Sports Cards and Memories: Box Breaks: 4 Boxes of 2017-18 Select Basketball First Off The Line

So I talked about the madness that was Prizm First Off The Line late last year when Panini released a Prizm version of it and the website crashed with so many people trying to order it. I got blanked out. What are First Off The Line boxes (or FOTL)? Well, Panini sells an allocated amount of some of their products to their FOTL program and these boxes not only have special cards found only in these boxes (for example, Red Shimmer Parallels numbered to 8 in Prizm) but can also be bought for the original MSRP price. You also get these boxes in advance of the official release day. For some products this is a BIG deal, because of hype and popularity, products like Prizm sell for well over the MSRP price, even as a pre sale. This way guarantees to a chance to a buy at the original intended price. Prizm was SUCH a huge deal because Prizm Hobby boxes that run for $250 and upwards were available for $120. Demand was insane and the product instantly sold out. Those FOTL Prizm boxes now sell for $500 or more per box. Plus people also believe these boxes are "more loaded" than normal hobby boxes. So the next product to receive this kind of treatment is 2017-18 Select. Now, Select is not nearly as popular as Prizm, but it's a super nice set nonetheless and since boxes have been steadily climbing to over $170 before release, this was still going to be a highly demanded product. These too come with an exclusive parallel, a Neon Orange Pulsar Parallel numbered to 9. So last Friday when they went on sale, I got on the App to order some and lo and behold I was able to get 4 boxes without any kind of problem! Kudos to Panini for resolving their server issues, as there was no kind of problems whatsoever to order. The boxes naturally sold out within the hour (wish I would've bought more, but I have funds tied up elsewhere). I was pleasantly surprised to receive my boxes Friday (official release date is March 7th) so I opened my 4 boxes yesterday and today. So...are they "loaded" are they terrible or are they just like any other hobby offering? Here's what I got to answer those questions!

Box 1

Silver Prizms Concourse
Ben McLemore
Dennis Schroder

Silver Prizms Premier Level
Nerlens Noel

Silver Prizms Courtside
Marc Gasol

Scope Prizms Concourse
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Tri Color Prizms Concourse
Carmelo Anthony
John Henson

Tri Color Prizms Premier Level
Pau Gasol

Blue Prizms Concourse
Jarrett Allen RC (#178/299)

Blue Die Cut Prizms Premier Level
Josh Hart RC (#63/185)

Maroon Prizms Concourse
Ersan Ilyasova (#36/199)

Maroon Die Cut Prizms Premier Level
C.J. Miles (#83/135)

All World Silver Prizm
Drazen Petrovic

Neon Orange Pulsar Prizm
Austin Rivers (#6/9)

Throwback Memorabilia
Raymond Felton
Lance Stephenson

Rookie Signatures Neon Green
Kyle Kuzma (#38/65)

Box 2

Courtside Base RC
Dennis Smith Jr.

Silver Prizms Concourse
Aron Baynes
Raymond Felton

Silver Prizms Premier Level
Tyler Ennis
Bam Adebayo RC

Tri Color Prizms Concourse
Ben McLemore
Dennis Schorder

Tri Color Prizms Premier Level
Lance Stephenson

Scope Prizms Concourse
Jerian Grant

Blue Prizms Concourse
Klay Thompson (#116/299)

Blue Die Cut Prizms Premier Level
DeWayne Dedmon (#118/185)

Maroon Prizms Concourse
Jon Leuer (#160/199)

Purple Die Cut Prizms Premier Level
Justise Winslow (#4/99)

All World
Drazen Petrovic

X Factor Memorabilia
Shawn Marion

Rookie Jersey Autographs
D.J. Wilson (#51/199)

250 Panini Rewards (REALLY PANINI PUT REWARDS IN THESE BOXES?!?

Neon Orange Pulsar Prizm
Paul George (#5/9)

Green Prizm Courtside
BEN SIMMONS (#3/5)

Box 3

Notable Concourse Base RC
Lonzo Ball

Notable Courtside Base RC
De'Aaron Fox

Silver Prizms Concourse
Kris Dunn
Jae Crowder

Silver Prizms Premier Level
Pau Gasol

Silver Prizms Courtside
Kevin Durant

Scope Prizms Concourse
De'Aaron Fox RC

Tri Color Prizms Concourse
James Harden
Doug McDermott

Tri Color Prizms Premier Level
Tyler Ennis

Blue Prizms Concourse
Ramon Sessions (#125/299)

Die Cut Neon Green Prizm Premier Level
Norman Powell (#38/65)

Tie Dye Prizms Concourse
Ben McLemore (#25/25)

Tie Dye Prizms Courtside
Evan Fournier (#11/25)

Neon Orange Pulsar Prizm
Jrue Holiday (#9/9)

With Authority
Dominique Wilkins

X Factor Memorabilia
Frank Ntilikina

Throwback Memorabilia Purple Prizm
Aaron Afflalo (#56/99)

Select Signatures Silver Prizm
John Stockton (#41/49)

Box 4

Notable Concourse Base RC
Lonzo Ball

Notable Premier Level Base RC
Josh Jackson

Silver Concourse Prizms
Andrew Wiggins
Damian Lillard
Eric Bledsoe

Silver Premier Level Prizms
Jordan Clarkson

Tri Color Prizms Concourse
Jon Leuer

Tri Color Prizms Premier Level
Michael Kidd Gilchrist
Devin Booker

Scope Prizm Concourse
Josh Richardson

All World Silver Prizm
Manu Ginobili

Blue Prizms Concourse
Andre Iguodala (#131/299)

Blue Die Cut Prizms Premier Level
Justise Winslow (#185/185)

White Prizms Concourse
Dennis Schorder (#101/149)

Purple Die Cut Prizms Premier Level
Jeremy Lin (#5/99)

Rookie Jersey Autographs
Josh Jackson (#57/199)

Throwback Memorabilia
Terrence Ross

Draft Selections Memorabilia Purple Prizm
Zach Collins (#58/99)

Neon Orange Pulsar Prizms
Hassan Whiteside (#1/9)

So..talk about a Jekyll and Hyde Break. I opened the first two boxes last night and hit the Kuzma and Simmons (both no brainer Top 5 hits) but it fell off a cliff today. For all the hype FOTL boxes gets, these boxes were no different than any other hobby box. There's literally 5 cards out of the whole break worth anything decent. Every single one of the numbered parallels outside of the Simmons were of CRAP players..not once decent numbered Prizm..not ONE. The memorabilia cards are worthless as it is, and even more when guys like Aaron Afflalo, Raymond Felton, and Terrance Ross make the set. These cards should in no way be considered "hits". To add further insult to injury I hit a Panini Rewards card...that is UNACCEPTABLE for these types of boxes. A waste of an auto hit. The Orange Pulsar exclusives were all crap except for Paul George. I hit 0 Tatums, Markkanens, Fultz, Kuzma, or Donovan Mitchell base cards. The Stockton is a nice on card auto, and the Josh Jackson Auto/Jersey is a decent hit (albeit a sticker auto), but outside of that literally nothing. At least I didn't pay $250 a box for this crap, but I sure wish now I sold them for that much. Overall disappointed considering the high expectations this stuff has. I would NOT touch this stuff at it's current price point at all. Here's some pics of the cards.