So, I’m going to start doing a section called “Product Spotlight” as often as possible.  I’ll try to do at least one a week.  I’m going to put the product on special for a few days when I do the product spotlight.  Today the product is 2008 Upper Deck SP Rookie Threads Football.  This is one of the better products I have.  It’s absolutely loaded.  The only downside at all is that the redemption cards are expired.  Fortunately, there aren’t a ton of redemptions in this.

This product has a TON of hits in each box.  There are at least 12 hits in every box.  The thing I love about this product is the ease to get a good rookie hit.  There are SO MANY good rookies from 2008.  Here’s a list of some of the better ones:

Matt Ryan

Joe Flacco

Darren McFadden

Matt Forte

Chris Johnson

Rashard Mendenhall

Felix Jones

Dwayne Bowe

Jonathan Stewart

Dustin Keller

Jordy Nelson

Eddie Royal

Jerome Simpson

DeSean Jackson

Ray Rice

Chad Henne

Jamaal Charles

Early Doucet

Harry Douglas

Jermichael Finley

Mario Manningham

Andre Caldwell

Tashard Choice

Ryan Torain

Tim Hightower

Josh Morgan

Steve Johnson

Peyton Hillis

Davone Bess

Danny Amendola

BenJarvus Green-Ellis

Danny Woodhead

Mike Tolbert

Now, all of these guys aren’t in every product.  I know that some of those guys like Peyton Hillis, Steve Johnson, Danny Amendola, Jermichael Finley and Ryan Torain are not in this product.  However, obviously guys like C. Johnson, Flacco, Ryan, McFadden, Rice, D. Jackson, F. Jones, Stewart, Forte & Mendenhall are all in there.

As I mentioned before, a great thing about this product is that it’s super easy to hit some of the good rookie autographs.  Take a look at this video box break that has a Ray Rice Patch, DeSean Jackson Dual Jersey, Chris Long/Jake Long Dual Auto, Darren McFadden Dual Jersey, Eddie Royal Jumbo Jersey and a Chris Johnson Letter Auto.

http://youtu.be/HtpXKF6THa8

So, that shows you that it’s pretty easy to get nice hits of all the good rookies.  Here are some pictures of cards from this product that are currently on eBay:

Check out all the stuff on eBay for SP Rookie Threads by clicking on any of the pictures.  As you can see, there is some very cool stuff in this product.  

You get 2 of the Letterman autographs per box.  Those are all numbered very low.  The neat thing too is that there is some veteran content.  So, it’s not all rookies.  This box is an extremely fun rip and you get a ton of stuff.  Combine that with the super strong rookie class and it’s a winner.  Not to mention the fact that it’s on sale for $139.99 and original factory cost was $202.50.  So, that’s not bad at all.  Anyway, check it out if you have a chance.

Josh

Incoming search terms:

• 2008 Upper Deck SP Rookie Threads Football Box
• desean jackson 08 sp letterman o
• 2008 09 upper deck rookie threads
• 2008 sp rookie threads 4 auto
• 2008 upper deck sp rookie threads football cards
• Rashard Mendenhall Rookie SP Upper Deck LETTERMAN
• sp rookie letterman upper deck rookie threads chris johnson

“Again?” (The writer’s commentary version)

Jamie’s follow ups are in green, Josh is in Red)

Part 1 – “Writing on no sleep brings out a tad of sarcasm and attempted humor”

Dear Topps….

I am a loyal customer of yours named James Kennedy.  I have been with you since I was 5 years old.  25+ years later, and I have  treasured our relationship.  I still do.  But Topps, you are raking my eyes like a Ric Flair thumb to the eye….Here is a snapshot of your site after I typed in my Chrome exchange card numbers.  “Exchange card numbers”….How f-ed up is it to even have to say all those words:

Topps’ man in the suit extolls:  “Exchange redemption card…. randomly inserted…. sometimes, at an equal rate…. sometimes, but were not telling even if that’s not the case, although the redemption exchanges WON’T be what you get…..Silly collectors……..time for a wrapper redemption throwing party!”  Their PR rivals Casey Anthony’s. (Too soon?)

That aside though…..and I have to admit this is easily…..EASILY the best non-draft picks set to come out in ages.  (Ages.  That makes me feel old)  The break was awesome but it didnt lull for more than 2 packs in a row.  Amazing.  Parallels were added- not untastefully- led by the dreamy (OK Lorraine McFly) “Sepia Tone” refractors /99.  I dunno what Sepia Tone is but I know it makes a cool looking insert.  Half black.  Half white.  Ebony and Ivory.  Flavor Flav and Bridgette Nielsen.  Magic Johnson and any white woman.  They just go together. (At this point, I was exhausted!)

So, Topps, let me get this straight.  You release the product this week.  I CLEARLY bought it AFTER the release.  For the third time in 3 products, not only do you keep people waiting forever like a baseball card DMV, now you decided, “We can’t get a half-retarded kid to type in 10 letter/number codes at some time prior to release.  My God- it feels like you repeatedly slap me in the face.  And hit me in the nether regions.  And decide that the “nether regions” will preside over all our worlds like it did when me and Jim Hellwig (The Ultimate warrior to you peons) (Not peons, I meant to say “Ham ‘N Eggers, a Bobby Heenan term), visited “Parts Unknown” ten years ago.  In fact, on the way there we opened a Bowman Box.  Those were the days. 

