Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ Boxbreakers September High End #1 Group Break, Break is complete.

[crpalmi]

Welcome back to the High End Group Break as we continue our 6th year together! I have the proposed product list below. Let me know as soon as possible if you are dropping or changing teams so I can keep the list accurate. Note also that if you are interested in joining but your team shows as claimed just let me know as we may have an opening in our "High End 2" group for you! I set the product list for a budget of filling 20 teams so we will hopefully not have to cut anything and can hopefully add to the list!

Just a note about the draft slots, I budgeted for one less slot than we need so after the list is randomized and we run through the draft, the person with the last slot in the draft will be awarded the last remaining TWO teams. This will hopefully eliminate the downside of getting stuck with the worst team in the draft. These picks are offered on a first come first serve basis to members of the group. You can buy one draft slot per owned team but if you would like more just let me know and I'll add you to the list if slots are available at the end. If we fail to sell all the slots needed to participants of the group I will have to offer them to folks outside of the break, but this is as a last resort only.

Cost: $115 ($112 for each additional) Draft Slots: $45
Payment Due Date: September 20th
Break Date: Sunday at 7pm(ct)

Please remember Paypal will no longer be accepted. Please send Money Order or cashiers check to;
Chris Palmieri
1549 Sussex Place
Shakopee, MN 55379


Product list: (Based on 25 teams filled + 6 Drafted)
2011 Five Star Case (3 Boxes)
2007 Exquisite Case
2006 Exquisite Case

Participant List:

49ers - KPit1978 --------------------- PAID
Bears - Dvashun --------------------- PAID
Bengals - KPit1978 ------------------- PAID
Bills - Quik59sat
Broncos - 11Eleven11 ---------------- PAID
Browns - Crpalmi -------------------- PAID
Buccaneers - Dvashun
Cardinals - GRG5050
Chargers - Cardman123
Chiefs - JoelWil
Colts - Crpalmi ------------------------- PAID
Cowboys - 11Eleven11 ---------------- PAID
Dolphins - 11Eleven11 ---------------- PAID
Eagles - Cardman123
Falcons - Crpalmi --------------------- PAID
Giants - NYStateofMind1976 ---------- PAID
Jaguars - BobKoning ------------------ PAID
Jets - BobKoning ---------------------- PAID
Lions - KPit1978 ----------------------- PAID
Packers - Quik59sat ------------------- PAID
Panthers - KPit1978 ------------------- PAID
Patriots - BobKoning ----------------- PAID
Raiders - ACP420 -------------------- PAID
Rams - Cardman123 ----------------- PAID
Ravens - Neutron Farmer ------------ PAID
Redskins - BobKoning ---------------- PAID
Saints - Crpalmi ---------------------- PAID
Seahawks - Quik59sat
Steelers - Straightbutta14 ----------- PAID
Texans - Quik59sat
Titans - Deantap --------------------- PAID
Vikings - KPit1978 -------------------- PAID

Draft Slots for Unclaimed Teams ;
Cardman123 --- PD
Quik59sat ------ PD
Quik59sat ------ PD
Dvashun ------- PD
GRG5050 ------ PD
Cardman123 --- PD

[crpalmi]

Struggling on the product list again this month but wanted to add some 2012 to the mix hence the Momentum. Open to suggestions but I did look at pretty much all years of Exquisite and NT and the price points continue to be a budget breaker.

[Cardman123]

In with the Rams and a draft spot.

[NYStateOfMind1976]

Back with my team and I am cool with the box allocation

[11eleven11]

payment sent (last week)

[straightbutta14]

Hopefully a lot of Steeler vets in Momentum.. I'm in..

[Cool_Hand_Flash]

Still looking for the Colts Chris.. in vain

Hobby 2 and high end 2 as well..

[11eleven11]

Do we really want Momentum ...

http://paniniamerica.wordpress.com/2012/09...ntum-football/#

Prefer not

[crpalmi]

Do we really want Momentum ...

http://paniniamerica.wordpress.com/2012/09...ntum-football/#

Prefer not 

Not sure... as I mentioned I was struggling on this one. I think we need to start mixing in 2012 stuff and the true high end products like Exq or NT from 2010 is way overpriced or dried up. I tried for 06NT as well and I still can't find any. I'm open to listening for alternatives if there are any ideas out there.

[kpit1978]

Do we really want Momentum ...

http://paniniamerica.wordpress.com/2012/09...ntum-football/#

Prefer not 

I gotta say I was skeptical about this product from the start and even more so now. We all know they like to show off the best cards from the product in the sell sheet and even the ones displayed in the sell sheet weren't impressive imo. The next one in line is Prominence (Sept. 19th release date) which kind of looks like a whole lot of Panini's older products all rolled into one, Epix, Rookies and Stars, etc.
Not a whole lot of choices though. For 2010 about all I see that fits in the budget is Plates & Patches, Triple Threads and Tribute. I wouldn't mind seeing some mix of the '10 Tribute with the Momentum knowing that Chris wants to add some '12 to the mix.

[Cardman123]

Do we really want Momentum ...

http://paniniamerica.wordpress.com/2012/09...ntum-football/#

Prefer not 

I'm all for eliminating ANYTHING from Panini that doesn't have "National Treasures" in the name.

I've said it before and I'll say it until I'm blue in the face....Panini $ucks.

[quik59sat]

I don't think there's anything in 2012 that I'd consider high-end at the moment and Momentum looks horrible.

Here are my suggestions for product:
Absolute
Limited
Plates and Patches
Gold Standard
2008 NT (if we had a few more teams filled)
SP Authentic sans base

[crpalmi]

Packers are available in High End #2 break if interested!

