How 2017 Bowman Baseball puts a stamp on seven decades in the game

Bowman gives a nod to their seventh decade with the debut of their 2017 baseball card series, commemorating their history with tributes to their longevity throughout this year’s product. Highlighting special inserts marked with 70th anniversary logos, and reproductions of classic cards, Bowman has created an aura that respects their past while moving their brand forward.

2017 Bowman Baseball / Bowman

Building excitement as the first 2017 baseball card release that focuses on top farmhands within the MLB pipeline through their Bowman Prospects and Chrome Prospects subsets, 2017 Bowman Baseball has positioned itself as the premier set for collectors looking catch the next rising star. The smooth design of the set (which is enhanced by the Chrome parallels) only serves add to its wide appeal.

The aforementioned 150-card Bowman Prospects set features the standout minor leaguers across baseball, many of whom are on the cusp on the major leagues this season, including Amed Rosario, Austin Meadows, and Clint Frazier. While the checklist for the set might disappoint some due to seeing the same players included for a second year in a row, Bowman continues to make the future stars of the game its focal point.

Not to be ignored is the 100-card base set, which is highlighted by rookie cards of the ever-popular Aaron Judge, Yoan Moncada, and Dansby Swanson. The mix of rookies who made their major league debut last season, coupled with baseball’s established veterans, make the base set a valuable accompany piece to the pre-rookie cards that everyone is chasing.

2017 Bowman Aaron Judge / Bowman

In an effort to connect their 70th anniversary to the current stars, inserts that contain a mesh of active stars and retired legends are designed in the fashion of the 1948, 1951, 1952, and 1992 Bowman sets. Also inserted into packs are buyback cards stamped with the Bowman 70th anniversary logo.

2017 Bowman Inserts / Bowman

Each box promises one autographed card. The box provided for this review yielded a Chance Adams autographed Chrome Prospect card. The wide array of autographs available in 2017 Bowman will make consumers happy, as they have the opportunity to pull signatures from the likes of Judge, Mike Trout, and Bryce Harper, as well as Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Mike Piazza, and Randy Johnson.

Chance Adams Chrome Autograph / Bowman

As Bowman literally puts their stamp on their seven decades of baseball lineage with the 2017 Bowman set, they are simultaneously positioning themselves to be a player in the hobby for potentially another seven decades. This release sets them up perfectly for this generation to place 2017 Bowman Baseball as a landmark set in their collections.

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2017 Topps Gypsy Queen creates a regal mystique for collectors

Aiming for aura of regal mystique as its name implies, the 2017 Topps Gypsy Queen set delivers collectors a striking design that is sure to draw the attention of many this baseball season. Immediately clear from opening the first pack of the box, is that the emphasis is on creating cards that are timeless in their display. The vivid action shots that blur the lines of photography and artwork are meant to persist in their appeal for decades.

2017 Topps Gypsy Queen / Topps

This year’s Gypsy Queen makes some amendments to the 2016 series, reducing the base set to 320 cards and removing the mini parallels from the series of inserts available to chase. Parallels include numbered colored cards (Purple, Black & White, Red, Black), as well as image variations of players in throwback uniforms or capless action shots. Some of the parallels are hard to determine due to the difficult to read codes in the fine print on the back that serves to differentiate them from the base set.

Standout inserts included the Hand Drawn Art Reproductions, which further the design motif of the set, as well as the Fortune Teller inserts that feature many of the rising stars in the league. The most tantalizing insert set however, might be the Chewing Gum Mini autographs (1:771 packs). These signatures include Hall of Famers Hank Aaron and Sandy Koufax, as well as top-tier young talents Carlos Correa, Noah Syndergaard, and Yoan Moncada.

2017 Topps Gypsy Queen Inserts and Variations / Topps

In exciting fashion, the box provided for this review yielded three autographs, one more than the two that were guaranteed. There was a Jacob deGrom autographed jumbo patch, a black and white autographed parallel that was numbered out of 50, and a signed base rookie card.

