One of my favorite releases of the year returns with more of the same. For me, Allen & Ginter almost isn’t a baseball card set, as much as an everything set. Sure, the set’s primary focus has always been baseball, but you also get an assortment of various other champions and unique insert sets. You can even find from movie characters this time.
It seems to me there is less flair this year than normal, however, for some reason. Maybe I’ve grown accustomed to more inserts or variety, but it feels a little lacking in this installment.
I’m glad to see Stadium Club as a regular offering. It really fills a niche that Topps otherwise doesn’t address. You get top not photography on full bleed cards, with a glossy high quality stock. There’s a lot to like about it. Add in that you’re starting to see recurring insert sets, and you really start to get a feeling of continuity, You get a nice mix of current stars, rookies, and stars from the past.
The full set is 300 cards, so it’s not a real easy set, but at least there are no SPs involved. Each box contains 16 packs of 8 cards, including 2 on card autographs per box.
There’s not much to be said about series two of the basic Topps release that hasn’t already been said. I guess I’ve gotten more used to the design, but it still doesn’t feel like Topps, for some reason. It features the continuation of many Series One insert sets, including the Wrigley Field celebration.
They also seem to really be cutting back on the amount of inserts in a box. This is great for set collectors, but not as much for the value of a box. Maybe it will lead to better values for the inserts in the long run.
The jumbo box advertises 10 packs with 50 cards each, including one autograph and two relics per box.
Topps Archives is back with another release featuring designs from various years with current and past stars. This year, the 310 card set features three past sets. They’re not exactly my favorites, but they do span quite a long time, including 1953, 1979, and 1991.
Once again, the set contains various insert designs from other sets. There is also a small insert set dedicated to the movie Bull Durham, including autographs of many of the stars.
The box advertises 24 packs of 8 cards, including two on-card autographs.
Not a lot of surprises with the regular Bowman releases. The 150 card base set features a few top rookies and a handful of players from around the league. This release has always been much more about the prospects, however. You’ll find some top prospects, but for the most part, the majority of these players are pretty far away from the majors.
You can definitely find some hidden gems, but you may not notice it for a few years.
