Card-Ola: 2009 Topps Heritage High Numbers

One box of 2009 Topps Heritage High Numbers (supplied by Topps)
24 packs per box, six Topps Heritage and two Topps Updates & Highlights cards per pack

Part One



Part Two





The Pulls

Chiptoppers

1 Buy Back: B. Grim
1 Promo Sheet: Green/Redding/Carroll

Base Set: 125 of 220 (56.82%)

short set: 117 of 185 (63.24%)
Short-Prints (1:3): 8 of 35 (22.86%)

Parallels

10 Chrome (100 cards, 1:3, numbered to 1960): J. Marquis, M. Diaz, D.Aardsma, C. Guzman, R. Garko, J. Francoeur, M. LaPorta, J. Hariston, Jr., N. Morgan, D. Holland
1 Black-Bordered Refractor (100 cards, 1:102, numbered to 60): P. Burrell

Inserts

72 Updates and Highlights Base Set (330 cards, two-per-pack)
2 2009 Flashback (10 cards, 1:12): R. Johnson, Ichiro
2 Rookie Performers (15 cards, 1:12): T. Hanson, G. Beckham
2 Then & Now (10 cards, 1:12): Banks/Rollins, B. Robinson/Wright

Autogamers

1 Clubhouse Collection Dual Relic (1:2020, numbered to 60) Lincecum/Marichal

The Review

The second year of "Topps Heritage High Number Series Presented by 2009 Topps Baseball Updates & Highlights" (yes, that's this product's official name), is much like the first year. The set contains 220 cards, 35 of which short-printed which represent the same 15% proportion that is seen in Topps' other retro-themed sets (i.e. Heritage, A&G). The insert program repeats last year's ("Then & Now" and "2009 Flashbacks," and "Rookie Performers"), but for some reason the Then & Now inserts are numbered as a new ten-card set and not a continuation of the Then & Nows from the first series. Very confusing if you're trying to build a set. In addition, you get a autograph or a gamer in each box.

Each waxpack has two base cards from the Updates & Highlights set. Many of you may not know this -- and I was made privy to this information recently -- but the reason there are two TU&H cards per pack is so to get around the MLBPA's product quota. If this product did not have U&H cards, it would count as a distinct product, and it would count as one of Topps' 17 baseball card products. However, this set is technically considered a re-release of Updates & Highlights, so it doesn't count.

The Bottom Line

Can't really complain about this box. Everything fell as promised including the inserts, parallels, and hits.

The big "hits" were a Pat Burrell Black Refractor (numbered to 60) and a Clubhouse Collection double jersey of Tim Lincecum and Juan Marichal (also numbered to 60).

Product Rating: 4 Gumsticks.