Topps Sell Sheet

The standard sized cards all have a metallic chrome effect on the card fronts. They are border-less save a graphic on the card bottom. The graphic contains the player’s name and position, set name and logo, and team name. The graphic is also trimmed in the team’s primary color. The card backs are photo-less and are all vertical in format. The black and white backs list moderate biographical information , moderate career highlights and last season and career statistics.

What I Pulled:
5 cards
2 base
2 relic cards
1 autographed card

Base card front and back:
Mike Pouncey, Rahim Moore

Relic cards:
Deangelo Williams, Stevan Ridley RC

Autograph card:
Adrian Clayborn RC

***************************************************************************************************************************

2011 Bowman Sterling is a super high-end product. The shot-selection is good and designs are great. The designs are very modern looking but not too busy. Four out of the five cards being rookies is a nice draw for prospectors. You can expect the usual “chrome curl.” The auto is a sticker auto but it does not detract form the card design. This particular lottery turned out to be a bust if you were looking to flip cards and make money on your investment. It is always fun to open high-end product though!

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Bowman Sterling a buy rating. As with all high-end products, you do not buy a box to pull a complete base set. You buy a box for the hits! This lottery ticket product can produce huge hits or misses and make it a challenge to flip your cards. Buy a box and trade your Tebow cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: NA
Big-hit Hunter: 3/5
Prospector Hunter: 5/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 4/5
Overall Quality: 4/5

Overall: 31/35 (89% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

The standard sized cards are thicker than regular cards. The card fronts have a full color action shot of the player. The cards are border-less and have a matte finish. The card fronts have the set name and logo in foil in the upper left corner and a graphic at the bottom with the player name, position and team logo. The card backs are photo-less and vertical design. The backs have a black field and graphic text box. The text box contains basic biographical information, moderate career highlights, last season’s and career statistics.

What I Pulled:
10 base set cards all serial numbered (one dupe)
2 relic cards
2 autograph relic cards

Base card front and back:
#/999 – Austin, Lewis, Peterson, Ryan, Maclin
#/300 – Johnson, Mendenhall
#/250 – Cassel, Bradshaw

The Hits:
Kyle Rudolph Auto/Triple relic #/99
Dustin Keller Relic #/27
Tony Dorsett auto relic #/90
Ryan Mallett triple relic #/18

***********************************************************************************************************************

2011 Topps Triple Threads is a big hit hunters dream and a base set collector’s nightmare. I am not even going to rate a box on base set collect-ability. The photography is great. While I do like the base set design and generally like simple cards, I would have like the card backs to have been a little more flashy and high-end looking. The autos are sticker autos but do not detract from the card design. I was disappointed that I got a duplicate card between the two mini-boxes. If they were serial numbered out of different print runs and one was a parallel I would be more OK with it. I pulled two base cards, both numbered out of /999 though. One huge plus for me is that EVERY card is serial numbered. While they are not HUGE hits, they look very cool with the different window cut-outs and the low serial numbering help to add a little more excitement.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps Triple Threads a buy rating. To be honest, TTT has successfully established itself as the product to buy for awesome pulls. Some lotto tickets win and some do not. Buy a box and trade your Tebow cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: NA
Big-hit Hunter: 3/5
Prospector Hunter: 3/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 4/5
Overall Quality: 4/5

Overall: 31/35 (80% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

The standard sized base set cards feature a full color action picture of the named player. Bordered in white, the card fronts have the USA baseball logo centered along the bottom and the Topps logo, player name, team in silver foil. The card backs are photo-less. The backs have a gray background with a white text box. The backs list moderate biographical information, and extensive career highlights.

What I pulled:
The complete 61 card base set with no dupes. It is a box set.
6 autograph cards
2 autographed relic cards
3 relic cards

Base card front and back:

The Hits:
Triple relics #/240 Erich Wiess, Riley Unroe, Corey Knebel
Autographed triple relics #/214 Cole Irvin, Josh Elander
Autographs Dominic Ficociello, Nolan Fontana, Austin Meadows, Walker Weickel
Gold Ink Auto #/25 Brian Johnson
Green Ink Auto #1/1 Alex Bregman

***************************************************************************************************************************

2011 Topps USA Baseball is a great product for both prospectors and set collectors. The box set is nothing but prospects. Being above the stated odds was a nice surprise. The #/25 and 1/1 are super sweet! Unless you are really good at prospecting, you probably have not heard of many of these players before. The on-card autos look real sharp, but the sticker autos on the relic cards do not take away from the card. Being a box set you do know for the most part what you are going to get and lose out on the pack busting thrill. The only other drawback I see with 2011 Topps USA Baseball is the lack of variety in the shots.  Do to the few number of games played and limited availability of the players, many of the shots on the white background can look the same, especially the posed shots.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps USA Baseball a buy rating. Box sets are nice in that you know you are going to get the base set of cards. The hits are just gravy!

Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 5/5
Big-hit Hunter: 5/5
Prospector Hunter: 5/5
Overall Design: 4/5
Fun: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 4/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 36/40 (90% = A)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

The Standard sized cards have either a color or black and white picture of a person or event from the 1940′s to today. The cards are border-less and have a graphic along the bottom that contains the decade and the name of the person or event.  The graphic is designed to be reminiscent of an image or theme from the decade. The card backs are photo-less and vertical in layout. The backs contain biographical information when applicable and extensive information about the person or event.

What I Pulled:
182 cards
154 base set cards, 154/200, = 77% of the base set
1 base dulicate
18 inserts
5 foil parallels
1 puzzle card
3 memorabilia cards

Base card front and back:

The Inserts: (not all scanned)
Hirsute History: 2, 12, 16, 19
Fads & Fashions: 5, 6, 11, 14, 22, 28
Hollywood Walk of Fame: 7, 16, 24, 32, 33, 41, 45, 47
Foil Parallels: 58, 69, 88, 109, 188
Puzzle card

The Hits:
A.J. Hammer relic
Joe Gannascoli relic
Don McLean relic

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2011 Topps American Pie hails itself as a celebration of American pop culture. From the end of World War II to the stars of today, Topps American Pie chronicles the people, events, fads, and fashions that have captured America’s imagination for over six decades. the cards all have catchy designs and themed form the different decades. The inserts are entertaining and clever. 2011 American Pie had near perfect collation with only one duplicate and right on with the stated hits. I think it is pretty cool that I pulled a Don McLean relic from a set called “American Pie!”

The Bottom Line:
A very fun rip for nostalgia and history buffs! It will be easy to complete the base set with one box and some light trading. Go buy a box and enjoy your slice of American Pie!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 4/5
Big-hit Hunter: 3/5
Prospector Hunter: NA
Overall Design: 4/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 4/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 29/35 (83% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

The base cards are thicker than regular base set cards. Fading to a white border, the card fronts feature a full color action shot of the player. The cards are serial numbered in the upper right corner and have the set logo and player name in gold foil along the card bottom. The backs are photo-less. Trimmed in red and black, the backs list moderate biographical information, complete career statistics, and “Career Tiers,” highlights. Both the card fronts and backs are very glossy.

What I pulled:
7 unique cards
3 base #/799
1 parallel #/199
2 serial numbered autographs
1 serial numbered relic

Base card front and back:
Kershaw, Pineda, Gonzalez all #/799

The parallel:
Bert Blyleven #/199

The Hits:
Gio Gonzalez auto #/699
Jordan Zimmermann Auto #/999
Rogers Hornsby dual relic #/99

************************************************************************************************************************

As a replacement for the missing annual Topps Sterling, Topps Tier One falls short. An ultra premium, high-end box with only seven cards per pack/box certainly sounds like Sterling but there are some key differences. Not wanting to compare the two products though as this is a review of Tier One. For the price point, I expected a higher caliber talent checklist, bigger hits and no redemption cards. I personally did not pull a redemption, but they are plentiful in Tier One. The overall quality and design of the base cards and hits is good. Just like any lottery ticket you could strike it rich or strike out. If you strike out, you will have a hard time trying to flip/trade cards for your money back.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps Tier One a shop around rating. You will be further ahead to buy singles of cards. Light on rookies, the potential for a redemption and the hit or miss of the hits means you should shop around for your lotto ticket. If you pick up any, trade your Tigers cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 1/5
Big-hit Hunter: 2/5
Prospector Hunter: 2/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 3/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 28/40 (70% = C)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

The Update Series set is identical in design to Series One and Two. The standard sized cards have a full color action shot of the player on the card fronts. Bordered in white, the card fronts also show the player name, position and team name and logo. A simple colored strip matching the team color and silver foil trim the fronts. The card backs are all horizontal in layout. A small, cropped head sot of the player is the only photo on the back. Moderate biographical information, modest career highlights and complete career statistics highlight the backs. The card backs are also trimmed with a the team’s primary color.