From Topps’ website:

Now my account is frozen.  Because they didn’t put the codes in yet.  But that’s just the start of it…..

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Part 2- “The Morning After Pill”

I pulled this yesterday.  Thought I had a GOLD MINE. (I hope I don’t sound greedy.  I am still thrilled with the pull) Doesn’t that say “a set?”  You bet.  Is that what I’m getting?  Of course not.   Only because the half retarded kid ALSO works in the “allotment department.”  (AKA- the “We Can’t Count Guy,”and  “Guy who doesn’t type in combos of numbers and letters of exchange cards prior to release.”)  Now, I am too am retarded, so I mean no harm, but c’mon guys.

My favorite blog, ToppsArchives, said this yesterday regarding the CLASSLESS move by Topps on a repeat basis:

Due to the anger produced by recent news, it wouldn’t be fair to write a review for 2011 Topps Chrome Baseball. Instead of writing a review, I’ll just look at the 2011 Topps Chrome Baseball Checklist; specifically, the autograph checklist.

Anyway, Topps doesn’t deserve any credit the way they playbait and switch (as Josh explained, no bait and switch here.  But frustration on the card misprint.  The controversy revolved around the sell sheet), but I gotta tell you this set is outright awesome.  Top autographs of Mike Pineda, Zach Britton, the enormously priced Craig Kimbrel, the low-priced for some reason Alexi Ogando, Brandon Beachy, Julio Teheran, Eric Hosmer, Freddie Freeman, and Brandon Belt consist of the best checklist for a Topps product in years.  But ASC owner Josh posted yesterday this disturbing news:

Topps is clarifying that the redemption card in the just-released 2011 Topps Chrome Baseball stating “ You have just received a set of 2011 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Autograph Cards” is good for either a 5 or 6 card pack of USA Autographs and not all 22 subjects. (There are 2 types of redemption cards: 1 is for USA autographs, the other for non-auto USA guys….This is what the sell sheet said about the auto cards, which I confused as you’ll see….

(Sell Sheet Quote)

USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Autographs:

Collectors can look for randomly inserted redemption cards. Each card can be redeemed for a pack containing five autograph variation cards from 2011 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team members. Twenty autograph subjects in all. (22 subjects ended up on checklist)

This is what it said about EXCH cards for the NON auto USA cards:

USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Set:

Collectors can look for randomly inserted redemption cards. Each card can be redeemed for a set of 2011 USA Baseball National Collegiate Team members. numbered USA1-USA20. (I confused this with the distribution of the AUTO USA cards, which will yield just 5 autos, as this EXCH card is good for all 22 NON AUTOs)

Two things stick out here:

1) Another bait and switch by Topps on a product (My mistake)

2) The fact that the owner of an enormous marketplace is putting more emphasis on educating customers than ignoring the snafu and leaving clientele in the dark.  Its people like Josh that can change this “firestorm” as its been said.  And remember, I am NOT an employee of Atlanta Sports Cards, so I have no stake in giving the owner high praise or not.  (I do get employee discounts though.  Sometimes, its better than actual money. Mmmmmm.)  Josh Pankow, who is one of the most respected players in this industry has taken this no holds barred approach.  And his two serious competetors, or any other big wax dealer for that matter, would NEVER do that.  Too scared.  (Love this part.  Josh is the John Morrison of the Hobby)

Josh and I will spend the whole morning on the phone some days and talk Hobby.  Its some of the best banter I’ve ever been involved in.  We’ve discussed how much Topps really cares about their customers.  And we’re both beginning to wonder how much they really do. Examples from last 18 mos:

• 2010 Bowman Stephen Strasburg redmptions that took forever
• A press release the day Gypsy Queen dropped saying the 2-auto per box promise was a lie- it was 1 auto.
• A press release the day 2010 Bowman Chrome dropped saying there ould be no BRYCE HARPER autographs (whoops, huh?) Everyone is still bitter about this one
• No press release on the now inamous 2011 Bowman Platinum set that has since tanked about how the patches were mostly worth under $5, and that the stars had been crossed off the checklist- the one INSIDE THE BOX.
• The USA debacle in 2011 Topps Chrome. (Josh put it better.  Not a debacle, but a snafu, for sure)

*******************************************************************************************************************************

That’s not all: Theres a possible hobby destroying idea that the Top 10-12 NFL draftees would ONLY appear as PARALLEL autos, making the odds of pulling Newton, Locker or Mallett about 24 times harder than pulling Mark Herzelich.  Who’s gonna keep buying boxes?  I’m already DONE with EVERY Topps 2011 Football release.  Nice Cards.  But how many Jordan Todman and Roy Helu cards can I get?  Answer:  In over 45 (here I state I opened 45 boxes)Topps football brand boxes, I’ve pulled 14 Todman autos and 11 Niles Paul autos.  Cam Newton?  One dual card in Inception out of 25 . Locker: 0.  Mallett: 0.  AJ Green: 1.  Julio Jones: 0.  That’s SEVENTY BOXES. (All of a sudden its at 70!  Ha.  I meant 45 Topps boxes and 35 Panini/Leaf/Press Pass) When are collectors going to say enough is enough?  And Upper Deck?  Not much better.  In 8 Sweet Spot boxes I hit 1 Kaepernick and one Ponder.  That’s all.  More than Topps’ 0 Ponder’s and Kaepernicks though. (I did hit a Ponder Panini Prestige Auto now that I think back.)

