Filed under: Beckett Media, MLB, Topps | Tags: 2011 Bowman Platinum, baseball cards, Bowman Platinum, Bryce Harper, MLB, Topps
By Chris Olds | Editor
You might not have fully digested your first helping of Bowman Platinum, but the next helping is already here.
Topps released preview images and basic product information for 2011 Bowman Platinum on Thursday, a product that will arrive in late-June — just months after the product made its baseball debut.
There will be two prospect autographs as well as one autographed Relic in every 20-pack hobby box. Each 12-box case will include one multi-autograph card and redemptions for on-card autographs from the latest crop of USA Baseball players.
The product will mark a high-end (Chrome) arrival of Bryce Harper autographs as the 18-year-old No. 1 overall pick is slated to have a Chrome Refractor Prospect autograph in the product as well as appear on the triple-autograph card (top) also signed by Stephen Strasburg and Ryan Zimmerman.
Filed under: Beckett Media, First look, MLB, Topps | Tags: 2011 Topps Pro Debut, MILB, minor league
By Chris Olds | Editor
Topps‘ second year of producing officially licensed minor-league baseball cards will start off with a little something extra — four hits in every box of 2011 Pro Debut.
Set to arrive in late May, Pro Debut will consist of 330 cards — apparently just one series this year — but will pack two autographs and two game-used Relics in every 24-pack box along with eight parallels and 18 insert cards. (Last year’s two-series release included two autographs and one memorabilia card in every hobby-only box.)
New this year are Side-by-side Dual Autographs which pair two players together, while the rest of the lineup is pretty similar. There are Gold (/25), Red (1/1) and Blue (/199) parallels, while there are also printing plates to be found. The insert sets include Single-A All-Stars, Double-A All-Stars and Triple-A All-Stars.
Filed under: Beckett Media, Card gallery, MLB, Topps | Tags: 2011 Topps baseball, Albert Pujols, Diamond, MLB, Topps
By Chris Olds | Editor
Today’s the day that many had marked on their calendars — well, after Topps pushed up the release date — as it marked the arrival of the annual baseball card-collecting staple.
You know, the annual Topps Baseball set.
While our Box Busters review boxes are somewhere in an iced-over UPS truck likely stuck in a snow drift and the Beckett Media offices are closed for a second consecutive day, a little lot of snow ice wasn’t going to stop your idiot intrepid editor from journeying through the tundra to a Target store.
After a blaster box, jumbo pack and way-too-many loose packs to mention, here’s a selection of cards from this year’s set … after the jump.
Also be sure to take our poll — on whether you think 2011 Topps is a winner or a loser.
Filed under: Beckett Media, MLB, Topps | Tags: 2011 Topps, Diamond Anniversary, MLB, Topps
By Chris Olds | Editor
The first boxes of 2011 Topps Baseball have been ripped and the first reports of oddball findings are coming in, too.
The most notable previously unannounced finds are cards that have the twinkle or sparkle of a diamond digitally placed into the photograph of the card.
The first of three In The Game uncut sheet auctions is under way.
A trio of eBay auctions of sheets from ITG: Heroes & Prospects “Hits” Series 1 will benefit charity.
The first auction — a sheet of autographed prospect cards from the set — benefits Special Olympics and is at $635 with a week remaining.
Filed under: Beckett Media, MLB, Topps | Tags: baseball cards, Gypsy Queen, MLB, Topps
By Chris Olds | Editor
The Queen will now include some royalty.
Topps unveiled its plans for a new baseball card set styled in the fashion of an 1887 release some time ago, but on Friday the longest-running manufacturer of baseball cards announced a little something extra in packs of the forthcoming 2011 Gypsy Queen baseball cards.
Prince William and Kate Middleton — two members of Britain’s Royal Family — will appear on a card.
Building on the product’s “jewels” theme — which includes bonus cards of various gypsys (yeah, we’re mystified, too) — a “Royal Jewels” card can also be found in packs.
No word on a card of Enrico Palazzo, though.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
Filed under: MLB, Topps | Tags: 2011 Topps, baseball cards, Topps, Topps Anniversary Ring
By Chris Olds | Editor
Topps‘ 60th anniversary ring (the quick image here does it no justice) features 50 diamonds and will only be owned by a select few.
How rare will they be? Topps’ order has not been finalized — one could speculate perhaps 60 rings? Maybe more, maybe less …
What’s it worth? We’ll let the market take care of that when they arrive.
