Base Card Design -
Dominion has gone vertical with their base cards. The base this year have been completely revamped from the previous year's horizontal scheme. Though last year's design was pretty clean and classy, this year's base adds quite a bit of bling factor. Aside from turning the cards 90 degrees, the designers at Panini have added a generous amount of foil to the edges of the base cards - this really makes the cards shine. The silver foil on white background gives each card an immaculate look that is very attractive. Each card comes on very heavy stock and is numbered to just 199.
For you horizontal lovers out there, Panini satisfies with the card back. The backs of the base cards have a very 'National Treasures' look to them. The frilly edges and grey/white color scheme are a real nod to that particular Panini brand. Though there may not be a wealth of stats or information here, it is more than adequate as many of the highest-end products forgo stat-heavy backs anyways.
Rookie patch autograph cards return and can be found one-per-pack. Each RPA is hard signed and numbered to either 199 or 99 (for the big name rookies). I would have to say that though the RPAs look very nice, they come off to me as a touch on the bland side. I love the fact that there is a pretty large swatch window and ample autograph space, but I would have liked to see more design elements present on the card. Don't get me wrong, they are sweet... but they could have been sweeter. Looking at it a bit closer, does anyone else see a bit of Anthology Rookie Treasures design in the card? I do - just a little.
Base Card Design Score:
9/10
Inserts/Game-Used/Autos -
As with all products of this nature, it's all about the hits. According to Panini, though they thought Dominion was a great product last year, the designers wanted to put more variety in terms of card types into the product this year. It shows. Just in my one tin alone I was able to get a myriad of differing cards. Impressive.
The standard patch/auto cards are great looking. This Niklas Backstrom card is a great example of just how space should be used on a high-end hockey card. From left to right: foiled name, large picture, serial numbering, patch window with foiled edges, hard-signed signature, product/team logos. It all works in spectacular harmony. And again, Panini has chosen to go with their classy white and silver scheme to make this card extra classy.
Speaking of patch cards... how awesome is this Selanne? Cards with very low numbering such as this one (/10) should contain pieces of patch corresponding to the rarity of the card. Clearly this card as a chunk off of the Ducks logo. Though this card has no autograph, the patch piece more than makes up for it and grabs the center of attention. The card is further enhanced by the use of rainbow foil rather than the standard foil. Great touches here!
And talk about low numbering... how about to just six? The Strapping Lads are back with game-used fight strap cards. This particular card I find very interesting as there is NO FOIL on it at all save for the serial numbering. I'm not sure why they did that for this particular card type - maybe to highlight the tough-no frills theme of this set? Not sure. But the card still works and looks great - it's definitely different compared with everything else in the set.
As with all ultra-high-end sets, there is usually a big focus on rookies. Obviously there's one RPA per pack, but other rookie related cards such as this dual memorabilia and auto Rookie Showcase card can be found in Dominion as well. The sweet card above features Adam Henrique and Simon Despres in their Rookie Showcase uniforms. Though these pieces are event-worn, the event is still an actual NHL event that is meaningful and appropriate. Having both their autographs on the card hard-signed is a great addition.
My big hit of the tin was this Ryan Kessler autographed stick card. Check out the nasty stick piece on this one! Panini actually put out a video of how Kessler's stick was put into this card! Wow, sweet! Funny thing was my local card shop owner and I were joking before breaking my tin that he wanted one of the Kesslers. Dang. I should have called for a rare Couture. Sorry guys, I'll most likely be trading this card to Chris at D&P cards. So don't come asking for this one! It's spoken for!
Obviously there are many, many more cards to be found in Dominion this year. But as you can see, just one tin yielded a great variety of cards. I definitely can't complain about what I got here.
Inserts/Game-Used/Autos Score:
10/10
Overall Rating -
Dominion surprised me by how good it was last year... and this year it surprises me again by how much better it is this year. I can't tell you HOW FUN it is to open up a tin of Dominion. Just like last year, Panini really loaded up the boxes with a good amount of cards... and when I say good... well, I mean just 8... but they are all solid.