What I pulled:
360 unique cards, no duplicates
255 base set cards. 255/300 = 77.27% of the base set
44 Diamond Cognac
10 Diamond Anniversary
15 Gold #/2011
1 Hope Diamond Blue #/60
5 Diamond Duos
4 Topps Town
6 Diamond Giveaway
9 Topps 60
1 relic
1 silk

Base card front and back:

The Inserts: (not all scanned)
Gold #/2011: 14, 18, 31, 47, 63, 109, 162, 163, 192, 193, 230, 242, 247, 278, 293
Hope Diamond #/60 Tim Hudson
minis: 44, 103, 110, 119, 125, 126, 136, 147, 148

The Hits:
Howie Kendrick AS relic
Adrian Beltre Silk #/50

************************************************************************************************************************

Identical in design to Series 1 and 2, I absolutely love this year’s base card design. It is simple and clean. I also really like the horizontal backs and the occasional horizontal fronts. The shot selection is great with some good actions shots and some candid moments. Another plus for me is the tri-picture league leader cards, the team cards and All-Star cards. This is a perfect example of what collectors have come to expect from a Topps base set. In my opinion I feel that there are way too may inserts. A couple of insert sets to chase is fine, but there are over 70 cards that could be regular base set cards. The gold parallel cards look good, and I really like the Hope Diamond blue parallel. The Silk card is really cool as well. This was the first Silk card that I have ever pulled. Also being above the stated odds on hits does not hurt either

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps Update Series a buy rating. It will be very easy to complete a base set with a box, a few extra packs and some light trading. There are lots of inserts and parallels to chase. Buy a box and trade your Rickey Henderson and Tigers cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 4/5
Big-hit Hunter: 4/5
Prospector Hunter:3/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 36/40 (90% = A)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

3 mini-boxes per master box
6 packs per mini-box
5 cards per pack
1 auto per mini-box
1 memorabilia card per mini-box

Press Pass Sell Sheet

Most of the standard sized base cards feature a color or black and white head shot of the driver. The driver cards have a checkered flag graphic at the card bottom. Other cards include different decorations and text depending of what sub-set the cards is from. All of the card fronts are adorned with some bronze foil.Most of the card backs have a picture of the drivers car. The cards in the sub-sets will either have a different black and white picture of the driver or event depicted. The card backs will contain moderate career highlights of the driver, career statistics and or description of the event depicted.

What I pulled:
93 unique cards
70 base set cards, 70/80 87.5% of the base set
7 non-serial numbered inserts
10 serial numbered parallels
3 memorabilia cards
3 autographed cards

Base card front and back:

The inserts and parallels: (not all scanned)
Muldowney #/50
Red #/99: Patrick, Childress, Childress,
Gold #/250: Kahne, Cook, Elliott, Harvick, Pearson
Motorsports Masters: 4, 7, 8, 13, 12
Pacing the Field:
3, 10
Pacing the Field #/199 Elliott

The Hits:
Tim Richmond relic #/199
Richard Childress relic #/50
Trevor Bayne triple relic #/25
Marvin Pance auto #/99
Richard Childress auto #/60
John Force Auto #/75

************************************************************************************************************************

2011 Press Pass Legends is another is another Press Pass product that delivers! You will pull almost a complete set with one box. The cards are well designed and the inserts look sharp. Both the retired and current drivers are listed alphabetically by last name. The set itself is broken down into four sub-sets. The hits are absolutely outstanding! The on-card autos are awesome. I will recommend that you buy a master or sealed mini-box as opposed to individual packs. Even with dummy filler cards it is pretty easy to tell which packs have the relic cards.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Press Pass Legends a strong buy rating. You should be able to complete the base set with just one box and some light trading The hits, inserts and parallels to chase are all pluses. Go buy a box and trade your Jr. cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 4/5
Big-hit Hunter: 5/5
Prospector Hunter: NA
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 33/35 (94% = A)

Thanks to Press Pass for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

The Series Two set is identical in design to Series One. The standard sized cards have a full color action shot of the player on the card fronts. Bordered in white, the card fronts also show the player name, position and team name and logo. A simple colored strip matching the team color and silver foil trim the fronts. The card backs are all horizontal in layout. A small, cropped head sot of the player is the only photo on the back. Moderate biographical information, modest career highlights and complete career statistics highlight the backs. The card backs are also trimmed with a the team’s primary color.

What I pulled:
362 unique cards, no duplicates
286 base set cards, 286/330 = 86.7% of the base set
67 total inserts
6 Diamond give away cards
6 Topps Town
9 Topps 60
9 minis
4 gold #/2011
6 Diamond Stars
9 Diamond Duos
13 60 Years of Topps (one original back)
9 diamond parallels
2 Before there was Topps
2 Prime 9 Redemption
1 relic

Base card front and back:

The Inserts: (not all scanned)
Diamond Stars: Posey, Howard, Votto, Halladay. Heyward
Gold #/2011: Drew, Heisey
Diamond Anniversary: 417, 456, 459, 514, 538, 590, 601, 625, 627
60 Years of Topps Original Back Killebrew
minis 58, 63, 67, 73, 74, 77, 81, 90, 93

