Hobby Box Break and Review: 2011 Topps Tier One

When 2011 Topps Tier One was first introduced into the product line I thought it sounded exciting. It appeared to mirror some of the designs of products that are no longer being produced by other companies but were popular amongst collectors. Then when the product finally hit the streets it seemed to anger and disappoint many collectors. I must admit that made me all the more curious to see the cards in person and see what a hobby box had to offer.

While a product like this is hard to give a good review based on one box (there is only one pack), I will give it my best attempt (i.e. hiding my disappointment). The product offers one pack per box with 7 cards per pack, including 2 autographs and one game used card guaranteed. This is a hobby only product with a retail price around $100 per box at the release date and now they are currently about $75, which seems more reasonable based on this box.

The base cards are numbered /799, while the inserts range from being numbered /199 - /25, and the autographs and game used cards vary in the same fashion. The cards that I pulled are below. Am I excited about the base cards? Not at all.

The base cards are boring to me, with the exception that Topps actually went ahead and embossed the lettering on the cards which makes it a little nicer for the price point of the product but... the cards are printed on what basically feels like the decoy cards from the packs that we all used to pad better cards with in the mail.

The design appears to have been created to be simple and attractive. One out of two ain't bad.






The parallels look nicer than the base cards. Notice how the halo highlights how off-center the card really is...


I like the game used card, but I wish they would have laid off the gold a little bit around the Mets logo. Just a trim of it around the home plate outline would have been nice, but this is overkill on gaudy gold.


Rookie autograph- Brandon Guyer

Serial numbered? Check. Slightly raised lettering? Check. On card auto? Check. Design? No check. This doesn't feel like it fits in the scheme of things with the cards that I have looked up on eBay. This design just fails me in every way.


Pablo Sandoval on card autograph, picture appears to have been taken from a game in Heaven.


While this box was to serve the purpose of a review for the collectors and readers out there, it still grinds my gears that this product ended up turning out this way. The card stock is terrible, the design is so-so, but the bright side is that it seems to be moving in the right direction as far as working on making higher end sets that are more like the products we all loved from that company whose name rhymes with tupper neck.

I am going to skip the typical report card type of review here because I don't think it's fair to base it on one box when there is only one pack. If you want my honest opinion, if you haven't seen these cards in person and are a player collector who enjoys breaking wax- buy singles and wait for 2012 products. I don't see this product being up there with Triple Threads, Sterling, or the likes of those cards.

If you want a lower high end product to break for Christmas, this may be fun only because you get 3 hits for $75 and may be able to score one cheaper on a best offer on eBay.

Before you think I am totally throwing this product under a bus, there are plenty of nice cards you could pull on eBay. You need to check out these out, they are amazing I promise.

Hank Aaron jumbo Prodigious patch

Triple autograph with Aaron, Heyward, and McCann

Willie McCovey jumbo Prodigious patch

Sandy Koufax gold auto /25

Blog Case Break Results Part 3 - THE MOJO!

Here is the blog you have all been waiting for- the hits. I am going to reserve my comments on the Series 2 product until I am done scanning everything, but most of you already know my feelings on the Leather Name Plates and the like. Feel free to sound off and let us know what you think of them, and the selection of players pulled in the autographs or game used cards.


Leather Name Plates



Black Leather Name Plates /99



Game Used Relics (actual game used, not manufactured junk)



Autographs


There you have it. That concludes the posts for the blog case break results. I will be posting the Facebook case results later on, and then I will begin sorting. I think most of you that participated like seeing the results scanned in case you missed a hit or missed the live break.

Long Fly Ball to my Mailbox

There is only one person who knows how long it has taken me to post this mail day, and that guy is my friend David over at Long Fly Ball to Because. I would be embarrassed to admit how long it has taken me, so I won't. But I will post some of the cool cards I got in the mail.

There were a bunch of cards for both Sooz and myself in the giant bubble mailer. I swear we loved them all. Part of the fun of the bubble mailer was the sweet giant index card with the Yankees logo and a note from David. I don't have cool stuff like that, I sometimes don't even think to put a note in a trade. If I do, it's either on a midget sized post-it note, or a piece of paper laying around on my desk.

Anywho.... Here are the sweet cards that will get added to my collection and the pile of cards awaiting entry into my spreadsheets. You can stay tuned to find out what is going on with my backlog of work here.

Drumroll..................

2009 T-206 Robinson Cano Old Mill GU


2006 Bowman Heritage Robinson GU

2009 Topps Updates & Highlights Albert Pujols All Star Game jersey

2009 T-206 Robinson Cano Polar Bear mini
2009 T-206 Albert Pujols Polar Bear mini

These cards will definitely fill in some of the holes in cards from recent years that I need. The mini cards have been pretty hard for me to grab, but the serial numbered Cycle card of Cano I have. Sometimes it's just so odd when you can find a steal of a deal on eBay on a serial numbered card but then the SP gives you such a hard time.

If you guys haven't read Long Fly Ball to Because, I suggest you do so. NOW! =) Oh and follow him on Twitter, he's a good guy and a big baseball fan.

Shiny mail day

Every time the mail comes and brings me things like this bubble mailer, it reminds me why as much as I love to open packs I need to stick to singles. There is nothing better than getting an envelope full of stuff you want.

I am still trying to hunt down the last of the 2010 National Chicle cards and 206 Chrome/refractors for my collection of both Cano and Pujols. So if you have any please let me know.

Here are the shiny mojo-ey cards I got in the mail. I love cardboard.


2010 National Chicle Robinson CanoRefractor /499



2010 National Chicle Albert Pujols Refractor /499 (Leave it to me to end up with the SP version before the base version)


2010 206 Albert Pujols /999


2002 Donruss Studio Stars Albert Pujols (I know this one seems random, but I needed it.)



David over at Long Fly Ball to Because was kind enough to send me this card to fill in a missing link from 2011 Topps Series 1.


2011 Topps Robinson Cano game used jersey
There seem to be 3 versions of this card, one with a road jersey, one with a stripe, and one with some random red jersey.

Overall this mail day was a win. If you have any Chicle or 206 cards of Cano and Pujols (refractors only) please let me know.

2011 Topps Series 1 Jumbo Case Break Results

Well, here is the breakdown of the hits from the case of 2011 Topps Series 1 baseball we opened last night live on UStream. You can view the video break here on the blog if you would like to or just scroll down to see the better cards of the bunch.

Special thanks to Chris from Blowout cards for hooking us up with the case.




We'll start with the game used cards:



Leather Name Plates, including a Mat (LAY-TOES) Latos black /99:



Autographs:



Case hit, Silk card Peter Bourjos /50:



SP (this was the only one I noticed, but when I sort the base cards I will post any others if I notice them):



Black parallels /60:



Kimball Champions mini:





I didn't look through the base cards yet, I am going to start that tonight. If I notice any of the "sparkle" cards I will scan them and post them. I have no interest in these cards so I can't promise I will be looking out for them amidst 500 cards here.