Friday, June 7, 2013

2013 Topps Update Series Sell Sheets are Live!!! And Have Been for Some Time!!!

Because I was so far behind with the Random Card of the Day posts (due to poor planning ahead on my part), in my rush to catch up, I had little to no time (or energy) to post these images when they first came out a couple of weeks ago. For consistency's sake, I am posting these now. For those who have been bombarded with previews, or for those who have been busy getting every pack of Topps Archives you can find, let me (finally) announce that for quite some time now...

the 2013 Topps Update Series sell sheets are now live!!!








Once again, the Update Series will consist of 330 cards. There is no breakdown (seems to be a disturbing trend from Topps lately that they don't provide one. I guess it's to soften the blow of the "subject to change deal.") as in previous years, but you can expect the same number of cards reserved for the following subsets:
  • 330 cards, 86 of them are accounted for based on the preliminary checklist (subject to change, of course). Sad that players like Joba Chamberlain, Mitchell Boggs, and James Russell, all relievers, have been skipped over in the eponymous set and are relegated to appear in the update set?
  • 10 "Rookie Debut" cards featuring ten rookies and what they did in his major league debut.
  • 8 Home Run Derby participants (TBD of course)
  • 5 Record Breakers/Checklists
  • 60 All-Stars (not necessarily the ones on the active roster, as we've seen in previous years).
The problem here is that unless MLB plans on increasing or decreasing the number of players on each roster, there will be 68 All-Stars on both rosters. Eight guys, possibly more, will be missing in this subset. That's misleading and not "EVERY" one will be included.

There is no checklist on which legends will appear as variations to the regular set , but I get a sinking feeling that the theme of SP cards of current players making some kind of spectacular catch or play will make their appearance here as well.

The usual rainbow of parallels make their continued run here for those who have been actively collecting them: Gold, Pink, Camo, Green, Black, Platinum, Red (Target), Blue (Walmart) Purple (Toys R Us), the printing plates, the silk collection, and to throw everybody for a loop, there will be SAPPHIRE FOIL (blue) parallel cards for all 990 cards (including series 1 and 2) that will be included in packs of Update Series. Yay!!!

The Chasing History continuity insert series concludes in Update. The set of mini cards honoring 1972 Topps cards will NOT continue in this product. It turns out that after you collect your cards from series 2, that's it. It's done. In it's place, however, will be mini cards honoring the 1971 Topps set (those wonderful black bordered beauties). Personally, I think that Topps should have just finished of the 1972 set here and use 1971 next year. But that's just me, and that's why I don't work for Topps. Three new insert sets make their debut here as well: Making their Mark (futue stars), Postseason Heroes (celebrating players and their heroic feats during the playoffs), and Franchise Forerunners (think of the Legendary Lineage and Timeless Talents insert cards from the last two years and you get the idea). The 2013 set will also feature autos and relics from the All-Star Game. And all the insert sets mentioned in this paragraph will have autos and relics to boot.

A preliminary checklist can be found here, but as repeated constantly (I can't stress it enough), it is always subject to change.

Bring on November!!!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

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