The Hit:
Topps 60 Carlos Marmol relic

************************************************************************************************************************

Identical in design to Series 1, I absolutely love this year’s base card design. It is simple and clean. I also really like the horizontal backs and the occasional horizontal fronts. The shot selection is great with some good actions shots and some candid moments. Another plus for me is the tri-picture league leader cards and the team cards. This is a perfect example of what collectors have come to expect from a Topps base set. In my opinion I feel that there are way too may inserts. A couple of insert sets to chase is fine, but there are over 60 cards that could be regular base set cards. The gold parallel cards look good, and I really like the Diamond Stars cards.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps a buy rating. It will be very easy to complete a base set with a box, a few extra packs and some light trading. There are lots of inserts and parallels to chase. Buy a box and trade your Tigers cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 4/5
Big-hit Hunter: 2/5
Prospector Hunter:3/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 34/40 (85% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

The standard sized base set cards feature a full color action shot of the player. Bordered in black, veteran cards have red highlights and RC cards have green highlights. The team logo, player name and position are in silver foil along the card bottom. The set name is also centered near the bottom of the card front. There is the occasional horizontal layout design. The card backs are photo-less and all in a horizontal layout.. the backs also have the same red and green trim for veterans and RC. The backs list moderate biographical information, moderate career highlights and last year’s and career statistics.

What I pulled:
240 unique cards
95 base set cards 95/220 = 43% of the base set
24 gold parallels
48 Bowman Pick RC cards
42 Bowman Chrome Pick RC cards
23 other inserts
1 chrome refractor
1 blue serial numbered parallel
1 orange serial numbered parallel
4 Bowman’s Best inserts
1 autograph

Base card front and back:

The inserts: (not all scanned)
Gold: Ordonez, Hamilton, Johnson, Mauer, Wilson, Wainwright, Gonzalez, Lester, Posada, Myers, Kershaw, Konerko, Hanson, Pence, Drew, Ludwick, Cano, Johnson, Davis, Abreu, Duda, Sale
Topps 100: Harper, Singleton, Miller, Betances, Torres, Chambers, Robles, Cosart
Finest Futures: Beckham, Chapman, Freeman, Latos, Gonzalez, Heyward
Topps of the Class: Poythress, Robinson, Franklin
Bowman’s Brightest: Heathcott, Beltre, Trout
Blue #/500 Garcia
Orange #/250 Morel
Chrome refractor Martinez
Bowman’s Best: Pujols, Cano, Tallion, Mesoraco

The Hit:
Chrome Blue refractor autograph #/250 Eric Thames

************************************************************************************************************************

The “home of the rookie card” certainly lives up to it’s name. 2011 Bowman is loaded with RCs. There are RC in the base set, both the Bowman first year and Chrome first year sets and 4 insert set devoted to rookies. The photograph and shot selection is good. The quality control is tight with no duplicates and no off-centering or printing errors of note. The autograph is on the card and look super sharp. The only drawback I found with 2011 Bowman is the same complaint I have about a lot of Topps products, way to many inserts. I would have like to have had half as many inserts and first year white border Bowman Pick cards and that many more base set cards.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Bowman a buy rating. You will need t boxes and some heavy trading to complete the base set. Prospectors will love 2011 Bowman. Buy a box and trade your Tigers cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 2/5
Big-hit Hunter: 3/5
Prospector Hunter: 5/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 34/40 (85% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

2011 Topps Chrome Baseball is very similar to the 2011 Topps base baseball set. The standard sized cards are bordered in white and have a full color action shot of the player. Very similar to all 2011 Topps base set designs, the card fronts have a splash of the team color, team logo, and team name at the card bottom and the Topps Chrome logo in a top corner, all in the chrome finish. There are some horizontal player photos. The card backs are all horizontal in design and have a small cropped head shot of the player. Outlined with team colors the backs list moderate biographical information, moderate career highlights, and complete career statistics. The card backs are very glossy.

