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.
This follow up the very successful movie release late in 2015, with a second series of cards. The first series was released in late 2015 along with the movie. This one is officially called a second series, even though the numbering has been reset.
The base set is 100 cards, featuring scenes from the entire movie, with a number of possible parallels. There are also two reported short prints in the set, numbered 101 and 102. Many familiar inserts return from series 1 or the Journey to The Force Awakens set, with Character Stickers, Concept Art, Heroes of the Resistance, Power of the First Order, and manufactured Medallion cards.
The Hobby Box release advertises 24 packs of 6 cards, with two hits per box.
We get a pretty standard release from Topps this time. Topps Opening Day is an entry level release with a lot of fun features for a very affordable price. You miss out on the guaranteed autographs and relics of the more expensive releases, but you get fun insert sets featuring the team mascots or players blowing bubbles.
That’s not to say there are no autographs. There is a limited autograph checklist, but you do find some stars. The hits are few and far between, but that’s not really what this set is about. For the price, it’s tough to beat.
