General Forum

Was sorting through my 2021 football card pickups and noticed on the swatch cards this curious little note on back: "The enclosed authentic memorabilia is not from any specific game or event". Seems like there are a lot of workarounds with that kinda language if you were able to corner Panini on it. (i.e. if it is not from any game or event at all, it is also not from any specific game or event)

Now, I know Panini (and to some level, even Topps) has basically moved away from game-worn swatches (especially for younger players as they seemingly don't bother to obtain real jerseys anymore of new guys coming in). As silly as it is, I got the impression that players put on jerseys for two seconds that would later be cut up. It seems 2020 cards at least said "player-worn". 

In the span of a few years it feels like we've gone from game-worn swatches to something less special than a pre-fabricated patch card from a Wal-mart blaster. Panini doesn't even seem to reserve the good stuff for a high-end brand, it's all just random "memorabilia" cuts that could just as easily be from a few jerseys pulled off a retail rack. 

I guess my question is, are we still to assume Panini has the player wear these before cutting them up, or can they now legally counter that these swatches could perhaps have nothing to do with the player/team/etc. What is deemed "authentic" and "memorabilia" these days. 

On of my favourite cards (from Upper Deck) denotes that the swatches are "event used memorabilia". To me, that could mean a jersey worn at an autograph signing or even an interview. All in all, I refuse to pay high prices for memorabilia cards, as great of a concept as they are. As you said, there seem to be far too many work arounds. 

I have heard some podcasters refer to the current age as the junk memorabilia era. 

My understanding is that game used is game used, event used or player worn is typically done at a rookie photo shoot where the athletes put on and quickly take off hundreds of jerseys, and then there is the statement highlighted by OP of jerseys not associated with anything in particular, which means it's unworn by the player at all. 

I've heard of certain companies cutting up replica jerseys or Mitchell & Ness jerseys rather than official team issued gear.

I've been weary of the relic thing for years.  Like you said, there is a lot of wiggle room within the statements on the cards.  If the manufacture aquired a jersey from a particiular game then it could have easily been noted on the back of the card.  I am even sceptical of the MLB authinication of a game ball that was used during a game.  I see them tossed in the dugout and then tossed in a bucket, but then several weeks later you see a bunch of game used baseballs noting a hit or out related to a specific day and player with a MLB authenication sticker on them.  You are basiclay paying for a sticker with a serial number on it and who knows if it was the actual ball from the specific event noted. 

They do this because America is so lawsuit happy. By being extremely vague they block out any changes of being sued if they put the wrong color jersey swatch or something.

Remember a year or two ago when somebody sued Topps for typoing a name on a Topps Now card? People like that are the reason. 

Looking at these comments is why I stopped being interested in relic/memorabilia cards as most of them feel like a bit of a con from the card companies.

Here's a great example. The cap patch is from the wrong college.  The back should state, "The enclosed authentic memorabilia is not from any specific game or event or college."

I got an Austin Dillon card a week or so ago with a patch from his uniform and a piece of his tire. I always wondered about the NASCAR tire ones. Couldn't they just cut up one tire in put the pieces in different drivers cards?

Years ago I got Luis Aparicio card with part of a seat from Tigers Stadium. Why did I get a card of a White Sox celebrating their rival's stadium?

I have a Mickey Mantle jersey card. Why would you cut up a Mantle jersey 15years after he died?

Unless the card is one of the players I collect, I tend to go that is nice then put them in the box I keep for memorabilia cards.

Doing a lot of Release Notes cleanup on 90s and some 00s sets, I've been adding how they list it on the back of the cards to help collectors out. It's amazing how many "Jersey" and "Patch" cards are actually unspecified "memorabilia"