[rjcj2017]

Banger Bros,

Found a fresh drop of 2023 Rookies & Stars at my local Target, was thrilled with the results …

- CJ base RC
- CJ red parallel RC
- CJ Rookie Rush insert
- CJ silver Crusade
- Jahmyr Gibbs red parallel RC
- Base RCs of Gibbs, LaPorta and Branch for Lions PC
- Bryce Young Airborne prizm
- Bryce Young Draft Day insert
- Bryce Young green parallel RC - badly dinged corner, thanks Panini
- Bryce Young base RC x 3
- Will Levis chrome cards x 2
- Anthony Richardson chrome cards x 2
- Puka Nacua red parallel RC

“Hits” - one per blaster

- Kenny Pickett jersey card
- Jakorian Bennett blue parallel rookie auto/99 - Raiders PC
- 250 rewards points

Anyway, definitely done with this product - my favorite every year.

[ZSDOne]

At least you got a real autograph card

[Speak917]

nice hits. seems like a good value. the cards do have a nice design.

[rjcj2017]

My only issue with Rookies & Stars the last couple of years is color borders on the backs ... almost all cards have white chips on the corners.

But if the entire print run is like that I'm not too worried.

I used the 250 rewards points on a DJ Moore auto that Panini just posted this morning.

I've always liked him and he should do well playing with Caleb Williams if that's the direction the Bears go in.

Though he just had the best seaosn of his career playing with Justin Fields, so there's that.

[ZSDOne]

Too bad you didn't get 400 points - assuming that the David Montgomery Contenders didn't go out of stock before you arrived (since I didn't have any points, I don't care that the David Montgomery Contenders went out of stock before I saw it since I wasn't able to get it anyway)

[rjcj2017]

I saw that, got the 250 points in the second blaster and assumed I'd get another points card in the third (was already looking at the "going live soon" autos the day before), but then I pulled the Bennett auto.

It's OK, I'm happy with the Moore auto, he had pretty crazy stats last year and is probably the most underrated WR in the NFL.

Bennett was pretty good last year as well.

[ZSDOne]

I went to Target to get something yesterday - was just about to leave the card section with nothing when I saw a couple of Rookies and Stars blasters hiding in the back.

No C.J., but got a red Tank Dell which is a fantastic Gem Fire Color Match Banger with the Red Texans Uniform

The first one had 250 points - guess I'll have to wait for the next drop which hopefully will have something decent I can get that is in enough quantities that it survives the initial rush to connect through the bots - the Tank Dell Red might well have been the best card in the box. Also got a Jalen Hurts Red Plaid for my Eagles collection.

The second one was better - a real autograph card Mekhi Blackmon of the Vikings who did play /199 and a numbered Rookie - Sam LaPorta /149. Also got an Anthony Richardson Red Plaid and two Patrick Mahomes inserts.

Overall, these aren't bad - I was expecting to get junk memorabilia or points so getting an auto was nice - a numbered of a good player that is also p.c. While the $29.99 price tag is painful, these are decent

[rjcj2017]

If they got rid of points altogether, I could live with a $29.99 price point for a guaranteed auto or mem card.

Or, even better, if the rewards included a good selection of current players from the current product you just bought - and shipping was free like it is for redemptions, because that's basically what rewards points are - I would be way good with the idea of buying Lions autos or mem cards that I actually wanted.

Won't hold my breath though.

Was happy with what I got and equally happy to move on.

[ZSDOne]

Apparently Panini uses the points not to replace cards that have not been signed yet (redemptions exist for that) - but instead to increase production and make more boxes - that makes the Panini Points quite insidious

[rjcj2017]

The shipping is what kills me. If they just charged at cost for shipping ($5 or whatever a bubble mailer with tracking is these days) it wouldn't be that big a deal.

I can usually fins something PC related or at least a decent player (DJ Moore, for example).

Just hate paying $14+ for shipping and handing Panini $9 for not having current content in its boxes.