Jacob deGrom Autographed Insert Patch Card / Topps

On a somber note, the Glassworks Box Topper inserted into the box, was one of the late Jose Fernandez. As of this writing, Fernandez doesn’t have a base card in any of the 2017 Topps releases; seeing him once again alive on cardboard serves as a painful reminder of his 2016 passing.

2017 Topps Gypsy Queen Jose Fernandez Glassworks Box Topper / Topps

This year’s Topps Gypsy Queen is certainly another release by Topps that is not only worth chasing, but preserving. While collectors might find it a bit frustrating and expensive to compile the 20 short prints (1:24 packs) for a complete set, the classic graphics make the 2017 Topps Gypsy Queen a tough set to pass up.

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2017 Topps Opening Day is a worthy kickoff to the season

Topps is reading to ring the bell on the start of a new season with the releasing of its appropriate titled 2017 Opening Day baseball set. Emblazoned with their classic Opening Day logo, this 200-card set serves as a celebration of when baseball fans around the country can do more than stare out their windows awaiting the start of the regular season.

2017 Topps Opening Day / Topps

Condensed from the 2017 Topps Series 1 version, Opening Day provides collectors the opportunity to have a fun and focused product, without having to worry about chasing short prints or open multiple boxes to complete a set. The 36-pack box sent for this review yielded a complete set amidst an array of inserts with about 20 duplicates of the base set to spare.

This year’s Opening Day set is rather kid friendly with inserts of each MLB team’s ballpark food staple, as well as Mascot cards for each team, with some lucky fans unearthing signed ones. While traditional collectors might scoff at the idea of a signed Mascot card being one of the hits, plenty of youngsters will enjoy this niche in 2017 Opening Day.

2017 Topps Opening Day Bryce Harper / Topps

In addition to the box yielding a complete set, more difficult inserts such as a Bryce Harper National Anthem card (1:244 packs) and an Opening Day Stars Kris Bryant card (1:27 packs) were other bonuses that added to the excitement of this product. The blue foil tinged Opening Day inserts have a nice finishing touch with the April 2, 2017 or April 3, 2017 commencement specially placed on the card.

A sampling of 2017 Topps Opening Day Inserts / Topps

With a price point around $30 per box and the opportunity to pull autographs of some of the game’s top young stars, as well as a tremendous variety of enjoyable inserts, 2017 Topps Opening Day is a family orientated product designed to engage fans of all ages.

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2017 Topps Heritage hooks hobbyists with a simple approach

Cut in the aesthetically pleasing style of the 1968 Topps design, Topps’ 2017 Heritage is a throwback to a season that was defined by the mound dominance of Bob Gibson and his miniscule 1.18 ERA. While the feel of the set doesn’t quite have the aggressiveness of Gibson’s fastball, it is the simplicity of the overall package that will attract collectors to this year’s issue.

While some of Topps’ other releases feel like a parade of bells and whistle with all kinds of shiny inserts, the traditional aspect of Topps Heritage is what keeps collectors coming back to this product. Nuances like the puzzles of Kris Bryant and Mike Trout on the back of the All-Star cards, as well as the action and letter variations are the right amount of diversity to make you pay attention to the details without losing sight of what brought you to the product in the first place.

Buster Posey Action Variation / Topps

A certain gem of 2017 Topps Heritage is the selections for the dual and triple Real-One autographed cards. Lucky individuals will garner a signed card of the fantasy Hall of Fame battery of Nolan Ryan and Johnny Bench. Others so fortunate will pull signed cards by three franchise Hall of Famers, with the Cardinals supplying Steve Carlton, Orlando Cepeda, and Lou Brock on the same card, while the Baltimore Orioles put out stalwarts Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, and Jim Palmer on another. These multi-signed cards are highly desirable pieces that could easily serve as the cornerstones of many hobbyists collections.

Nolan Ryan / Johnny Bench Dual Signed Card / Topps

Set collectors however, will face a major challenge in completing the 500-card set. The yield from the 24-pack box is well short of the fifty percent mark, further complicated by the 100 short printed cards at the end of the set. The box provided for this review only yielded eight short prints, which will undoubtedly force collectors to the secondary market to finish things off.

