Panini America
True story: When I was about 10, my parents bought me a complete set of Topps baseball cards for the 1991 season. My dad handed them to me excitedly, saying they'd be worth money someday if I let them appreciate.
I didn't do that. Instead, I cut my favorite players out, glued them to cardboard squares, and used them as pieces in a dice-based baseball board game I had invented.
My parents were appalled. Not only did they not believe my dice-based baseball board game was this close to taking off (although, when someone else beat me to it with Diceball that same year, the market collapsed), but they told me I had been irresponsible and confiscated the rest of the set until I was older. Offended, I said I would never collect cards again. From any sport.
But Panini America's Prime Time Hockey Prime Ties, which feature lace-ups from actual game- and event-worn jerseys, are almost making me wish I hadn't said it. These things are sweet and I want them. Check out the Mario Lemieux one above.
And here's one for Mark Messier:
Mark Messier
So. Awesome.
If you want to see who else let the card company cut up one of their jerseys, Panini America's website has a gallery of every card in the set. Good news, Jhonas Enroth fans! He's in there!
