You need to do your research. Under the Donruss brand they put out lots of competitive products in other sports. Some stuff that even competed with Exquisite (The Cup's equivalent).
Collectors wanted another hockey card option. You got it. So why complain before their first packs have even hit the market?
Not to nitpick, but I never said Panini didn't put out nice product (I'm not knocking Panini at all, in fact). I said they didn't and won't
compete with UD.
What Panini brings is choices (which is still good on one level), but competition assumes a limited market where brands compete for market share which isn't really true at all (and won't ever be true in any 'hobby' or collectible market). Collectors may individually have limited budgets, but the NHLPA/NHL and card manufacturers don't see that as a limit and will still talk about the market in terms of 'growth' (simply add more collectors in order to add more $$$). In more basic terms, Ovechkin collectors won't choose to pick up
either the Victory or the Score edition, they'll get
both. The market
grows. In the end, if the combined revenue for both UD and Panini America in 2010-11 is greater than that of just UD's in 2009-10, the NHLPA/NHL will be justified in their decision - by adding another licensee, they will have 'grown' the market. [It's economics, not emotion]
This eventually puts us right back to where we were. In a market where supply already exceeds demand, we add more supply on the supposition that demand will follow (by choosing a multi-national corporation with 'known' brands/name recognition). Tons of products which will ultimately commoditize the market and drive values down. Unless, they have yet to tell us that there be a component of the license which limits the number of releases from year-to-year and that the number of brands a manufacturer can release from year-to-year is based on performance (could happen, I guess). That challenge would breed competition for market share and generate product innovation, etc. etc.
Until that revelation comes out, I stand by what I said... Panini and UD will not compete, but rather coexist. They will both produce and collectors will 'choose'... but not
which to buy. Collectors will be forced (by their own budget constraints) to choose
how they purchase the cards they want.
Disappointing, but understandable when the decision is made by a guy who is judged based on the bottom line of his company (i.e. total revenue of the NHLPA/NHL which probably just went up when he 'doubled' the number of licenses).
[Conspiracy Theory By Me - The fact that ITG has been vocal about wanting a limited market where multiple manufacturers produce fixed numbers of products is why they were not pursued as a licensee. The NHLPA/NHL is driven by the bottom line which they want to see grow (like any company) and, again theory, hockey cards factors very lightly in their 'strategic' planning. Until the license checks bounce or they quit coming, they will not see that supply is already greater than demand.]
