2011 Donruss Elite Football Review

2011 Donruss Elite Football

2011 Donruss Elite Football

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Configuration: 20 packs per box. 5 cards per pack.

BOX BREAK

- 4 Autograph or Memorabilia Cards (at least one autograph)
- 4 Rookies
- 1 Aspirations/Status parallel
- 1 Craftsmen
- 1 Legends of the Fall
- 1 Power Formulas
- 1 Hit List
- 1 NFL Shield
- 1 NFL Team Logo
- 1 Additional Parallel, Insert or Rookie

2011 ROOKIES
Blaine Gabbert
Cam Newton
Jake Locker
Christian Ponder
Andy Dalton
Mark Ingram
Ryan Williams
Mikel LeShoure
DeMarco Murray
A.J. Green
Julio Jones
Randall Cobb
Leonard Hankerson


CASE BREAK

Look for one or more of the following autographs:
Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson, Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, Mikel LeShoure, Ryan Williams, DeMarco Murray, A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Ryan Mallett, Leonard Hankerson, Passing the Torch, Throwback Threads, or on-card NFL Shield, NFL Team Logo.

Every case will deliver either a booklet card or dual Passing The Torch autograph.


HIGHLIGHTS

- 100 Commons
- 100 Rookies numbered to 999 ( 4 per box)
- NFL Shield & Team Logo on-card signatures of the top 2011 Rookies including Blaine Gabbert and A.J. Green
- Top NFL rookies from the class of 2011 with autographed versions sequentially numbered to 499 or less, including Aspirations and Status Die-Cuts Sequentially numbered to 49 or less
- Throwback Threads featuring; Otto Graham, Sammy Baugh, Joe Montana, Emmitt Smith, Dan Marino
- Passing the Torch featuring: Peyton Manning/Sam Bradford, LaDainian Tomlinson/Ryan Mathews, John Elway/Tim Tebow, Michael Irvin/Dez Bryant

Here's what I pulled in our box of 2011 Donruss Elite Football

Base Cards;



The veteran base set consists of 100 cards. In our box we pulled 86 of the veteran base set with no duplicates. The base set features a nice assortment of today's tops stars and several first year cards from last years rookies class. The cards have nice foil finishes that accentuate the cards nicely. The player's name and team is listed on the bottom of the card. The 2011 Donruss Elite logo is centered in the middle of the card directly above the player's name and team. In reviewing the common base set it appears that Panini used throwback uniforms when possible when putting the set together, and that should appeal to player and team collectors.

Inserts and Parallels;






In our box we pulled 8 insert cards. All of our inserts were numbered out of 999. The lone exception being the rookie status card of Dion Lewis which is numbered out 28. The inserts also feature and shiny foil finish. Panini pays tribute to some of the older style insert sets with the release of 2011 Elite. One of the things that caught my eye on the Ruud insert is that it looked like it was from a mid 90's subset and brought back memories of when pulling an insert was one of the main reasons to open a hobby box or individual packs. Some other things that stand out to me in this year's release is the horizontal rookie status. While it was our best insert pull, it was a little odd that Panini changed the style of one of it's most popular designs.

Rookies;



The true rookies in this year's release are numbered out of 999, and our box featured the 4 that were advertised. The rookie base set features 100 cards and will be a challenge for set builders to complete. The high light of our rookie pulls has to be Cam Newton who is sure to be the most sought after rookie in this set. The rookies feature a new horizontal design in this year's release. The rookie moniker and numbering is on the left hand side of the card and the 2011 Donruss Elite logo is centered on the right hand side before the players name. The set also boasts the same classics foil finish design we come to expect from Elite.

Game Used;



The relic cards we pulled in this year’s release are both numbered out of 299. The Delone Carter comes from the brand new New Breed subset featuring the top rookies of this year. It will be interesting to see how these appeal to rookie collectors and if there will be a demand from collectors to build this set. The New Breed Subset features 36 cards and may be easier to complete than base rookie set. Our other game used is the Reggie Wayne Legends of the Fall subset which is composed of 24 cards.

Autographs;

Our autograph pull was an Elite Rookie NFL Shield Autograph of Jake Locker. The insert version of these cards are numbered out 999 and are not signed. The autograph versions are hand signed on the card and are not numbered. At this time Panini has not released a print run. As you can see in the scan, the card has as nice background for an autograph, and the signature fits nicely on the white. This design allows the signature to stand out, and the autograph fits perfectly with no bubbling or smudging.

Final Thoughts on 2011 Donruss Elite Football;

The much anticipated 2011 Donruss Elite Football release does not disappoint. Given the many obstacles the NFL lock out has created, you can’t hold not having pro uniform pictures against Panini. I think with the circumstances surrounding the NFL, Panini delivers a great release for the football collector. In my opinion Elite is the best 2011 product we’ve seen hit the market.

As a long time fan of Donruss Elite, I’m not that crazy about the horizontal rookie cards. I’ve always being a huge fan of Elite rookies and the Turn of the Century subset, and the horizontal rookie cards will take some getting used to for me. It will be interesting to see what other loyal Elite hobbyist have to say about the change.

The only other disappointment with this review was the fact we only received 3 of the 4 advertised hits. While it would have been nice to get another autograph or game used, I don’t think we can complain about the quality of our pulls. The Jake Locker autograph is definitely an above average hit. Our game used pulls were average. Hitting the Newton base rookie and pulling the status variation to 28 certainly makes up for the lack of a 4th hit.

2011 Donruss Elite Football retails around $90 - $100 price point and offers a fun break for the money. In looking at the sell sheet for this release you will notice an outstanding line-up of dual autographs and booklets, which is new to this release. All in all if you’re missing Football like most us avid fans and collectors are, it’s a nice return to the sport and hobby that most of us love and miss.

NPN information for this release:

Only open to U.S. Canadian (except Quebec) residents. For a chance to obtain any of the cards above, hand print your name and complete address on a 3 x 5 card and mail it in a # 10 envelope to:

NPN 2011 Donruss Elite Football
5325 FAA Blvd Suite 100
Irving TX 75061-3601

Canadian entrants must also answer the following skill testing question on the 3 x 5 card.
(613 + 40 +28 x 959 - 300 = ?)

I rate this product "A" for Panini.

I would like to thank Panini and Trader Retreat for giving me the chance to review this new product. The cards from this break will used for future contests.

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