Thursday, July 19, 2018

2018 Topps Archives Signature Series Active Player Edition Review - A chance at a modern day marvel

Topps opens the door for collectors to have a chance to get up close and personal with today's superstars via the release of 2018 Topps Archives Signature Series (Active Player Edition). Each box features one on-card autographed buyback from over 65 different active MLB players, including the likes of Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, and Mike Trout.

2018 Topps Archives Signature Series / Topps
As the recent netting regulations at MLB parks have made it even more difficult to obtain an autograph before a game, Topps Archives Signature Series gives fans and collectors a guaranteed chance at a signed card from an active player without having to wade through packs of base set cards. This quick hit will attract many who don't want the hassle of sifting through boxes or spending hundred of dollars at a stadium hoping they can slide a baseball card through a slit in the netting during batting practice.

The full review of the box as well as the ensuing hit are featured in the video below. For more baseball card reviews and interviews, subscribe via YouTube at - http://www.youtube.com/Examinebaseball


Wednesday, July 18, 2018

2018 Baseball Treasure Review - A diversion from the typical baseball card collectible

When it comes to sports memorabilia, copper, silver, and gold are usually associated with colored parallels in a Topps’ baseball card products; however, 2018 Baseball Treasure provides collectors with an opportunity to score a MLBPA licensed coin minted in a precious metal. Thirty of the top MLB players are included in this heavy-duty set.

2018 Baseball Treasure Packs
The coins come encased in a thick card that has the player’s name, team, and jersey number on the front, with similar info on the back, which allows the minted design to jump to the forefront. Each pack contains one of these cards, with the majority being of the copper variety. A deeper dive into the product could yield one of the .999 pure silver coins (1:432 packs) or an ultra rare gold Aaron Judge coin (52 in total).

Baseball Treasure gives different entry points that allow a wide range of fans to get their hands on the coins. On their website, coins are available in quantities as small as three packs, and options go all the way up to a 432-pack case, pretty much guaranteeing one of the silver coins at those levels.

2018 Baseball Treasure Coins
The three packs opened for this review drew copper coins of Justin Bour, Paul Goldschmidt, and Yoan Moncada. Each coin presented well in their cards and look like they would make a perfect display for a work or home office desk in a proper holder.

Baseball coins are not a new product, and while collectors looking to get into 2018 Baseball Treasure as an investment are probably better served putting their money into a mutual fund, a few packs would give most aficionados an interesting conversation piece that is a diversion from traditional baseball cards.

Monday, July 16, 2018

2018 Topps Inception Baseball Review - A striking shift for Topps baseball

For baseball card collectors who are looking for an intrigue filled chase have to go no farther than 2018 Topps Inception. The single-pack boxes serve collectors with a dynamite design and impressive looking autographed cards that are far distinguished from many of Topps’ previous releases.

2018 Topps Inception / Topps
Opening the dark colored boxes, one immediately gets the vibe of the charcoal marbled motif of the base set, which creates a mysterious, yet attractive backdrop for each card. The 100-card base set features a mix that tilts towards the top rookies in Major League Baseball. Each base card is thicker than your typical Topps release, further signaling the enhanced quality of this product.



The box provided for this review also yielded two parallels, which range in typical Topps fashion in both color and quantity. The varying colors in the backgrounds of both parallel cards in this pack enhanced the eye appeal of the cards in this series.


While the base cards and their parallels make up the majority of the seven-card pack in each box, the true champion of each box was the autographed card. The autographed relic card that came in this box just popped in a variety of exciting ways. The red (/25) parallel of this card made the sticker autograph on the card stand out due to the stark contrast from the background. While I am normally not a fan of sticker autographs, in this case, the combination worked to perfection. When you add in the multi-colored relic, and the throwback uniform in the photo, the signed card in this box was truly a gem.

2018 Topps Inception Anthony Banda Autographed Relic / Topps
With 2018 Topps Inception, the storied baseball card manufacturer attempts to present collectors with an option that goes beyond your typical single hit product. The combined attention to detail on the base cards with the striking autographed insert cards pushes Inception to the forefront of this segment of the baseball card market.

