Completed insert set – 2010 Topps Turkey Red

This was a doozy of in insert set.  Which is why it took me 4+ years to complete it!

Info about the set:

Set description:  “Popular for nearly a century, Turkey Red cards will span the 2010 Topps brand baseball program.  The cards highlight legends of the game and current stars on the famous but updated Turkey Red design.”

There are 150 cards in the set, with 50 cards in each series (including Update).  As mentioned in the sell sheet write-up, the design is a bit modernized.  Instead of a brown/leather border, there is a tan/gold border.  It really looks like a nicely framed 2.5 x 3.5 picture, including the name plate at the bottom.  The cards are printed on the white retro-style cardboard that I’m used to now with Topps Heritage the past few years.  The backs have a good sized write-up about the player depicted.

Set composition:  150 cards, 1:4 odds (2010 Topps)

Hall of Famers:  39.

Nolan Ryan, Hank Greenberg, Ozzie Smith, Cal Ripken Jr., Johnny Bench, Mike Schmidt, Ernie Banks, Mickey Mantle, Mel Ott, Ryne Sandberg, Babe Ruth, Willie McCovey, Jimmie Foxx, Al Kaline, Brooks Robinson, Jackie Robinson, Tom Seaver, Luis Aparicio, Joe Morgan, Yogi Berra, Lou Gehrig, Eddie Mathews, George Sisler, Ty Cobb, Roy Campanella, Lou Brock, Rod Carew, Orlando Cepeda, Rogers Hornsby, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Johnny Mize, Pee Wee Reese, Tris Speaker, Honus Wagner, Cy Young, Robin Yount, Duke Snider, Frank Robinson

How I put the set together:

• 27 cards from my 3 hobby boxes
• 2 cards from other hobby/HTA packs
• 23 cards from trades
• 43 cards from Sportlots
• 19 cards from Beckett Marketplace
• 9 cards from a card show
• 26 cards from eBay
• 1 from COMC

Thoughts on the set:  It’s obviously a humongous number of cards.  But I think that’s OK if Topps does it for one or two insert sets a year and does it as a continuity insert set.  I don’t think you can do much better than the Turkey Red design.  To me, it’s one of the most attractive card designs in the history of baseball cards.  In fact, Topps has taken it and improved it, with a more attractive border.  It really looks like a museum-quality framed painting that got shrunk down to a 2.5 x 3.5 baseball card.

Card that completed my set:  #134 – Rod Carew

One of 2 cards I got from Beckett’s marketplace back in November last year.  The other was card #150, Starlin Castro.

Best card (my opinion):  #83 – Yogi Berra

This is the best card, hands down.  Yogi is throwing his mask over his back in this picture, but it almost looks like he’s balancing it on his forehead.  Which is made even more awesome considering the character that Berra was.

Here are a few other cards I really liked.

My Favorite Reds card:  #143 – Frank Robinson

A great card of a younger Robinson, beats out Johnny Bench and Joey Votto, who also had very solid cards.

Any other tidbits:  4 guys have two cards in the set.  Josh Johnson, Vlad Guerrero, Roy Halladay and Curtis Granderson are featured with their new team in the Topps Update portion of the set (last 50 cards).

The coolest thing about this set, and something I love to look into wherever possible!  5 players are in this set and the original set.  Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Tris Speaker, Ty Cobb and Walter Johnson.  I was surprised to learn that Honus Wagner doesn’t have an original Turkey Red card.

That’s 3 guys from the first Hall of Fame class, with Young and Speaker making it into the HOF in the 2nd class.  Here are each of those players with the old card next to the new card.  I’ve kind of bastardized this.  Since the original Turkey Red cards are much larger than standard size, this isn’t realistic.  But it’s fun!  The original is on the left, the 2010 set is on the right.