Cards from the Golden Giveaway

So I’ve opened all I’m going to open for 2013 Topps series 1.  I went to Target yesterday in search of a blaster, but the one near me only had loose packs, hangers and jumbos.  I already opened one each of those, so I’m just calling it a day for that.  I’ve got my wantlist up – and have a little bit to trade, though I’m super busy with work – so sorry for the folks who’ve asked and I haven’t got back to quite yet.

On to today’s post – I had kind of forgotten about these, but then saw a couple of posts where other bloggers were reminding that the Golden Giveaway was coming to an end soon.  I think all told I got 4 code cards in the Golden Giveaway – 2 of which were Jeter and Ripken – and I was able to swap those 4 cards for 3 players I wanted – Rickey, Griffey and Ryan.

These cards are technically called “Golden Moments Die-Cut”, though the #/99 version is the gold version.  The cards are very nice – the die-cut is pretty cool and they are thick as all get out.  I’ve read a few people say they seem more like Bowman inserts, though I think they’re pretty solid.

Completed insert set – 2012 Topps Timeless Talents

I’m done buying retro stuff for 2012, and I’ve posted all I’m going to about Topps Mini and Topps Update.  That means I’ll be back to posting about my Lifetime Topps project soon.  But first, I have some sets I’ve completed over the last few months.

My first insert set completed from the 2012 Topps flagship product is Timeless Talents, which was only included in 2012 series 1.

Info about the set:

Set description: The idea for this is a theme that Topps has had for the past 3 years (at least).  They put 2 players on one card, usually a retired star with a current player.  I like the design of this one better than the previous 2 years.  The card is horizontally oriented, with each player taking up one half of the card.  The background is darkened, so it makes the players stand out.  A white line divides the players down the middle, and separates the top and bottom of the card.  Each player name is below his picture, with the team name above.  The Topps logo along with the Timeless Talents set name is near the bottom.  The back has a stat comparison between the two players and a write-up of why they should be compared in the first place.

Set composition: 25 cards, 1:6 hobby odds

Hall of Famers: 15

Paul Molitor, Willie Mays, Nolan Ryan (2 cards), Frank Robinson, Ryne Sandberg, Johnny Bench, Barry Larkin, Bob Gibson, Andre Dawson, Joe Morgan, Stan Musial, Ernie Banks, Dennis Eckersley, Luis Aparicio, Cal Ripken.

How I put the set together:

10 cards from the HTA jumbo box

1 card from a blaster

1 card from a retail jumbo pack

13 cards from trades

Thoughts on the set:  As I alluded to above, this idea isn’t anything new.  Topps did something similar in 2010 (Legendary Lineage) and 2011 (Diamond Duos).  Those two sets looked way too similar – at least this one is a different design, and I think the change is an improvement.  There are some good combinations (Joe Morgan and Brandon Phillips) in the set, but there are also some head-scratcher pairings (Willie Mays with Matt Kemp?).  I’m kind of lukewarm on the set, and would probably like it more if it hadn’t been done the two years before.

Card that completed my set: #TT-21 – Dennis Eckersley / Andrew Bailey

I got this card in a trade with Clark from Fantastic Catch in July.

Highest book value: #TT-25 – Cal Ripken / Derek Jeter

Best card (my opinion): #TT-14 – Nolan Ryan / Jered Weaver

Like I said, I’m kind of lukewarm on this set, so picking a best card was tough.  I like this photo of Ryan with the Angels – and putting him with an Angel who has a strikeout crown himself was a good match.

My Favorite Reds card: #TT-17 – Joe Morgan / Brandon Phillips

Easily beats out cards that feature Barry Larkin and Johnny Bench, but not current Reds.

My UPDATE attempts at the Topps Golden Giveaway

I had 7 code cards between the hobby box and the retail packs I bought.  I’ll spare a long post on this – the picture below is pretty much all I got.

 

I won’t complain too much – I did much better than most folks from the earlier codes I had from series 1 & 2.  It just kind of stinks to have a website promotion like this where you really don’t win anything most of the time.