A selection of 2017 Topps Heritage Short Prints / Topps

A cool touch to the box provided for this review was the addition of a 1968 Topps buyback card, further connecting the past with the present as intended by the theme of the Heritage set. While hoping for one of the aforementioned dual autographs, this box yielded a Clubhouse Collection relic card of Miami Marlins slugging outfielder, Giancarlo Stanton.

Don McMahon 1968 Topps Buyback / Topps

Giancarlo Stanton Clubhouse Collection Relic / Topps

Despite the fact that a set will be difficult to build out of one, or even two boxes, the clean and simple design combined with the possibility of pulling a monumental autograph should push collectors to explore the depths of the 2017 Topps Heritage release well into the regular season.

 

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2016 Topps High Tek Baseball Review Patterns Autographs & More

Two-thousand-sixteen is quickly coming to a close, but Topps gives collectors a glimpse into the future with this year’s High Tek baseball release. Crafted with a slick opaque design with funky patterns that highlight the on-card action shots, 2016 Topps High Tek breaks the mold of recent trading card designs.

2016 Topps High Tek / Topps

The 111-base card set is divided into two different styles, Spiral Vortex and Maze Grid. If these two were the only options in the set, High Tek would quickly fall to the wayside as one of Topps’ novelty releases, but a closer inspection of the designs reveals at least a dozen additional variations. Some collectors will find this to be a dizzying array of options; others will be enthralled at the challenge of putting together a master set. Further adding to the chase of a complete set is the fact that there are only six base cards in each box.

2016 Topps High Tek Base Cards & Variations / Topps

The major appeal of 2016 Topps High Tek is the on-card autographs. The impressive list includes top modern stars such as Ichiro, Kris Bryant, and Mike Trout, as well as Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax, and Ken Griffey Jr. The box provided for this review produced an autograph of Hall of Famer Wade Boggs in a parallel limited to 25.

Wade Boggs Topps High Tek Autograph / Topps

With 2016 Topps High Tek, the baseball card magnate aims to give value driven collectors instant autograph hits with the additional chase of the variations that comprise the master base set. While some collectors might frown at the notion that purchasing an entire case might not yield a complete base set, they will be pleased at the quality of autographs and diversity of inserts and parallels.

If you enjoyed 2016 Topps High Tek Baseball, check this review of 2018 Topps High Tek Baseball, complete with patterns, variations and a video box break.

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2016 Topps Update captures the magic of a landmark baseball season

Cracking open the packs of 2016 Topps Update as the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs battle for the World Series title, one gets the perfect opportunity to relive many of the fabulous moments of 2016. From the rookie debuts, to the career milestone achievements, and the late season switches, Topps captures all of the magic of a landmark baseball season.

2016 Topps Update / Topps

Clocking in at 300 cards, the set is a sleeker version than last year’s 400-card issue. Rookie card collectors will be pleased to find additions to their favorite player’s stash with a Rookie Debut subset that commemorates the first time they set foot on major league soil. The All-Star Game is also a major focus, with an additional subset highlighting the All-Star rosters and Home Run Derby participants.

Topps puts a finishing touch on Ichiro’s quest for 3,000 hits, by adding an insert set to chronicle the remainder of the hits he rapped out to reach the vaunted milestone. Carrying on with the tradition of Series 1 and Series 2, Topps puts the spotlight on an additional 10 ceremonial first pitches.

Ichiro Update Autographed Card / Topps

Each box guarantees an autograph or relic card. The box provided for this review yielded a cool 3,000 hits relic card of Roberto Clemente. Additional inserts included Topps Fire, and the Team Franklin set, which not-so-cleverly disguised as advertising for Franklin’s baseball gear.

Topps Fire Insert / Topps

The design follows Topps’ base card pattern for the year, with clear photography and a clean design that adds to the appeal of the set. Set collectors will appreciate the ability to build an entire base set from a hobby box, with the 36 packs making a complete set with a few doubles to trade.

Julio Urias Rookie Debut / Topps

With the ability to pull multiple rookie cards from the likes of Corey Seager, Trevor Story, and Julio Urias, build an entire set from one box, and uncover autographs from some of the top stars in the game, Topps Update only adds to the exciting ending of a legendary season for the baseball annals.