So what’s going on?  Truth is, this concept was concieved because since Football rookies are in some 50 products a year, at years end, there are a TON of any one guy’s auto in the past.  So now, to keep “across-brand” printruns down, they SP every good player.  Upper Deck at least kept SOME players (Kaepernick, Dalton, Ponder) as non-SPs in Sweet Spot 2011.  This kill-or-be-killed strategy by Topps will KO the Football hobby.  No question. (There is a question, and Josh explains it underneath. He worked for a major card company, so he KNOWS what he’s talking about )

And if Topps keeps up this PR nightmare- I don’t care what anyone says:  This will mark the beginning of the end of Topps being a player in this Hobby.  Hard to think of that, but this is KILLING collectors, and enraging dealers (How can dealers be happy that 1/3rd of the autos were chopped from 2011 Bowman Platinum?  That’s false advertising (here’s your bait and switch) and now the product has dropped more than considerably considering what it should have been.

Its time for LEAF to step up.  They could seize the Hobby now.  (The newly announced baseball 2011 Draft Set is a MASSIVE step.  Baseball hobbyists await the arrival of this product.  Will it pack a punch?)  Panini, with their so-so cards, has to step up.  Upper Deck needs more than just great football sets.  (Anyone seen any 2011 UD Football boxes lately?  Not many, because I heard distributors can’t find anymore.)  Topps needs to stop lying.  It’s so pathetic.  They need to do away with sell sheets. 

This was supposed to be a Topps Chrome 8-box break but I’ll do that later today. 

This needed to be said.

And something, trust me, something, will be done about Topps’ awful false ads.  You can only kick sand in a dog’s face so long……Those who think that ths will be put up with?  See what happened to other companies that made mistakes:

• TriStar (bad photography)
• Press Pass (airbrushing)
• Just (who?)
• Razor (awful design)
• Donruss (they ended up as Panini, so they get a pass)
• Fleer (not enough penache)
• Wild Card (how many 1,000 count lot can you give away before supply is a tad high?)
• Pro Set (900 card sets, 100 of them had errors)

Topps isn’t immune from bad business practices.  So, yeah, 2011 Topps Chrome is a PHENOMENAL set.  Yet, everywhere I turn this morning, all anyone wants to talk about is the USA redemption stuff.  Topps:  Get going or you will Get Got.  (The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing But The Truth.  Little Jimmy).

Jamie Kennedy

Follow up from Josh Pankow, the Shaman of Sexy:

Just a follow up to this.

First off, in fairness to Topps they NEVER solicited anything about these Autograph Redemptions being Sets. They were mis-printed on the redemption cards. End of story. So, this isn’t a case of bait-and-swtich. They didn’t tell people this to try and sell extra cases. Was it a major error? Absolutely. Was it a blatant error trying to get people to buy it and then replace it with something else? Absolutely NOT.

Secondly, as for the Football RCs Jamie mentioned I’d like to try and explain it. I don’t think the good RCs are any harder to get than normal. Here’s the deal. There are A LOT more hits this year than normal. That’s why there are more of the “so-so” hits. The companies can’t afford to put a ton more Newton, Ingram, Gabbert, Green, Jones, ETC. So, they have to use more of some of the lesser known guys. Hence the abundance of Taiwan Jones. The thing to remember with this is that Topps has to use the “bigger” hits wisely. They need these guys to be very plentiful in the higher end products at the end of the year. They assume they can sell Inception, Platinum and Finest without overloading them with the higher end RCs. This isn’t true in regards to products like Triple Threads and Five Star. As bas as it feels to pay $90 for a box and not get a good RC hit. It feels a lot worse when you pay $200 or $400. This is no different than any other year. If you went back and opened 70 boxes of 2010 Finest, Platinum, Elite, Prestige and Rookies & Stars you’d find the same thing. Sometimes you can open 1 box and get lucky. Sometimes you can open 70 and not so much.

Incoming search terms:

• 2011 Topps Finest Jordan Todman Taiwan Jones Superfractor Auto Patch 1/1 Error
• 2011 topps chrome baseball ERROR CARD
• 2011 Topps Finest Superfractor Jordan Todman Taiwan Jones RC/ ERROR 1/1
• 2011 usa gold collegiate redemption
• does topps replace missing hits with the card that is supposed to be the hit?
• misprinted julio jones card
• which superfractors have been found 2011 chrome football

THESE ARENT THE TOP 10, BUT RATHER 10 IN-DEPTH LOOKS.  WE ARE GOING TO BE MAKING THIS FEATURE EASIER TO READ IN THE NEAR FUTURE!

2011 NFL Rookies – How are they doing?

1) Kendall Hunter- SF 49ers

I ran across this from sfgate.com and loved it:

FIRST QUARTER

1-10-OAK 38: Hunter up the middle for 7

What happened: Hunter starts left, cuts back right and hit at the 33.  Announcer Tim Ryan chimes, “Don’t misunderstand Kendall Hunter when you look at his size and think that he is a perimeter bounce running back … He’s very, very strong in the lower body.”