What I pulled:
96 unique cards, no duplicates
74 base set cards 74/220 = 34% of the base set
8 refractors
4 vintage cards
4 Topps Chrome Heritage 1962 cards #/1962
1 Topps Chrome Heritage 1962 refractor #/562
1 red refractor #/25
1 sepia refractor #/99
1 X-factor #/225
2 autographs

Base card front and back:

The inserts: (not all scanned)
Refractors: Hosmer, Pestano, Ogando, Wells, Posey, Conger, Ichiro, Sanchez
Topps Chrome 1962 Heritage #/1962: Price, Sogard, Tulowitzki, Gonzalez
Refractor #/562 Trumbo
Vintage Cards: Tulowtzki, Hamilton
X-Factor Colvin
Sepia refractor Figgins
Red refractor #/25 Bumgarner

The Hits:
Carlos Peguero autograph
Brandon Belt autograph

************************************************************************************************************************

The annual chrome treatment of Topps’ base sets are always popular releases. 2011 Topps Chrome MLB is sure to scratch the chrome itch. Similar to the regular base set, the shot selection is good and many of the cards seem to be really sharp and high in clarity. The refractors are always a popular chase and unlike the regular base set there are not too many inserts to water the box down. The autographs are on card and Topps seems to have corrected the quality control issues that was present in the regular MLB release where several cards were off-center. You can expect the usual “chrome curl.”

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps Chrome MLB a buy rating. Plan on three boxes for a chance at the complete set. the refractors, parallels and inserts will be fun to chase. Buy a box and trade your Tigers cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 2/5
Big-hit Hunter: 2/5
Prospector Hunter: 5/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 4/5

Overall: 32/40 (80% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

2011 Bowman Chrome Baseball is very similar to the 2011 Bowman base set. The standard sized base set cards feature a full color action shot of the player. Bordered in black, veteran cards have red highlights and RC cards have green highlights. The team logo, player name and position are along the card bottom, all in the chrome finish. The set name is also centered near the bottom of the card front. There is the occasional horizontal layout design. The card backs are photo-less and all in a horizontal layout. the backs also have the same red and green trim for veterans and RC. The backs list moderate biographical information, moderate career highlights and last year’s and career statistics. The card backs are very glossy.

What I pulled:
72 unique cards, no duplicates
23 base set cards 23/220 = 10% of the base set
5 base refractors
34 Bowman Chrome Prospects
1 Bowman Chrome Prospects refractor
2 Bowman’s Best
3 Bowman Chrome Throwback
2 Die-cut
1 Die-cut refractor
1 autograph

Base card front and back:

The Inserts: (not all scanned)
Base refractors: Youkilis, Wood, Longoria, Sale, Arencibia
Prospect refractor Watts
Bowman’s Best: Benson, Allie
Bowman Chrome Throwback: Sanchez, Gordon, Rizzo
Die-Cut: Allie, Turner
Die-Cut refractor Tago

The Hit:
Bowman Chrome Prospect Kendrick Perkins autograph

**********************************************************************************************************************

The “home of the rookie card” certainly lives up to it’s name. 2011 Bowman Chrome is loaded with RCs. There are RC in the base set and of course the Prospect set. The photograph and shot selection is good. The quality control is tight with no duplicates and no off-centering or printing errors of note. The autograph is on the card and look super sharp. The only drawback I found with 2011 Bowman is the same complaint I have about a lot of Topps products, way to many inserts. I would have like to have had half as many inserts and first year white border Bowman Prospect cards and that many more base set cards.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Bowman Chrome a buy rating. If you want to complete the base set you will need to open several boxes. You might be further ahead to buy singles in lots. 2011 Bowman Chrome is made for prospectors. Buy a box and trade your Tigers cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 1/5
Big-hit Hunter: 2/5
Prospector Hunter: 5/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 32/40 (80% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

2011 Topps Chrome Football is very similar to the 2011 Topps base football set. The standard sized cards are bordered in silver/chrome and have a full color action shot of the player. Very similar to all 2011 Topps base set designs, the card fronts have a splash of the team color, team logo, and team name at the card bottom and the Topps Chrome logo in a top corner, all in the chrome finish. There are some horizontal player photos. The card backs are all horizontal in design and are photo-less. Outlined with team colors and featuring the team logo, the backs list moderate biographical information, moderate career highlights, and complete career statistics. The card backs are very glossy.

What I pulled:
96 unique cards, no duplicates
75 base set cards – 75/220 = 34% of the base set
8 refractors
9 inserts
3 serial numbered refractor parallels
1 autograph

Base card front and back:

The Inserts: (not all scanned)
Refractors: Enderle, Carimi, Williams, Watt, Vereen, Brady, Cutler
Finest Freshman: Miller, Carter, Dareus
RC Recognition: Harper, Ridley
Bowman Chrome RC: Dalton, Williams
Superlative RC Harper
Blue refractor #/199 Smith
X-factor #/139 Wallace
Sepia refractor #/99 Cameron

The Hit:
DeMarco Murry auto

*************************************************************************************************************************