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A 2016 postseason trip down to the farm with Topps Heritage Minors

With the attention of baseball fans focused on the postseason, Topps takes a trip through the minor leagues with the release of the 2016 Topps Heritage Minor League set. Crafted in the vintage design of the 1967 Topps motif, the stars of tomorrow are given the major league treatment with the look and feel of classics pieces of cardboard.

Headlining the set is Atlanta Braves phenom shortstop and first-overall draft pick, Dansby Swanson. Accompanied by the likes of Red Sox upstarts Andrew Benintendi and Yoan Moncada, as well as Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and Houston Astros rookie sensation Alex Bregman, collectors will find immediate familiarity with the prospects in the 215 card set.

2016 Topps Heritage Minors Yoan Moncada / Topps

Those purchasing the product might notice that Topps reduced the amount of cards per pack to eight cards, one less from last year’s product. The significant difference will put consumers much farther away from a complete base set than last year, with the box provided for this review falling well short of yielding a base set compared to 2015’s product.

2016 Topps Heritage Minors Drew Jackson Autograph

Topps attempts to make amends for the reduced amount of product with on-card autographs. The blue ink on the vintage backgrounds jumps off of the cards, providing an attractive addition for this year’s release. Sticking with the blue theme, Topps also inserted blue parallels numbered to /99, giving fans of the Heritage line even further incentive to make a purchase.

2016 Topps Heritage Minors Jorge Mateo 61 Mint Insert / Topps

The box opened for this review yielded two autographs (including a blue parallel autograph limited to 50), a jumbo coin relic card, a half dozen short prints, ten sticker inserts, and three blue parallels. With a retail price of $50, 2016 Topps Heritage Minors is an entertaining value product, as collectors can hedge their bets on prospects of the future, while looking forward to a box packed with inserts.

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2016 Topps Heritage High Number is a perfect bookend for the collecting season

Topps bookends what is quickly becoming their flagship set with the release of the 2016 Topps Heritage High Number series. This second issue of Topps Heritage features exciting rookies who were excluded from the first set earlier this year, as well as players who changed teams mid-season. This combination of top prospects with players who might have their only on-card appearance with their new team, makes the High Number series a coveted asset in collecting.

The 225-card High Number set features a 200-card base (501-700) with an additional 25 short prints (701-725). Topps gave the short prints an added touch of flair with a slightly brighter color on the card backs, making them even easier to differentiate from their base card counterparts.

2016 Topps Heritage High Numbers Box / Topps

Collectors will enjoy finding the rookies featured in this set are on their own individual cards, as opposed to the first series which had prospects sharing cards together. With the likes of Julio Arias, Lucas Giolito, Aledmys Diaz, Trevor Story, Nomar Mazara, Kenta Maeda, and Seung-Hwan Oh all getting the rookie card treatment, this set has the potential to be one to watch in the future as these players become the superstars of Major League Baseball.

The variety of inserts to chase is enough to keep the product interesting, but not so much to overwhelm the average collector. The box Topps provided for review yielded an image variation, a Chrome parallel, a gum stained back, and three of each of the following series: Now and Then, Award Winners, Clubhouse Combos, and Rookie Performers.

2016 Topps Heritage Inserts / Topps

The collation of the product was excellent. Each pack yielded some type of insert or short printed card. The 24 nine-card packs were just nine cards shy of yielding a complete base set. The box advertised either one relic card or one autographed card as its main hit. This box revealed an autographed card of Hall of Fame pitcher, Phil Niekro.

2016 Topps Heritage Phil Niekro Real One Autograph / Topps

Collectors will enjoy the 2016 Topps Heritage High Number series for both its value and collectability. With boxes priced at $60 that yield almost a complete base set with valued inserts in every pack, fans will have a tough time passing on this release. Whether their attraction to the High Number series is due to nostalgia, or the fun of scoring the next big hit, this product is a win that comes just in time for the World Series.

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2016 Topps Heritage is as close as it comes to a sure bet with baseball

When it comes to a sure thing in baseball cards, nothing comes closer than the Topps Heritage series. Continuing with the trend of merging the current with classic, Topps makes a smash hit with their 2016 Topps Heritage set.