SECOND QUARTER

3-4-SF 26: Hunter right guard for 5 yards

What happened: Hunter bursts into the second level, but is hit by Goethel as Goethel is being driven back by left guard Mike Iupati. The less-than-violent contact is enough to bring Hunter down.

1-10-OAK 22: Hunter left end for 16 yards

What happened: Hunter sweeps left and cuts back inside at the line, causing cornerback Jeremy Ware, flying up in run support, to fall on his butt. Hunter accelerates through the hole, is hit at the 10 by safety Stevie Brown and keeps churning his tree-trunk legs to pick up four more yards.

THIRD QUARTER

1-10-SF 47: Hunter right tackle for 53 yards, TOUCHDOWN

What happened: Thanks to excellent blocks from fullback Bruce Miller, left guard Daniel Kilgore and center Tony Wragge, Hunter darts through a cavernous hole, cuts left at the Oakland 45, causing safety Jerome Boyd to whiff, and outruns cornerback Walter McFadden to the end zone.

1-10-SF 40: Hunter right tackle for 11 yards

What happened: Hunter find an enormous hole thanks to excellent blocks from Miller and right tackle Mike Person, spins off defensive end Tommie Hill and drives forward for a first down.

1-10-SF 42: Hunter left tackle for 11 yards

What happened: Hunter sweeps around Alex Boone, is drilled at the Niners’ 49 and dives forward for four more yards.

Anyway, after 3 games, Hunter has 174 yards rushing to lead the NFL. 

GRADE: A+

 

2) Roy Helu, Redskins

WK	OPP	RESULT		Rushing					Receiving					Fumbles
				Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	FUM	Lost
1	PIT	W  16-7		8	28	3.5	18	0	1	10	10.0	10	0	–	–
2	@IND	W  16-3		14	101	7.2	51	0	4	23	5.8	9	0	1	0
3	@BAL	L  31-34		13	44	3.4	14	0	1	14	14.0	14	0	–	–

This card /300 is doing more than just about any other similar issues.  He has 173 yards, good for 2nd int he NFL.

Grade: A+ 

3. Stevan Ridley, Patriots

 148 yards in 2 games.  Still ranks 4th in NFL in Rushing.  Didn’t take a snap last game and will back up Ben Jarvis G-E for the hometown good guys.

 GRADE: A+

4. Ryan Mallett, Pats

WK	OPP	RESULT		Passing										Rushing				Fumbles
				Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Avg	TD	Int	Sck	SckY	Rate	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	FUM	Lost
1	JAC	W  47-12		12	19	63.2	164	8.6	1	0	0	0	108.2	5	2	0.4	0	–	–
2	@TB	W  31-14		9	14	64.3	71	5.1	0	1	1	6	47.0	–	–	–	–	–	–
3	@DET	L  10-34		9	14	64.3	65	4.6	0	0	0	0	75.0	–	–	–	–	–	–

Playing (aka sitting) and learning from Tom Brady is HUGE here.  the question has always been about Mallett’s head, not his talent.  I think the Pats are a match made in heaven.  He’s shown brilliance this year, and taken just 1 sack and thrown just 1 INT in 3 outings.

GRADE: A-

5. CAM NEWTON, PANTHERS

Looks like he’s won the starting job, but no surprise there, really.  Thus, Cam’s cards are on fire.  From the CAR coach Rivera:

“Newton is scheduled to start his third consecutive game, and is the likely No. 1 quarterback when the regular season begins. Typically starters don’t play extended minutes in the preseason finale, but given Newton’s limited practice time because of the lockout, it could give him a few extra plays.”

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/08/29/2563482/cam-newtons-playing-time.html#ixzz1WZxyAD4Q

Stats:

WK	OPP	RESULT		Passing										Rushing				Fumbles
				Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Avg	TD	Int	Sck	SckY	Rate	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	FUM	Lost
1	NYG	W  20-10		8	19	42.1	134	7.1	0	0	2	16	66.6	–	–	–	–	–	–
2	@MIA	L  10-20		7	14	50.0	66	4.7	0	0	0	0	63.4	4	18	4.5	0	–	–
3	@CIN	L  13-24		6	19	31.6	75	3.9	0	0	2	6	44.8	4	49	12.3	1	–	–

Could be a rough year….

GRADE: B-

6. Jake Locker, TITANS

WK	OPP	RESULT		Passing										Rushing				Fumbles
				Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Avg	TD	Int	Sck	SckY	Rate	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	FUM	Lost
1	MIN	W  14-3		7	10	70.0	89	8.9	1	0	1	6	130.8	2	2	1.0	0	1	0
2	@STL	L  16-17		8	18	44.4	82	4.6	0	1	0	0	35.0	1	9	9.0	0	–	–
3	CHI	W  14-13		2	4	50.0	13	3.3	0	0	1	9	57.3	2	14	7.0	0	–	–

GRADE: B

7. Jamie Harper, TITANS, RB

Jamie Harper is 235-pound running back that carries the ball with power, but also possesses surprising quickness for a player his size.  The 2011 fourth-round pick is an effective receiver out of the backfield that was used heavily in the screen game in his final collegiate season.  Harper displays good vision and instincts to go along with extraordinary change of direction and athleticism.  As a rookie, he will compete for playing time on special teams and will serve as a complementary runner to All-Pro Chris Johnson.  

