If you actually believe that this isn't a gimmick, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you.

I suppose that it's apropos that on the day my boycott of Topps begins its fourth month, that this story breaks.

I don't know how Trader Crack and the Orlando Sentinel found this out before I did, but Topps has come up with an explanation regarding the Kosuke Fukudome Bowman Chrome "error" card.

Recall, that this is the KosFu card that appears to have been designed for Fukudome to autograph as A) it has no facsimile autograph on the front; B) the "CERTIFIED AUTOGRAPHED ISSUE" logo that has been on just about every Topps autographed card for the last decade is printed on the front, and C) a white box with the words "NOT VALID WITHOUT STICKER" is on the reverse side. Of course, there is no autograph on the card.

(The "Not Valid" box is where the now-familiar black hologram sticker Topps uses for authentication purposes on autographed cards and some gamers. If you have one of these cards and peel off the sticker you'll see the "NOT VALID" phrase.)

The party line is that Topps "inadvertently inserted a Bowman Chrome Kosuke Fukudome Autographed Rookie Card (which is not autographed) into packs of the recently-released 2008 Bowman Chrome Baseball. A total of 1900 copies were issued. Fukudome is not a subject on the Autographed Rookie Card checklist nor was he ever solicited as one."

If all this is true, then it begs these questions: If Topps never had intended to include an autographed KosFu BowChro card, why did they produce a card that appears to have every intention of being autographed by KosFu? And why did this card magically appear in packs of BowChro? And why did Topps wait until two weeks after BowChro's release to notify The Hobby about this card? And how do they know exactly how many packed out?

I'm taking this card out of the "Honest Mistake" column and into the "Bullshit Gimmick" one.

(Images lovingly ripped off from the Orlando Sentinel)

For the final time...

This is a legit error card.



This is a gimmick card.



And this... The jury is still out on.



Got it? Good.

Topps Makes Amends (Sort of)

2008 Topps Allen & Ginter is now live and should be available at your favorite Hobby establishment. As noted elsewhere, Topps added a card of Kosuke Fukudome to TA&G, and he'll be appearing in all the remaining 2008 Topps baseball products.

The first of the Fukudome A&G's have hit eBay, and it appears to be readily available for collectors. In other words, it's not a gimmick card.

However, there's one minor issue: Fukudome's card is NOT numbered as part of the base set. And despite the addition of the omnipresent MLBPA "ROOKIE CARD" logo on the front of the card, this is NOT a "true" rookie card.

Given the flak received from this blog (and others) over the Topps Series Two Fukudome kerfuffle, Topps deserves some credit for actually listening to the collector. Fukudome was nowhere to be seen on the provisional checklist, and Topps added him at the last minute. However, would it have killed Topps to have slapped a "351" on the reverse side?

Still "On Notice"

I have in my formerly nicotine stained hands (crunch, crunch, crunch) a press release from Topps. It appears that the 2008 Topps baseball factory sets will have a "bonus card" of Koskue Fukudome. Whether or not this "bonus card" will be numbered as part of the base set -- and therefore a true "rookie card" -- is unclear.

So let me get this straight. Topps posted to their website (and it's still there as of 7/14) that the second series of Topps baseball WOULD have a Kosuke Fukudome rookie card. Then, they pull the card at the last minute without bothering to tell anyone until after the fact. To add insult to injury, they stealthily insert into packs a gimmicked Fukudome card, and now they're finally getting around to issuing a Fukudome rookie (we think), but only in factory sets.

What a fustercluck.

If you're a collector, you have to be asking yourself: "Why did I buy those 2008 Topps waxboxes, again?"

And if Topps is going to pull a stunt like this next year -- and given their recent actions, you know they will -- why would anyone collect next year's Topps baseball?

Topps, it's because of crap like this I haven't bought any of your products in seven weeks. With this (and other) actions, I don't see myself collecting Topps anytime soon.

You are still "On Notice."

Card #4

Well jumping Jesus on a pogo stick, get a look at this!



It's Kosuke Fukudome's first Major League Topps card! Of course, its STILL NOT A REAL ROOKIE CARD, but who cares, right?

OBTW, the checklist on topps.com still lists card #645 from the 2008 Topps baseball set as a non-existant Kosuke Fukudome RC. The boycott continues until the gimmicks and deceptive marketing practices cease.

This Just In from Our Irish Newsroom....

... Jay Bruce is the first of Topps "Red Hot Rookie" gimmick redemption cards.

Also, this just in...

THERE IS STILL NO KOSUKE FUKUDOME ROOKIE CARD IN 2008 TOPPS BASEBALL!

Gimmicking away Topps' credibility, one card at a time.

Alex Gordon.

Alay Soler.

Derek Jeter (and friends).

Jacoby Ellsbury.

Poley Walnuts.

Kazuo Uzuki.

"Jon" Smoltz.

The Rip Master.

You can now add the name of Kosuke Fukudome to the list of Topps' bullshit gimmick cards.

There is NO, repeat, NO Kosuke Fukudome rookie card in Topps series two. Instead there's this...


... a gimmicked short-print.

Un-Fucking-Believable.

More info as it develops.