Topps Chrome and the Quest for the Best

My love affair with Topps Chrome has been well documented on this site. Aside from my yearly boxes of SP Authentic and a few sporadic boxes here and there, it was the only product I spent a considerable amount of money on. With recent previews showing a new and improved product, I am confident that Topps Chrome will once again contend for product of the year, and here are the reasons why I think it will.

Product Additions

In terms of content versus price, Chrome has always led the way in most respects, mainly because of how much collectors value the hits and non-hit cards. This year, with the addition of Bowman Chrome, Dual Rookie Autos, Red Zone Rookie Autos, and the Flashback Signature cards, Topps Chrome has added a considerable amount of content to a product that was already at the forefront of the game. Its like adding the hellfire conversion kit to a grenade launcher - it just adds that much more awesome.

Although the addition of Bowman Chrome is great for this particular product, I think it detracts from the overall calendar that Topps puts out. Despite the similarities between the two products, Topps low end never disappoints, and I will say that adding more products like Platinum and Finest, takes away from the overall feel of what makes Topps, well, Topps.

Lack of Relevant Competition

With Upper Deck not producing licensed products, Topps was able to reenter the football market again. Yay for us, no joke. Because SPA, Ultimate, and Exquisite will not function in the same capacity again (if at all), Topps has the opportunity to hit it so far out of the park that it should land in the street. Because the availability of hard signed veteran signature cards has dropped from a whole calendar's worth with Upper Deck to nothing with Panini and Topps, the second age of sticker autographs has been crowned. Therefore, products like Topps Chrome and Bowman Chrome, as well as Topps Flagship no longer look like they are behind the times. Though people like us, who are very on top of the way the general calendar shakes out, the general collector probably wont be able to recognize the shift - at least consciously. Topps Chrome will be more visually appealing as any foilboard riddled set from Panini, and that registers with even the Joe-est of Joe Collectors, even if they don’t understand why. Its because when you compare a rookie focused set like Elite and Classics to a rookie focused set like Chrome, its like comparing a Kia to a BMW. I would even go so far as to say that Limited and National Treasures are the only products remaining on the ENTIRE calendar from Panini that have a chance at living up to what Chrome is going to provide for the money. Now, Upper Deck isnt completely out of the game, and we have yet to see the direction of where they are heading. SP Authentic, even with a focus on NCAA stuff, could still rake, and at that point, all bets are off.

Refractors

If Topps ever had a trump card, it’s the refractor. Refractors are like crack to most people, and even someone like me who HATES rainbow foil, loves what they bring. It has to do with the stock and the way the cards themselves are printed, and when it comes to the "chromium" tech that Topps made famous in 1993, accept no subsitutes. I think that fact is even more evident when you hold up a parallel from any Panini foilboard product next to a refractor. Again, there is no comparison.

Then when you factor in that refractors have the ability to maintain a great premium price despite a lack of autographs or jerseys, and it only furthers the point that they are at the pinnacle of low end collecting.

Price

I don’t think there is a better price point for any product in any sport than Chrome in football. When it comes to value in cards outside of the box hit, Chrome is in territory all by itself due to the content of the base and base parallel cards. This is just as much a result of consistency and follow through each and every year of release, as well as collector loyalty to the brand as a direct correlation. The autos, when they are of good rookies, are some of the most valuable low end cards in existence, and that only adds to the allure of the miniscule price tag. When a box of Elite (more of a mid-end product) costs 60-70 dollars more for cards that aren't worth half as much, things start to come into focus. With Topps adding further content this year, it only makes more of case for why Chrome remains a collector favorite.

Photography

With the exception of 2008, Topps photography for their base set and Chrome tends to be amazing. Dynamic rookie poses (the sell sheet cards are mock ups, not finals), great design, and awesome game shots lead to display worthy low-end cards. How often does that happen? Rarely ever.

Notoriety

Even my mom knows what Topps Chrome is, and its because its been the best for the longest. For most people, due to the basic human characteristic of vanity, building a collection has as much to do with gaining notoriety among your peers as it does with loving the cards. You can deny it all you want, but being able to display your rainbow is pretty awesome when you see the oooo's and ahhhh's from the peanut gallery. Topps Chrome carries that through with each new year, and it has been pretty evident when you see the sales trends in the hobby going in the wrong direction for everything except cards like that.

When it comes down to it, buying a box of Chrome is a great time. Building the set is fun, and displaying your top singles is great. Then to find out that doing so is very inexpensive in most cases, makes it that much more appealing.

My name is Adam Gellman, and I am an addict of the worst kind.

One Of My Favorite Days of the Year: Topps Chrome Preview Day!

Saw the Chrome sell sheet on FCB, and I am both ecstatic and kind of sad at the same time. I absolutely love Topps Chrome and I dont think this year will be any different from the looks of things. However, they have added in Bowman Chrome cards and some weird subsets for the second year in a row, and I have a feeling I may get pretty annoyed with this.

