE FOILBOARD AND THE ONLY ONES AS OVERDESIGNED AS THIS ONE WITH HOLOFOIL WERE ALSO INSERTS, NUMBERED TO TEN THOUSAND AND YOU HAD TO RIP FORTY CASES OF 1992 DONRUSS TO EVEN HAVE A CHANCE AT ONE. I HEAR 'PANINI' REALLY FUCKING LOUDLY THOUGH 

2) I DID DOME DIGGING ONLINE AND THIS IS PRETTY MUCH A CARBON COPY OF OF THE 2020-21 BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL ELITE DESIGNS

3) I'M OK WITH THIS, BACK IN THE 90S COMPANIES WITH MULTIPLE SPORTS LICENSES ALL RECYCLED THEIR DESIGNS BETWEEN THE SPORTS TO SOME EXTENT. I GOT NO PROBLEM WITH CHRONICLES HOUSING BASEBALL'S VERSION OF 2021 ELITE

THE BACK SUCKS BUT THEY SUCK IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY AS THE FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL BACKS EXCEPT IN THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE A TEAM LOGO. SOME PRODUCTS JUST HAVE SHITTY BACKS, OR IN THIS CASE, AN ENTIRE PRODUCT LINE WHEN IT COMES TO PANINI. I DON'T LIKE THESE CARDS BECAUSE OF THE BACK, BUT BECAUSE THE FRONTS ARE VERY SHINY AND DAZZLE MY MAGPIE BRAIN. I ALSO NEED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO GIVE A HEARTY FUCK YOU TO TONY LARUSSA FOR TRAINWRECKING YERMIN MERCEDES' WHOLE-ASS CAREER. MISERABLE OLD DRUNK RUINING BASEBALL

A MIXED BAG IN THIS POST, THE ONLY SET I'D ACIVELY ATTEMPT TO COLLECT IS ZENITH. THE BEST IS YET TO COME HOWEVER, ALONG WITH SOME WORSE* AND A LITTLE BIT OF BEWILDERING. IT'S ALL INTERESTING THOUGH, AT LEAST TO ME. INTERESTING ENOUGH TO CRAP OUT THREE POSTS ABOUT IT!

*NOT WORST, THAT'S TIMELESS TREASURES. I FEEL THE NEED TO CLARIFY THIS AS THE MEANING OF WORSE HAS SHIFTED IN RECENT YEARS TO ACTUALLY MEAN WORST. BUT LANGUAGE IS ALWAYS EVOLVING AND WHO AM I TO IMPEDE ITS PROGRESS. MAYBE ONE OF THESE SETS COMING UP IS ACTUALLY THE WORSE