There may be snow on the ground, but the first release of the upcoming baseball season is a sure sign that spring is approaching. The set follows the well known pattern by this point, with a 350 card base set.
Once again, Topps brings back the First Pitch insert set featuring various celebrities, along with the rest of the usual parallels. The parallels seem a lot more rare now, which may not bode well for over producing the set. This year, there is a tribute to the 1987 Topps set, with a large insert set, as well as associated autograph cards. As a special add on, Topps ran a promo for hobby box purchases from hobby stores to include additional special packs, featuring chrome 1987 cards and various parallels.
The box advertises 10 packs with 50 cards each, including 1 autograph and 2 relics per box.
This release marks the end of the regular season, and features players changing teams, All Stars, and a number of rookies making their debut. It follows the normal pattern, so there aren’t really a lot of surprises. You see some manufactured relics, some All Star relics, and various autographs. There are also the usual number of parallels. The biggest surprise to me is the size of the set. After years of a 330 card set, Topps started changing it the last few years. This year, the set has shrunk to a total of 300 base cards.
The jumbo box contains 10 packs of 50 cards each, while advertising 1 Autograph and 2 Relic cards per box.
The Topps Chrome release has long been an alternative parallel to the flagship Topps set, but this one seems to take it even a little bit further. The base set is only 200 cards, but then you also see inserts matching the regular base set inserts, as well. I’m not sure if that’s really necessary. There are also a lot fewer inserts and parallels than from recent years. This lack of parallels leaves you with a question of value. Base cards don’t really seem to get a lot of respect, and now you get more of them.
The jumbo boxes advertise five autographs per box, but there isn’t much else. The boxes contain 12 packs of 13 cards.
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.
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.