First off, the cards look great, as did the base cards from flagship Topps. The autograph cards are still stickers as expected, but they arent done horribly. They still feature borders that call your attention to the fact that stickers are on the cards, but with Topps Chrome, you cant see them any other way. Plus, the boxes cost around 50 bucks a piece, so they get a pass in my book.

Secondly, they are adding in red zone rookie autographs for this product as well, and I am wondering if only part of the checklist will be in base Topps and others will be in Chrome. I would expect we will have to wait for Bradford and Tebow to be in chrome, if that were the case. Who knows, maybe its just a value added type of thing. In that case, the more on card sigs, the merrier. I just hope that the red zone cards are numbered similarly to the rookie premiere autos, as it would be terrible and tiring to have to redo the fake auto fiasco all over again.

Also, I really like the Bowman Chrome cards this year, and it sucks that they wont get their own set. I would much rather have Bow Chro than Finest any day of the week. Hell, take Platinum too, I dont care. Low end Topps = win.

On the bad side of things, the dual autos look kind of stupid, and the patch refractor autos /25 are pretty bad for the third year in a row. Did that patch really need a border on it? No, it just covers up more of the player. Plus, who needs the event used stuff in a product like this anyways? Its like 2008 Topps Stadium Club all over again.

I am eager to see the Topps reprint autos that they mention without pictures, because those could be some of the coolest cards ever. When this was done in both baseball and football a few years ago, people went nuts over them, but a lot of it had to do with hard signed signatures. If they arent hard signed, I will probably pass. Who knows, they could be cool.

Im not saying I will buy as much of this stuff as I did last year, but its going to be close. I love the 2010 Topps design and that should transfer into some awesome stuff from the rookies. The final product will be eagerly awaited here on my end.

My Card Collecting Love Affair Is Over

Its been a long and convoluted love affair between Chrome and I, lasting over a decade. Since 1998, I have always chased the Chrome cards of my favorite players, even when I stopped collecting cards. Based on emails I have received from many of the other people in this hobby, they feel the same way. The parts of Chrome I always loved the most were the refractors, as the chromium technology made rainbow foil look like wrapping paper on other products. These cards were everything they were hyped up to be, and I am going to go out on a limb here and say that the refractor is quite possible the best tech feature in the modern card.

In fact, chrome rookies and refractors are possibly the only non-numbered card to still hold value in this hobby. It is very rare that a non-auto, non-numbered card has any value what-so-ever, but the refractor has bucked this trend since its inception in 1993 finest baseball. This also means that the low numbered colored refractors are worth even more, and the Red refractors from both Topps and Bowman chrome have been known to crack 100 bucks without an auto. Think about it, look at all the other low numbered parallels that are present in just about every set. Will any of them frequently draw big bucks without a jersey, patch, or auto? Rarely if any will have that power.

Of course, 2009 is the final year for Chrome in football, and I am very sad to see it go. I will always have a special spot in my heart if it comes back, but for now, this is the end. Although I havent ever had much success with pulls out of either product, I think the singles are always going to be part of my collection. I was lucky enough to pull a coveted red refractor auto last week, and I was happy to finally have the feeling of pulling something like that. However, knowing that those kind of singles will not be available for the forseeable future makes me pretty angry that Topps is out of football. I am very glad to see the end of Triple Threads and Sterling (both kinds), yet I cant help but think that I would be willing to put up with those fluffy turds if I could have another shot at some chrome cards of the 2010 rookie class.

Lastly, its rare that I love a product like chrome through most of its run, and I credit the way that Topps approached the product each year. Instead of rehashing designs or lazily working with new concepts, there was a new fresh look every year. The refractors stayed the same, but I always looked forward to seeing the new design that was coming. Most of the time, they did very well with both Topps and Bowman chrome, and no matter what, those refractors always held their own. Collectors still chase the original Finest set because of the refractors, and I think I may start to join them without a new product each year. After all, my love didn’t come from staying with tradition, it came from appreciation. I never collected Chrome because I needed to be the person who had them all, I collected Chrome because I wanted to.

Sometimes You Need More Than Rarity For Value

Earlier last week I posted that Demitrius Byrd's chrome auto may end up being the most valuable scrub auto of the year. For those of you who are curious, Byrd was injured pre-draft in an accident, thus making his auto pretty hard to obtain for the companies. Byrd had obviously signed some of his stickers, but not enough to put him in the number usually reserved for a scrub auto. Topps put him on the checklist, though his auto is listed currently at 1:7000 packs. At that rate, his autograph exceeds the odds of pulling a superfractor, but it isnt enough to drive value for a player that may not have a career.

There have been a few that have surfaced on eBay, with a recent one selling at $41.00. All things considered, thats still a huge amount for a player in his position, though not the numbers one would typically expect for a ridiculously rare pull in high print run product.

Interesting, none-the-less.

SCU Breaks: 2009 Topps Chrome Three Box Break

My three boxes of Topps Chrome came in today, and I think I did pretty good. Not great, but good enough to be happy. I ended up with a few really nice refractors, and one nice autos. Ive laid out each box, the third definitely being the best.

