2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Baseball Review | Autographs, Checklist, Box Break

Topps returns one of its popular guaranteed hit products with 2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Baseball. The encased acetate cards were a big hit in 2018 when Ronald Acuña Jr. graced the cover. This year’s release leans heavily on the 2019 Topps design, bringing a familiar element for collectors.

2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Baseball / Topps

2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Baseball Checklist

This year’s Clearly Authentic set is filled with over 20 rookie autographs including favorites Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., as well as Washington Nationals second year phenom Juan Soto. The base version serial-numbered parallels include: Green #/99, Black #/75, Red #/50, Blue #/25, Purple #/10, Orange #/5, and Gold 1/1.

Collectors with a lucky touch will find a batch of Hall of Famers within its 150 Years of Professional Baseball subset, as well All-Stars Don Mattingly and Darryl Strawberry set in the iconic versions of their 1984 Topps cards. To further bridge Topps’ historical releases, superstars and Hall of Famers are abundant in the attractive 1952 Reimagining and mini T-206 sets.

Click here for the entire 2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Baseball checklist.

2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Box Break and Final Thoughts

The box provided for this review drew a Justus Sheffield red base autograph #/50. The see-through back on the acetate cards gives his signed rookie a distinct display compared to other Topps issues.

2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Justus Sheffield Red Rookie Auto / Topps

With box prices currently hovering around $50, the opportunity to score a uniquely designed Hank Aaron, Derek Jeter, Mike Trout, or Pete Alonso signed card makes 2019 Topps Clearly Authentic  Baseball tough to pass up.

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Baseball Happenings Podcast | Author Eric Moskowitz On The New World Of Baseball Card Collecting

Eric Moskowitz, author of the recent Atlantic piece, "How Baseball Cards Got Weird," joined the Baseball Happenings Podcast to discuss his venture into the new waters of collecting baseball cards online.

During the interview, Moskowitz explains how during his research he caught the collecting bug through watching online breaks, and eventually found a community through their chat rooms that has substituted for a lack of local card shops.

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George Foster and the 1977 Reds: The Rise of a Slugger and the End of an Era | Book Review

The Cincinnati Reds started the 1977 baseball season fresh off a repeat World Series victory that included an entire postseason sweep. Despite this incredible feat, opposing lineups no longer viewed the Big Red Machine as invincible. The Reds traded Tony Perez to the Montreal Expos, and for the first time since 1964, their lineup was missing their RBI juggernaut.

George Foster and the 1977 Reds / McFarland Publishing

Author Mike Shannon dives into how the Reds tried to continue their dynasty with his new book, “George Foster and the 1977 Reds: The Rise of a Slugger and the End of an Era” (McFarland, 2019). As the Reds put Perez’s replacement on Dan Driessen’s shoulders, power-hitting outfielder George Foster swooped in with an MVP performance that took the baseball world by storm.

Shannon documents the Reds entire 1977 season from the first pitch to the final out. Each development is chronologically inspected by revisiting volumes of books and newspapers to recreate how manager Sparky Anderson navigated their run at a trifecta. With the Reds staring at a losing record at the end of May, Anderson faced the press questioning if his squad was still a contender.

The Reds made a play for the pennant when they acquired Tom Seaver from the New York Mets on June 15, 1977. Not even his 14-3 record and Foster’s legendary 52-home-run performance could put the Reds any closer than 6.5 games from the runaway Los Angeles Dodgers.

"George Foster and the 1977 Reds" highlights a pivotal time in Reds franchise history, as 1977 represented the crumbling of the Big Red Machine. It marked the start of a downward spiral that the Reds never recovered from until their 1990 World Series victory.

Readers may find his look at the season too academic at times, as it suffers from an overload of game recaps that clutter the story. With a majority of the 1977 team still alive, "George Foster and the 1977 Reds" would have benefited from surviving player anecdotes. These first-person narratives would have been a valuable color commentary supplement to Shannon's play-by-play. Nonetheless, die-hard Reds fans will enjoy Shannon giving Foster his due and illustrating how much the club missed Perez’s presence despite Driessen’s valiant .300 performance at the plate.

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2019 Topps Archives Baseball Review | Designs, Autographs, Inserts, Checklist

Topps adds a new school twist to a vintage tradition with 2019 Topps Archives Baseball. The retro-designed release frames both modern and classic players in three popular sets. The site of retired players in different poses on their original releases, as well as the current stars in past designs, makes opening 2019 Topps Archives an exciting trip down memory lane.