Monday, July 9, 2018

2018 Topps Finest Review | Checklist, Odds, Variations & More

Serving collectors with a mix of simplicity coupled with a high-end finish, 2018 Topps Finest looks to satisfy hobbyists’ urges to have a product that delivers in both price and presentation. The set's chrome cards shine and glisten in a field where appeal is at a premium. Topps has cleverly packaged 2018 Topps Finest master boxes with two six-pack mini boxes, each with five cards per pack.

2018 Topps Finest - Topps

2018 Topps Finest Base Set, Short Prints, Parallels, and Checklist

The 100-card base set provides a sampling of stars from around the league with about 20 rookies sprinkled in, including Shohei Ohtani. While Topps made sure that the cream of the league is accounted for, fans of the smaller market teams will find that only one of their players made the cut, or in the case of the Miami Marlins, none at all. Despite Miami’s absence from the set, collectors will still be satisfied with the starry design that has become the hallmark of Topps Finest.

The base set is also designed in Topps' classic colored parallels (Purple #/250, Blue #/150, Green #/99, Gold #/50, Orange #/25, Red #/5, SuperFractor 1/1), allowing collectors to corner the market on their favorite players. This box yielded a Maikel Franco Blue Parallel #/150.

2018 Topps Finest / Topps
Further adding to the chase in 2018 Topps Finest are 25 short printed cards, which includes Atlanta Braves sensation Ozzie Albies. Coming in at a rate of 1:28 packs, their scarcity will undoubtedly make Albies’ rookie from this set one on collectors’ checklists for the rest of the season. Click here to download the entire checklist, which includes all of the base set, short prints, and inserts.

2018 Topps Finest Autographs

2018 Topps Finest Rhys Hoskins Finest Hour / Topps
Each master 12-pack master hobby box advertises two autographs. The box provided for this review drew a spectacular looking Rhys Hoskins Finest Hour Refractor autograph (1:156 packs) and a Dustin Fowler base autograph, both on-card signatures. Rarer signed inserts include a Cal Ripken Die-Cut Finest Careers subset that are serial numbered to 10, and the Sitting Red autograph series (1:544 packs) that includes the likes of Bryce Harper, Kris Bryant, Manny Machado, and Mike Trout.

2018 Topps Finest Inserts

For 2018’s iteration of Topps Finest, it appears that Topps has placed an increased focus on the base set and autographs, narrowing the inserts to only a handful of subsets: Cornerstones, Sitting Red, Finest Firsts, and the Cal Ripken Finest Die Cut Careers. Topps extends the life of both the inserts and the base set in the form of different colored serial numbered parallels. One hopes that Topps will keep this theme throughout their future 2018 products, making their insert sets easier to digest and track down.

2018 Topps Finest Sitting Red Inserts / Topps
2018 Topps Finest Inserts / Topps
Sorting through the bevy of Topps’ annual baseball card issues, it is easy to overlook Topps Finest, as it comes right before the hyped releases of 2018 Topps Series 2 and 2018 Topps Stadium Club; however, this should not be an excuse to take a pass on it. Enthusiasts who take the dive into 2018 Topps Finest will find a product that supplies fine looking cards that create a spectacular backdrop for their autographed versions.

Friday, July 6, 2018

Baseball Happenings Podcast - Peter Kerasotis - Author of 'Alou: My Baseball Journey'

Peter Kerasotis, the co-author of Felipe Alou's new biography, "Alou: My Baseball Journey" appears on the latest edition of the Baseball Happenings Podcast to discuss how he finally convinced the 83-year-old Alou to tell his life story.
Alou: My Baseball Journey - University of Nebraska Press
Kerasotis illuminates Alou's status as a pioneer for Dominican baseball players, detailing how he persevered through Jim Crow segregation as the first player to leave the island and make it to the major leagues. He reveals Alou's tremendous character through the grace in which he handled the many obstacles throughout his six decades in baseball that ultimately led to him becoming the first Dominican manager in major league history.

Baseball Happenings Podcast - Peter Kerasotis Interview


Click here to listen on Spotify