WK	OPP	RESULT		Rushing					Receiving					Fumbles
				Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	FUM	Lost
1	MIN	W  14-3		8	27	3.4	8	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2	@STL	L  16-17		11	83	7.5	46	1	1	24	24.0	24	0	–	–
3	CHI	W  14-13		13	36	2.8	9T	1	0	0	–	–	0	–	–

He had a great Week 2, but stumbled in the games prior and afterwords. Averaging just 3.4 and 2.8 yards respectively are red flags.

GRADE: B-

8. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta

WK	OPP	RESULT		Receiving					Rushing					Fumbles
				Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	FUM	Lost
1	MIA	L  23-28		2	43	21.5	22	0	1	12	12.0	12	0	–	–
2	@JAC	L  13-15		2	30	15.0	19	0	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
3	@PIT	L  16-34		5	59	11.8	22	0	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

His receptions have been flashy, and good for an average of almost 15 yards per catch.  Pretty soon, NO ONE will want to have to defend the Falcons offense.

GRADE: B+

9. Christian Ponder, QB, Minnesota

WK	OPP	RESULT		Passing										Rushing				Fumbles
				Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Avg	TD	Int	Sck	SckY	Rate	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	FUM	Lost
1	@TEN	L  3-14		8	13	61.5	84	6.5	0	0	3	15	80.3	1	2	2.0	0	–	–
2	@SEA	W  20-7		6	12	50.0	63	5.3	0	0	0	0	65.6	3	15	5.0	0	–	–
3	DAL	L  17-23		3	8	37.5	60	7.5	0	0	1	16	64.6	1	5	5.0	0	–	–

No INTs, but no TDs, Ponder is still a huge question mark, as I never liked him at FSU.  Given how thin the Vikes are at QB though, he may be “take a chance and flip”  guy when he finally gets the starting nod.

GRADE: B-

10. AJ Green, WR. Bengals

WK	OPP	RESULT		Receiving					Rushing					Fumbles
				Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	FUM	Lost
1	@DET	L  3-34		4	29	7.3	11	0	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2	@NYJ	L  7-27		1	8	8.0	8	0	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
3	CAR	W  24-13		2	45	22.5	40T	1	1	10	10.0	10	0	–	–

Finally Andy Dalton hooked up with Green for a TD this weekend, but 7 catches in 3 games won’t get anyone going….

GRADE: C-

MORE TO COME AND CHECK OUT A GREAT SITE WHO HOPEFULLY WE’LL BE WORKING WITH SOON: http://www.toppsarchives.com/blog/2011/08/the-top-30-2011-nfl-trading-card-offensive-rookies-week-0/

THESE GUYS ARE GREAT.  AND ALSO EVERYONE AT TOP PROSPECT ALERT.  YOU GUYS DID A PHENOMENAL JOB BECOMING THE ONLY REAL-TIME MILB NEWS REEL OUT THERE!  GREAT YEAR!  (TRY AND FINALLY GET SOME SLEEP!)

JAMIE KENNEDY

Incoming search terms:

• 2011 nfl rookies
• 2011nfl cards stats

Written By James Kennedy, ASC Blog Writer

August 26, 2011

1. 2011 Upper Deck Football Ryan Mallett Auto

Mallett rises $30 from $60 to $90 based on his stellar QB play for the Patriots.  I don’t even like to think about it, but if Brady goes down with an injury (eeek!), we have a Navy SEAL talent in the “Reserves.”  Its great to be a Pats fan….

2. 2008 Razor Baseball Brett Lawrie Autographs

Some rose to $50 and beyone before settling in the $40 range.  His latest Grand Slam fuels this Razor release even more, as its now worth 2 times Hosmer’s only card, also a Razor exclusive.  Lawrie is talented, but when Topps drops the hammer with some sort of chrome autograph of Lawrie, this card may unfortunately be an afterthought.

3. 2011 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Football Tyron Smith Auto

Bizarrely, it will cost you in excess of $30 for this offensive lineman, up $10 from last week’s price (which also seemed high).  If I had to guess why Upper Deck Football remains strong on secondary sales, is because they made cards of anyone they wanted who played college football, often producing cards of local giants that went undrafted.  Smith does not fall in that category, but if Upper Deck didn’t step up its game with its last few football products, I doubt they would have lasted much longer.  This may still be the case, but I’m impressed with creativeness of both regular Upper Deck, and the newer Sweet Spot release.

4. 2008 Bowman Sterling Baseball Jesus Montero Auto Jersey

Raking since the All-Star break, Montero has restored himself to top prospect status since.  This card doubles from $20 to $40.

5. 2011 Topps Inception Football Kendall Hunter On Card Auto /600

He’s playing well in the preseason, but even if he wasn’t, that doesnt explain the $1 price tag on these cards early on.  They now sell near $10, for a great profit.

6. 2005 Bowman Draft Ryan Braun Autogaphs

Its amazing his cards aren’t thousands of dollars.  He’s on pace to become the most all around accomplished hitter of this generation, and if he continues to improve, has potential to be mentioned alongside Williams and Mantle years from now.  That’s high praise, but he produces high output.  Raw cards jump from $105 to $130, while BGS 9s jump $40, from $160 to $200.

