2011 Topps Factory Set Sell Sheets are Live!!!

The sell sheets for this year's Topps Baseball Factory Sets are now live. Please take a look and see what is in store for 2011:

My comments:

Notice something missing???  That's right!!!  No mention of team sets!!!  Does this mean that they are doing away with the annual Yankees, Red Sox, and token other team-specific factory sets?  Or will Topps manage to get a separate sell sheet going announcing that there will be a factory set for ALL 30 TEAMS??!
Card #500, the most hallowed numbers in a Topps set, has been awarded to Kevin Youkilis.  Deserving of the honor???  For me, I think it could have gone to somebody better.  What do you think?

Instead of a bonus five pack of rookies (probably saving them for the Holiday set), once again Topps will include a five-pack of red parallel cards. Now, I don't know how many of these factory sets were opened (I have yet to see someone with a full 660-card...or 661-card set if Topps' wonder boy, Stephen Strasburg, get a card here too?), but I'm pretty sure many of these red bordered beauties did not see the light of day.

As always, the checklists are all subject to change. Happy Hunting!!!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Topps Website Now Up to 2011 Standards.

It has been..oh...almost nine years since Topps updated their website (or so it seemed).  Information was never updated, checklists were a hassle to read, and did I mention that information or content was never updated???

Even the Topps Message Boards, the first message boards I joined when I had Internet access, was becoming a problem.  Over the years, the "New Message Boards" had become infested with spammers and many of the locals (like me) were getting sick of them.  I even posted my displeasure to Mr. Mike Mader, the guy that had just been named Topps' Social Media guru.  He mentioned that sooner or later, that the Topps Message Boards, "in their current form, will most certainly be eliminated."  And at the beginning of March, there was no longer a Topps Message Board.  The links to the TMB would send you over to the eTopps Message Boards, which was an entirely different society in their own right.  Now, I joined the eTopps site just to see what was going on but I never posted.  The few hardcore TMB'rs have signed on to eTopps' boards, and are starting to get used to the place.  Sadly, I won't be one of them.  Good luck to you fellas, and as "Keep on Trading."

Which leads me to today's revelation.  I sent my e-mail to Mr. Mader almost a year ago, and even then, he said the site was going to go through a "major redesign."  Almost a year after he responded to my e-mails, Topps website has been relaunched.  And the changes are staggering!!!

From checklists that feature all of Topps' base cards from 1952 to now (still a work in progress) that even shows scans of said cards, to backgrounds that are appropriate to the site content (Topps Attax' page shows...Topps Attax in the background for example).  Links to ToppsTown, the Diamond Giveaway, are easy to find.   

And to show that the TMB is no longer available, there is no link that directs you to a "community."  You'd have to access eTopps.com to get to the message boards.  Now Mader did say that the Topps Facebook pages, whether it be Topps' main FB page or Topps Cards FB page, can serve as a message board of sorts.  And yes, people have placed their comments on there (and on twitter as well), so Topps now reaches a lot more people now than ever before.

But overall, the site looks fantastic.  Congrats to Mike Mader and company on a job well done.  I'm going to enjoy visiting the site and playing around with the checklists (when they're finished of course). 

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Video Trading Cards...The Future? Should Topps Consider Making Their Own?

(Warning:  This is going to be one of the few, if ever, times that I include pictures of cards from other sports, or for that matter, the other card companies.  I apologize for the inconvenience.)

The latest buzz in the last two months was what was revealed at the Hobby summit in Las Vegas.  To wit, the fact that the other two card companies (specifically, Panini and Upper Deck) are now battling it out over what both feel will be the latest innovation to inject interest into our Hobby.  Now if you recall, UD said that they were going to make this huge announcement about their latest idea, one that was to shake the Hobby to its core, in April.  However, at the Las Vegas show, Panini pitched what seemed to be UD's secret to the attendees.

You see, Panini introduced the concept of video trading cards at the show and that it going to make an appearance in their basketball products.  When this was going to happen, however, was not yet announced.





With Panini's news out in the open, UD decided to release their secret earlier than their original April 12 date.  The secret?  That they were going to come out with video trading cards and that they will first arrive with their Football products (UD Football).




Now, it has been a few weeks since the dual announcements were made.  And there has been a lot of response to the news.  A number has been positive, but a lot more have been negative.  A gimmick, some say.  "Why would I want to spend money on that?" ask others.  "What happens when the batteries die?" ask more.  "If I wanted to watch highlights, I'd go to my phone."  All of these sentiments have been posted in message boards and blogs since this first came out.  Why the negativity though? 

Innovation is what is needed to make this hobby relevant again.  And I agree with the sentiment that at least somebody is trying (even if it isn't my favorite card company...yet).  We all want something new, and now that it's being offered, the collectors are complaining???  Aren't the ideas of video cards at least worth a look?

Now the argument that UD had was that at least they (UD) have the products ready.  It only appeared that Panini only had a concept.  And yes, based on the original picture, it looked like that was all it was.  A concept.  At least UD had pictures at the ready of what should be the final product.

Well that was until earlier this week when Blake Griffin of the LA Clippers, and Panini's new spokesperson, showed off what appears to be an actual working model of the card to the boys and girls at The Number One Source in the Hobby.  And unlike UD's cards (which looks like a very thick booklet), Panini's video card looks like an actual card.  Yes, it appears to be as thick as some of the thicker patch cards, but it looks more like a card than what UD showed.





Granted, I don't collect either companies' products.  Nor are either licensed by MLBP.  But while I don't collect either football or basketball cards, it does not mean that I don't watch them (wow, a triple negative...).  But if I were really interested in getting my hands on a video card, I would have to choose Panini's, based on the pictures above.  And this isn't because I don't like UD or anything like that.  But it's because what Panini has looks more like an actual card than UD's. 