But what we do know is this:
— One Beckett Baseball reader will own the ring seen here. (Details to come in upcoming issues.)
— Ten randomly selected hobby shops will receive a ring as part of their Diamond Anniversary Kit to promote the product in stores.
— The remainder of the rings will be given away as part of the Diamond Anniversary program’s online codes found beginning in 2011 Topps Series 1 — the company’s anniversary product — that arrives soon. Code cards are found one in every four packs.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
Filed under: Beckett Media, MLB, Topps | Tags: 2011 Topps, baseball, baseball cards, MLB, Topps
Join Beckett Baseball‘s Chris Olds as he opens a pretty special box from Topps that contains something that just might be yours soon.
What’s inside? Watch and find out …
Filed under: Beckett Media, Hall of Fame, MLB, Topps | Tags: 2010 Topps Tribute, Babe Ruth, baseball, baseball cards, lou gehrig, MLB, Topps
By Chris Olds | Editor
A heavily scrutinized Topps baseball card featuring the autographs of nine members of the 1927 New York Yankees has been judged to be authentic, according to more than one authentication company, and will return to the auction block on Thursday.
However, the card’s examination wasn’t without a new caveat not previously mentioned publicly as the autograph of Lou Gehrig appears to have been painted around to obscure lesser signatures near it — making it more visually appealing — according to James Spence Jr. of James Spence Authentication.
How rare is this kind of alteration?
“More often than a flat item, multi-signed baseballs are often painted over to give the illusion that they appear as single-signed,” Spence said Thursday. “A company in California specializes in this type of craft.”
This aspect is noted on the Spence Letter of Authenticity, which will be included with the card when it is sold by Beckett Select Auctions , the consignment auction service division of Beckett Media. The auction will launch Thursday with an opening bid of $20,000. The auction will close on on Super Bowl Sunday following the game here in Dallas.
The 2010 Topps Tribute Legendary Lineup Cuts card features the signatures of Earle Combs, Mark Koenig, Babe Ruth, Gehrig, Bob Meusel, Tony Lazzeri, Joe Dugan, Pat Collins and Waite Hoyt — all on one booklet.
A redemption for the card was found by a collector in Missouri, who opted to sell the card through Beckett Select. The auction briefly ran in December with a starting bid of $20,000. However, Select ended the auction early as a precaution when it received multiple questions about the authenticity of the Ruth and Gehrig signatures.
By Chris Olds | Editor
Topps wants you to save your hobby wrappers — and this time they’re telling you in advance.
The arrival of 2011 Topps is just around the corner and the longest-running manufacturer of baseball cards is celebrating its 60th anniversary in countless ways.
One of them, announced Tuesday, is a wrapper redemption program for 2011 Topps Series 1.
Filed under: Hall of Fame, In The Game, MLB | Tags: 2011 Heroes & Prospects Baseball "Hits" Series 1, baseball, baseball cards, In The Game, ITG, unlicensed cards
By Chris Olds | Editor
In The Game‘s foray into the baseball card market is inching closer toward a reality as 2011 Heroes & Prospects Baseball “Hits” Series 1 is set to arrive on Feb. 24 with a little something as its name suggests.
Hits.
Nothing more than hits.
Each box will contain five autograph or memorabilia cards — there are no base cards in the product — for a suggested retail price of $95. Every 12-box case will include a 1/1 card, while each master case is made up of four 12-box cases.
Although the product was announced at last year‘s National Sports Collectors Convention in Baltimore, ITG has opted for a spring training-timed release.
The product is mostly prospect-driven but does include memorabilia and autograph cards of Hall of Famers, retired stars and current MLB players. Some of the notable signers include Johnny Bench, Tommy Lasorda, Yogi Berra, Tom Seaver, Cal Ripken Jr., Nolan Ryan, Reggie Jackson, Don Mattingly and Harmon Killebrew among others.
Notable prospects who signed for the set include Brandon Belt, Yonder Alonso, Wil Myers, Dellin Betances, Jameson Taillon, Kyle Drabek and Mike Trout to name a few.
What can you expect to find? See the images … after the jump.
Filed under: Beckett Media, MLB, Topps | Tags: 2011 Topps, baseball, baseball cards, MLB, New York City, Topps, Topps Diamond Dig
By Chris Olds | Editor
Move over Zales, Topps is taking over.
Topps unveiled on Tuesday its plans to make 10 lucky couples the possible winner of a diamond engagement ring as a tie-in to its 60th anniversary — a diamond anniversary — of making baseball cards.