7. 2011 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Football Ross Homan Auto

Upper Deck taking advantage of their college license by making OSU fans drool, as every graduating senior from last year has an auto in 1 of the 2 products.  Homan’s up, and I’m not even going to try to explain why:  I have never heard of him despite spending 29 hours per Saturday watching College Football.  (That’s actually possible if youre on the East Coast, and you watch the end of Hawaii home games.  Nevermind, that would only be 17 hours.  But as usual, I digress…)

8. 2010 Elite Extra Baseball Drew Smyly Auto

My favorite set has another random late pick as an exclusive auto.  Buyers have taken note of Smyly (who has 3 one-hit starts this year), and the card rises from $10.02 to $16.  Plus s/h of course!!

9. 2009 Elite Extra Baseball Tyler Skaggs Auto /820

Skaggs wasn’t supposed to be this good, but he turned out to be better than sure-things like Kyle Gibson and Chris Archer.  But that’s why they play the game folks….. Skaggs moves from $7 and change to $13 and change, as he continues to lead every league he’s in, in strikeouts.  There’s still scouting issues with certain pitches and arm action on his pitches, but the numbers speak for themselves.

10. 2011 Inception Football Stevan Ridley On Card Auto 

I told you it’s great to be a Pats fan!  Ridley leads the NFL in rushing early on in Exhibition Mode, but thats enough to move these cards.

11. All Roy Helu 2011 Football Autographs

12. 2010 Bowman Platinum Baseball Miguel Sano Ref Auto

Topping the BA Hot Sheet, the 18 year old continues to mash and rake, rake and mash.  This jumped from $10.50 to $20.

13. 2007 Bowman Chrome Peter Bourjos Autographs

Modest but admirable jump for the Angels’ speedster: $20 to $31.

14. 2006 Bowman Sterling Clayton Kershaw Auto

If you haven’t heard about Kershaw, mark your calendar and watch his next start.  he’s the classic “under the radar” guy you torture yourself over when he becomes the perennial CY Young award winner.

15. 2011 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Football Greg Salas Auto

This started out around $8, and now sells for $22-$25 regularly. 

16. 2011 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Football Mark Ingram Auto

This variation will run you $130, up 50% since last week.

17. 2011 Topps Inception Football Hobby Boxes

Coulda shoulda woulda.  This product makes it extremely tough to land a top QB or WR, and is heavy on second and 3rd rounders.  But presell prices were in the low $600s, paling in comparison to the $700 wholesale price right now.  Magnificent looking, its only marred by Rookie Photo Shoot patches used in totality.

18. 2011 Inception Football Von Miller Autograph Patch

The #2 overall pick has seen this card jump $10 from around $20 to $30.

19. 2010 Elite Extra Baseball Matt Moore Autographs

These held steady at $35 per this week, but the paralells are starting to command higher prices weekly.  No Minor League pitcher comes close to Moore’s stats or potential.  A no-brainer.

20. 2010 Elite Extra Baseball Jurickson Profar Autos

Profar, who’s ascent started at the Futures game, as he sped around the bases, has continued throughout the whole second half.  A buzz on profar eminated from the National Convention earlier this month, and the aftershocks are keeping buyers interested.  Great player to pick up.

August 26th, 2011

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8-Box Inception Football Break

By Jamie Kennedy

 August 24th, 2011

Topps introduced Inception football this year, and as the market is seeming to lose players, (Press Pass folded recently, and Upper Deck is sparsely putting new product out), Topps keeps pulling off big products.  Sure, they’ve been marred by bizarre checklist omissions and a Swift-boat load of redemption cards in their products.  But nobody is complaining because compared to the #2 card maker, Panini, Topps gives you WAY more value per box.

I could have given you a 2-box break of 2011 Panini Threads football, but I’ll spare you the pain.  Somehow, one of my hits was a miniscule, plain old blue jersey swatch (that blened into the card design) of Brandon Jacobs, but at least it was limited to a tiny 299 copies.  (Fact: 299 people don’t care about a single colored swatch of Jacobs enough to buy this card, rendering it worthless; or rather, the going rate for bulk game-used cards: $.75)

I wont break down base cards by box, but on the whole for the case, I got 31 base cards, all veterans, with 15 of the cards serial numbered. 

Cards #d to 209 Blue Tint (8)- including Brees and Aaron Rodgers

Cards #d to 106 Metallic Tint (3)- Stafford, Hasselbeck, Andre Johnson

Cards #d to 75 Green tint (3)- Wes Welker, Tony Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski

Cards Numbered to 25 Red Tint (1)- Hakeem Nicks

Box 1-

I had just got off the phone with Josh, owner of ASC, when I began opening the case.  He let me know (and aren’t I a terrible role-model to just buy a case of a product without recording due dilligence?) that ALL the major guys were short printed, massively, and that it wasn’t going to be a safe break, unless of course you can land one of the low #d patch cards, or a 1/1 tag card.  Josh was right.  I went on Ebay.  Typed in “Inception Gabbert.”  2 versions came up: one to 25 and one to 50.  Jake Locker: Right now, theres no patch autos up except for the 1/1 version.  So I knew he was out of the picture.  Ingram: Just 1/1 Letterman Autos.  Ryan Mallett: 25 copies.  Ponder: 25 copies.  Same with Dalton, Julio Jones, AJ Green, and more.  So could I buck the odds?  With patch/auto cards #d as high as 599, is it wrong to think I may not be able to hit 2+ nice cards in an 8 box case?  Really, what is Topps thinking??!

