Redemption Replacement Roulette: A Damaged Hit Replacement Win From Panini

As many of you know, one of my favorite card-related games to play is what I call Redemption Replacement Roulette, where I take a redemption card I don't really want, hope it doesn't get filled in the four-month waiting period, and then request a replacement, asking for a card from my favorite team, and then hope for the best.

This one is similar, but revolved around a damaged hit that I pulled from a pack of Panini products, and then request a replacement. I was a little torn on what to do with the most recent one I pulled: a Justin Blackmon 2012 Rookies & Stars Slideshow autographed card.

Like I said, it's a beautiful card, and even though I don't care much about Blackmon or the Jaguars, so to day that I really wanted to keep the card, shows what I thought of it. Still, the only problem was this imperfection on the bottom of the card:

I went back and forth on it for a while. I knew that if I sent it in, I would likely not get the identical card, due to its low numbering (/50), but on the other hand the fact that the top layer of gloss was beginning to peel away was just bugging me. I knew that every time I looked at this card, I wouldn't see the photo, the slide, or the autograph, just the peeling, so I had no choice but to send it back.

Now, some of the replacements, it doesn't matter to me either way. It was just some meaningless redemption that was hoping to get replaced, but this one was different. When it is a card that you kind of liked to begin with, you want something good in return.

I must say, I was more than happy to open my manilla envelope from Panini to find this:

This Simon Despres card is an addition to the 2011-12 Certified Freshman Fabric insert set found in 2011-12 Rookie Anthology. While most feature a single-colored swatch and are numbered to 299, this one is a gold parallel, which features a muli-colored prime jersey swatch and is numbered 19/25.

And as an added bonus, they sent it to me in a magnetic snap-down case.

I'll admit, they don't always work out this well, but I have had a string of good luck from Panini. Sometimes, if you just give them a little bit of direction on what team or sport you like, you can get some great additions to the collection.

I'm still sad to see the Slideshow card go. Maybe I'll look for another copy of the Blackmon, or any other Slideshow auto, on Ebay and get it back that way.