2012 Topps Update retail purchases

In addition to a hobby box of 2012 Update, I also bought a little bit of retail from Target.  I bought a blaster and a retail pack.  I would have liked a jumbo pack, too – but there were none in sight at my local Target.  Now, before I show off any of the goodies, I’d like to point out that I got no base cards toward the set needs.  So I’m still like 46 cards short.  (Want lists are posted if anyone wants to trade )

First, here’s the blaster special.  This is a “manu-patch” (as the people call these) of the Blockbusters insert.  I got an important cog to the first piece of this year’s World Series – Prince Fielder, who joined his Dad’s old team over the summer.

The blaster also came with two packs of Target Red parallels.  Not sure if I like that, but here are some of them.  I also got one red parallel in the regular pack.

There were quite a few other parallels.  Gold… and more Gold.

There were some inserts, too.  I got a few doubles, and then I got 2 of the exact same Nolan Ryan card from Golden Moments.  My least favorite insert set from this year – and I’ve got a double.  This came in back to back packs in the blaster.  Oh well.  The rest of these cards filled needs from the insert sets.

And last, what I’d call the highlight of the purchase, I did get (at least I think it is) an SP variation card of CC Sabathia.  He’s fraternizing with the enemy here!

2012 Topps Update base cards

Topps Update 2012 has what’s become standard operating procedure for that release.  There are quite a few subsets – the first one is the Record Breaker / Checklists.  There’s 5 of these cards for:

• Jamie Moyer becoming the oldest guy to get a victory.
• R.A. Dickey having the most consecutive starts with 0 earned runs and 8+ strikeouts
• Jim Thome with the most career walk-off homers
• Josh Hamilton tying the record held by many with a 4-homer game
• Matt Cain having the most strikeouts in a perfect game

I actually think it’s a good idea that Topps is combining the record breakers onto the checklists.  I just wish they differentiated these from the base set in some way.  If you think back to 1988 Topps – All-Stars and Record Breaker subsets looked completely different, but in a way that still tied it to the regular set.  I also wish they would say something on the back about the record – like whose record did Moyer break?  I think it was Satchel Paige, but the card should tell me!

They also have a subset for each of the 8 guys in the Home Run Derby.  Cecil Fielder won it, but Robbie Cano was notable as he was the American League captain for the derby.  When he didn’t pick Billy Butler, the Kansas City fans booed him mercilessly, and cheered when the defending champ put up a bagel.

There is again a subset of All-Star players.  I’ve read some folks complain that they should show them in their All-Star uniforms, but I need to point out – they actually do.  In almost every photo, you can see the All-Star logo on their uniforms.  For the actual game, teams wear their own uniforms (AL players wearing home white this year since it was in KC).  The American / National League jerseys are actually worn on during the Monday festivities (like the Home Run derby) which are attended by all the All-Stars.

 

The Melky Cabrera is kind of funny given all the things going on with that situation.

There’s also a rookie debut subset that isn’t a “base card” – a player could have a card in this subset and a regular card.  Notice the Montero – they show him in uniform for the Yankees, which is who he made his debut for in 2011.  He’s got a regular card showing him with the Mariners.  Not sure why they are doing 2011 ML debuts; you’d think they should have been in the 2011 Update set.

Of course they do have the standard rookies in the Update set – here’s a couple of guys who had a notable impact on playoff teams this year.

And there are plenty of “traded” vets.  It’s kind of neat opening this set now as the playoffs are going on – there are a lot of guys from this set who have been on my TV this October.  They even have Jonathan Broxton on his new team from earlier in the year.

 

Speaking of being on my TV?  Melky most certainly isn’t.  But I bet he has some website designs he could sell you!

Here’s some AL traded veterans:

 

Pettite isn’t really “traded”, though it makes sense he’s in this set, since he came out of retirement.  I like this card of him.

