Tuesday, October 20, 2009

First Impressions: 2010 Topps

If you haven't seen it on the Beckett Blog, what are you waiting for?

My reax...

Things I Like

The design. The '02-Post-meets-'91-Topps mash-up is starting to grow on me.

The "Tales of the Game" insert. Especially card #TOG-30 "Topps Dumps 1952 Cards in the River."

No short-prints, base set variations, squirrels, fake Japanese "prospects," or other assorted gimmicks. At least not yet, anyway.

Things I Don't Like

330 card base set. Is a 396-card first series base set too difficult to ask, or what?

Too many inserts. By my count, there will be just as many non-parallel, non-autographed, non-relic inserts (303 cards, spread out over seven different sets) then base cards. I like lots of inserts, but over 300 in one release is just excessive. Did we really need another year of Turkey Red? Or a sixty-card set of players pictured in their Little League uniforms?

Manufactured Hat Logo "Relics." Just die already.

Things I'm Indifferent About

The "Cards Your Mother Threw Out" insert. Hey look, it's yet another '52T Mickey Mantle reprint! FEEL THE EXCITEMENT!

MANTLE-JO!!!!!!

I don't understand the logic of another reprint set. Hasn't Topps gone to the well a little too often with this concept already? Besides, I seriously doubt that my mother threw away my '09T Evan Longoria. On the other hand, you'll finally be able to add that Alex Gordon to your 2006 Topps set.

Big Mojo Hits. Nobody buys Topps for autographs or gamers -- even if they are one-per Hobby and three-per HTA box. What's the point of having them?

The newly designed "Rookie Card" logo. The now familiar "Rookie Card" icon (and the eligibility rules that came with it) were the MLBPA's idea. Now that Topps has redesigned it to prominently feature the MLB logo, does this mean that Upper Deck will still use the old one? Is Topps no longer bound to the PA's eligibility rules?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm looking forward to the little league photo insert set. It's something different.

I could do without most of the other inserts, though.

dayf said...

Current Topps products are still banned on my site due to the Black border switcheroo, so I'll share my thoughts here.

I like the '91 logo homage, but they seem a little... big.

Toppstown's design has definitely improved.

Relic/Auto/RelAuto/Patch/Peak Performance design doesn't do it for me.

If there's a Brave in the ManuHatPatch I'm all for it. If not, Die Topps Die.

Past & Present reminds me of a mid '00s Fleer insert. The MickeyChippah still gave me a boner.

The little league cards are digustingly cute. A very nice mash-up of '73 Boyhood photos and '80 Topps. I approve.

I like the new RC logo. That other logo exclusive monstrosity better stay off my goddamn cards.

I'm sick of fake Turkey Red.

I will always like reprint cards, but I'm interested to see how many in this set mirror the 2001 version of this insert set. The name made me grin.

Oh look, checklists at the bottom...

Half the Braves in the first series may be gone by opening day, if not the date of release.

Only ONE FUCKING BRAVE got thrown out by my mother. Goddamnit, ma...

Calling it now: Super seecrit rare short print is a variation on card TOG21 With Bucky's proper middle name added on the card. Billy Ripken gets some competition.

SPAHN AND TOMMY HANSON PAST AND PRESENT: Boneriffic.

Why the fuck did they screw up the numbering of When they were young?? I no longer approve.

Yay! Confirmed Braves Logo Hat ManuPatch Cards!

Holy Flippin Crap, there are a LOT of Logo Hat ManuPatch cards!!! Are they one a pack or something?

Looks good. Hopefully I won't be broke when they come out.

sruchris said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
sruchris said...

I'm tired of repeat designs. If I want to remember the past, I'll buy Heritage.