The annual chrome treatment of Topps’ base sets are always popular releases. 2011 Topps Chrome NFL is sure to scratch the chrome itch. Similar to the regular base set, the shot selection is good and many of the cards seem to be really sharp and high in clarity. The refractors are always a popular chase and unlike the regular base set there are not too many inserts to water the box down. The autograph is on card and Topps seems to have corrected the quality control issues that was present in the regular NFL release where several cards were off-center. You can expect the usual “chrome curl.” The only other thing that stood out was that a few of the cards photography seemed really dark and not as bright as some of the other shots.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps Chrome NFL a buy rating. Plan on three boxes for a chance at the complete set. the refractors, parallels and inserts will be fun to chase. Buy a box and trade your Tim Tebow cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 2/5
Big-hit Hunter: 4/5
Prospector Hunter: 5/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 4/5

Overall: 34/40 (85% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

The Standard sized cards feature a color action shot of the player. The picture is super-imposed over a washed out background that fades form solid chrome bottom to a “sun-burst” effect at the top of the card. Framed in red with a stripe of the team’s primary color at the bottom, only the set logo, player name, and team name adorn the front. The card backs are photo-less. Trimmed with the team’s primary color, the card backs offer moderate biographical information, moderate career highlights and career statistics.

What I pulled:
60 unique cards
52/100 base set cards = 52% of the base set
6 serial numbered refractors
1 autograph
1 dual relic autograph

Base card front and back:

The Inserts:
Green Refractor #/199 Barney
X-Factor #/299 Ortix, Beachy
Refractor #/549 Hernandez, Strasburg, Beachy

The Hits:
Eric Sogard Gold Refractor RC autograph #/75
Freddie Freeman dual relic autograph Refractor #/499

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I love Topps Finest products. I always have and always will. I love the designs, the refractors and inserts. Any year, any sport, I will find myself gravitating toward a box of Finest over titles. One autograph is a sticker and the other is on card. The high gloss fronts will take finger prints and smudges very easily and all of the cards have the “chrome curl,” even in the individual packs some of the cards were warping. Some of the corners and edges were flaking and peeling, especially on the badly curled cards. For every collector though, I find that we all have that one special set that we always like and will always buy. Topps Finest products are that product for me!

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps Finest MLB a buy rating. Plan on two master boxes (four mini-boxes) for a chance at the complete set. Several tiers of cards to chase will be fun. There are lots of RCs for the prospectors. Go buy a master box and trade your Tigers cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 3/5
Big-hit Hunter: 3/5
Prospector Hunter: 5/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 4/5
Overall Quality: 3/5

Overall: 32/40 (80% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps sell sheet

The standard sized base cards feature a color action shot of the player superimposed on a silver background. Bordered on the top and bottom, the base card fronts have a refractor-like sheen to them. The set name, player name, position and team logo adorn the card fronts. The card backs are photo-less. With just a hint of team color, the card backs offer brief biographical information, and last season and career statistics. Most of the card back is used for “Going Platinum” career highlights.

What I pulled:
97 unique cards – no duplicates
69 base set cards 69/150 = 46% of the base set
19 gold parallel (veterans, non serial numbered)
2 green parallels (veterans, non-serial numbered)
1 red parallel (veteran, non serial numbered)
1 green parallel RC #/499
1 purple parallel RC #/99
1 die-cut
2 autographs #/99, & #/1000
1 autograph patch #/125

Base card front and back:

The Inserts: (not all scanned)
Vincent Jackson red
Marques Colston Green
Vincent Brown #/499
JJ Watt Purple #/99
Arian Foster Die-cut

The Hits:
Leonard Hankerson Autograph #/99
Vincent Brown Autograph #/1000
Edmond Gates patch autograph #/125

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2011 Topps Platinum NFL is a solid and entertaining rip. The card design is awesome and I like it almost as much as Finest. All of the base cards have a refractor-like finish to them. The Gold parallels are much thicker then the regular cards. I thought all of the RC cards were a parallels at first. All of the RC cards have a different background effect. Some look like x-factor design and others look like a “billet” style. I do not know if both background styles are available for all RCs. I found several of the edges were prone to chipping. The patch autograph is a sticker while the other two are on-card.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps Platinum NFL a buy rating. You will need two boxes and some trading to complete the base set. The cards are really sharp looking and Platinum is loaded with RC. Buy a box and trade your Tebow cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 2/5
Big-hit Hunter: 3/5
Prospector Hunter: 5/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 4/5

Overall: 33/40 (83% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

The base set cards are a little thicker than standard sized cards. The fronts feature full-color action shots. The border-less cards have the set and player name centered on the bottom. The card backs are photo-less. The backs do have a border or frame graphic on them. The backs feature basic biographical information, moderate career highlights, and career statistics. Both the front and back are highly glossy.

