PANINI OBSIDIAN BK MAKES ONLINE DEBUT

After a sampling of previews, 201819 Panini Obsidian Basketball brings the brand a full-blown standalone release. However, it’s bypassing traditional hobby and retail distribution, arriving instead as an online-exclusive on the Panini website.

For $120, boxes deliver five cards. Two of those are autographs and two more are either inserts or parallels. 2018-19 OBSIDIAN

BASKETBALL OVERVIEW

The Obsidian line is one that takes chromium in a darker direction than other sets. The black backdrops and outlined etching pop but in a different way than collectors might be used to with the likes of Prizm and Spectra.

Base cards have plenty of color in the form of Electric Etch parallels. Colors make the basis for these cards, however, it’s not solid backgrounds or borders like other chromium sets. Instead, it’s all in the outline etchings.

Rookie Jersey Autographs are among the signatures in 2018-19 Obsidian Basketball.

Galaxy autographs are also available. These come with a die-cut design.

Rookie Jersey Autographs are available, all numbered to 79 copies or less. These have a variety of parallels that come with varying levels of rarity and swatch type.

Vitreous cards don’t have signatures or memorabilia. However, these regular inserts have a die-cut design and a superstar-only ten-card checklist.

While this is the first full Obsidian release for basketball, 2018-19 Panini Chronicles Basketball did hint at the set with some preview cards.