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29 January 2013

Thinking about 2013 Topps


Hey, did you guys hear that Topps is releasing a new set this week?

I'm as surprised as you all are.

While the base set design is refreshing from the swoop rut Topps has been in the past few years, the inserts leave nothing to imagination.

The patches are redundant and the windows that hold them are undersized.

The insert designs are awful retreads of 2010-2012 and some less-than-desirable late 90s early 00s pack-filler.

Hits, as always with Topps, will be reserved for the deep-pocketed case breakers and dealers. Abandon all hope for printing plates, low-number parallels, relics and autographs all ye who enter the Target card isle.

Oh yeah, all the autographs are on those beloved stickers, too.

Spend $150, ship the empty packs back to Topps and receive five (5!) special parallels from a 330 card set. I'll extrapolate that for you: a complete set should run you $9900, assuming you don't pull any doubles.

I will admit. The pink and camo parallels, test-run through 2012 or 2013 Topps Football, are pretty damn cool.

And the photography is fxing amazing.

Oh yeah, all those great photos are super short prints.

#thechase


6 comments:

  1. My biggest problem with the set is the lack of team diversity. The flagship set used to be the best at at least pretending all the teams were equal.

    This year the Series 1 checklist has the following:

    18 different Yankees
    18 different Giants

    6 Indians
    6 Rockies
    5 Astros
    4 Twins!!!!

    That is ridiculous. I understand that the better teams usually got a few more cards than the bottom of the barrel teams, but 400% more is just freaking ridiculous.

    Maybe it will even out in Series 2, but I am seriously doubting it at this moment.

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    Replies
    1. Don't get your hopes up. Yankees, Giants and Red Sox sell.

      Series One is an abomination, and insult to collectors.

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    2. Along these lines, there are a bunch of Blue Jays in the set - but poorly chosen ones.

      Luis Perez, Colby Rasmus, Adeiny Hechavarria, etc. No JP Arencibia?? Really? The starting catcher is snubbed?

      Topps cares more about putting that damn RC logo on every card they can than actually producing a quality set.

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    3. Yeah Series 1 is definitely weird. I appreciate that those team have fans, but like I said the flagship set is supposed to be the Great Equalizer. But it's not. What sucks about it most is that I really like the design, but I will probably just buy my Rockies singles and forget the rest of the set now. Why would I buy packs when I would get such a little return for my team?

      The Rockies six includes mop up reliever Rob Scahill, 4th outfielder Tyler Colvin and back up catcher Ramon Hernandez, but not Tulowitzki, Helton, or Cuddyer. The Scahill is his rookie, so I think his inclusion one of those new MLBPA rules. It still looks odd though.

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    4. No Tulowitzki? Seriously? He's the face of the team!

      More weirdness: Series 1 has no JP Arencibia base card. It does, however, have a jersey card if him. Makes sense.

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    5. He'll probably be in Series 2 along with the others. In the past two years Topps separated Tulo and Cargo into separate series. Tulo was in Series 1 in 2012 and Series 2 in 2011. Vice versa for Carlos Gonzalez.

      Tulo is on the checklist for Opening Day though.

      Delete