The Panini America Quality Control Gallery: 2013 Golden Age Baseball (121 Sweet Pics)

The great thing about a product like Panini America’s 2013 Golden Age Baseball is, well, everything. Delivering easily one of the most eclectic and enjoyable card-collecting experiences since last year’s Golden Age, the polished sequel picks up where that one left off with one of the most diverse checklists imaginable.

From Bob Hope and Bo Derek to “The Bad News Bears” and Buckwheat, 2013 Golden Age aims to pay tribute to, as the box suggests, “some of the nation’s greatest athletes, entertainers and newsmakers from the Golden Age of America.” It does so remarkably well with a product high that is steeped in content, aesthetics and fun.

After all, where else can you find a product that encompasses, say, the Fonz, The Three Stooges, Carlton Fisk, Barry Switzer, Bo Schembechler, “Bewitched” and a headband-wearing Bigfoot?

Panini America Baseball Brand Manager Mike Payne spent the latter stages of last week at the company printing facility overseeing the Quality Control process for 2013 Golden Age Baseball, which goes live a week from Wednesday. Among the myriad highlights he witnessed: Memorabilia cards devoted to the Hindenburg and John Belushi, autographs from six major players from “The Bad News Bears” and so many other professional on-field superstars, miniature parallels, card-back variations, oversized box-toppers and honest-to-goodness playing cards.

Boasting a checklist chock full of U.S. presidents, inventors, stars of the big and small screens, golf, horse racing, boxing, and the four major sports, 2013 Golden Age Baseball clearly has something fun for seemingly every kind of fan and collector.

The massive gallery that follows represents a small glimpse into the product’s greatness. Enjoy, and stay tuned to The Knight’s Lance for additional coverage of the product in the coming days.