The changes that Panini made to Dominion improved the product in every way possible. The variety of designs and cards is really impressive. It was awesome to see just so many different things come out of the box. Though I can't afford another one at the moment... I'm itching to open up another tin!
Dominion comes in at a price currently well under The Cup. Though The Cup is still in my opinion the winner in terms of secondary market sales and popularity, I think Dominion will give it a run for it's money. Value is certainly in Dominion... and hopefully collectors will catch on and help it inch closer to Upper Deck as it continues to establish a strong footing in the hockey card marketplace.
I recommend Dominion to anyone who can afford it. Awesome cards. Fun break. And thrills!
Overall Rating:
10/10
Check out my break of Dominion at D&P Cards:
Hey Luke,
ReplyDeletethe box you got was really nice that orpik im jealous its super nice. Keep up with the great videos and thanks for the feedback on my videos
- mstaylor8787
Nice really like the card but it is to pricey
Deletehockeycardcollecters
you got a really sweet box. i wish i have enough for these highend products.
ReplyDelete-alstonk98
i think dominion is great this year every card has a great design and i think its worth its money over the cup!
ReplyDeletelolskateboarder
11/12 Dominion is a lot better than last year's and even better than this years The Cup IMO.
ReplyDeleteYouTube-TheEdgeHead41
11/12 Dominion in my opinion wipes out TheCup
ReplyDelete-BruinsMA888
wow...... thats all i can say about dominion. This is a amazing product with amazing hits. i would love to get my hands on this year's dominion.
ReplyDeleteyoutube: Mpb7771
Honestly I think dominion is better that the cup. It's cheaper, more cards, sick patches +++
ReplyDeleteYouTube micerule934
wowzers! hahaha that was a really ncie box of dominion. I saw the panini making of... of the kesler stick card. Anyway dominion looks unbelievable and it is way chaeaper than the cup! Overall best this year!
ReplyDeleteYoutube: MrMat18033
I personally think that Dominion is easily the product of the year. I think it beats The Cup and and other Upper Deck product combined. Panini has really showed themselves through this product and I believe that this product will truly show people that Panini knows what there doing.
ReplyDelete-FRhockey28
WOW I THOUGHT YOU DID VERY WELL WITH THIS TIN, I SAW SOME OTHER BREAKS AND YOU DID WAY BETTER. I THINK THAT DOMINON WAS BETTER THAN THE CUP....BIGTIME!!!
ReplyDelete-nuddymud
I think that dominion is better than the cup this year, and for the money it's an easy winner in my opinion. The patches within it are outstanding!
ReplyDelete-danboyle13
Dominion is back and better than ever! Haha. It is amazing! Hit-wise, card design, and value! Way better than The Cup value-wise. Anyways thanks for the contest Luke!
ReplyDeleteYouTube: mtn8ice
Great box Luke you did really well, Dominion looks sweet this year, thanks for the contest!
ReplyDeleteYT: SuckYourHeadphones
sick sick stuff luke.. IMO.. beats cup hands down!
ReplyDeleteYT - canucks112785
Dominion is a great product! It is the Cup for Panini, but Dominion is cheaper. You get more cards that the cup. Nice booklets,patches,sticks etc. This imo is a underrated product! Cards look very sharp this year like last years!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest Luke!
HCC
Dominion look sick and the hits are pretty nice for the price. I wish I could afford it though but anyways thanks for the contest Luke!
ReplyDeleteYouTube Name- cn2117HabsFan
dominion looks sick, i have to give dominion the edge this year over the cup
ReplyDeleteYoutube- MattsSportsCards
Panini did a superb job with Dominion it has a magnificent design ,and to be honset I usually strongly dislike Panini products, but not Dominion.
ReplyDeleteYoutube Username: MrHockeynut77
Really cool box for you. I want some of this stuff but its too expensive. Anyways I agree with you.