Paying homage to the 1967 Topps card design, this year’s Topps Heritage series is perfectly timed with the start of the spring training season. As the 2016 crop of veterans and rookies take the field with fresh faces and the uniforms of new teams, fans and collectors can get a similar rush of excitement by delving into the 2016 Topps Heritage set.

2016 Topps Heritage Mike Trout Clubhouse Collection / Topps

Staying in line with past Topps Heritage releases, this year’s series will keep collectors busy trying to pursue a master set, with 75 short prints, as well as a myriad of image variations to chase down. The design of the base set also has a fine touch of including dual rookie cards of the top young talent that will impact the major leagues in 2016.

Going past the base set and its variations, there are also Flashback inserts paying tribute to significant happenings of the 1967 season, as well as the classic Then and Now inserts that help to merge the stars of 1967 with 2016.

Each box guarantees either one autograph or one relic card. The autograph checklist for this year’s product is rather strong, featuring Real One single, dual, and triple autographed cards, as well as rare cut autographs of deceased players from the 1967 set. The box provided for this review produced a Mike Trout Clubhouse Collection Relic, highlighting a game used jersey from arguably the top young star in the game.

Whether it is the nostalgic design of the 2016 Topps Heritage set, the many layers of their master set, or the desirability of their autographed inserts, this year’s Topps Heritage set proves that if there is one Topps product that you have to put your money on, it’s this one.

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2016 Bowman Chrome gives a fresh look at a September baseball card release

September is one of the most exciting times in the baseball season, as contenders furiously battle for a spot in the playoffs, while second-division teams get a chance to show off their top prospects as rosters expand. Both breathe life into every game of the final season of the month, giving each team the opportunity to write their own final narrative. The release of the 2016 Bowman Chrome baseball card series only adds to the drama of fall baseball, offering collectors the opportunity to chase the prospects that are on the verge of stardom while getting a fresh look at the current stars of the game.

2016 Bowman Chrome / Bowman

Bowman highlights two rising young players on the cover of the 2016 Chrome product, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays and Michael Conforto of the New York Mets. The latter is contributing to the Mets playoff run, while the former had a torrid start to his first minor league season that finished before his 18th birthday. This year’s product came in the form of two mini boxes, each guaranteeing two autographs as part of the 60 cards contained therein.

Unlike its Topps Chrome sister set, Bowman Chrome adds new photos to the players featured in the 2016 Bowman set, while revamping the 100-card condensed base set checklist. A host of new minor leaguers populate the prospects in the set, giving Bowman Chrome a fresh appeal to those who purchased Bowman earlier this year.

2016 Bowman Chrome Kris Bryant Base Card / Bowman

Some fresh eye-catching inserts highlighting the Arizona Fall League All-Stars and an update to the Bowman Scouts Top 100 series allow collectors to find something new to enjoy in this late season release. The box provided for this review yielded one base Chrome Prospect autograph, as well as a green refractor autograph that was limited to a run of 99 cards.

Trayce Thompson Bowman Chrome Green Refractor Autograph / Bowman

While outside of Guerrero Jr. and Gary Sanchez, there aren’t many hot prospects in the set; however, that shouldn’t stop collectors from giving 2016 Bowman Chrome a look. With today’s frontline players captured in new photos on their patented Chrome stock and the chance to catch a sleeper pick in the mix, 2016 Bowman Chrome fits snugly into the theatrics of late season baseball.

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Comedian Ari Shaffir fulfills childhood dream of being on a Topps baseball card

Thumbing through a pack of 2016 Topps Allen and Ginter baseball cards, the tally of superstars read like a who’s who of baseball. Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw, Kris Bryant, Ari Shaffir, Albert Pujols … wait whose organization has a top prospect named Shaffir? A quick flip of the card reveals that Shaffir is not in the set for his mammoth home runs or his unhittable curveball, but for his prowess at making people laugh.