[MWS]

Oh nevermind thought they were avalible in this Break.

[BOBKONING]

Do we really want Momentum ...

http://paniniamerica.wordpress.com/2012/09...ntum-football/#

Prefer not 

Have to agree with 11 on this one. This should be a high end break and Momentum doesn't cut it. I can't afford to float 4 teams if we start breaking mid end stuff. I hate to say it but I think running 2 breaks has hurt this break as we now have less team owners here.

I think we have 3 options:

1. Increase the cost so we can break high-end boxes (I know this isn't popular, but if the product cost has increased we will need to pay more)
2. Break less often. (I don't like this either)
3. GET MORE TEAM OWNERS!!!

As an FYI, I may need to drop a team or 2 especially if the product doesn't improve. Sorry Chris, I know it's not your fault, but it just doesn't make financial sense to pay for teams that don't have a chance to get a quality hit.

[crpalmi]

Have to agree with 11 on this one.  This should be a high end break and Momentum doesn't cut it. I can't afford to float 4 teams if we start breaking mid end stuff.  I hate to say it but I think running 2 breaks has hurt this break as we now have less team owners here.

I think we have 3 options:

1. Increase the cost so we can break high-end boxes (I know this isn't popular, but if the product cost has increased we will need to pay more)
2. Break less often. (I don't like this either)
3. GET MORE TEAM OWNERS!!!

As an FYI, I may need to drop a team or 2 especially if the product doesn't improve. Sorry Chris, I know it's not your fault, but it just doesn't make financial sense to pay for teams that don't have a chance to get a quality hit.

I certainly understand and agree. I'm fine waiting on the 2012 stuff until there's a product we like so maybe just a filler with any extra but I still don't know what to put together for a product list.

Triple Threads and Tribute I find way overpriced. Plates & Patches and Limited aren't really high end as we see it. Exquisite and NT are getting harder to find and when you do it's at $600 a box... just not sure where to go on this one? As for losing owners to group #2, we actually didn't lose anyone I don't think. Some of you picked up extra teams in that one so I can understand the strain on the budget but as far as people leaving one break for the other, I can't think of anyone who has done that. We just have a few new folks that were able to get teams they couldn't get in this one which is why I started the 2nd groups. I kept getting emails over and over again that if certain teams came open they'd love to join. Unfortunately we just haven't had enough new folks join yet.

Not sure what to do on this one so I'd like to hear more opinions such as Bob expressed above. I can always add old Exquisite from 06 and 07 as that stuff's cheap but I doubt many would support that due to redemptions, etc.. I could see what 10 Five Star is going for but even that is drying up. Thoughts???

[Cardman123]

Its quite the dilemna. I hate to beat a dead horse to death, but ever since Panini has taken over all the licensing for everything, the product availability has really gone down hill. And I don't think searching out Exquisite is the answer. I personally think the college photos and jerseys are horrible. I like collecting MLB and NFL stuff. I don't have any interest in collecting college stuff.

I'm not extremely optimistic about where this is heading. I know that I can't support higher price points and would likely drop out of the groups if the cost was to go up. I'm still here for now, but I don't know how much longer I'll be around unless the products improve. My hobby money could go toward baseball which seems to have no shortage of nice products coming out.

[kpit1978]

I'd be all for some '10 Five Star or '09 Exq. even knowing I'd lose out on a Percy Harvin redemption if it was pulled. As Bob pointed out, and the exact reason why I dropped the Packers in High 2 and am contemplating dropping team(s) in this break, it just doesn't make sense to pay for teams that you need to get multiple hits just to break even. You're better off just picking up singles on Ebay and making sure you get something you like for your money.

[crpalmi]

I don't know...maybe it's time this break has run it's course?

Keep the opinions coming and we'll see where to take this but so far I tend to agree with all the statements and that this has gotten away from what the group was supposed to be breaking and that's mainly due to watered down products and the ones that aren't have really risen in cost toi where if we're not at 27-29 teams filled we're not really filling the product list.

I remember when we could buy 6 box cases of 2007NT for $1300 and we were breaking 12-15 boxes almost every month. Now if we want to stay high end we are lucky to get more than 7-8 boxes in. I don't know guys, it's been almost 6 years since this started as "The Exquisite" group and then we expanded to include other products and focused on NT/Exq and now out of necessity we have expanded to include Five Star which I'm still ok with. But with Exq excluded from NFL products the list of true high end candidates gets squeezed even more.

Keep the opinions coming and we shall see. Maybe we let this one fade away and bring back the multi-sport break?

[kpit1978]

I don't know...maybe it's time this break has run it's course?

Keep the opinions coming and we'll see where to take this but so far I tend to agree with all the statements and that this has gotten away from what the group was supposed to be breaking and that's mainly due to watered down products and the ones that aren't have really risen in cost toi where if we're not at 27-29 teams filled we're not really filling the product list.

I remember when we could buy 6 box cases of 2007NT for $1300 and we were breaking 12-15 boxes almost every month. Now if we want to stay high end we are lucky to get more than 7-8 boxes in. I don't know guys, it's been almost 6 years since this started as "The Exquisite" group and then we expanded to include other products and focused on NT/Exq and now out of necessity we have expanded to include Five Star which I'm still ok with. But with Exq excluded from NFL products the list of true high end candidates gets squeezed even more.

Keep the opinions coming and we shall see. Maybe we let this one fade away and bring back the multi-sport break?

Any chance we can get our old teams back if we do go multi-sport? I'd be happy to get back into that one if we can't figure out a way to make this one work.