Patch Auto Red /25 (1)- Titus Young 22/25

Rookie Patch /156 (1)- Ryan Mallett 074/156, 2 colors

On Card Autograph (1)- Edmund Gates /600

Box 2-

Dual Autograph Rookies /25 (1)- Blaine Gabbert/Cameron Newton 22/25

Rookie Oversized Jersey /150 (1)- Kendall Hunter

On Card Autographs (2)- Stevan Ridley /600, DeMarco Murray /800

Box 3-

Patch Auto Rookie (1)- Jamie Harper /599 (3 colors)

Oversized Rookie Jersey /150 (1)- Randall Cobb 111/150

On-Card Autographs (2)- Greg Little /800, Marcell Dareus 12/50

Box 4-

Rookie Patch Auto (1)- Austin Pettis 41/50

Rookie Patch (1)- Von Miller 140/150 (3-color)

On Card Autographs (2)- Stevan Ridley, Edmund Gates, both /800

Box 5-

Patch Rookie Autos (2)- Edmond Gates 009/599, Alex Green 29/50

Rookie Patch (1)- Bilal Powell 019/158 (2-color)

On Card Autograph (1)- Torrey Smith 021/200

Box 6-

Patch Auto Rookie (1) Bilal Powell

Oversized Rookie Jersey (1)- Blaine Gabbert 117/158

On Card Autograph (1)- Greg Little /800

Box 7-

Patch Rookie Autos (2)- Torrey Smith 50/75 (3-color), DeMarco Murray /599 (3-color)

Rookie Patch- Blaine Gabbert /158

On Card Autograph (1)- Jerrel Jennigan /500

Box 8-

Patch Auto Rookie (1)- Leonard Hankerson 75/75

Rookie Patch (1)- Kendall Hunter 57/75

On Card Autograph (1)- Daniel Thomas

FINAL SPIN:

Box Value- As you can see, and as Josh had suggested, the top players showed up sparsely because they were #d from 25-50, while some, like DeMarco Murray, and Bilal Powell, have over 725 Patch Autographs each including parallels, so this was a tough one from the get-go.  The best patches- DeMarco Murray, Titus Young /25, Alex Green /50, Torrey Smith /75- were all position players- as were most of the subjects in the set.  But besides the eye-popping dual on card auto of Gabbert and Cam Newton /25, we never got close to the top of the draft’s autographs again.  Its no coincidence that the only Top 10 autograph in the case was Marcell Dareus, the #3 overall pick by the Bills, but, of course, he’s a defensive lineman that plugs up the whole and rarely records sacks.  Grade: C

Collation – The bleeding borders cause all sorts of chipping right out of the pack.  Forget grading them.  But there was nothing crazy about the collation, and the odds seemed to hold up well, and there were just a few duplicates. Grade: B

Design- Where do I start?  I love the bleeding borders, and the patches are large and angular, and multi colored.  The on-card autos are some of the nicest I’ve ever seen.  Well done.  Grade: A+

Overall- I’ve opened better, and I’ve opened worse.  Don’t get me wrong- it was chock full of high end 2nd and 3rd round WR and RB picks that may pan out.  But I have to wonder the strategy of making the top rookies short printed, in many cases, to just 25.  If some players are #d to 599, and some to 25, it means its 24 times easier or more likely that you will pull a Bilal Powell than a Christian Ponder Patch.  Now, lets say the players were of equal value in other sets (they arent, but hear me out), that doesnt mean that the Ponder would be 24 times as much as the Powell.  Actually, a Ponder /25 would do MUCH less than 24 times the price of a Powell /599!  The point is, they’re making it impossible to pull big name rookies here, and when you do, you will not be rewarded in kind.  My belief is that the short printed, #d to 25 patch cards SHOULD be worth 24x what the ones /599 are worth.  That would be poetic justice because you’d actually be rewarded in full for pulling such a rare card. 

Overall Grades:

Right Now- B-

Next Year- A-

Chance of unopened wax increasing- A

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Thanks to Mr. James Cherry who has shared his break of 2011 Topps Inceptions bought from Atlanta Sports Cards.  The card look amazing and he had some really nice pulls.  These cases are on sale for $659.99 this weekend, so quite them while you can.  Click on the photo and it will take you to his eBay listings where these cards will be up for auction soon.  Have a great weekend!

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Here’s the final list of products that we Panini be accepting for the wrapper redemption.

FIVE HOBBY PACKS WILL GET COLLECTORS ONE WRAPPER REDEMPTION PACK FOR THE FOLLOWING:

Season Update Basketball

Classics Basketball

Contenders Patches Basketball

Prestige Football

Elite Football

Rookie & Stars Football

Donruss Hockey

Pinnacle Hockey

Zenith Hockey

ONE HOBBY PACK WILL GET COLLECTORS TWO WRAPPER REDEMPTION PACK FOR THE FOLLOWING:

Totally Certified Basketball

Absolute Basketball

Luxury Suite Hockey

ONE HOBBY PACK WILL GET COLLECTORS FIVE WRAPPER REDEMPTION PACK FOR THE FOLLOWING:

Century Collection

Gold Standard Basketball

ONE HOBBY PACK WILL GET COLLECTORS TEN WRAPPER REDEMPTION PACK FOR THE FOLLOWING:

NATIONAL TREASURES BASKETBALL OR FOOTBALL

Panini will also going to be holding a National Treasures Drawing Thursday-Sunday for those purchasing boxes of Treasures. For every box collectors open at their booth, they will be entered into a drawing at the end of the day for a black box. Panini will award FIVE black boxes a day, each with a 1 of 1 and other auto’s/mem. One box will have a card AND a Panini Authentic item in it.