2016 Topps Allen and Ginter Ari Shaffir / Topps

Shaffir is a comedian best known for his Comedy Central series, “This is Not Happening.” Continuing with Topps’ efforts to diversify their Allen and Ginter set, Shaffir’s inclusion in the set represents Topps’ eye for highlighting rising stars. After a recent performance at The Stand in New York City, Shaffir sat down to discuss the experience of being immortalized on a baseball card. The opportunity arose from a recommendation by a fellow comedian who was in last year's set.

“Sal Vulcano had one [2015 Topps Allen and Ginter] and he knew some people [at Topps] so he recommended me,” Shaffir said. “They e-mailed me and I thought it would be cool.”

Shaffir performing at The Stand in NYC / N. Diunte

Growing up, Shaffir collected Topps baseball cards. The hallmark of his collection was an iconic card of Hall of Famer George Brett.

"I was into baseball cards," he said. "I always had Topps when I was little. My favorite was a 1975 George Brett rookie card; it was the center of my collection.”

One of Shaffir’s favorite players growing up was Frank Thomas. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that he would be in the same baseball card set as the Hall of Famer, but with the advent of 2016’s Allen and Ginter set, that dream became a reality.

“I was really into Frank Thomas,” he said. “I followed his career all the way up, from being drafted all the way to the Hall of Fame.”

Part of Shaffir’s inclusion in Topps’ set involved him autographing cards, as well as providing event worn memorabilia for limited edition inserts. He went behind the scenes at Topps' iconic headquarters in New York City to meet with their representatives to fulfill his duties for the set.

“I went to the office in Manhattan and signed a bunch [of cards],” he said. “I ended up giving up my shirt that I wore from my [Comedy Central] special. They gave me a Topps shirt too; it was cool.”

Now that Shaffir has an official baseball card, he is receiving major league treatment from fans. When he recently returned from touring, his mailbox was full with unexpected requests to sign his rookie card.

“I’ve been getting people sending me stuff,” he said. “I got back from two months on the road and I had 6-7 letters waiting in my mailbox. I sign them, ‘S--k it, Love Ari.’”

Shaffir welcomed fans to send him his new card to sign. He offered time-tested advice for making a mail request; send return postage.

“My address is up on my website,” he said. “People can send me some as long as there is a self-addressed stamped envelope; otherwise the card’s never coming back.”

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Can Topps Chrome offer more than a shiny finish on proven product?

Consumers have been traditionally willing to trade in tried and true reliability for the newest shiny gadget on the market, whether it is a car, a phone, or a pair of sneakers. Topps hopes that they can capitalize on collectors’ obsessions to scoop up the latest glistening gadget with the release of the 2016 Topps Chrome set.

2016 Topps Chrome / Topps

Adding a premium touch to the 2016 Topps base set design, Chrome takes the this year’s classic release up a notch with an enhanced stock and a condensed 200-card checklist in an attempt to attract customers to the product.

With only four cards per pack, Topps Chrome aims to have the feel of exclusivity; however, that feeling is quickly lost with the myriad of parallels that includes nine different types of base card refractors. Building a set is a challenge, as collectors would have to dig into three boxes of the product to even have a chance at compiling a set. With the price of boxes hovering around $70, going through $200 of product just to have the chance to collate a set seems like a daunting task, leaving collectors to focus on the bigger hits in 2016 Topps Chrome.

Each hobby box boasts two autographs, with the majority consisting of almost 80 different rookie selections, including the likes of Michael Conforto, Aaron Nola, Kenta Maeda, Corey Seager, and Julio Urias. An intriguing pull is the 2015 Carlos Correa Topps Chrome Autograph, which missed the cut from last year’s product. Collectors lucky enough to pull a dual autograph could wind up with one of Bryce Harper and Mike Trout, or Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber.

While a varied list of autographs, and a smaller set filled with stars and rookies is certainly appetizing, that alone cannot save 2016 Topps Chrome. One thing the hobby needs less of is duplicity, and with what is essentially a chrome finished base card with no change in design, Topps has unfortunately done little to give collectors a reason to chase this one down.

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2016 Topps Bunt making a bridge between traditional and digital collecting

Topps has been searching for ways to connect their digital card platform with traditional physical baseball cards. Their quest for a solution has arrived in the form of 2016 Topps Bunt.

