2016 Goodwin Champions box break #1

I’ve collected the Goodwin Champions set ever since Upper Deck lost its MLB license and came out with this product back in 2011.  It’s a retro set that was originally based on a set from almost 130 years ago – retro products always hook me and I love the design of the original Goodwin Champions from 1888.  It’s Upper Deck, and honestly I kind of missed them being in the game.  It’s a multi-sport set, but I viewed it as a way to get something different that still had a baseball background.  And some of the non-base cards were always interesting.

I’ve enjoyed it every year, and I usually buy 3 boxes.  I have a little buyer’s remorse after this year.  Here’s a look at the base card design.  I like the design, and though it does kind of infringe upon Allen & Ginter, I think it’s well done.

That’s not the problem.  UD is just getting to where their player list is a problem.  The non-SP part of the set is 100 cards, but it’s really 50 cards.  Because the second 50 cards are a mirror of the players from the first set – with different pictures.  And the next 150 cards have the same 50 players.  Sorry, but that’s just not OK.  At least not at $85 a box.

It’s basically these 5 big names, and then a lot of fringe sports.

Sorry – but cards like this:

while interesting, don’t make me want to buy this set.

They still had some really big names last year aside from those 5 guys – Shaq, Emmitt Smith, Rory McIlroy, Griffey, Carl Lewis, Jerry Rice.  But for some reason, it just fell of a cliff this year.

Here’s the SP cards that I got in this box.  Glavine, by the way, is the only baseball player out of the 50 athletes.

Goodwin has mini cards – you get 7 in a box.  I got 5 regular, which have a gold border and actually look pretty nice.

And 2 canvas minis.

Here’s the Goudey insert set that has been included over the past few years.  It does kind of look like it could be from the 1930’s, but, again – the player selection just isn’t there this year.

There was a 3D, sportflics-like insert set called “Supernaturals”.  Last year it was “Game of Chance, the year before it was “Monsters”, this year its mythological gods.  This one is Eshu, who acts as a messenger between Gods and mortals, but also likes the occasional prank.  The 3-D effect on these cards is really cool.  It looks fuzzy in the scan, but in person I definitely like the effect.

An additional way Upper Deck has stripped value out of this compared to the prior year.  This counts as a hit – in the past the equivalent set did not.

My autograph wasn’t anything to write home about.  This is Goudey version for Christie Rampone, who was a former captain of the U.S. soccer team and is still playing professionally at 41.  I like the subscript to her signature – wish more athletes did that.

I also got a Museum Collection Relic – the 2016 historical era is World War II.  Now this is considered a pretty big pull – they’re going for around $150 on eBay.  I guess I could have offered it up on there – but I’m all for using these things, so I went online and redeemed it.  It’s for a booklet relic, which is 1:1,293 packs.  I could get sand from Iwo Jima, pieces of German or U.S. helmets, or pieces of military uniforms.  Kind of weird in some ways, but kind of cool in others.

Below are the “stats” for the box.

20 packs per box * 5 cards per pack – 1 card in the Supernatural pack = 100 cards

79 of the 100 card base set (79% set completion)

• 5 SP cards

84 of the 150 card full set (56% set completion)

• 5 Minis
• 2 Minis Canvas
• 5 Goudey
• 1 Super Naturals
• 1 Goudey Auto (Rampone)
• 1 Museum Collection Booklet Redemption