Rubbing Dogshit into the Collective Noses of all of Quebec.

That's essentially what Topps has done with this Manu-Crap-Tured Patch card.



Your eyes are not deceiving you. That really is a Montreal Expos logo on a Stephen Strasburg card.

(Let me pause to collect myself.)

With this, and the 41 43 (and counting) "Twink" gimmicks (more on those later); I am now thoroughly convinced that Topps no longer drug-tests their employees.

The Wal-Mart Chrome Strasburg: Not as scarce as you think.

All this week, The Hobby has been abuzz over the release of a new Topps Stephen Strasburg insert card. By now you've probably seen this card...



This is one of three "Wal-Mart Exclusive Chrome" cards available in specially marked "Value Boxes" that were released this week at Wal-Marts nationwide. What collectors may not realize, in their haste for STRASBURG-JO!!!!, is just how not scarce this and the other two cards in the set actually are.

73,150. That's how many copies of each Babe Ruth, Cal Ripken, Jr., and Stephen Strasburg Wal-Mart Exclusive Chrome card were produced. Of course, the cards themselves are not serial-numbered. But, knowingly or unknowingly, Topps gave collectors a clue to their production based on another insert exclusive to the Wal-Mart Value Packs. Armed with this information, and a little algebra, collector's can easily hack the production figures for the Chrome Strasburg.

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Collector's opening the six Topps Series Two packs included in each Value Pack may have noticed a new parallel. The "Copper" parallels are serial-numbered to 399 copies each and (according to the odds listed on the back of the wrapper) inserted into packs at the rate of 1:10. According to Topps, these Copper parallels are only available in Wal-Mart Value Packs. So, let's plug in some variables...

330 (number of cards in the second series set) * 399 (stated production figure of each Copper parallel) * 10 (stated insertion ratio) = 1,316,700

Topps produced an additional 1,316,700 Series Two packs for Wal-Mart. And since you get six of these packs in each Value Pack...

1,316,700 / 6 = 219,450

219,450: That's the number of Value Packs Topps made for Wal-Mart. And since you get one of three Wal-Mart Exclusive Chrome cards in each Value Pack...

219,450 / 3 = 73,150

There are 73,150 copies of each Ruth, Ripken, and Strasburg Chrome card.

In other words, if you pay more than $5 for any of these cards, you're a damned fool.

NSCC Box Break: 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter (retail)

What Topps considers "Red Hot"

.225 AVG, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .670 OPS after 40 ABs



If you're looking for a card of "you-know-who," you might want to seek out Red Hot/Finest Rookie #10. Because you know Topps is going to milk this baby as long as humanly possible.

Even Hitler is pissed at Topps.

Word finally got back to the bunker, and let's just say Mein Furher is not happy with Topps.

More Bowman Retail Loosey Madness!

Topps: Rubbing More Salt in The Hobby's Wounds

As if the Topps Stephen Strasburg fuster-cluck couldn't get any worse. It was confirmed by Topps on their "Million Card Scam, errr..., Giveaway" facebook page that all 2010 Topps Baseball factory sets will have a Stephen Strasburg pseudo-rookie card and that card will be numbered 661 in the set.

Unlike the card available on the Million Card Slot Machine, errr..., Giveaway website (a grand total of 37 have been unlocked in the first 24 hours) this one will have a different photo on the front and different text on the back.

But it will still be numbered card #661 in the 2010 Topps Baseball set.

If you had known before the season that Stephen Strasburg's 2010 Topps card would be available only in factory sets, or on a glorified video poker machine, would you have built your set through packs?

Are any of you going to buy packs of 2011 Topps? Or 2012?

Video Break: 13 2010 Bowman Looseys

Editor's Note: This video was made in much simpler times. Before Topps' middle-finger to The Hobby last night, I celebrated Strasburg Day with this on-location pack break.

Topps: Go Fuck Yourself

I think I speak for most collectors, but we've been subjected to a TON of bullshit from Topps these last few years. The list of gimmicks has been well documented on this site and others and does not need repeating.

So after a 2010 where Topps appeared to have turned the corner and re-established the goodwill they've squandered with collectors, they give us this...



It's the bastardized son of eTopps and the Johan Santana fake no-hitter card. Two lousy gimmicks that suck ass together.

Congratulations Topps on completely fucking over The Hobby. Again.