The 200-card set is the perfect format to get multiple generations excited about baseball card collecting, no matter the platform. Imagine a young child and their parents sharing the joy of opening a pack of baseball cards and both teaching each other about the nuances of preserving baseball cards while building a collection that lives at your fingertips on your phone.

Even the players included in the set warrant a bonding experience, as the likes of Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Andrew McCutchen, are right alongside Cal Ripken Jr., Ted Williams, and Willie Mays. While the younger collectors will gush about the accomplishments of their current heroes, the inclusion of the sport’s legends allows for the conversation about the history of the game to continue.

The box provided for this review yielded 36 packs, allowing for a complete 200-card set to be collated with the purchase of one box. A variety of inserts in 2016 Topps Bunt trump the designs of those included with the Opening Day series earlier this year and rival those in the Topps flagship set.

Sampling of 2016 Topps Bunt Insert Card / Topps

The digital component comes in the form of Bunt Loot Packs, which are ten-card redemptions via the Topps Bunt App. Collectors have the opportunity to unlock a bevy of inserts that run in a similar limited fashion as to what one would find in a physical box.

Topps has been integral for the past 65 years in preserving the game through iconic cardboard images, and continues to do so with 2016 Topps Bunt. With a price point of under $30 a box, 2016 Topps Bunt is a fun and inexpensive way to share the joys of collecting and the narrative of the National Pastime no matter whether it is analog or digital.

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2016 Topps Factory Set a worthy display of a time honored tradition

Collectors are going to have to make a little bit more room on their shelves as Topps has released a hobby staple, their 2016 Complete Factory Baseball Card Set. The Hobby set provided for this review came complete with all 700 cards from both series, as well as five-card pack of bonus parallels.

2016 Topps Hobby Complete Factory Set

With their 65th anniversary logo emblazoned on the distinctive red box, the factory set's design features many of the rising starts of Major League Baseball including Kris Bryant, Carlos Correa, Jacob deGrom, Clayton Kershaw, Buster Posey, and Mike Trout. As the factory set continues in a long-standing annual hobby tradition, it makes for a wonderful acquisition to any collection and displays nicely whether it is sealed, or opened to put in binder pages to review for years to come.

2016 Topps Factory Set Foil Parallel

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Topps Tier One looking to find a fit in collectors' hands

Topps Tier One Baseball continues in the line of Topps' guaranteed hit products. Boasting two autographs and one relic card inside each neatly packed box, collectors know what they’re getting before they peel away the tightly sealed plastic.

2016 Topps Tier One Box / Topps

While the neatly secured foil wrapper tried to veil the hidden treasures that followed, the suspense was tempered by the guarantee of the contents of the three cards inside. With the advent of products like Tier One, the idea of the hunt has been significantly altered.

For some collectors, Tier One plays right into their collecting desires, as they do not have to wade through packs of base set cards to find their cherished autographed or memorabilia cards. This convenience however comes at a price, with retail boxes going for $90. Unfortunately, as a majority of the autographs selling on the secondary market for $10 each, buyers are going to be hard pressed to find value in this product unless they happen upon a 1/1 cut signature, or dual autographs such as Hank Aaron and Mike Trout, or Sandy Koufax and Clayton Kershaw.

The yield for this box was disappointing, with the Andres Galarraga autograph pictured below as the lone highlight of the three cards. Instead of Topps attempting to lure customers with guaranteed hit products, they could be better served by adding these autographs and jerseys to the staples of their product line.

2016 Topps Tier One Andres Galarrage / Topps

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2016 Topps Series 2 is a perfect bridge to the pennant race for collectors

As we head into the second half of the 2016 baseball season, Topps gives fans another reason to stay excited with the release of their 2016 Topps Series 2 Baseball Card set. Filling in the gaps from Series 1 which debuted right at the start of the baseball season, Series 2 baseball is the perfect bridge to the pennant race for collectors.

2016 Topps Baseball Series 2 / Topps

The 350-card base set includes rookie cards of Kenta Maeda and Max Kepler, emerging stars in Carlos Correa and Jurickson Profar, as well as established veterans Alex Rodriguez and Ichiro. The Japanese legend is also featured in an insert set chronicling his chase to 3,000 hits, making it a complimentary piece as he inches closer to one of baseball’s vaunted milestones.