BOX 1

Rookies:

Darrius Heyward-Bey

Andre Brown

Jason Smith

Zack Follett
James Davis

Josh Freeman

Aaron Brown

Mike Mickens

Jeremy Maclin

Nate Davis

Brian Cushing

Marko Mitchell

Refractors:

Rhett Bomar

Roddy White

Senderrick Marks

Matt Hasselbeck

Rashad Jennings

Jeremy Shockey

Mike Goodson

Ernie Sims

Copper Refractors:

Marques Colston

Keith Bullock

Rookie Autograph

Shonn Greene

BOX 2

Rookies:

Tyson Jackson

Tiquan Underwood

Brandon Gibson

Michael Johnson

Brian Orakpo

Kevin Ellison

Brandon Underwood

Andre Smith

Pat White

Larry English

Michael Hamlin

Cornelius Ingram

Refractors:

Drew Brees

Hakeem Nicks

Kevin Smith

Vernon Davis

Chase Coffman

Jerod Mayo

Brandon Tate

Kenny McKinley

Copper Refractors:

Anquan Boldin

Michael Crabtree

Rookie Auto:

Brian Cushing

BOX 3

Rookies:

Matthew Stafford

Alphonso Smith

Austin Collie

Mike Wallace

Brandon Pettigrew

Manuel Johnson
Connor Barwin

Beanie Wells

Everette Brown

Louis Delmas

Robert Ayers

Peria Jerry

Refractors:

Manuel Johnson

Brandon Pettigrew

Robert Ayers

Peria Jerry

Chad Ochocinco

Chad Pennington

Aaron Kampman

Brandon Marshall

Copper Refractors:

Percy Fucking Harvin (YES!)

Chad Pennington

Red Refractors:

Ray Maualuga 12/25

Rookie Autograph:

James Laurinaitis (Pulled in every product so far)

If you would like any of the non-rookie base cards, please email me so I can give you the address to send a self addressed stamped envelope to. If you are interested in any of the bigger hits, let me know as well.

I am pretty fucking excited to pull the Harvin copper, as I can add it to my collection I have so far. I have the auto, the refractor and the copper now, making three out of a billion.

Pretty cool to break this much product in a row too, as the first box was not making me happy. Of course, pulling fucking Crabtree as my copper right after he pretty much solidified the fact that he is going back for seconds in 2010, was also pretty disheartening.

Im happy regardless, though. Thats gonna be it for a while, so Im glad I got it out of my system.

PICS FROM THE BREAK:

A Comment On Superfractors

When it comes to 1 of 1 cards in this hobby, there have been more mistakes than successes. Obviously the quad logo auto 1/1s in Exquisite are one thing, but they go all the way down to the 10,000+ 1/1s in Topps Moments and Milestones. One specific type of 1/1 has trancended the normal contructs of value surrounding base parallels, and I know that many people buy just to seek them out. Back in the 1990s, when refractor technology made its play, Topps literally put every possible design into its different parallels. Then they started numbering them. Then they started numbering them REALLY low. Then they made the granddaddy of all chrome cards, the 1/1 golden ticket Super-fucking-fractor.

Dont get me wrong, the idea of the Superfractor doesnt bother me one bit. Having a 1/1 parallel in a set built on the success of the different variations of the cards actually make sense. Its the look that I just absolutely hate. The cards look awful in my opinion, they always have, mainly due to the fact that the whole card is printed on that gold atomic mega refracting x-fractor board. Why not just put a nice gold border on it? How about using the gold atomic mega refracting x-fractor board, but only for the outside of the card?

Listen, I know you chromies are going to crucify me for this post, and I understand that the card itself is an icon even with the weird cardstock, but I just cant see myself ever going after one. After seeing the potential for gold bordered cards with the gold refractor autographs that are inserted in this year's product, it has become clear how awesome a 1/1 like that could be. Instead of putting up with a player pic you cant see, you now have a really sleek addition to the parallels of the base set.

I am not kidding myself with the idea that Topps may actually change the look of the Superfractors, but I will say that its disappointing each time I see a card look like this:

Product Review: 2009 Topps Chrome Football

Instead of doing a normal review as I usually do, Im going to discuss Chrome in relation to the box break I was able to do today. Three more breaks will be coming on Monday, but due to a lack of time today due to meetings, I didnt have a lot of freedom to hang at the shop. I did my break as I planned, and I am actually pretty happy with the result.

Design/Creativity

I love the look of these Chrome cards, especially the different refractors that are available this year. There are a few drawbacks this year, which I will get to, but overall the set looks amazing. Topps' design for their flagship was spot on, which means that the design for Chrome was also pretty awesome.

For the cards I pulled, most of the photos were great as well, something that was a drawback for last year's product. They experimented a little too, as some of the Rookies were photographed with their helmet off, or in weird poses. It actually works pretty well, as the monotony of the same pose wears on the overall presentation of a set. My favorite of my pulls was probably the Hey Bey, as he looked pretty acrobatically posed on the shot.

