1985 Topps Baseball

Rack pack of 85 Topps. Will I pull a Clemens, Mac or Puckett??
You have to watch to find out!

Coming Soon: 1985 Topps Baseball Rack Pack

I know I've been away for a LONG time but I have something that is worth the wait. I scooped up a rack pack of '85 Topps for six bucks on the bay. I'll be doing a video break here and also a review for A Pack A Day. Could there be a Clemens or a McGwire rookie lurking inside there? Maybe some Puckett mojo? You'll have to stay tuned to find out...

2010 Topps Heritage Baseball

Here's another Heritage blaster.

2010 Topps Series 2 Is Live!

So I was in Wally World doing some shopping earlier this evening and stopped by the card aisle. I couldn't believe but there it was, a Topps series 2 gravity feeder! I grabbed a bunch of packs and here's what I got...

My Team in Dayf's Heritage Blaster Fantasy Baseball League

So out of the blue dayf came up with a great spin on the fantasy baseball idea. It just so happened I had busted a Heritage blaster a few days ago and hadn't sorted the cards into my set yet so it was great timing. And talk about luck, I think I got a pretty kick ass team out of it too! Here's my lineup:

2 catchers (Victor Martinez, Kelly Shopach)
1 first baseman (Adrian Gonzalez)
1 second baseman (Dustin Pedroia)
1 shortstop (Jimmy Rollins)
1 third baseman (Pablo Sandoval)
3 outfielders (Manny Ramirez, Andre Ethier, Brad Hawpe)
1 corner infielder 1B or 3B (Aramis Ramirez)
1 middle infielder 2B or SS (Troy Tulowitzki)
1 outfielder (Raul Ibanez)
1 utility any position or dh (Jacoby Ellsbury)
7 pitchers starters or relievers (Adam Wainwright, Josh Beckett, Rick Porcello, Tommy Hanson, Ross Ohlendorf, Cole Hamels, John Danks)
1 team card (Cardinals)
1 manager (Bob Geren)

I think I did pretty damn good for myself. This should kick ass!

2010 Topps Heritage Baseball

I needed to take a break from the Tournament of Gimmicks so I picked up another blaster of Heritage.

2010 Topps Heritage Baseball

Another blaster of Heritage.

2010 Topps Heritage Baseball

Video Box Break and Review

One retail blaster of 2010 Topps Heritage baseball
8 packs per box, 8 cards per pack (Paid $19.98 plus tax)

The Video

The Pulls

Base Set: 57/425 (13%)

Short Prints: 3/75 (3%)

Parallels
1 Chrome Refractor (1:59 packs) A.McCutchen 115/561

Inserts
1 News Flashback (1:12 packs) Berlin Wall
1 New Age Performers (1:15 packs) J.Mauer
1 Then and Now (1:15 packs) L.Aparicio, J.Ellsbury

The Review
Without any question the highlight of the hobby season for me is the annual release of Topps Heritage. I know that many other collectors feel the same way about Allen & Ginter but for me I can't get nearly as excited for A&G as I do every year for Heritage. I think it's because more than any other product on the market today these cards remind me of what baseball cards used to be. Yes, it would be even better if the gum wasn't wrapped, wasn't made in China, if the packs were wrapped in wax instead of plastic, if it was one series of 792 cards, if there were no inserts, no autogamers, no serial numbered chrome thingys, if they were closer to 99 cents rather than $2.50 a pack, but this is as close as we will probably get in an era where Topps is enslaved to Joe Collectors.

I am particularly pleased with this year's set. I was really worried when it came time to mimic the 1961 set because I feared Topps would be compelled to meddle with the boring design. Instead these cards are plain and simple, just like their '61 counterparts. Many collectors have complained that this design is just too plain boring but I absolutely savor it's simplicity. Topps deserves credit for remaining faithful. Better yet, the entire base set is printed on gray cardboard stock.

One thing I'm not too crazy about is that the photos have been tinkered with a tad too much in Topps' compulsive zeal to approximate 60's era cards. It seems that they've really softened the backgrounds on a lot of the photos and tried to embellish the players. Rather than look like 1961 baseball card photos they look really "touched up." But that's a minor quibble in a set that in all other respects is very pleasing to the eye.
Like always, the many subsets mimic similar ones found in the original '61 edition. One feature that I think is really neat is that the league leader cards feature old timey head shots on the front and the backs list the past fifty years of league leaders in each category. Every back is worth at least five minutes of wonderment at names you heard of and many one year wonders you haven't while you recall summers long past.

The team cards are here again but the ridiculous backs with "every player's stats against every team in the league in agate size type" are so impossible to read that Topps really should have just put something else on them. I'm guessing the '61's had something to do with this but I doubt seriously they had to list stats against 18 teams on the back.It's also a bit disappointing that with the rookie cards, Topps was forced to use that ridiculous Official Rookie Logo AND the '61 Star Rookie logo. MLB really needs to loosen up. Especially now that there is only one licensed manufacturer. On a positive note, the return of those gorgeous early sixties Topps Rookie Cups are more than a welcome sight.And did I mention that I absolutely love the MVP, All-Star, Baseball Thrills and checklist cards?With all the pluses and minuses considered I have to give Topps an overall thumbs up. I can't wait to break another blaster.

2010 Topps Heritage Baseball

Here's another rack of Heritage.

Topps Million Card Giveaway Site Crashes (Again)

I went to topps.com today to check on getting my cards sent to me and also perhaps make some trades and this happened.*laugh* Even though this is funny it also proves how damned popular Topps' promotion has been. Well done, Topps.

Entering a Topps Million Card Code LIVE #3

Here's my third Million Card Giveaway code from a few days ago.

2010 Topps Baseball

Here's three retail looseys of Topps.

My Topps Million Card Giveaway Cards

It has recently come to my attention that some of my readers are interested in what cards I have redeemed so far in the Topps Million Card Giveaway and are interested in making trades. Just to prove I ain't got jack here's what I got. Click on the pic below for a close up. By the way I've made a couple trades already. I kinda like the rainbow Niekro and I need the Paulino for my '09 set. But I'm more than willing to part with the Zambrano as if anyone wants it.

2010 Topps Heritage Baseball

My Target doesn't have blasters yet so I picked up one of these.

2010 Topps Baseball

Here's another jumbo of Topps for your viewing pleasure. To see what I got with the million card code click here.

2010 Topps Heritage Baseball

Our long national nightmare is over. Heritage racks have hit Target and here's my first pack of the year...Hey I got an extra card! Bonus! And talk about retro I didn't pull any inserts. I can't remember the last time that's happened. As many others have noticed for some reason Topps really "softened" the photos on these, especially the backgrounds rather than "washing them out" as they have in Heritage sets of the past. I'm not sure how I feel about this. It doesn't really make them look like 1961 cards as much as it makes them look more like all the other retro sets that are clogging the market right now. But I give Topps major credit for remaining faithful to a plain but beautiful design and I absolutely love the gray cardboard backs. I can't wait to rip a blaster. Also on a side note I tried the gum and it's slightly better than last year's although that's really damning with faint praise.

2010 Heritage Retail Is Live!

We can has Heritage? Dayf says, Yes we can! I will stop by Target tommorrow...

Mail Day: 3/3/10

Got a mailday from Joe in New York state. Subscribe to his YouTube channel ginger4life17

2010 Topps Baseball

Here's another jumbo pack of Topps.

2010 Topps Baseball

Picked up another jumbo pack of Topps. To see what I got with the million card code click here.