ReplyDeleteYoutube: LIGHTman7x
Agreed, Dominion kills Cup
ReplyDeleteI think Dominion is a nice looking product, and for the price point I have to say I like it more then The Cup. Your tin was really good congrats! Thanks for another great review Luke!
ReplyDelete-SJSharkzz3
i think dominion is one of the best if not the best product of the year! i thought it was good last year, this year it looks even better. Good Job by Panini
ReplyDelete-THEHOCKEYCARDS
hey luke loved the review. dominion is a big threat to the cup this year a reallyly nice product and more of a bang for your buck then the cup more cards and more cards that are low numbered. its 100$ cheaper, and personaly is a better product then the cup. thankyou for another amazing review love to read them. youtube user name is -
ReplyDeletePriceforthewin
in my opinion this and PRIME have been the best products of the year.
ReplyDelete- seguinsupporter12
Can you say saving the best for last? This might be one of the best sets to come out this year.
ReplyDeleteYT- jdlax99
A huge fan of the inaugural Dominion, and this year's version look great again. I do prefer the horizontal look of last year's, but even the vertical design is done extremely well.
ReplyDeleteThe variety of hits is awesome.
By the way Luke, very interested in trying to work out a trade for the Selanne. Couldn't find your e-mail but I'm shooting you a PM on YouTube.
oh, and my YouTube name is Gregory Zakwin.
DeleteDominion looks really sick this year! Panin had put out a good number of quality hockey products this year!
ReplyDeleteYT- GBforce12
Great review. Congrats on being published in Beckett, they should pay you royalties haha. Can't wait to pick up a box of Dominion. I'm looking forward to getting something awesome, which looks like a guarantee. One criticism is I'm not feeling the number of rookie cards they included, it's too rookie heavy. But that's just my opinion. Other than that, it's a damn awesome product.
ReplyDeleteryannturnaa
11/12 Dominion is great the cards are sick! Totally wipes out the cup! To bad i cant get this product! But still a long time watcher of you videos on youtube! Hope i win one of the awesome cards!
ReplyDeleteYoutube-Irbehockeycardcolect
Great patch cards! Looks like one sick product
ReplyDeleteI think that Dominion this year want's to look like The Cup. just look at the base cards, doesn't they seem like something that could fit in The Cup? I think that last years base design was better, but some other nicer hits have been added. After last years great relase I thought wasn't that disappointed that I expected when I saw the first breaks. In my opinion better then The Cup this year too!
ReplyDeleteYouTube: Majlfp
nice pulls did u know that the panini channel made a video of getting keslers stick and doing the prosses to the box.great review on dominion and hoping for more videos.
ReplyDeletemultihabsfan31
Luke,
ReplyDeleteYour box was awesome. I've already seen boxes with 3 standard jerseys. On a price vs. value note, I think Dominion wins against The Cup hands down, as long as it is $150 cheaper or more. It is really awesome for high end collectors this year to have 3 options based on just how high-end they really are (Prime, Dominion and The Cup).
Youtube username- Randommnness
its a great product every card has a diffrence to it
ReplyDeleteDylandude48
hey. love the new cards i hope to get some soon. keep up with the good vids
ReplyDeleteAwesome break, love the Kesler. Looks like this could be a nice alternative to The Cup that wont make my wallet cry, very classy looking stuff.
ReplyDelete- reebz0r
Love the look of the cards this year! Great review!
ReplyDeleteYoutube Username: mjhockeycards101
wow very nice cards this year for dominion ! big fan of you. great review! hoping to win ur contest!
ReplyDeleteyoutube name: brandyn zawadiuk
great review again, the product looks awesome. Too bad all these high end products are sooo expensive! Overall dominion looks sweet!
ReplyDeleteYouTube: 49ersfan619
Looks like a solid product! Panini out did themselves again, big upgrade from last years dominion.
ReplyDeletewow this looks very nice this year... however i do not like the foil because it looks hard to read the names but i like it... the kesler stick was amazing cant beleive it and that fight strap is sooooo cool!