However, not everything was great. First were the Cheerleader cards, which Beckett has hailed as the best football insert card ever made. That is like saying David Eckstein is the tallest player ever to play baseball. The Cheerleaders take up spaces that could be reserved for actual players, and I cringed each time I pulled one. When there is 40 cards in a pack like in the flagship jumbos, its one thing, but with 4 cards per pack, its ridiculous.

Secondly were the Chicle cards, which transferred about as well as expected to Chrome. They looked out of place, and should have just been axed with the Cheerios. A lot of wasted space.

On a good note, many of the colored refractors looked like they fit great. The color highlights the design, which means the retail blues should look perfect. I pulled Marques Colston, Brandon Pettigrew, and a few scrubs including Mr. 1:7000 Demetrius Byrd. Im hoping that in my other boxes ill hit a biggie like I did with McFadden last year.

Rating =

Autograph Cards

I think the Chrome autos are some of the best rookie autos of the year, despite the stickers they use. They hold value pretty well too, thus making the 50 dollar box a winner. I saw a Maclin pulled while I was at the shop, and was literally shocked at how cool it looked. Topps added in printed wording on the cards as well, which will completely deter people from slapping fake stickers on the non-auto RCs like in previous years.

The coolest looking pull of the day was definitely the Brandon Pettigrew black refractor auto that the owner pulled out of some loose packs he had, as the sleek black border made the card look great on the refractor board. They were numbered as low as the Rookie Patch autos, which should have been the plan from the beginning. No patches needed. Everyone at the shop agreed.

Lastly are the down point of the autos, something I discussed a few days ago with the Stafford. As if on cue, I pulled a Stephen McGee patch auto out of my box, which was better than a scrub, obviously, but wont be added to my collection either. The patches look ridiculous on the cards, most of them looking like one color boxes that obscure the picture. Im hoping I can maybe trade it for a Harvin that someone doesnt want.

Overall, the autos looked pretty nice, no matter the crap patches that Topps is trying to force into a classic set.

Rating =

Relic Cards

There are no relic cards in Chrome.

Value To the Collector

As with any Chrome product, there will be lots of value to be had. The base rookies are even valuable, despite the lack of any numbering. I think for the price of a box, the amount you get back can usually be pretty close to what you put in, something that rarely happens with any product thats produced these days.

I think the combined value to set collectors and hit collectors is comparable, a feature that makes Chrome so good. Most hit collectors will not hesitate to pay for a box even though there is one hit for the price, and most set collectors love chrome for its yearly haul. The only drawback for both brands of collector is that the set is much smaller this year, though Topps unfortunately made up for it with gimmicky inserts like the Spirit Squad.

I think I got my money back on my box even without the McGee, mainly due to the other elements of the box. I got good rookies in Maclin, Freeman, Hey Bey, and Moreno, as well as a few good refractors. With the McGee added in, there is no doubt. Seemed like this was the case with everyone who busted Chrome today.

Rating =

Overall Impressions

Chrome is and always will be popular because its such a cool addition to the flagship product. This year is no different, and I think it could easily be the most fun to bust until SPA comes out in december. For very little money you get a lot of packs to bust, some valuable rookies, and the possibility of a good refractor or auto. Odds are that one part of the sell sheet will come through for you, so it shouldnt be too big of decision to break this stuff. In my opinion, its the best product of the year so far.

Average Rating =

2009 Product Leaderboard (SO FAR)

1. Topps Chrome (4/5 GELLMANS)
2(t). Upper Deck Football (3/5 GELLMANS)
2(t). UD Philadelphia (3/5 GELLMANS)
2(t). Topps Football (3/5 GELLMANS)
2(t). UD Icons (3/5 GELLMANS)
2(t). UD Heroes (3/5 GELLMANS)
2(t). UD Draft Edition (3/5 GELLMANS)
8(t). Donruss Threads (2/5 GELLMANS)
8(t). Donruss Classics (2/5 GELLMANS)
8(t). Donruss Elite (2/5 GELLMANS)
8(t). Playoff Prestige (2/5 GELLMANS)
8(t). Bowman Draft Picks (2/5 GELLMANS)
13. Score Inscriptions (1/5 GELLMANS)
14. Leaf Rookies and Stars (0/5 GELLMANS - NR)

Could A Scrub Be The Most Expensive Chrome Auto Of The Year?

Demetrius Byrd played his college ball at LSU, was picked late in the 7th round of the NFL draft, and Topps couldnt even get a uniformed pic of him for the cards they produced. Crazy enough, the odds of pulling his auto out of chrome are MORE THAN the odds of pulling a Superfractor, thus making this cardthe most expensive scrub auto ever made.

Now, this could easily be a mistake, but Byrd's odds are listed at 1:7000 packs for his autograph. To pull a 1/1 superfractor, the odds are one in just under 3700 packs. Im guessing that if the odds are true, Topps must not have gotten many signed stickers back from him, therefore limiting the amount produced and inserted. There were enough to put him on the checklist, but so few that the odds are closer to one every 24 cases. Based on that, you can expect that the amount of Byrd's total signatures are less than any other player ever produced in a Chrome set. Crazy.

