2016-17 Panini Impeccable basketball is precious in more than one way

The introduction of the Impeccable collection to Panini’s basketball line should excite collectors and fans of the NBA.

2016-17 Panini Impeccable basketball is now available to collectors. The unique offerings in the set provide tempting chases and aesthetic appeal that fans of the NBA will enjoy.

The first element that should entice fans to hand over $500 for a box is the ratio of autograph cards. Each box has one eight-card pack, and on average, delivers five autographs.

Those autographs are split between three different subsets. Rookie Autographs will showcase signed cards of the top rookies for the 2016-17 season like Brandon Ingram and Thon Maker. Keeping with the rookie theme, Elegance Jersey Autographs will include the 2016-17 rookie class with retired players and veterans. As the name suggests, Elegance is a hybrid of a memorabilia card, in this case jersey swatches, and on-card autographs.

The final autograph subset is the Impeccable Stats Autographs. The idea is that the number of the pertinent cards the player signed corresponds with their number of years in the NBA, their jersey number or a significant personal statistic from their career. For instance, Kobe Bryant signed 81 of his cards in the set because his career high for points in a game was 81.

Perhaps the most exciting element is also the most chase-worthy. In each case there is one card that will contain either one Troy ounce of actual silver or 1/2 Troy ounce of real gold. The silver-embedded cards are numbered to 16, while the gold-laced cards are numbered to 10.

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If Impeccable’s basketball debut simply contained the relics and on-card autographs that it touts, that alone may have made it worth the price. The fact that Impeccable not only delivers all of that value, but the precious metals cards as well, makes it clear why collectors think the product is impeccable.