Panini Redemption Filled: Sidney Crosby Autographed Patch from 2011-12 Panini Prime

As I posted last week, I received some great news when Panini notified me that One of my redemptions has finally been filled.  This wasn't any ordinary autograph from some third-rate rookie, though, but one of Sidney Crosby that I had redeemed over four months ago. Good things come tho those who wait, because here's the newest addition to my Sidney Crosby collection.

The card, numbered 13/25, comes from 2011-12 Panini Prime and is from their Namesakes insert set, which has the player signing on a manufactured patch designed to look as if it came from the player's nameplate. What I really like with this card is how accurate they were on the material used. While most teams just use plain fabric, the Penguins use w material with a herringbone texture to it as the base for their letters and numbers, and Panini was able to use that same fabric to recreate the overall look.

While most signatures on these manufactured letter patches are done on the letter itself, this one is different in that the signature is on the base fabric, next to the letter. I've seen this on a few other cards, especially of the Penguins, and I wasn't sure about it at first, but really, I see it as a necessity. With all the space that is taken up with the stitching, and compressing the letter to fit in the allotted space, there simply isn't enough room to make it work on the letter. I'd rather them be more accurate with the look of the letter anyway.

It took a while to get this cards, but seeing it in hand, it was well worth the wait.