I do have my qualms about these kinds of cards though.  What will happen when the battery or power source expires?  Can they be replaced?  Should they be?  What happens when the display cracks (and that can happen)?  It's a quandary for sure.

Which brings my attention to the company I support. 

What are you doing, Topps?  Are you going to pursue the idea of video cards?  Is it worth doing for MLB?  What products would you include them in?  How would you include them (as inserts, a box topper)?  Are you waiting for collector's reaction when these products come live to make your decision?

I don't think that these video trading cards will ever replace the printed cards.  But they do bring something new to the hobby that has never been done before.  Let's hold off judgment until these cards make it to market.  Then we can decide if it's a good thing for the Hobby, or the biggest bust ever.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2011 Topps Gypsy Queen Sketch Card Relics...Where is Pujols Running Towards???

The other day, the Number One Source in the Hobby provided pictures of all 24 Gypsy Queen Sketch Card Relics that are being inserted into packs of the new Gypsy Queen product. This is the first time that sketch cards and relics have been combined.  And they are all of one-of-a-kind.

Now normally, I don't go for relics, especially one of ones, but reading the comments on this one, I thought I'd bring this to people's attention (if they haven't already noticed it).


Above is the card of Albert Pujols.Note that the number on his uniform has a 4 on it. Yes, Albert's Cardinal number is 5, but according to Monty Sheldon, the man that drew all 24 cards, and confirmed by Chris Olds, the picture was taken during the Jackie Robinson Day where EVERY player wore #42.

So, okay, that makes sense. But check the background of the card. It's not the stands of a imagined ballpark that is way off in the distance. What does that say off in the distance???

In case the picture somehow doesn't appear when viewing, it looks like three "$" and the word "bank" below it. I wonder what that means?

Mr. Sheldon went on record in the article indicating that he, "...thought people would be talking more about the fact that I painted Pujols running towards the "$$$ bank" in the background than about his uniform #. "

I guess that even though it was for copyright reasons that Monty had to follow the picture of Albert to the letter (or number as the case may be), he was able to take some artistic liberties in the drawing of the background.  Just wait until some lucky fan pulls this card from a pack.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2011 Topps Lineage...A Tribute to Inserts from Years Past

Word comes out from the Number One Source in the Hobby about a new product coming in August, 2011 from Topps that, if preview images are to be believed, will pay homage to a number of the "unusual" products that Topps has either inserted in regular packs of Topps over the years, or created as a seperate product entirely during the course of their 60 Year reign as Kings of the Baseball Card World. Introducing 2011 Topps Lineage.

A 200 card base set featuring past and present day players, including a 10 card subset of players selected to an All-Time Rookies team (preview images show Cal Ripken as part of this subset). Could this answer the question of who actually won the voting from 2008 for the All-Time Rookie Team? But it is the inserts that will be included in this set that are at the heart of this set, hence being called "Lineage". To wit, some of the insert sets (the ones announced anyway) include:

• Topps 3D cards (from 1968) Topps Cloth Stickers (1972, and other years)


• Topps Venezuelan (Spanish variations)


• Topps Rookies (the insert cards found in blister packs during the 80's and early 90's)


• Topps Stand-Ups (from 1964)


• Tributes to the 1975 Minis, and the 2011 Diamond, Platinum Diamond, and Canary Diamond cards are used for parallel sets for this product.

Autographed cards will be either reprint cards from Topps' 60 Years history, or based on the 1952 design (and that continuity autograph set with congrats from players will be included here as well). Relic cards honor the 1964 Topps Giants set (box-toppers) as well as 1975 Topps Mini set.

As soon as images of the sell sheet appear (found another website that has them), I'll post them here. It sounds like an interesting set to collect, especially if you were collecting the oddball Topps sets in the 60's and 70's.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

A Quick Post While I'm On the Road...

I've been to three card shops in the last two days (one store wasn't even open...go figure) looking for the Topps Scavenger Hunt Poster and at least 5 or six of those 15-pocket pages for the tobacco cards (in my case, for the Kimball's Champion cards).

If you, or someone you know, have any spare sheets, or the poster, or even a set of the 25 cards being given out by the HTA stores, please e-mail me at bdj610@hotmail.com orr leave a comment here. A trade list will be forthcoming when I have time at home.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Okay Blog Writers, Cough Up Some Money If You Want to Stay on the Blogroll!!!

I'm really low on funds.


I need money if I want to keep up with this crazy Hobby of ours.


I have skipped paying my bills so I can pay for my cards, and now my choices have come back to haunt me.


I will admit it.


I'm broke.


So how am I going to make some extra money??? I know.


There are 302 blogs in the Sports Card Blogroll going into April. That's 302 people that have gotten free publicity from my blogroll. Yes, I said that people can use the Blogroll, but I didn't expect it to grow the way it has. These guys are getting traffic from MY SITE. And I want to be compensated.


That's it.


Starting right now...every blog on the blogroll has to pay me $10.00 a month to stay on the blogroll. Ten dollars a month isn't too much to ask. I deserve remuneration for having your precious blogs on MY BLOGROLL!!!

And I know who gets the most traffic from my site...I check these things all the time. I will e-mail those people and they will have to pay me extra if they want to keep their high ratings. And if you send me a bit more money, I might just give your blog more exposure on the roll.


Overall, I'm tired of being stepped on here. You all OWE ME!!! AND YOU WILL ALL PAY!!! AND YOU WILL...


Yeah right...Happy April Fools' Day everybody!!!


Sincerely,


JayBee Anama