Couples who produce a 90-second video and post it to the company’s Facebook page will have the chance to be one of the lucky 10 who will compete, on Valentine’s Day no less, for the chance at a ring.
Filed under: First look, MLB, Topps | Tags: 2011 Topps, 2011 Topps Series 2, baseball cards, First look, MLB, Topps
By Chris Olds | Editor
Topps unveiled the first glimpses at its second series of 2011 baseball cards on Friday, marking the first public unveiling of a 60th Anniversary diamond ring that will only be produced in limited quantities and found via Topps Diamond Dig redemption code cards as part of the company’s anniversary celebration.
However, one lucky reader of Beckett Baseball will have the chance to put one of the rare rings on his or her finger, too, via a contest in the pages of our magazine coming later this spring.
While the new series will supplement Series 1, which arrives in roughly a month, new for Series 2 will be Diamond Anniversary parallels, a Before There Was Topps insert card set, a Diamond Stars insert set, Hall of Fame buybacks, Topps 60 dual Relics and a new batch of Topps Attax cards.
The Diamond dig cards will be found one in every six packs and can unlock the diamond ring, a vintage pack of cards, a card with an actual diamond embedded into the cardboard or one of a few other options. Codes found on the cards will be entered at www.diamondtopps.com where fans can also collect virtual rings and other anniversary-themed cards.
Each 36-pack hobby box will include one autograph or Relic, while every 10-pack HTA Jumbo box will pack an autograph and two Relics inside when it arrives on June 6.
More to come. See images after the jump.
Filed under: MLB, Topps | Tags: 2010 Bowman Platinum, baseball, baseball cards, Bowman Platinum, Box busters, MLB
Join Beckett Baseball’s Chris Olds and Brian Fleischer as they rip into a pair of 2010 Bowman Platinum baseball boxes from Topps in this latest episode of Box Busters.
What will they find inside? Watch and find out …
Filed under: MLB, Topps | Tags: 2010 Bowman Draft, baseball, baseball cards, Box busters, MLB, Refractors, Strasburg, Topps
Join Beckett Baseball’s Chris Olds and Brian Fleischer as they rip into a pair of 2010 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects baseball cards from Topps in this latest edition of Box Busters.
What will they find inside? Watch and find out …
Filed under: Beckett Media, First look, MLB, Topps | Tags: 2011 Bowman, baseball cards, Bowman, bowman chrome, Bryce Harper, MLB, Topps
By Chris Olds | Editor
Topps unveiled its 2011 Bowman baseball set on Thursday, which will mark the first appearance of Washington Nationals prospect Bryce Harper in his MLB uniform on an officially licensed MLB card.
Scheduled to arrive on May 9, Bowman will feature only on-card signatures with every HTA Jumbo box including three Bowman Chrome autographs and each 24-pack hobby box packing one.
There will be 110 Chrome prospect cards to be found and a base set of 220 rookies and veterans. With a new twist, there will be Bowman Buyback Cut Signature cards in the fold.
Also new will be Topps 60th Anniversary autographs, USA Baseball patch cards and Futures Game Triple Relics.
Filed under: Card gallery, Hall of Fame, MLB, Panini | Tags: 2010 Century Collection, Andre Dawson, Babe Ruth, baseball, baseball cards, Baseball Hall of Fame, Bob Feller, Cooperstown, Don Mattingly, Eddie Murray, Fergie Jenkins, Jim Rice, Joe Jackson, MLB, New York Yankee, new york yankees, Panini America, Paul Molitor, Pete Rose, Reggie Jackson, Rod Carew, Ron Santo, Will Clark, Yankees
By Chris Olds | Editor
Panini America may not be an official trading card licensee of Major League Baseball, but you wouldn’t know that from the company’s legendary inclusions in the forthcoming 2010 Century Collection set.
No, there aren’t any MLB logos or airbrushed uniforms in the multi-sport and non-sport product — it’s high school and casual photography — but it’s clear that the autograph and memorabilia assets left over from the Donruss days are getting good use and much of it will be in the hands of collectors starting this week.
In fact, it’s that non-traditional photography that might make these cards stand out from others — whether the significance or story behind the photo is noted on the card or not. (They likely aren’t … in their place an authenticity statement.) For example, the Paul Molitor card shown above is from his behind-the-scenes tour of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., back in 2004.
The bat he’s holding? It’s a Babe Ruth gamer.
The Beckett Blog 