What I Pulled:
19 unique cards, no duplicates
12 base set cards, 12/10 = 12% of the base set
4 serially numbered parallel cards
1 autograph
2 memorabilia cards
1 redemption card

Base Card Front and Back:

The Parallels:
Phillips and Upton #/199
Sandberg and Mize #/299

The Hits:
Ogando Auto #/570
Heath Bell quad relic #/199
O’neill Titanic Threads #/75
Buddy Bell dual relic auto redemption

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The first thing I noticed was the sharp, and I mean awesome shot selection and quality. Some of the photographs have a high-definition look to them. It was also nice to see new photographs of players, not just recycled shots that Topps has been guilty of re-using over and over. The auto is on-card. The quad swatch is super thick and the Titanic Swatch is sweet. The ‘star-power’ of the subjects for the hits is a little less than I have seen from some other boxes.  The biggest drawback of 2011 Topps Marquee is the redemption. I have said it before and I will say it again.  Topps, no one in the collecting world likes redemption cards. Even for a ‘mid-range price point’ product, no one wants to wait for months to get all of the cards they should have gotten in the box.

The Bottom Line:
Guaranteed hits, cool card designs, parallels to chase and outstanding quality and photography are all pros. Base set collectors will need to pick up singles elsewhere.  Buy a box and trade your Rickey Henderson cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 1/5
Big-hit Hunter: 4/5
Prospector Hunter: NA
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 29/35 (83% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

Topps Sell Sheet

The base set cards are thicker than standard sized cards. Bordered in red, the base set cards have a color action shot of the player. The set logo, player name, team name and serial numbering all appear on the center of the card bottom. The card backs are photo-less. The matte backs list basic biographical information and career statistics. There is also a moderate write-up of the player’s career highlights.

What I Pulled:
14 unique cards
6 red base cards #/1500
1 emerald parallel #/249
3 beige parallels #/99
2 serial numbered relic cards
2 serial numbered autographed relic cards

Base Card Front and Back:
red #/1500 Longoria, Johnson, Ichiro, Robinson, Maris, Hornsby

Parallels: (not all scanned)
Emerald #/249 Pujols
Beige #/99 Fielder, Santana, Gehrig

The Hits:
Scherzer auto/relic #/75
Ellsbury relic #/36
Gonzalez auto/relic #/50
Ichiro relic #/36

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Ahh, Topps Triple Threads. That name just stirs up all kinds of images of amazing, once-in-a-lifetime pulls. The 2011 version is value added now with an autograph in every mini-box. The card design and quality is always top-notch. I love the mix of retired and current stars. The hits as always are sick, amazing, mojo filled or whatever you can use to describe them. The autographs are sticker autos, but are made to fit the card. The card wrapper inside each min-box was loose and allowed for the cards to move around inside. This could cause some dings and chips of the corners and edges of the cards. The star power caliber of the players for the hits night not be as good as some other cards coming out of 2011 Topps Triple Threads. Remember though, for every winning lottery ticket, there are a bunch of losing ones.

The Bottom Line:
Not for the set builders, but completing the base set is really not why you buy Topps Triple threads is it? Go buy a box and trade your Rickey Henderson cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: NA
Big-hit Hunter: 4/5
Prospector Hunter: 3/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 3/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 4/5

Overall: 29/35 (83% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

A ball signed by Ruth and other members of the 1928 World Series champions, wire-to-wire winners who validated what essentially the same squad had accomplished the year before, is one of the highlights among the 400+ pieces available.  Slices of bricks from the Monument Park “retired numbers”  of Ruth and Gehrig, authentic bats and ball signed by DiMaggio and Mantle and game-used items by Jeter and Rivera in their record-setting games are also among the more interesting pieces.

There is even a full, game-used uniform of David Price, the Tampa Bay Rays hurler who surrendered Jeter’s 3,000th hit, for bidders looking for a less glamorous piece of history, but valuable in its own right.

Topps Sell Sheet

The standard base set cards are slightly thicker then standard cards. The card fronts feature a full color action shot of the player. The border-less cards have the set logo in silver foil in the top left. The bottom of the cards contain the player name, team name, and team logo in sliver foil on a splash of the team’s primary color. The card backs are photo-less. The white backs list brief biographical information, modest career highlights, last year and career statistics. The team logo is also depicted on the back.

