2012 Topps Gypsy Queen Looks Really Good

I am a big fan of cards that feature the filter on the design that makes them look painted. I think it can really add to the allure of a high end looking card, even more so if the autographs are signed on card. Topps has been previewing Gypsy Queen for a long time, a [...]

Continue reading about 2012 Topps Gypsy Queen Looks Really Good »

Back in 2008, Baseball cards were in a very unique position. Licenses were coming due in the year after, and both Topps and Upper Deck were trying to solidify a niche within the market that would continue to be profitable in the eyes of MLBP. Additionally, Panini was coming on as an international force trying [...]

Continue reading about 2012 Prime Cuts Baseball Plays to Some of Panini’s Strengths »

Years and years ago, the Pro-Bowl was cool. There were hard hitting blue collar guys who had a legitimate chance to make a name for themselves and some extra pay for their families. These days, with 100 million dollar contracts, the pro-bowl has become a complete and utter joke. So much so that Commissioner Roger [...]

Continue reading about Event Used Swatches from The Worst Game of the Year Pollute National Treasures »

If you are not already aware as to how many fake rookie premiere autographs from all years before 2010, this is your wake up call. Its gotten so bad on these cards that the real ones have dropped significantly in value. If you have an Adrian Peterson, Calvin Johnson or Marshawn Lynch from 2007, chances [...]

Continue reading about PSA Continues To Grade Fake 2007 Rookie Premiere Autos »

I have mentioned fake patches, fake autographs and scams in general on this site for the last four years. It seems like when it comes to taking advantage of uniformed collectors out there, these scammers come out of the woodwork in droves. When there is money to be made, there will be bad apples that [...]

Continue reading about NSA Takes Scam to a New Low »

If you have not seen the challenges Panini has been having with redemptions, it is reminiscent of Upper Deck in the middle of the 2000s. Huge issues with customer service, fulfilling cards on time, and offering equitable replacement cards when the originals cannot be sent. Its all over the place, to the point where their [...]

Continue reading about Panini Publicity Machine Doesnt Convey the Right Message At All »

I am a huge fan of sports art, if not only because it romanticizes an already romantic part of our culture. Sports and the constant dynamic performers that grace the fields of our favorite parks deserve the immortal treatment, and that is why I have always loved seeing great artists at work. I have frequently [...]

Continue reading about 2012 Museum Collection Sports Art is Impressive and Cool »

Before National Treasures was released, we got news that Panini was attempting to create the worlds largest trading card ever produced. Their idea was to make this card a booklet with 36 players from the Rookie Premiere, and now that we are seeing the pictures, im not sure what they were thinking. Aside from the [...]

Continue reading about Panini Releases First Pics of World Record Card »

Back in the beginning of last season, 2011 Bowman was absolutely scorching in the way people were chasing it. Bryce Harper was the crown jewel, and until now I have wondered when the best card of his would surface. The 1/1 Superfractor was in hiding for a long time, but it has finally been posted [...]

Continue reading about 2011 Bowman Bryce Harper Superfractor FINALLY Surfaces »

Last Wednesday, the most popular Panini set of the year was released, to much fanfare. At 400 plus dollars per box, National Treasures was the most expensive on the calendar, and catered to a very specific part of the hobby. Oddly enough, on Friday, Panini released 2011 Playbook, which is another product that caters to [...]

Continue reading about 2011 Panini Playbook is Live, Stupidly Competing With NT »

I have been a predominantly focused collector over the last couple of years, with my collection lasered in on Adrian Peterson and the Vikings. So much so that I have barely touched any baseball over that time. I bought a few Joe Mauer cards here and there, yet nothing on the level of where I [...]

Continue reading about 2012 Museum Collection Brings Out the Baseball Collector in Me »

Yesterday I spoke about how much I disliked the National Treasures rookie patch autos, and I stand by that. Regardless of my feelings, they are selling as the most valuable cards of the year, and that doesnt surprise me. Panini put the focus on the size and content of the patch rather than the player [...]

Continue reading about 2011 National Treasures: Should Logos Be THIS Valuable? »

By now, I have already explained my extremely negative feelings on 2011 National Treasures, as it is painfully obvious to me where the focus of the set is placed. Even though many of the examples do provide higher quality swatches in the windows, the card around the window is at the level of design quality [...]

Continue reading about 2011 National Treasures Rookie Patches: Better Late Than Never? »

National Treasures is live as we speak, and as I expected, there are a lot of reasons why this product is not going to live up to the billing as the most expensive product of the year. We are seeing a ton of worthless jersey cards, a ton of sticker autographs, and a handful of [...]

Continue reading about National Treasures is Live and Performing as Expected »

In recent products, card manufacturers have done everything in their power to front load packouts with 1/1s. Although its a transparent effort to bring value to a product that may not have any to begin with, it works. Not only that, but collectors fail to understand what their support of this practice will do to [...]

Continue reading about Printing Plates Continue to Make Ugly Cards Look Uglier »

After seeing this Quality Control gallery, I think Playbook might be the best looking Panini product of the year. That is no april fools joke. Of course, that is like saying this pig is much better looking than all those other deformed hogs over there, I get it. Also considering how much this stuff costs [...]

Continue reading about Panini’s 2011 Playbook Combines a Few TDs With Their Usual Dose of Fumbles »

One of my many favorite parts of 2011 Five Star are the redemptions in which full sized memorabilia could be redeemed as extra hits in the super high end packs. Bascially, each of these pieces, which included Rookie Premiere worn and signed jerseys, autographed footballs, and signed helmets, have flown largely under the radar, if [...]

