TOPPS OFFERS EXCLUSIVE GLOSSY 2011 ALLEN AND GINTER COMPLETE SET

Topps announces that for the first time ever it’s offering its popular Allen & Ginter Baseball line in complete set form, but with a twist! 

Reminiscent of the 1980s Topps Tiffany sets, this 360-card glossy-coated base set will be offered exclusively online at ShopTopps.com and will be limited to just 999 copies.  In addition, each card in the set is sequentially numbered in gold foil.

And this Allen & Ginter offering will have something extra special…10 cards not found in the standard Allen & Ginter pack product including the rookie cards of the highly-touted Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Dustin Ackley.

The special edition set is available for $99.95 and is the company’s first ever exclusive ToppsShop.com sports product.

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Hello All!

Please check out our first video case break @ the following links: 

http://www.blogtv.com/shows/2539301/ZmVuYeZHZWFtZ2ZGbuTw&pos=ancr  (Part 1)

http://www.blogtv.com/Shows/2539301/date/ZmVuYeZHZWFtZ2ZGbuRH (Part 2)

http://www.blogtv.com/Shows/2539301/date/ZmVuYeZHZWFtZ2ZGbuRF (Part 3)

We will be using this forum for Hobby updates, info on Pre-Sells, and Box Breaks, both live and taped.

So enjoy the run-through of my hits from 18 boxes of Topps Chrome, and come back here and get yourself some of that action!  Boxes available and theyre just a super break!

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE POP-UP BLOCKER OFF TO AVOID THEIR POP-UP ADS!  THANKS!

Jamie

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Topps to Feature Roberto Clemente In 2012 Products

Topps is pleased to announce that it has signed a multi-year deal with the estate of legendary Pittsburgh Pirates star Roberto Clemente. 

Collectors can expect to find several types of Clemente insert cards, including cut signatures and relics, throughout the company’s 2012 products.  Topps Series 1 will be the first product to offer a sampling of these cards.

Clemente made his first Topps appearance in 1955 and he would hold a spot in the base set for the next 18 years.  Clemente’s vintage and current Topps cards are some of the most sought after collectibles in the hobby.

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About this time last year everyone was bashing Topps Chrome BB.  And for good reason.  2010 Topps Chrome BB had some serious quality control issues.  You know what I’m talking about if you opened it.  There was also WAY TOO much made so it was fairly hard to get a parallel autograph or parallel at all.  The inserts were very tough to get and this made set building nearly impossible.  With all that said, I still think it’s a bargain at the current price.  There are a ton of good autographs in there, but that’s not what this blog is about.  2011 Topps Chrome really only resembles 2010 in that it is still Topps Chrome.  The quality control issues are gone.  Sure some people still get scratched cards from time to time.  And some cards are still off centered.  But in general, the cards look great and most don’t have any complaints.  Topps also scaled back the printers for this one.  Sure, there is still a decent amount out there.  But, nothing like last year.  You notice this by opening 1 box.  You get a ton more inserts.  And chances are you’re going to hit a couple of Black, Blue, Sepia or Red Refractors.  These are all #ed to 100 or less (in the non-autographed form).  Try opening 2010 Topps Chrome until you hit a parallel #ed to 100 or less.  Waiting… Still waiting…  Okay, 5 or 6 boxes later you might have some luck.  

Check out some box breaks if you think I’m wrong.  I looked around and here is what I found (all 2011 Topps Chrome BB):

3-Box Break- 1 Black Refractor /100, 2 Sepia Refractor /99, 1 Blue Refractor /99, 1 Gold Refractor /50, 1 Blue Refractor Auto /199 & 1 Gold Refractor Auto /50.

3-Box Break- 1 Blue Refractor /99, 2 Sepia Refractor /99, 1 Heritage Black Refractor /62, 2 Gold Refractor /50, 1 Blue Refractor Auto /199 & 1 Gold Refractor Auto /50.

1-Box Break- 1 Sepia Refractor /99, 1 Blue Refractor /99 & 1 Refractor Auto /499.

6-Box Break- 3 Sepia Refractor /99, 2 Blue Refractor /99, 2 Black Refractor /100, 1 Heritage Black Border Refractor /62, 2 Refractor Auto /499, 2 Blue Refractor Auto /199 & 1 Printing Plate 1/1.

Now, those are just four random box breaks.  As you can see, every box is yielding at least 1-2 nice parallel cards.  