What I pulled:
61 unique cards
30/150 base set cards = 20% of the base set
17 un-numbered parallels and inserts
10 serial numbered parallels
2 relics
1 auto
1 auto relic

Base card front and back:

Inserts and parallels: (not all scanned)
4 Prime RCs
2 Prime Veterans
2 Dual Combos
1 Triple Combo
1 Quad Combo
7 Light Green un-numbered parallels
3 Silver #/930
3 Gold #/699
1 Blue #/599
1 Red #/499
1 Purple #/399
1 Dark Green #/99

The Hits:
Ryan Williams Auto #/99
Vincent Brown Relic #/318
Triple Combo Relic #/388
Kendall Hunter Quad relic Auto #/515

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2011 Topps Prime NFL is a solid and entertaining rip. The overall card design and shot selection is first rate. The inserts are well themed and I really like the the design of the dual, triple and quad combos. All of the hits look cool. The autos are sticker autos. Even though the the card is designed to fit the sticker auto, the sticker itself was applied very crooked. The only real drawback I give to 2011 Topps Prime NFL is the number of inserts and parallels. More than half of the box was non base set cards. Purple, red, blue, silver, and green serial numbered cards will make for attractive “rainbow collections” for player collectors at best and major headaches for master set collectors at worst. I am OK with a couple inserts and parallels to chase, but more than half a box is a bit much.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps Prime NFL a buy rating. Even though you will need several boxes to have a shot at the base set, the cards are really sharp looking and Prime is loaded with RC. Buy a box and trade your Tebow cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 2/5
Big-hit Hunter: 3/5
Prospector Hunter: 5/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 34/40 (85% = B)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

The standard sized base have a full color posed shot of the driver. The border-less cards have the set logo in the top left corner and the driver’s name in foil on a bar graphic along the bottom. The card backs feature a smaller cropped head-shot from the picture on the front a monochrome picture of the car. The backs also feature brief biographical information, and moderate career highlights.

What I pulled:
113 unique cards, no duplicates
90/90 base set cards 100% complete base set!
8 inserts
1 serial numbered parallel
1 un-numbered parallel
1 autographed card
2 race used relic cards

Base card front and back:

The Inserts: (not all scanned)
Kenseth black and white parallel
Labonte red parallel #/20
All-Stars 7, 9, 16, 18, 20
Rear View Mirror 3, 10
Joe Gibbs Racing 2

The Hits:
Mark Martin 3-color relic #/25
Kyle Busch autograph #/30
Jeff Gordon relic #/99

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2011 Press Pass Wheels Main Event is a mid-range product that will deliver that “lotto ticket” thrill and still leave you something to show for it. Starting off with perfect collation I pulled a complete base set and not a single duplicate card form the whole box. My bonus pack yielded the red parallel. The autograph is on card. The base set is broken down into six subsets. The driver cards are in alphabetical order by last name. The only real con I have for 2011 Wheels Main Event is the grey scale background. It actually makes the cards look kind of the same and really dark feeling.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Press Pass Fan Fare a buy rating. A complete set per box is always nice. The hits, inserts and parallels to chase are all pluses. Go buy a box and trade your Jr. cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 5/5
Big-hit Hunter: 4/5
Prospector Hunter: NA
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 3/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 32/35 (91% = A)

Thanks to Press Pass for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media

In The Game Sell Sheet

The base set cards are a little thicker than standard sized cards. The card fronts have either a color or black and white file (non-action) shot of the subject. Bordered in white on the top and sides, the subject’s name and profession are centered on the bottom. The base cards are red (ruby) on the bottom. The parallels include blue (sapphire) and black (onyx) versions. The card backs are photo-less. There is a fair amount of information about the subject on the card-stock white backs. Both sides of the cards are glossy.

What I pulled:
9 unique cards, no duplicates
4 base set cards, 4/100 – 4% of the base set
2 blue (sapphire) parallel cards
1 autograph
1 Mega Memorabilia swatch
1 Dual Memorabilia card

Base card front and back:

The Parallels:

The Hits:
Jacques Villeneuve auto
Larissa Gomes Mega Memorabilia
Mario Lemieux and Elvis Stojko dual memorabilia

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Known more for their hockey products, the Canadian based “In the Game” branches out with 2010-2011 Canadiana. The 100 card base set celebrates one of Canada’s greatest natural resources, talent. There are two parallel versions to chase. Both the autograph and cut-autographs are a ‘who’s who’ from Canada. Collectors will find everything form actors and athletes to politicians and business leaders in this set. The cards are simple and well designed. There are a lot of posed or file photographs. I would have like to have seen some more action shots, especially of the athletes.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 In The Game 2010-2011 Canadiana a shop around rating. Do not take this wrong, Canadiana is a good product, base set collectors are better off picking up singles elsewhere though. If you are looking for hits, especially of some non-traditional subjects, give 2010-2011 ITG Canadiana a shot!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 1/5
Big-hit Hunter: 4/5
Prospector Hunter: NA
Overall Design: 4/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Re-buy: 4/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 27/35 (77% = C)

Thanks to In the Game for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official baseball card resource for Baseball Digest.com - Beckett Media