Factor in that Topps Chrome is one of the most widely collected sets of the year, and this autograph may be worth more than most of the other players from the past few years. Rarity drives price in these cases, and saying this card is Rare is an understatement.

The Song Never Remains The Same

I was doing my usual ebay updates to see what was coming now that Chrome is live, and I stumbled across this crap. I am shocked, to say the least.

Ooof, that is pretty rough. Im not sure why this was greenlighted, consdering the patch intrudes on the subject of the card. Never really stopped anyone before, right?

For some reason, last year, Topps Chrome added a new feature card to a product lineup that didnt need a new feature card. Numbered ridiculously low, the rookie auto patches were squeezed into a set that had no reason to include jersey cards. This year, the cards are unfortunately back, but thanks to the new design, there is practically no space to include the relic. So, instead of doing the right thing and ditching this idea, they put the cards in the set again without regard for how they look.

Its definitely too bad, mainly because Chrome was always that one product you could count on to avoid the gimmicks. As of this year, BOTH Topps Chrome and Bowman Chrome will have these cards, and I have no fucking idea why. Is it really THAT important to add one more needless parallel, especially when the patches arent game used? Its like putting a PS3 console in a car for the driver. Why is it even necessary?

Listen,the solutions is pretty simple. This set would have sold regardless of these stupid looking cards, cant we just understand that they arent needed? They look ridiculous, they dont fit, and the cards are so rare that it shouldnt even be an issue. Keep Chrome free of gimmicky cards, its one of the last products that can still float without needless relics. I hope Topps will do their best to honor that in the future.

2009 Topps Chrome Is Live!

Topps Chrome is scheduled to be released on Thursday, and the first cards have hit eBay. So far, things look as they usually do, which is a good thing for everyone who loves this product, including myself. Im still not sold on the way the autos are being produced, but Im sure once I get a few of them in front of me, they will look much better.

Here are some from eBay (more coming soon):

Here is one player we now know is redemption. Sorry Titans fans.

Topps Chrome: Spot The Changes

After the wonderful breath of fresh air that was on card signatures for Topps Chrome BASEBALL, Topps Chrome FOOTBALL is actually confirmed 100% stickers. After seeing the sell sheet that featured great looking mock up cards with supposed on card signatures, its now obvious that was never the plan. Not only that, but the design for the rookie autos has changed as well.

I guess if you are going to use stickers as you have for every incarnation of this set, you might as well avoid the curved auto space. They tried the curve with Bowman Chrome last year, which didnt exactly look great. On the bright side, it wont be as easy as it once was to counterfeit these cards, as the auto versions of the rookies have slightly different name spaces. In the past, there was little that was different between the base rookie and auto rookie, but this year, there is quite a bit.

As if we should be surprised, Beckett got another early box, which in this case only adds to my laundry list of offenses by them and the manufacturers. As if to show the "excitement" over their envigorating and captivating breaks, they posted some preview pics. For the reason of showcasing the differences and showing what I mean, here is what the acutals look like compared to the sell sheet mock ups. I understand this isnt something I normally do, but considering the events of the last week, I dont really care anymore.

As you can tell, the name spot is now horizontal to compliment the sticker. I do like the change, as the curve would have looked very weird with a straight line on the bottom of the label. I liked having the team helmet on the mock up, too bad they couldnt sneak that into the design. I am glad they kept the certified auto language ON the card, as that should signal a fake from a real one.

Its really too bad that all the potential of having on card sigs like the 2009 RPAs was ditched for stickers AGAIN, but it honestly could have been worse. Im sure, in person, these cards will do what they have always done since Chrome's creation, and I cant wait for my three boxes arriving next week via blowout. Im not as elated as I was, but still very excited.

What Does The Future Hold For Chrome?

Next week, one of my favorite sets of the year will hit shelves. For 2007 and 2008, Topps chrome was possibly the best set of the year for the entire brand with maybe the exception of Bowman Chrome. This year's success will hinge on a few things, mainly stemming from practices that Topps seems to have given up on for their chrome products all together.

If you notice for this year, the autograph space for the rookies is curved, something that wont lend itself very well to a square sticker. I sincerely hope that the new standard set by Chrome baseball will hold true for football, and deliver on card autographs for the first time in a VERY long time.

The preview sheet, released a few months ago, seemed to hint at on card autos, as Topps usually incorporates the awful rainbow foil stickers into the sell sheets. This time, they did not. If this does end up being the case, I may end up maxing out some credit cards to buy a few cases, as I cant tell you how excited I would be to open a few boxes.

Last year also brought the first Topps Chrome Patch Auto cards as well, numbered to a miniscule 25 per subject, something that could compete with SPA in terms of value if it were numbered a little higher. Now that Bowman chrome has also incorporated swatches into a product that doesnt need them, I hope the sophomore edition of the TC Patch cards dont screw up more of this potential set of the year.