Moving on to the checklist.  It doesn’t have the high end autograph chase of Strasburg like last year.  However, I think the autographs are a little better across the board.  I’m not sure the player selection is that much better, but the “newness” so to speak, is much better.  I’ll explain.  

Last year the big autographs were Jason Heyward, Mike Stanton, Austin Jackson, Starlin Castro, Stephen Strasburg, Carlos Santana, Ivan Nova, Ike Davis and we’ll throw in Mike Leake for good measure.  You know how may of those had autograph cards before Topps Chrome?  All of them except Nova.  So, other than Ivan Nova none of these guys were “new”.  And Heyward, Stanton, Jackson, Santana, Davis & Leake all had autographs in sets that came out at least a year before Topps Chrome.  And I’m not evening counting Elite.  This is the difference between last year and this year.  

The good autographs from this year are Craig Kimbrel, Eric Hosmer, Freddie Freeman, Brandon Beachy, Brandon Belt, Michael Pineda, Julio Teheran, Alexi Ogando, Darwin Barney, Jordan Walden and Mark Trumbo.  It’s harder to pick the good guys for this year since it’s so new.  But, we’ll stop at 11 since we only used 9 from last year.  Of those 11, Kimbrel, Beachy, Ogando, Barney and Walden have never had a mainstream autograph card.  Hosmer had only had 1 autograph card and it was from Razor.  And Trumbo had autographs back in 2004, but they were in SP Prospects and Elite.  So, 7 out of 11 were the first Topps/Bowman autograph for these players.  On top of that, Belt and Pineda are true RC/first year autographs.  In 2010, we had exactly 2 of those guys (out of the good players).  Nova and Strasburg.  That’s it.  

Let’s look at the average sale price for autographs from 2010 and 2011.  

2010:

Stephen Strasburg- Base variations are hard to find.  They sell for around $125-$150.

Starlin Castro- Base sell for around $25-$30.

Mike Stanton- Base sell for around $20-$25.

Jason Heyward- Base sell for about $20-$25

Ivan Nova- Base sell for right about $20.

Ike Davis- Base sell for $5-$10.

Carlos Santana- Base sell for about $5-$10.

Austin Jackson- Base only sells for about $5.

Mike Leake- Base sell for about $5.

Honestly, no one else really sells for more than $5 on average.  There are 46 autograph RCs in the product.  There are 9 out of 46 that sell for $5 or more.  That’s about 20%.  If you put a $2 value on average of the other 37 autographs you come to an “average” value per autograph RC of $7.15.  That’s assuming they are all equally inserted.  As we know that isn’t true, the average would be at best $5.

2011:

Eric Hosmer- Base sell for about $100-$110.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka- Base sell for around $60.

Craig Kimbrel- Base sell for $20-$25.

Michael Pineda- Base sell for $15-$20.

Brandon Belt- Base sell for about $15.

Freddie Freeman- Base sell for about $15.

Mark Trumbo- Base sell for about $15.

Brandon Beachy- Base sell for $10-$15.

Julio Teheran- Base sell for about $10-$15.

Alex Ogando- Base sell for about $5-$10.

The checklist shows 32 autographs on it.  However, Conger, Hellickson and Dominic Brown don’t actually seem to exist since there are zero on eBay.  I don’t see anyone on eBay who is not on the list, so I’m going to assume there are 29 autographs.  So, we’ll say 9 of the 29 sell for at $10 or more.  That’s about 31%.  And if you give a $2 average to the 19 not listed above, we get an average price of $11.07.  Again, not all of them are seeded evenly so you can assume the actual average is somewhere below $10.

Now, let’s compare the two.  The “average” (I’m putting average in quotations because it’s not taking seeding into consideration) for 2010 is $7.15 and the “average” for 2011 is $11.07.  This is a tad mis-leading because 2011 is obviously newer.  Come this time next year some of the guys above will be selling for less than they are right now.  Of course some will mostly likely be selling for more as well.  Starlin Castro and Ivan Nova weren’t selling for what they do now this time last year.  Especially not Nova.  A thing to remember as well is that there is a lot less of the 2011 product.  So, the autographs are more rare just because they didn’t need to make quite as many. The biggest difference to me is that there are a whopping 46 autographs is 2010.  This year it looks like only 29.  Essentially that means 17 guys who should never have been in the set made it into 2010.  This was because they made so much.  When autographs fall 2 per box, there has to be a lot of them if you want large print runs.  I think the above is a pretty clear indication (at least for what the cards sell for right now) that 2011 is a better buy than 2010.

