Panini America On-Location Gallery: Huge Hits Define Day 1 at 2012 Toronto Fall Expo
TORONTO, Ontario — The Panini America team arrived in Toronto earlier this week ready to rock the 2012 Toronto Fall Expo — and that’s exactly what it did on Friday’s first day as the company’s always-popular wrapper-redemption program created instant buzz and excitement, offering wanting collectors more variety and bigger hits than usual.
In what’s primarily been a hockey-driven show, this year’s Fall Expo offered collectors a cut across all four of the major North American sports with a cleverly designed wrapper-redemption program that includes hockey, basketball, baseball and football two-card packs. Hockey is still king in Canada, but there’s no denying the growing interest in NBA, NFL and MLBPA licensed trading cards among collectors.
“With such a huge rookie class in the NFL, NBA and baseball last year, along with the excitement of high-profile NHL rookies like Chris Kreider and Jaden Schwartz, it just made sense to create a variety wrapper redemption set for this year’s Fall Expo,” said Panini America Marketing Manager Scott Prusha. And based on a huge Day 1, we think you’ll agree from the photo gallery below that the idea was a good one.
As always, The Knight’s Lance will bring you exclusive coverage of the event all weekend, so make sure to keep your browser loaded and ready. And In addition to providing can’t-miss images from the show, we’re also going to be awarding some sweet prizes, including Expo-only autographed cards and wrapper-redemption packs. And all you have to do to be eligible to win is comment on your favorite photos from the event, beginning with this one filled with images of first-day highlights.
Can’t make it to the 2012 Toronto Fall Expo this weekend? Still want wrapper-redemption packs? Anyone buying select Panini products from now through Monday (while supplies last) at iCollectPanini.com will receive the same wrapper-redemption packs being awarded at the show.
UPDATE:
***DAY 1 WINNERS ANNOUNCED***
Congratulations to Peter Souza & Will Schumpert winners of the Day 1 Toronto Expo prizes. Please send your contact information to creed@paniniamerica.net
The Knight's Lance 
Love seeing the happy faces and nice pulls. Wished i was there to join. But keep up the gallery this weekend. Makes me feel like i am there
These are one of my favorite post’s a couple times a year we get a nice behind the seen look at these cool shows most people can’t attend. it shows us what up without being there. Unfortunately! thanks panini. My favorite picture has to be the printing plate for the Cooperstown box. I think that what it is?
Also cool is that pic of the hockey player’s cards with the different patch’s
Great show Panini! I was there yesterday and busted some Threads and Prestige Basketball with my buddy. We’ve been coming to your redemption booth for the third year running (twice a year) and will definitely be back again at the next show. Great hits coming out of those packs…and hopefully you can have more basketball hits in the future.
My fave pic above is the Kobe Bryant Signage auto from Threads Basketball! My buddy actually pulled this one.
the look on his face was priceless, was great meeting you and look forward to seeing you again 🙂
What a bonus pull that Andrew Luck auto Jersey is, WOW! One of these years I’ll have to go to Toronto for an Expo, long drive from Halifax but one of these years 🙂
Thanks, I actually pulled it! I also pulled a Kyrie Irving auto, a Patrick Roy 1/1, Pekka Rinne 1/1 auto and tons of other stuff!
The boys from Panini treated all of us amazingly. The absolute highlight was being there with my 3 year old daughter. First packs she ever opened, Panini went the extra mile to make her so happy! Thanks boys, she can’t wait until May.
Great pulls all around, especially those Lucks! Thanks Chris!
my fav. pix are the younger generation getting involved and keeping the market going from gen. to gen.
I have to say my favorite photo is all of them. everyone of those cards are great. i just wish i was there so i could see all of those great hits for myself. there is nothing like seeing the expression on someones face when they pull that great hit. just like to add that my favorite product of the year, by far is panini prime hockey. what a great product at a great value. keep up the good work. can’t wait to see what’s next
One day I will make it down to the show…I see you have the same Iginla card that I pulled out of Elite very nice card…some of those patch cards are insane what chunks….Like the Henrique Calder Contender also….very nice gallery of pics looking forward to day two…bring em on!!
Thanks for sharing! Wondered what the show would be like- this is like a little peek.
Loved the kids with nice cards and the Luck cards!
Great gallery. As a basketball collector and lifelong Lakers fan, I particularly liked the Kobe autograph.
Awesome pictures. I really like the Hot Rookies set, its cool to see the stars of different sports represented in one set.
Great shots, love the pics of the young collectors, and the cracked ice cards look sweet, wish Panini could do Australian Rules cards here in Australia. icollectpanini do not ship to Australia so looks like the gallery is only way to see these sweet cards. My favorite pics are of a young bloke with 2 different pulls, one Hockey and one football. Keep the pics coming
The Panini Cooperstown Box printing plate is my favorite from this gallery. Totally cool. I did not get to see any of the packaging printing plates at the NATIONAL this past summer, so it is cool to see some now. 2nd place would have to be a tie between all the ones with the kids in them. Great to see the next generation getting excited about the hobby!!
The Cracked Ice cards look great as well!!! Glad also to see a Breast Cancer awareness card amongst the pictures!
Love to see those cool cards!
That Kobe signage is a wow.
We would love to have that as our first Kobe Bryant auto.
Their looks says it all.
It looks like they had a blast.
Peace!
the show has been a blast so far ….. looking forward to another fun day today ….. I cannot believe the amount of gorgeous patches, and the 1/1 sketch cards are always da bomb 🙂
That looks like a ton of fun!
That Kreider “Tools of the game card would look awfully good in my collection does he trade on cnc? Lets make a deal.
Love the Luck auto/jersey
Great photos, but that Kreider card is outstanding.
It looks like everyone had a great time, courtesy of Panini!
Thats a great Andrew Luck Auto card and the Kobe Sinage auto is pretty sweet itself
photo 4–great nameplates
Great collection of cards representing the different sports! Congrats to the young man on the Jackson football cut card. Keep up the good work guys – looks like a lot of happy customers there.
Those Kreider cards are amazing. I need to get my hands on 1 (or 10!). Plus the Hot rookies bring me back to my early days of collecting. I love nostalgia!
There sure are a lot of hockey fans up there 🙂
That guy in the Rated Rookie shirt looks pretty happy 😉
Love the Anthony Davis Hot Rookie card and Quincy Acy jersey card!
Would love to add that Kobe Signage autograph to the collection.
Nice! The picture of my Davis and Acy looks great! The redemption packs were awesome, good job Panini!
Man, those cracked ice cards pull me in every time. Just sucks that you can’t get a clean picture of them because of that! haha! Would have loved to have pulled a Autographed version out of my Expo Packs.
Seeing those “POTVIN” Prime cards there brings back some good memories. Got to meet Potvin once at a show up in Toronto, but it wasn’t the Expo, but a decent size show in Downtown Toronto near the CN Tower. Can’t remember exactly where, but they did have an escalator if I remember correctly. lol.
***DAY 1 WINNERS ANNOUNCED***
Congratulations to Peter Souza & Will Schumpert winners for the Day 1 Toronto Expo prizes. Please send your contact information to creed@paniniamerica.net
Congrats to the winners!!