As we saw with base Topps, the cards look great, and should be even better in chrome tech. The photos look ten times better than last year's distanced player shots, some even using very dynamic action shots from the trampoline station at the premiere. However, we also saw that there were some variation SPs with VERY low print runs in base Topps, thus begging the question as to value in chrome. These cards could be huge if they are as short printed, and available in the normal refractor pyramid.

Well, its only a matter of days now, I hope its not delayed any further. I am ready with money in hand.

The Case Bust Dilemma

I never thought I would be in a position where I had this choice to make, but alas, here I am. About a week ago, I found out I had pretty much won 400 dollars in a contest at work, which made me extatic. However, the 400 dollars wasnt cash, but instead it was gift cards that could be used like credit cards. There is a list of merchants you can use them at, and eBay is one of them. In addition, Saturday is my birthday and I have received more eBay money to spend as well. That means, I have about 600 bucks to spend however I want on eBay, if thats the way it goes.

In my mind, I have two options, and I am wholly considering both as a viable option.

First option is to go buy an awesome piece that I wouldnt normally buy. A Mantle ball, a Ted Williams ball, a Mauer or Peterson Jersey, pretty much anything. Jordan if I desired.

Second option is to buy a case of 2009 Topps Chrome or something similar once I see what is actually contained in the product. There are a few factors that would prevent me from doing this, mainly extra cost, and possibility of getting a bunch of crap in it. Buying and busting a case would be a ton of fun, however, and it would be a great thing to post here.

Of course there are pros and cons to both ideas, so ill examine those too.

With the first option, the biggest pro is getting an item that is awesome. Its the best argument there is, and it may tip things over for me. You are guaranteed an item you know is worth the money, and you get to pick the player and item. However, I pretty much have most of what I need, and there is no way I would spend 600 bucks on Peterson stuff. Its too much to spend on a modern guy. That means I would have to get something else from Baseball legends, and after Operation Bullpen, you know there are seemingly more fakes than reals, and PSA and JSA cannot be trusted. Also, because its a baseball legend or something like that, the attachment wont be as strong either, making me question as to why I am even bothering.

With the second option, I wont have another chance to bust a case without strings attached ever again, possibly. Because it isnt my money, and I HAVE to spend it on eBay, why not? I have a good feeling about a few of the rookies this year, and Harvin is a great target to tie me to a product. Plus, I would probably end up trading or selling the team lots and rookie lots to get more stuff I want like above. The cons of this are big though, and thats the major problem. What if you get a case with 10 of the same scrub autos? It happens all the time, and that would SUCK. Also, Chrome is not the ideal product I would like to bust, as SPA would be 10 times better. However, SPA is also more expensive, so that isnt happening. Having chrome as a second or third choice is bad for me, as why would I want to spend 600 bucks on a second choice?

What do you guys think? If only I could just put the money in the bank. That would be my first choice without remorse. Stupid work.

Player Collecting And Survival

There are a lot of player collectors in this hobby, myself included. Personally, its the only way I can stay sane, because if chased after everything from a team or a college, I would be broke. Same with set collecting, its tough to devote the time for trading and watching eBay. However, that isnt a bad thing in any way. If you are one of those team or set collectors, you have my kudos for your dedication.

Despite the sheer number of ways to collect, I get a lot of emails from fledgling player collecting that ask where to start. Its easy to see why that is a big problem for people who dont know much about the hobby, as the number of options out there can be tough to decipher.

First, and most importantly for player collectors, you need your player's rookie card. Its tough to identify with a collection unless you see that rookie card in there. Of course, that may not be possible with some of the older, more expensive players, but for the modern guys, it shouldnt be too hard to find an affordable one. For me, I always get the Topps Chrome offering, as it is the one I have always gone after since the inception of the brand. If there isnt a Topps Chrome card for your guy, due to age of the player or otherwise, eBay is always a good place to look for one that looks the best for you. Take someone like Jared Allen, a guy who doesnt have many cards, especially from his rookie year. When I started to collect him, I had to do some research before I found out that the 2005 Score auto was the only early card worth going after for him, as Rookie cards were scarce for him. The 2004 Bowman card didnt seem like a good bet for a nice rookie centerpiece, so I had to get the auto as my staple. Yes, I know its a second year, but its all I cared about.

The second thing I think you need as a player collector, is a good auto centerpiece. In my mind, there is nothing better than Exquisite or National Treasures for that card, although the money may be a deterrant. I would say that if you can afford it, go straight for the on card auto out of one of these sets. If not, the next level of cards would come from SP Authentic, and luckily, there are a lot of on card subsets to chase from the product. The design is always great, and the autos are usually a great piece for many player collectors. They also have VERY few parallels, meaning that the numbering on those cards is legit, unlike sets like Triple Threads.

Also, if you see that auto cards are out of your price range, auto'ed memorabilia is actually a great alternative. Most 8x10's are great for framing and mini helmets can look amazing on a shelf. They also cost a lot less than many of the top RC autos, which is great. I know those mini helmets are always a priority for every player I collect. The thing I would watch out for are fakes, as signed memorabilia is always a risk if you didnt see the guy sign the item himself.

