Box Break and Review: 2007 Topps Allen & Ginter

One box of 2007 Topps Allen & Ginter Baseball (paid $99)
24 packs per box, eight cards per pack

The Details

Chiptoppers:
One individually wrapped oversized card (hobby only)
One checklist

Base Set: 350 cards
300 card short set
50 short prints (1:2)

Parallels*:
Short Set Minis: 300 cards
Short Print Mins: 50 cards (1:13)
A&G Back Minis: 300 cards (1:5)
A&G Back Short Print Minis: 50 cards (1:65)
Black Border Minis: 300 cards (1:10)
Black Border Short Print Minis: 50 cards (1:130)
Non-numbered Minis: 350 cards (1:106)
Bazooka Back Minis: 350 cards (1:213)
Wood Minis: 350 cards (1:3507)
Printing Plates: (1:778)

Inserts:
National Pride: 10 cards (1:3 chiptoppers)
N-43: 15 cards (1:2 chiptoppers)
Dick Perez Sketches: 30 cards#
Rip Cards: 50 cards (1:285)
Mini Flags: 50 cards (1:12*)
Roman Emperors: 10 cards$
Deadliest Snakes: 5 cards$
A-Rod Road to 500: 50 cards (1:24)
Allen & Ginter Mini Exclusives: 40 embedded cards
Framed Originals: (1:17,072#)

Autogamers:
A-Rod Road to 500 Autographed: 50 cards (1:64,496, one-of-one)
Framed Autographs: 57 cards#
Framed Relics: 64 cards#
Dick Perez Original Sketches: 30 embedded cards (one-of-one)
Cut Signatures: 10 cards (1:145,116)
N-43 Autographs: 4 cards
N-43 Relics: 10 cards

* One mini card per pack
# One Dick Perez Sketch card, or framed Autogamer per pack.
$ Stealth inserts

The Pulls

Base Set: 144 of 350 (41.14%)
No Doubles

• Short Set: 132 of 300
(44%)
Short Prints: 12 of 50 (24%)

Parallels:
11 Short Set Minis: S.B. Anthony (2), J. Papelbon, B. McCann (2), D. Jeter (2), B. Sheets, J. Reyes, M. Tejada and B. Giles
2 Short Print Minis: J. Gomes and B. Geren
5 A&G Back Minis: J. Peralta, T. Tulowitzki (2), G. Atkins and M. Cameron
2 Black Bordered Minis: A. Wainwright and J. Lackey
1 Non- Numbered Mini: J. Frazier

Inserts:
1 National Pride chiptopper: J. Reyes, P. Martinez, D. Ortiz and A. Pujols
22 Dick Perez Sketches
2 Mini Flags: Bulgaria and Canada
1 Roman Emperor: Marcus Aurelius
1 A-Rod Road to 500 (#271)

Autogamers:
2 Framed Relics: B. Zito and T. Glaus

The Review

I was tempted to reprint last year's review of TA&G, in this space; because not much has changed with this year's version. And that's not such a bad thing.

Just like last year, the design is based on the 19th Century Allen & Ginter set -- but with the addition of a "2007" on the obverse. Also, just like last year, you get an mini-sized parallel in every pack and each 24-pack box yields two framed autogamers. Missing, is the customary dissertation from the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann -- although a "stealth" framed autogamer (An MSNBC Countdown-used "Piece of the Media Matters Daily Talking Points?") was added late.

What really makes A&G special -- as opposed to other such "retro" sets -- are the non-baseball and non-sports figures. Where else are you going to find cards of wheelchair rugby star Mark Zupan, Dostoevsky, Ken Jennings, Jack the Ripper, AND both Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt? (Curiously, no Lucy Mercer.)

The Bottom Line:

Just like last year, TA&G should be one of the most -- if not THE most -- ripped products of 2007. Every pack contains something of value -- be it a short-print, parallel, or autogamer. And if it's anything like last year, commons should be readily available to build your set. With that said, one $100 box should be all you need to get started.

Product Rating: 4 Gumsticks (out of 5)

... and another thing.

There are a pair of "stealth" inserts to be on the lookout for: a ten-card "Roman Emperors" and a five-card "Dangerous Snakes."