Ichiro Chasing 3K Set / Topps

Fans of Series 1 will find familiar insert sets in the Rainbow Foil and Gold Parallels, a second series of Berger’s Best, and an additional 25-card tribute to the highlights at Wrigley Field. For those chasing autographs, they come in the form of the prospect based Scouting Report set, the Glove Leather Autographs set which features a mix of prospects, veterans, and retired stars — for those looking for their Chicago Cubs fix, significant franchise members signed cards as part of  the 100 Years at Wrigley Field set.

Carl Edwards Jr. Scouting Report Autograph / Topps

The box provided for this review yielded almost a complete set, filling 320 of the 350 cards on the checklist. Each pack in the box contained an insert, including a Scouting Reports autograph, six Gold parallels, three Rainbow Foil cards, and one short printed card. At $60 per box, Topps’ main issue remains a good value for collectors seeking to keep up with Topps’ innovative design and add to the 65-year tradition of building a complete Topps baseball card set.

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Review - 2016 Topps Archives Baseball: A fresh look on a vintage product

The instant gratification of opening a pack of baseball cards has never been more apparent than with the experience that comes along with Topps’ 2016 Archives Baseball series. Fancied in the molds of the 1953, 1979, and 1991 Topps releases, Archives beautifully blends the stars of today with the designs of yesteryear to create an even fresher look for 2016.

2016 Topps Archives / Topps

Click here to read an in depth review of the 2016 Topps Archives Baseball series.

 

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2016 Topps Gypsy Queen and Museum Collection keep things hot for collectors

Now that the obligatory release of the 2016 Topps Baseball set is in the rearview mirror, the famed baseball company has opened up the season with two products that are primed to set the table of any collector’s lineup. The 2016 Topps Gypsy Queen and Museum Collection sets are next on deck in Topps’ expanding baseball card line.

This year’s Gypsy Queen set blends a classic retro portrait design with the clarity of modern card manufacturing to create a truly wide appealing collectible. With exciting action shots frozen in time by the masterfully painted canvases, the cards make for a journey worth pursuing. The 350-card checklist gives a nod to the past by honoring almost 50 Hall of Famers with a dazzling subset of short prints, while all the major stars and rookies are covered in the base set.

The box provided for this review provided an array of inserts including two autographed cards and two relic cards. In addition to the two dozen mini cards that were randomly inserted into the packs, the box also yielded a pack of 10 parallel mini cards, which are part of a more limited set of 100 mini cards.

2016 Museum Collection (l.) & 2016 Gypsy Queen (r.) / Topps

For collectors seeking a fancier indulgence, the 2016 Topps Museum Collection will satisfy their hunger. Each four pack box boasts one on-card autograph, one autographed relic, one quad relic, and one prime relic.

The thick glossy design of the Museum Collection cards are similar to Topps’ other high-end products, giving collectors a heavier feel that a premium product deserves. Each of the relic inserts that came in the box had vibrant patches that equally highlighted the relic and the player featured on the card. Especially attractive was the quad relic card that came in the box, featuring four prominent players from the same organization with a mix of bat and jersey pieces.

As collectors dig deeper into Topps’ releases during the baseball season, both the 2016 Gypsy Queen and Museum Collection products are worthy of a look. Whether it is a collector searching for a set oriented product in Gypsy Queen, or a guaranteed-hit product like Museum Collection, both issues offer satisfying returns for the purchase.

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Start the 2016 baseball season with Topps Opening Day

As fans turn their attention from watching prospects and non-roster invitees compete during Grapefruit League games to the performance of their favorite team’s franchise players, the Topps Company celebrates the journey into the 2016 season with the release of their Opening Day product.

2016 Topps Opening Day Baseball / Topps

The 2016 Topps Opening Day Baseball set is a perfect complement to the excitement surrounding the calls of the umpires summoning the major leaguers to play ball. Topps brings back a fun simplicity to collecting by making it easy for fans to compile an entire set by purchasing a box of cards.

Click here to read more in depth about Topps' 2016 Opening Day Baseball card set.

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