Many player collectors also love 1/1s, especially if they have a league or team logo on it. I think that certain 1/1s are definitely worth your time, but I would watch out for others. For instance, if you have the cash to go after a logo patch card, go for it, but if its a printing plate, leave it alone. Printing plates rarely hold value, you have to pay a lot for some of them, and in my opinion, they are some of the ugliest pieces of shit out there. Save your money for other stuff, especially when you find out that most printing plates arent 1/1s, more like 1/4s due to the colors needed to print a card. Topps, UD and others number them 1/1s to hook you in to buying more product. If they make the chase easier to catch, people buy more - right Moments and Milestones?

Many player collectors also delve into super collecting, a practice where they try to get one of everything for a certain player. I really dont think this a good idea due to the number of cards and 1/1s that players have, so its better to just focus on what you like. I kind of relate super collecting to Heroin Hero from South Park, as you chase the dragon forever but never catch it. Instead of super collecting, I would rather suggest saving your money up and buying a game used item like a jersey, or going hardcore for a nice autographed item like a bat or football. If memorabilia is not your thing, there is always bigger and better. There is not a good reason to try to get every base Topps card parallel if you hate the cards. Go after something you like.

Lastly, you really should go after anything that catches your eye, but dont go busting wax to find it. The way to find it is to set up searches under "my eBay" by clicking the "save this search" at the top of search result pages on the site. You can then receive daily email notification under the settings that are customized to whatever you are looking for.What I do is I break the searches down by the categories on the side of the page to avoid general results. If you are looking for a certain card, this can be a great way to be alerted. For me, I am a huge fan of many of the late year Upper Deck broducts because I see them to be the best designed and the most valuable football products there are. I set up my searches when the products come out, and buy the ones I think look cool.

Overall, player collecting is a great way to get going in a hobby. It gives you a specific target to branch out from, and really gives you a great idea of the true value of certain products without having to monitor a ton of cards on eBay or scanning tons of message boards for trade requests. Most of the time, barring extenuating circumstances like extreme SPs, if a card for your guy is worth more in one set than another, those values should hold for the rest of the players too. Keep your head on a swivel and try to become very familiar with your likes and dislikes so that you can learn to avoid scams and problems. Of course, you can always look for answers here and on the other blogs too. We are always happy to help.

First Look: 2009 Topps Chrome Football

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Topps Chrome, the last existing Topps set I even consider purchasing has release sell sheet info. After last years worthless calendar of products like Lettermen and Triple Suck, I have lost complete faith in anything with a Topps brand name on it. When the sell sheet was posted on FCB, I took a long hard look, and was hopeful for the first time in a while. I think the cards have the possibility to look great, a huge improvement over 2008. 2007 was still the best in recent memory, but if these turn out as good as they look on the sell sheet, it could come close. Last year, the price was lowered as well, which made this product affordable again, and I bought my fair share. If that continues, I will continue to buy, much like the rest of the poor people like me.

On to more important things, mainly, if the Rookie Autos are on card autographs, I may poop myself. I have been waiting for on card chrome autos for so long that it hurts. If Topps were smart, they would get these on card, because the curved auto space will be AWFUL with a huge straight foil sticker. Think about how that will look, the corners protruding out into the player picture. Gross. Maybe we will get lucky and Topps will actually do something right for once. I know, not likely.

Also, the RC Patch autos are back too, and out of 25 as they were last year. I found this completely unnecessary, but people seemed to like them. In a product like this, pulling one of those is like pulling a 1/1 out of base Topps, but it is worth mentioning.

(Just in case you were wondering, the cards pictured here are mock-ups, airbrushed pictures, and OTA pictures. These are not the actual pics from the product.)

Threads Baseball Break Tonight

I know this was supposed to happen on Friday, but UPS's stupid holiday shipping policy prevented that from happening. I wanted to go to a movie and have dinner with some friends, and they wanted to wait until 8:30pm to deliver my package. As you can imagine, I was pretty angry, and just told them to deliver today. Lets hope things work out.

As soon as I am done breaking, I will post the results from my SHITTY Topps Chrome break and the results of the Threads Break here, pics and all.

Right now, im just hoping things happen as planned.

Houston Collector, send me an email as you won the contest. I dont know if you saw that.

This Could Possibly Be My Worst Box Break Ever

Just ridiculously awful:

Talk About Too Little Too Late!

Yeah, file this one under "only me."

My friend and I go to Target to buy back some of my wife and I's wedding presents that we had to return in Minnesota due to lack of a way to get it to California, and he hands me a gift card with a specific instruction.

"You have to spend this on cards." He says.

Great, just what I want, retail cards - right? He knows this full well and this is his idea of a joke. The good thing is that Target had one Topps Chrome blaster left, so I decided to buy it with the 20 bucks on the card. We get home, and I start opening the packs, and I come to a card that would have been a gem had I gotten it when Chrome was first released.