Those guys should be in the set – but here’s two guys I’m not sure why their in the Update set.  Mike (Giancarlo) Stanton is in the base set.  Did he seriously get an Update card because he changed his name?  Phil Coke doesn’t even have that reason, though I’m guessing he got put in the Update set because he didn’t have a regular 2012 Topps card.

There are a few guys in this set who this could be their last Topps card.  Players of varying historical significance.  I don’t think Damon has officially retired, but he was released by Cleveland later in the year. I’m surprised there wasn’t a card of Omar Vizquel.

 

Finishing it up, here are some of my favorite photos from the set.  You might be wondering why the Chavez is in there – that’s actually a Yankees throwback uniform from their April 20th game commemorating the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park.  The Yankees had never before worn a throwback uniform before, and the only time they’d ever worn something other than their usual uniforms was a Negro League tribute to the New York Black Yankees in 1996.

 

 

 

 

2012 Topps Update Hobby box – inserts

Here’s the inserts from the Topps box that I opened last weekend.  There are a few less inserts in Update (except for the unfortunate increase in parallels).

1987 minis

They are continuing the 87 minis in Update – 50 more cards to wrap it up as a 150 card set.  I kind of wish they’d just do 25 cards in Update, as I want to buy a little less of the Update product.  At least they didn’t duplicate players across the series, which is what they did for a few guys (see Ty Cobb) in the Kimball set last year.  Also, the Future Stars addition is a very cool nod to 87 Topps.

Golden Moments

Ugh, the other insert set that permeated all 3 series.  Unlike the 87 minis which are sweet, this one is not a fan favorite.  It’s clearly designed to have a relic, auto or both.  In other words it doesn’t work that well by itself, and it just doesn’t have a great theme in my opinion.

Golden Greats

After a hiatus from series 2, this insert set from the first series is back.  This differs from the first series, which was a bit like the old Upper Deck Heroes – in that it had 5 cards for each player and kind of followed big years or moments from that player’s career.  But these 25 cards just have 1 card per player.  So you’re left with 15 groupings of 5 players and 25 players with 1 card.  Kind of weird – but I still like this set.

Blockbusters

This is a new insert set for the Update set, and I kind of like it overall.  A really good idea with so-so execution.  I know they can’t sign everyone, but I do wish they’d put together the true best blockbusters in history.  Putting the trade of Griffey Jr. to the Reds in a set with Babe Ruth to the Yankees makes sense – it was an apt comparison at the time.  Lumping Jay Buhner in with the Babe from that perspective – not so much.

The Gary Carter does belong – but it would be nice if it wasn’t the same picture as the one above…

2012 Topps Update Hobby box – parallels

Everybody thought Topps was doing away with Topps Gold this year.  They did the Golden Moments parallels, which are basically this year’s version of the Diamond Anniversary parallels from 2011.  And with that being a gold insert set, it seems like you don’t need to do the “Topps Gold” cards, which are basically just gold bordered version of the base cards.  Who needs that right?  That’s way less creative than the full gold background cards, right?

Well, apparently Topps Update needs Topps Gold parallels.  Numbered out of 2012, you’ve got not only the 330 Update cards as Gold parallels, but they are making up for lost time and putting all 660 cards from series 1 and 2 into Update.  Which is exactly what was done last year with the liquor-fractor parallels.  And it means you are getting these cards at the rate of more than 1 every other pack for a hobby box.  I got 22 in the hobby box of Update I bought.  Out of those 22 Gold cards, 15 were from series 1.  Here’s a few of them.

And 7 of them were from Update.

Which if you’re doing the math, that means none of them were from series 2.  This is semi-shocking.  No cards from 331-661.  Very strange, and kind of makes me start thinking “conspiracy theory”, like maybe David Stern made sure there were no series 2 Gold parallels in any of the hobby boxes in the Chicago area…

Oh, and they do have the Golden Moments parallels of the Update cards, too.  I got 9 of those – they come 1 every 4 packs.  One thing about getting a hobby box, the odds seem more reasonable per pack compared to when you’ve got a Jumbo HTA box, where it’s like 1:1, or 2 for 1, or something like that.  I’ll be honest – I always am impressed with how these cards scan – one of the few cards that scan better than they look in person.