This is not even considering how much easier it is to hit the parallel versions.  I can guarantee you that if you open a case of 2010 you’ll be doing well to hit 3-4 parallel autographs in a case.  In 2011 I’d be shocked if you didn’t hit at least 6.  That’s a huge difference.  

The other thing to consider are all the inserts and parallels that you hit in 2011 compared to 2010.  I know this sounds stupid, but some of the “stupid” stuff sells great out of Topps Chrome.  Check out some of the Heritage Black Refractor #ed to 62 sales:

Pujols- $54.00 

Pujols- $72.79 

Josh Hamilton- $33.26

Jeter/Cano- $40.00 

Jeter- $45.00 

Pretty much everybody sells for over $10.  Not bad for a “non-hit”.  (Non-hit meaning not an autograph or memorabilia card).

Here are some of the Red Refractor sales:

James Loney- $27 

Ichiro- $41.00

Adrian Gonzalez- $23.30 

Julio Teheran- $20.49 

Robinson Cano- $42.00

These are not quite as good as the Heritage as some of them don’t sell for much more than $5.  But if you get the right player, they can be very nice.  And don’t think I’m searching and searching to find good sales.  All 10 of the cards above appeared on the first page of completed auctions.  And ALL of them were auction style meaning this is true value and not some crazy collector hitting a hit BIN.

So, as you can see 2011 Topps Chrome BB is a solid product.  It’s an EXTREMELY fun rip.  It’s not going to cost you an arm and a leg.  Cases will be on sale this weekend for $689.99 and boxes will be $58.99.  Don’t look now, but this might just be the best BB product of 2011.  I say this because of the content AND because it’s not shooting up in price like some of the other products have.  Have a great weekend.

Josh

Hello,

All who have teams for the Marquee case break (which is mine, not Atlanta Sports Cards) should call the Case Break Hotline between Weds and Thurs to get their password for Friday nights Break.

Please call 774-454-7631 *=(jamie)  to get your log in info!

Thanks and talk yo you soon!

“Again?”

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.

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.

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), 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.  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 play bait and switch, 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.

All USA Autographs are incremental hits on top of the 2 on-card Rookie Autographs guaranteed per hobby box.

Two things stick out here:

1) Another bait and switch by Topps on a product

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. 

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?)
• 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

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

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 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.  When are collectors going to say enough is enough?  And Upper Deck?  Not much better.  In 8 Sweet Spot boxes I hit I Kaepernick and one Ponder.  That’s all.  More than Topps’ 0 Ponder’s and Kaepernicks though.

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.

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 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.  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
• Press Pass
• Just
• Razor
• Donruss
• Fleer
• Wild Card
• Pro Set

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 Gone.

Jamie Kennedy

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STRASBURG AUTOGRAPHS AND MORE ADDED TO BOWMAN STERLING

To celebrate the return of Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg, one of the brightest future stars in the game, Topps is adding his autograph card along with other items to 2011 Bowman Sterling Baseball.

Bowman Sterling, which is currently soliciting, will now include:

*25 Stephen Strasburg Autographs featuring photography from his return

*25 redemption cards for a Stephen Strasburg Autographed Baseball

*And a 1 of 1 Redemption Card good for a meet and greet with the pitcher himself

In 2010, Strasburg captivated fans and collectors alike with his blazing fastball. One year later, after recovering from Tommy John Surgery, Strasburg returns to the Majors with as much anticipation as the first time around…and he looks as ready as ever.

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HOSMER ADDED TO TOPPS CHROME AUTOGRAPH LIST

Topps announces it has made a very nice addition to its list of autograph signers for 2011 Topps Chrome Baseball….super rookie and future star Eric Hosmer. Topps Chrome, releasing on September 7th, guarantees 2 on-card Autographed Rookie Cards in every hobby box.

In addition, Hosmer will have autographed cards in Triple Threads, Topps Finest, Topps Updates, Bowman Chrome and Bowman Sterling.

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Topps announces that Ohio State star and recent Oakland Raiders signee Terrelle Pryor has signed a deal to ink his signature on the company’s trading cards.

Pryor will appear as an autograph subject in Topps products starting with 2011 Bowman Sterling Football.

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