Copper refractor 236/425, around 50-60 a few months ago, but now? 6 bucks. I guess Ill hold onto it until he does something or does nothing.

Product Review: 2008 Bowman Chrome Football

Im not going to conduct this review in a normal fashion because Bowman Chrome is always such a simple product. In lieu, I want to discuss my opinions on why it works so well, why people flock to this product even though it never promises more than just an Auto and a few parallels.

Price

As of right now, BC is the cheapest worthwhile product on the market. You can buy Score and Topps base for cheaper, but you will get nothing but a few base cards and maybe a relic. Those products are the throwaway products for the brand, and its not supposed to yield anything in a non-jumbo box. For the price you pay, BC delivers pretty much every time, in that the parallels are usually worth enough when you pull a good RC that it can cover the whole box. That, plus the rest of the RC cards you pull at 1-2 per pack will make your venture one of the only remaining positive value breaks around. Usually.

Parallels

The autos are not the focus of this product, the parallels are the focus and then some. They make this product work for a few reasons. Because they are easy to follow in the colors they have, because the sturcture hasnt changed in many years, and because they are numbered cards in a low hit ratio product, everyone wants them. The people who collect them know that a Blue Refractor from 2002 is going to be pretty much the same value as a blue refractor from 2008, that is why they exist. Personally, I actually think that these cards are the only allowable multi-parallels in an overparalleled world because they are pretty much it for BC. I like pulling them, I would buy them, thats how much I support them.

Superfractors

Besides the fact that the design reminds people of gold literally, these things are actually more valuable than its precious metal counterpart. The 1/1 has always brought collectors to a product but never more than the superfractor, mainly because you have such a rare opportunity in pulling them every time you open a box. They are so "rare" that even the veteran ones are hunted down and killed for wall trophies, that is impressive in today's hobby. If you pull a rookie, the best can fetch mammoth money because the sheer number of people that want it make the card ultra super mega valuable. This should go to show Topps that sets like Triple Threads doesnt need 200 1/1's of the same card to be popular, it just needs one, as the numbering suggests. Idiots.

Autographs

Bowman Chrome is a first world set, people try for the completed product every single year, and that makes the 1 per box auto pretty worthless. It doesnt help that group A and B autos are like one every five million cases, and the refractor autos are even rarer, so its understandable they are not the focus. Yet, when you do pull a goodie, make sure you keep it, because they are seeked out for years after release. Imagine what Brady's would cost if it was produced, even as a group Z!

Whales and Non Whales

The Whales break 10 cases of this stuff and dont break the bank, the non whales break 10 boxes and dont break the bank, they both have a chance at all of the above, and it turns this set into a multi-world favorite. That fact never ceases to amaze me as the guy who breaks Exquisite also breaks a ton of BC. Plus, for people like me, I break it too because I can get value out of a 50 dollar investment. Its an onion, peel back the layers and find another, just like a bad actor.

What Works For It This Year?

I would say this year is a good year for BC. I say this because there are a lot of mid level rookies that people will collect, the 2008 class is very flat in topography. What I mean is in that the class isnt top heavy like 2006 with Bush, Leinart, and Young at the top and very little at the bottom, or in 2007 with its major peak in Peterson and little foothills in Quinn, Russell, and Johnson.

Also, the design is pretty good this year, and that always works for a product. In 2007, the design was awful and I bought very little, yet in 2006 it was better, and I bought a little more. In 2008 I will probably buy the most even though I dont specifically collect any of the RCs.

Lastly, its always been a favorite since its inception, so no matter what they do, it will sell. You can take that to eBay and sell it, because its that bankable.

More Topps Chrome Love

At three or less dollars per pack, I couldn’t resist opening some more Chrome while my fiancee isnt around to see it. A local store had a deal where you could get 7 packs of chrome, supplies, and a few other things for 20 bucks, so I went ahead. I desperately needed more supplies, so that was an added bonus to what I pulled. I was lucky that I got there when I did, because once I had finished, another guy came in and busted the rest of the 7 boxes worth of packs.

I got very lucky again(?) with the packs and pulled a group B Limas Sweed, which is one of the nicer looking cards in the set. It has odds of something like one or two per case, so that made me quite pleased. Someone there, a Steelers fan, offered me 25 and some of his base Petersons for it, so that one is gone. I then took the money from that and the money that I got from the McFadden and Brennan refractors and bought a Felix Jones, Ray Rice, and a Peterson white refractor from 2007. That was very nice.

As for the guy who went after me, he pulled Brohm, Flacco, Forte, and a few no-names, along with a Matt Ryan gold refractor from the box toppers and five or six base and refractor McFaddens. Overall, it was a pretty cool day, I even managed to get two very nicely conditioned Puckett RCs for 5 bucks together, and a Josh Morgan classics for less than 3 bucks.

Lastly, the JDRF donation box stands at 248 thanks to a big donation from the people at my dad's office, so that is amazing, but keep the donations coming as the more money I raise, the more people it can help.

Ive also got a rant brewing for later today, so that will be posted around lunch.