Bowman has always been highly focused on prospects. This seems to be taking it to an extreme, however. The base set now consists of only 100 cards, while the prospects “insert” set features 150 different players. I miss the days when the base set was not just an after thought. The vast majority of autographs and other inserts are prospect related, but there are also a few veterans sprinkled in.
I don’t remember Bowman really doing buybacks in the same way the Topps flagship release has in recent years, but to celebrate the brand’s 70th anniversary, we get to see some this year. They’re using similar foil colors as the Topps release. I’ve only seen buybacks going back to 1990, as prior to that, the cards would be oversized compared to modern cards, and would not fit in packs.
The second release for the latest Star Wars installment, Rogue One, carries on with a similar feel to the first series, but once again is not merely a continuation. The only piece that is a clear sequel to the previous release is the Darth Vader set. The main set, and any returning insert subsets, start over with their numbering at 1. The base set has difference in the design, but it took me a while to realize it, just like from the The Force Awakens sets.
The box advertises 24 packs, with 8 cards per pack, and 2 hits per box. The hits once again vary from manufactured relics to Sketch cards to cast autographs.
The Opening Day set gives a nice alternative set with a much more modest price tag. It’s an attainable set, with a lot of fun inserts included. The 200 card base set features a handful of players from each team, including some who did not appear in series one, in their new uniforms. You see some old favorite inserts such as Superstar Celebrations, Opening Day Stars, and Mascot cards. There are also autographs and relics, but they are very rare, and not guaranteed in a box as with most other releases.
The box promises 36 packs of 7 cards each. Despite enough cards, there were a lot of duplicates in my box, so I’m pretty far from a set, still, which is unusual for this release.
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.
A new Star Wars movie release means a new Topps Star Wars trading card release. These cards are being released along side the new movie, featuring scenes and characters from Rogue One. It’s an interesting card design, and also offers a standard assortment of parallel versions, along with some well known insert sets.
The set features 90 base cards, although 19 was left off the checklist. The hobby box advertises 24 packs of 8 cards, with two hits per box. Looking at the checklist, there is a limited assortment of autographs, and quite a few manufactured relics.
