2011 Topps Prime 9 Set

I finally got my grubby mitts on the complete Prime 9 set, the redemption set from 2011 Topps Series 2 baseball. I must say, I am a big fan of the design of this set because it reminds me of old school Finest for some reason.

Here is what the complete set looks like:

Gypsy Queen Autograph Replacements

Today the UPS guy came with a bubble mailer that I needed to sign for from Topps. I knew what it was and was immediately excited. We got our 10 autograph replacements from our case of 2011 Topps Gypsy Queen.

Here is what we were sent and I am going to need everyone who got an autograph to please send me a self addressed stamped envelope to mail them out.

I will give Topps credit for getting them out to us quickly, but I am kind of disappointed to receive duplicate autographs of 2 players. Kind of ruined the fun of more people getting to walk away with something. Then again, at least we didn't end up with a friggin' Gypsy auto.





Al Kaline auto = pure awesomeness.

Please e-mail me for the address to send them to. I would suggest you send a bubble mailer for an auto but that is up to you. I would also be happy to send them in a bubble mailer if you send me $2.50 as a gift thru PayPal. Whatever is easier for you to do is fine with me.

What do you guys think about how this turned out?

Sunday Question

This week on Twitter Topps announced that there would be a wrapper redemption program for the 2010 Bowman Chrome hobby wrappers. While I know that this announcement came a little while after the release and some people had thrown out their wrappers, there are still plenty of people who can take advantage of the offer.

I like speculating on things, so I am curious what you guys think the wrappers will be redeemed for this time?

Personally, I hope it is per box of hobby wrappers or less than a box for each redemption this way more people from our group break can get something out of it. Obviously we will be sharing the redemption's with everyone involved. Once they release the program information we can come up with a plan on distributing the cards.

Wouldn't it be sweet if it was for an autograph?! (Wishful thinking, I know.)

The mysterious case of the Sig Hansen auto

Sig Hansen is one of the captains the documentary television series Deadliest Catch. With that claim to fame, he rightly received a card in 2010 Topps Allen and Ginter.

Supposedly, Hansen also has a relic card and an autograph card card in the set.

The relic redemption card has popped up on eBay here and there, but for over a month, no one has seen an autograph card. There has not been one eBay auction with a Sig Hansen auto or redemption auto, which led many to believe he wasn't part of the set despite being on the checklist.

On Friday, someone asked Topps if he had autos in the set on their Facebook page. Topps Sports responded: “There is. It ended up being a redemption, and he has signed his cards.”

Does this mean that his autos will be retail exclusive cards? Or, perhaps they will be found in this new fancy value packs that you can get at Wal-Mart. The A&G packs in the Wal-Mart boxes are all hobby and people have pulled rip cards, relics and silk cards out of these.

If anyone finds a Sig Hansen auto card, I bet that card would go a decent price on the secondary market. He seems to have a popular following, additionally A&G is popular with set collectors.

Update: We've got word that the relic-card redemptions will be autos instead. So, if you have one of those cards, you're getting an upgrade.

Get 'em while he's still here

So earlier today, the Phillies' Domonic Brown (yeah, that's spelled right) was named the Topps Red Hot Rookie No. 7.

But you better get the cards while he is still in the big leagues. Brown, who was called up to the Phillies when Shane Victorino went on the DL, will likely head back to Lehigh Valley when Victorino comes back very soon.

Today, assistant general manager Scott Proefrock made it seem as though Brown had no chance of staying in Philadelphia after Victorino comes back.

"I think any young players is better suited with regular at-bats," Proefrock said. "I spoke to Charlie (Manuel) the other day and he said he didn't want Victorino to lose his job over an injury."

Through 10 games, Brown is hitting .257 a home run and 10 RBIs.

Ouch: Topps redemption #1 NOT Strasburg

Topps announced this morning the first redemption in 2010 Topps Series 2 Red Hot Redemptions. It was the card everyone has been waiting for, the card everyone has been paying a good chunk of money to get.

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

Cleveland Indians rookie Carlos Santana!

We just wrote about this and the possibility that Stephen Strasburg would end up as rookie redemption #1. Those cards were selling for a good price on eBay just a few days ago.While auctions that are ending in a few hours are still going for good prices, I wonder if the seller learns about this before the auction is over if 1. the seller retracts their bid or 2. ends up just not paying.

I wish I were a bookie so I can start putting odds on the cards on which ones will be Strasburg.

Interesting to note (or not) is that the Finest Rookie Redemptions and the Topps Series 2 redemptions have yet to lap over. Five out of the 10 Finest rookies have been announced and just one for Topps Series 2, but so far we have six rookies and no Strasburg.

A Topps Redemption

About two weeks ago I was trying to clean off my desk and scanner of the piles of cards that have accumulated over the last semester, this is still going on and may go on forever. At any rate, I found a redemption card from the 2009 Topps Ticket to Stardom that I opened on Christmas. Yes, I forgot all about it until now.

Being that it isn't a player I collect it just got shoved into a pile of stuff that I was going ot figure out what to do with later. I thought about selling it on eBay, and then I figured I might as well see what kind of season he is having before bothering. I put the code in about 2 weeks ago and the card arrived today, which seemed awfully quick to me.

Want to know who it is? Click to satisfy your curiosity.

I'm willing to trade it for something fun. If no one cares.... off to the glue factory, I mean eBay.

I heart Topps (Read: Sweet redemption)

I just bundled up to run out to get the mail through a nice amount of snow, it's accumulating nicely here, and saw a Tri-Star envelope. I was instantly kind of annoyed since they either send me things I didn't redeem, or 6 of the same card. But not this time. This time they win, and they win big. And by they win, I mean I WIN.

Sometime two years ago I redeemed a 2008 Co-Signers dual auto of Chris Duncan/Brendan Ryan and in two years they could not hunt down these two players. Good news I suppose, since I read the note before pulling the card out.

I stuck my hand in the envelope and pulled out this:

What the deuce? *rubs eyes* Holy schnikeys they actually sent me something that I collect, and not even that something that is a considerable upgrade from the crap card I initially redeemed. In the words of the great Gwen, "This sh*# is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!" (Sorry, I couldn't help being goofy.)

I actually put one of these in my watch list on eBay last night. Now, I can delete that.

Today Topps, me and you are B.F.F (tomorrow we may be fighting again).