Alright, so the 2023 NFL Select checklist. Man, where do I even start with this one? Every year, it’s like a ritual, right? You hear “Select is coming,” and there’s that little flutter. Or maybe it’s dread. For me, it’s usually a bit of both.
Diving In: The Annual Checklist Dance
So, the first thing I did, like I always do, was hunt down that checklist. You’d think it’d be simple, but sometimes finding the official and complete one feels like a mini-quest itself. I finally got my hands on it, probably after refreshing a few forums and social media feeds way too many times. And then I just… stared at it. For a good while.
My main goal this year? Well, I told myself I’d be sensible. Maybe focus on a couple of rookies I really liked, grab their base stuff, perhaps a cool-looking parallel if the price wasn’t insane. Sensible. That was the keyword I kept repeating to myself.
Then I actually looked at the checklist. Rows and rows. And the parallels! Good grief. It’s like they sit in a room and think, “How many different ways can we color the same picture and call it a new card?” You’ve got your Silvers, your Tri-Colors, your Zebras, your Tie-Dyes, your Dragon Scales… I swear one day they’ll release a “Slightly Off-White But Only In Certain Lighting Conditions” parallel and people will chase it.
- Concourse level this,
- Premier level that,
- Club Level,
- Field Level…
It’s a whole production. And each one has its own rainbow of colors. My “sensible” plan started to feel a bit shaky just looking at the PDF.
The Reality Check(list)
I started trying to cross-reference the rookies I was interested in. Okay, player A, he’s in Concourse. And Premier. And Club. And Field. Great. Now, how many of his cards are actually numbered to something I might afford or even find? That’s when the real “fun” begins. You’re basically a detective at this point, sifting through info, trying to figure out what’s a short print, what’s a super short print, and what’s basically a myth whispered about on internet forums.
I remember last year, or maybe the year before, I was chasing a specific Field Level card. Just one. Thought it’d be straightforward. Ha! It felt like trying to find a specific needle in a worldwide haystack factory. This year, looking at the 2023 Select list, I got that same sinking feeling for a few cards I’d initially bookmarked.
And the inserts! Oh boy, the inserts. Some of them look amazing, I’ll give them that. But again, so many. And each with their own set of parallels. It’s overwhelming. My brain just kind of glazes over after a while. I’m trying to enjoy the hobby, you know? Not get a PhD in Panini Product Structures.
My “Practical” Approach This Time
So, what did I actually do with this information overload? Well, after the initial shock and a bit of grumbling (okay, maybe a lot of grumbling to myself), I kind of just threw my initial detailed plan out the window. Trying to map out every possible card for my guys was just stressing me out.
Instead, I decided to simplify. Drastically. I picked one, maybe two, specific parallels per player I liked that I knew were generally more common or at least not astronomically priced from the get-go. Like, “Okay, I’ll try for his Concourse Silver and maybe a Premier Die-Cut if I see one at a decent price.” Forget trying to complete rainbows. Forget chasing the ultra-rare stuff unless I just stumble upon it in a break or something.
I basically used the checklist not as a shopping list, but more as a “what to actively ignore” list. It sounds counterintuitive, but with modern products, especially something as vast as Select, you kind of have to. Otherwise, you’ll go broke, go crazy, or both.
Did I end up buying any 2023 Select? Yeah, a bit. Mostly singles of the specific cards I’d narrowed down to. I stayed away from ripping a ton of wax myself because, honestly, looking at that checklist, the odds of hitting exactly what I wanted felt like winning the lottery. It’s a fun product, don’t get me wrong. The cards can be beautiful. But that checklist, man. It’s a beast. Every single year.