2019 Topps Archives Baseball Base Set and Designs

The 300-card base set is divided into three 100-card series. This year’s release highlights the 1958 Topps, 1975 Topps, and 1993 Topps sets, with the star being the 1975 Topps cards. Pulling a Nolan Ryan, Thurman Munson, or Tony Perez gives collectors the experience of opening a 1975 Topps pack, while current darlings Shohei Ohtani, Jacob deGrom, and Bryce Harper fit smoothly in the cherished 1975 design.

Cards 1-100

Cards 101-200

Cards 201-300

Collectors will also need to turn the base cards over, as parallels are stamped on the back with their serial numbers. These come in four variations: Purple #/175, Silver #/99, Blue #/25 (Hobby), and Gold 1/1.

The 30 short-prints in the set (301-330) contain three old school elements in their designs. Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero's inclusion in the high numbered cards will keep collectors on the hunt throughout the offseason. Click here for the entire checklist.

2019 Topps Archives Baseball Inserts

Topps digs deeper into past releases for the 2019 Topps Archives Baseball inserts. An entire set is devoted to the Montreal Expos' 50th anniversary. Other inserts include a Topps Magazine insert set, a prospect filled 1994 Topps Future Stars set, and a 1975 Topps themed mini insert set. Additionally, Topps celebrates Ichiro’s final season with a 16-card insert set chronicling his storied career.

2019 Topps Archives Baseball Autographs

Fans will give a long look at two Topps Archives Baseball autographs sets. The classic Fan Favorites autographs are filled with surprises from oddities such as legendary surgeon Dr. James Andrews and New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, to local favorites Cookie Rojas, Fred Stanley, and Kevin Tapani, as well as heroes Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax, and Tony Oliva.

The Montreal Expos tribute features Andre Dawson, Bartolo Colon, Maury Willis, Tim Raines, and Vladimir Guerrero autographs as part of the 21 signers in the set. With a renewed interest to revive baseball in Montreal, collectors will get a strong nostalgia taste with these signers.

Other autograph sets include 1978 Topps Record Breakers, 1994 Topps Future Stars, Topps Magazine, and the Ichiro retrospectives.

The box Topps provided for this review yielded a Steve Sax Fan Favorites and a redemption card for an Ozzie Albies autograph.

2019 Topps Archives Box Break and Final Thoughts

Topps’ lighthearted approach to 2019 Topps Archives Baseball has done well in the hobby. The classic sets have a modern feel that gives 2019 Topps Archives Baseball a pleasant touch for both new and old collectors. At 330 cards, this set's size is just right for collectors to pursue as the postseason develops.

Check our box break video below to get the full experience of opening a box of 2019 Topps Archives Baseball. Click here to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball Review | Autographs, Box Break, Checklist, Book Cards

Baseball card collectors in search of a high-end product will certainly gravitate towards 2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball. A truly premium release, each box holds one encased on-card autograph or autographed relic numbered to 15 or less.

2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball / Topps

2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball Autographs

Most of the on-card 2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball autographs come from three variations: Hit Kings, Home Run Kings, and Masters of the Mound. All three have colored parallels, Red #/10, Blue #/5, Black 1/1. The first two sets (Hit Kings and Home Run Kings) are dedicated to the top batsmen in baseball and include a powerful mix of the new (Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, Ronald Acuña Jr.), and the old (Hank Aaron, Ken Griffey Jr., Reggie Jackson). The pitchers are well represented in the Masters of the Mound set with Bob Gibson, Jacob deGrom, Mariano Rivera, and Sandy Koufax.

Click here for the complete checklist.

2019 Topps Luminaries Home Run Kings / Topps

2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball Relic Autographs

Collectors can draw relics from The Hit Kings, Home Run Kings, and Masters of the Mound sets. Each have Blue #/10 and Black 1/1 parallels. Their patch versions are either #/15 or have a Black 1/1 parallel.

2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball Book Autographs

2019 Topps Luminaries Mike Trout Book / Topps

Where 2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball has stepped up from last year's release with their autographed book cards. These 1/1 book cards are a solidly constructed and designed collectible that comes in single, dual, and triple book versions. Those with a hand of gold will be the fortunate recipients of an Ultimate and Greatest Book cards, which has between 30-50 autographs.

2019 Topps Luminaries Cut Autographs

Do autographs from Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby, and Satchel Paige sound enticing? They are a prominent sampling of the legends included in the 2019 Topps Luminaries Cut Autographs. Topps dug in the vaults to provide collectors with the opportunity to add iconic cut signatures to their wares with this set, adding a tantalizing incentive for the product’s $200 price tag.

2019 Topps Luminaries Box Break Video

In our box break video below, you can get a good look at 2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball's artful packaging and our Home Run Kings autograph that came with it. Click here to subscribe to our YouTube channel for further box breaks and interviews.

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