Product Number: 390-11HD
Product Desc: Topps WWE Champions
Delivery Date : By Monday, 6/27/11
Street Date : Wednesday, 6/29/11

Product Number: 701-11HD
Product Desc: 2011 Allen & Ginter Baseball
Delivery Date : By Monday, 7/11/11
Street Date : Wednesday, 7/13/11

Product Number: 996-11HD
Product Desc: 2011 Topps Baseball Complete Sets
Delivery Date : By Monday, 7/18/11
Street Date : Wednesday, 7/20/11

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Product Desc: 2011 Topps Football
Delivery Date : By Monday, 7/25/11
Street Date : Wednesday, 7/27/11

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Product Desc: 2011 Bowman Platinum Baseball
Delivery Date : By Monday, 7/25/11
Street Date : Wednesday, 7/27/11

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Product Desc: Wacky Packages 8
Delivery Date : By Monday, 7/25/11
Street Date : Wednesday, 7/27/11

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Product Desc: 2011 Topps Lineage Baseball
Delivery Date : By Monday, 8/01/11
Street Date : Wednesday, 8/03/11

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Product Desc: 2011 Topps Inception Football
Delivery Date : By Monday, 8/08/11
Street Date : Wednesday, 8/10/11

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Product Desc: 2011 Topps MLB Sticker Collection
Delivery Date : By Monday, 8/15/11
Street Date : Wednesday, 8/17/11

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Product Desc: 2011 Topps Marquee Baseball
Delivery Date : By Monday, 8/22/11
Street Date : Wednesday, 8/24/11

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Product Desc: 2011 Topps Finest Football
Delivery Date : By Monday, 8/29/11
Street Date : Wednesday, 8/31/11

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Product Desc: 2011 Topps UFC Finest
Delivery Date : By Monday, 9/05/11
Street Date : Wednesday, 9/07/11

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Product Desc: 2011 Topps Platinum Football
Delivery Date : By Monday, 9/05/11
Street Date : Wednesday, 9/07/11

Product Number: 865-11HD
Product Desc: 2011 Topps Chrome Baseball
Delivery Date : By Monday, 9/05/11
Street Date : Wednesday, 9/07/11

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Product Desc: 2011 Topps WWE
Delivery Date : By Monday, 9/05/11
Street Date : Wednesday, 9/07/11

Product Number: 991-11HD
Product Desc: 2011 Topps Heritage Minor League Baseball
Delivery Date : By Monday, 9/12/11
Street Date : Wednesday, 9/14/11

Product Number: 379-11H
Product Desc: 2011 Topps Triple Threads Baseball
Delivery Date : By Monday, 9/12/11
Street Date : Wednesday, 9/14/11

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Atlanta Sports Cards “Box Breaks Features”

2011 Upper Deck Football Hobby Box Break

By James Kennedy

Box-Loader (1)- A “video card” of Tony Romo.  Was underneath the packs, sitting in a cut out hole of styrofoam.

Autograph Base Rookies (1)- Blaine Gabbert

Letterman Autograph /100 (1) – Von Miller serial # 001/100

Ultimate Collection Autographs (1)- Von Miller (not #d)

Press Plate (1) – Lee Roy Selmon

Rookie SPs- (8)- None as good as the 1 auto, Gabbert.  Still pulled Kapernick, AJ Green, Ryan Mallett, and D Lewis

Memoribila- (0)

Overall, it was a typical Upper Deck break, as everything was delivered as promised.  Im told I was lucky to pull a video card, but secondary market sales aren’t as high as I had hoped.  The printing plate was very unexpected, as its only my second ever in Upper Deck wax.  The gabbert was in awful condition, and despite Miller being the #2 overall pick, his cards are worth less than anyones, based on the last Beckett.  The base set is an absolute pain to even look at, mainly showing players retired long ago in college uniforms.  in fact, this isnt a licensed NFL set- no NFL uniforms are depicted.

Overall value:  4.5/5- I have to conced I got a decent box, but theres a few wrinkles here that should produce value

Collation- 4.7/10- everything that was promised was delivered, and then some. 

Design- 2.3/5-  Just a brutal  base set design.  The rookies look much better, as do the Letterman and Ultimate autos.

Autographs- 4.5/10- 3 autos, all picked in the first 10 picks.

Set Collectors- 3.9/5-  besides the sp rookies, not much to do here

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TOPPS FOOTBALL HTA JUMBO BOXES GET HUGE ADDITION

Topps announces it has made a significant addition to  the HTA Jumbo boxes for 2011 Topps Football (releasing late July).  Instead of the solicited 2 Autographs and 1 Relic per HTA box, each box will now guarantee 2 Autographs and 1 ROOKIE PATCH RELIC! (image attached).