By the way, 7 of those 9 gold sparkles were cards that I didn’t get base cards of in the box – a pet peeve of mine…

I also pulled a Topps Black parallel card.  These were already in the earlier series – so you can only get Update cards of Topps Black.   They are numbered out of 61 in honor of this being the 61st year of Topps base sets.  Unlike the Gold cards, which are numbered in black ink out of 2012 on the back, these cards have foil stamping for the numbering out of 61.

I also got an SP variation – this is a really cool card.  It’s Billy Butler’s All-Star card, but him with George Brett.  Since the game was in Kansas City, this is a pretty cool card and a good pull for me!  I don’t think the SP variations were all that rare for Update – which is a good thing if you ask me.  I have nothing against these type of cards, as long as they’re done well and aren’t overly difficult to find.  Well, this one meets those criterion!

2012 Topps Update Hobby box – the hits

OK, just one hit actually.  I bought a hobby box instead of the HTA Jumbo box that I usually purchase.

After the monster I pulled in series 1, I did ok in Series 2.  But those were jumbo boxes where you get 3 hits.  I went the cheaper route, though I’m not sure if I made the right call.  I figured save $40 bucks or so, though it is fun to see the different hits.

Anyways, I didn’t get a Red, which is always my hope, but these All-Star relics aren’t too bad-looking.  Though I’d probably rather have one of the Hall of Fame bronze cards just to see what they look and feel like.

Castro was an iffy All-Star selection.  He hit .283 with an OPS just under .800.  In Wrigley Field, that’s nothing to write home about.  The Cubs were pretty bad, though, so maybe he was their only choice.  Soriano had the better power numbers, and Darwin Barney wasn’t bad, either.

Minis!!!! Topps Mini Box #2

OK – on to my second Topps Mini box.  Not much to say about this – except – I DIDN’T GET MY PROMISED HIT!

Ugh, I really shouldn’t have gotten this product.  I don’t hate it, but this certainly doesn’t help.  I’ll probably send the wrappers in for the replacement – but that’s just annoying, plus it costs $1.95.

Here’s the inserts I did pull.  Again, sorry for the crappy pictures – I don’t have a scanner set up quite yet, and my camera seems to have a tough time not being blurry!  That’s a Griffey in the lower right hand corner – so at least I pulled that!

Here’s the Topps Gold.  These are blurry, too.  I probably should have just not posted pictures, but I took them, so here they are.

 

Finally, I did get a platinum card of Wade Davis – numbered out of 5.  So that was a pretty good pull from this box.  It’s not an auto or a relic, though!

 

I’m travelling this week, so I didn’t get time to see just how many cards I got toward the set when combining my two boxes.  I’ll try to do that when I get back – but suffice it to say that I did get quite a few duplicates out of the second box.  If anybody has any extra minis to trade, I am gonna go after the set, despite all my b*tching!

 

 

Minis!!!! Topps Mini Box #1

So I broke down a while back and bought two boxes of Topps mini.  This was a product available only through Topps – either at the National in Baltimore or directly over the internet.  The latter was my means of purchasing this product.

Here’s my “loot”. Sorry for crappy pictures – I had to take these with a camera since we haven’t unpacked the scanner. First – I got 5 gold parallels.

I got 6 Golden Moments minis.  Really wish they’d have done a unique insert here – or at least not the worst one from the base set!

I got a printing plate – the 2nd straight product I’ve gotten one of these, after Goodwin Champions was the first box I’d ever pulled a printing plate.  This is Andy Dirks of the Tigers.

Finally, here’s my “hit” from the box – a relic of Longoria.  At least this has a unique design!

Stats for the box:

24 packs per box * 10 cards per pack – 2 cards from the relic = 238 cards

1 double

224 of the 661 card series. (34% set completion)

5 Gold Parallel

1 Printing Plate

6 Golden Moments Minis