ReplyDeleteyoutube: cardkid34
Love the design and in my perspective it's better than this years The Cup!!!!!
DeleteLove the design and in my perspective it's better than this years The Cup!!!! YouTube: Graboguru
ReplyDeleteThats an insane box. This product looks absolutely great! The design is awesome as well. Panini did well here.
ReplyDeleteKobeshow3
I think Dominion really stepped it up. Not that they needed to. I feel like almost every box you get something huge! Great review by the way! Thanks For The Contest!
ReplyDelete- Youtube: NothinButHockeyCards
Dominion looks like the best product this year in my opinion, looks a lot better then the CUP and PRIME,base cards look okay not great but there are some disgusting patches!!!
ReplyDelete-Youtube: Datsyukify
Very sweet product i personally like i way more than prime or the cup but thats just me. It was a pretty nice box u opened up it would be nice if u opened more. My youtube user:tblightning4life
ReplyDeleteNice product with wonderful cards. Boxes are usually good but when you get THE hit you get it good! Sure its expensive but if you love hockey you will buy it anyways!
ReplyDeleteyoutube: MrThendro
Really Nice Product, Way to pricy for me.
ReplyDelete- Sports149
Wow! Dominion looks amazing! I especially like the stickside sigs. Great review!
ReplyDeleteYT- blackhawks61895
To be honest i dont really like it this year. I am not a huge fan of the base design. The names are hard to read due to the foil. All the inserts kinda look like the hits from panini contendors 11 12. Of course its cool beacuse of the crazy hits but the product this year didnt wow me. i am also dissapointed with the cup. I perfer dominion though over the cup the hits are way better. I give dominion 7.5/10
ReplyDeleteCapitals103
Delete(LOTS OF COMMENTS) I think Panini Dominion is one of the best products all around. Great jerseys, patches autos everything. I would love to get my hands on a Dominion Box . Your so lucky you pulled that sick kesler.
ReplyDeleteDominion looks graet this year
ReplyDelete-mrnhlfan1234
Wicked Wicked Product. Panini is making a strong push to be at the top of the cardboard mountain! Way to go on the review and the nice hits!
ReplyDeleteYT - Skroeker24
Way better than last year but still too much for me!!
ReplyDeletephxfan19
amazing lot better than 10-11,
ReplyDeleteyoutube connor andrews
WOW!!!
ReplyDeleteThis year i love Dominion its a lot better then last year.
I think its the best box out better then the Cup i just love the stick kesler auto /25 WOW
TheCanuck91
looks amazing this year, especially with 1 rpa per pack and the value per box looks great!!! list could go on and on, but i wont go that far ;).
ReplyDeletebrendar7
This product is awesome this year!!!! All of the hits are really nice!!
ReplyDelete87Leafsfan
I think 11-12 Dominion looks very nice and has improved in its design. Wish I could afford it lol. I really love the look of the fight strap cards and the stickside signatures. Not really a fan of the RPAs though, the design looks a bit empty. I think The Cup beats Dominion too because every single The Cup design has its own way of standing out and it appeals to every hockey card collector out there. I'll have to rate this year's Dominion 9/10 :)
ReplyDelete-iginlasfan12
I love dominion, and always will. I think its a great product. But its a little expensive. I love the new designs, also the stickside signatures. I think it worth the money for all the hits you get in the box.
ReplyDelete-MrMinecraft230
1 Word Great!!! Great review, great product, thanks for the contest.
ReplyDeleteYOUTUBE Name EOJ18
Dominion was amazing this year! If you ask me it is much better than the Cup and its like 100 and something dollars less! They did a great job with the set this year!
ReplyDelete- jtgoleafs
I really like dominion this year i really think panini is doing a lot better then UD this year... i think dominion is better than the cup this year and i really want to get some singles soon!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest Luke!
-CalebClardy
Dominion looks sick. Erik Karlsson
ReplyDeleteNice box I love dominion so many good cards 100% accurate review
ReplyDeleteLove the product youtube
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