Continue reading about Topps Five Star Full Sized Redemptions Starting to Show Up »

Every once in a while, you come across a card that is so funny that the collectors that bought it almost deserve what they get. I saw this posted on FCB, and after clicking to see what they were talking about, I was legitimately shocked. With the way that fake patches have been scrutinized in [...]

Continue reading about Laughable Fake Patches Still Plague the Secondary Market »

In 2011, Topps made huge upgrades to a Platinum set that had been lacking in a lot of ways. Larger patches, awesome chrome design, and added on card autograph content made it a huge hit for the beginning part of the year. Considering how much I disliked previous versions of the set, I was thoroughly [...]

Continue reading about 2012 Topps Platinum is the First Miss in a Long Time »

Since their acquisition of the exclusive MLB license to produce trading cards with uniforms and logos, Topps’ results have been met with mixed reviews. Although they have had ENORMOUS amounts of success and national media attention around their lower end prospect products, higher end offerings havent been met with the same type of fan response. [...]

Continue reading about Topps Previews 2012 Museum Collection, and Mentions Five Star Baseball On The Horizon »

Over the course of the previous card year, there were a few styles of cards that caused anger and disgust on a regular basis when I saw them in products. The first was the autographed manufactured patch cards that were included in 4 different products this year from Panini, and the second was the autographed [...]

Continue reading about 2011 National Treasures – Scraps From the Trash Heap »

These days, I feel like I start off every post with a diatribe about how much I have hated Panini’s 2011 calendar. Its as tiring for me to write it as I am sure it is for you to read it. However, with their constant disregard for well conceived products, its a given. Maybe I [...]

Continue reading about Panini Previews 2011 Prime Signatures: Sticker Dump Edition »

I have said some pretty pointed things in the past, but I think this might be one take that needs some old fashioned venom. This post will be in direct response to the idiots at CBS Sunday morning, who took it upon themselves to report un-researched crap on a very touchy subject that hits very close to [...]

Continue reading about Response to CBS Sunday Morning Report – A Dying Hobby »

For a long time, people have speculated that Upper Deck was going under, myself among them. Actually, I have to give them credit for sticking along for this many months, especially since the lawsuits came down on them like a wrecking ball back in 2010. This might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, as [...]

Continue reading about Upper Deck Sued For Not Paying on NFL Autographs »

I had no idea that Totally Certified was even coming out this week, and yet, there it was showing up on the doorstep of my local shop last Friday. When that is the amount of buzz around a product, I can easily say that it is NOT worth putting out. Then after watching about 3 [...]

Continue reading about 2011 Totally Certified is Worse Than a Wobbly Hail Mary Pass »

Inscriptions have become a growing part of the hobby, as you have probably seen from my frequent posts on the subject. Press Pass, although not my favorite product ever, has always stood at the forefront of getting these types of cards signed frequently for their products. I have never bought any of them because of [...]

Continue reading about Press Pass Inscription Autos Are the Best Part of the Product »

Back in 2008, we got our first taste of a hall of fame caliber quarterback on the free agent market, and how the card companies would respond to them switching teams. Brett Favre was traded from the Packers to the Jets, and Upper Deck jumped all over his potential to be New York’s next Joe [...]

Continue reading about Big NFL Moves Immortalized Earlier With Photoshop »

When Press Pass signed Andrew Luck to an exclusive deal, it was to make a statement to the other unlicensed companies about their seriousness for 2012. Luck is the best prospect in the last couple of decades, and there is no doubt he will at least have a great chance to follow in the steps [...]

Continue reading about Andrew Luck Headlines a 2012 Press Pass Release »

With Peyton Manning signing in Denver, its obvious that there will be one major casualty of this whole tour de force. Not only will Denver have a brand new legend to cheer for, but Tebowmania in Denver is officially over. The Broncos have already said they would be trading the golden boy, and some analysts [...]

Continue reading about Peyton In, Tebow Out – Where Does This Leave Tebowmania? »

Over the last year, Topps has stepped up their game across football like no other manufacturer. Adding more rookie on card content for autographs, combined with unparalleled design work during the entire season, put them on the top of the heap in every way, shape, and form. Now that we are starting to see what [...]

Continue reading about 2012 Topps Finest Continues the Hot Streak »

Since the industry summit has become a yearly gathering in which people on the business side of cards meet and discuss, Panini has been there with a promotion for the patrons that is awfully popular. Although I honestly believe that the purpose of the event has gone from supporting card retailers in their ventures, to [...]

Continue reading about 2012 Industry Summit – Panini Black Boxes Highlight the Wrong Message »

When Leaf Metal was released last week, there were a number of players that were slated to make a huge impact on the hobby with the first autos of the year. Being that Washington recently mortgaged their future on Robert Griffin III, its easy to see why collectors are much more likely to plunk down [...]

Continue reading about Robert Griffin III Running Up the Score With Leaf Metal Autos »

For the last few years, the National Treasures brand has taken a nose dive from its place among some of the better looking cards on the calendar. Where the set once was a special box that was worthy of the ridiculous price tag, it is now more compared to a 400 dollar box of Donruss [...]

Continue reading about 2011 National Treasures Finally Getting Done »

Over the last few years, I have hated pretty much every single thing Panini has tried to pull off. I say pull off because it seems like very little appreciation for the small things that make cards great have been lost in the preparation and release of their products. Poor designs here, odd choice for [...]

Continue reading about 2012 Prestige Base Design Reveal – Surprisingly Awesome »

Andrew Luck is poised to be the most valuable rookie to hit the hobby in football since Reggie Bush. More so than Reggie Bush, especially because of the position he plays. Mel Kiper has him rated as high as John Elway, which only says that collectors are not alone in the hype. Leaf has the [...]

Continue reading about Andrew Luck Leaf Superfractor Listed – Sign of Things To Come? »