by Chris Harris
The latest iteration of one of the hobby’s most popular high end products, 2012 Topps Triple Threads Baseball will hit Hobby stores in the middle of September.
Since its introduction in 2006, Triple Threads has always been perceived by the savvy collector as a crap shoot. While each pack yielded one serial-numbered triple-relic card, a couple of serial-numbered parallels and some base cards, the market value of those cards was nowhere near the $100/pack price tag.
In an effort to “add value,” Topps included a second “Unity Relic” in each pack of last year’s Triple Threads. However, the single-colored, single-swatch, Relics left much to be desired. Of course, the 2011 edition of Triple Threads was all overshadowed by the unfortunate addition of three unannounced gimmick “Relics” – one of which has led to legal action by a now-former Topps employee.
2012 Triple Threads Baseball follows the same formula as last year’s edition. Each seven-card pack will include three base cards and two parallels, a Triple Relic, and a Unity Relic (one of the two Relics will come autographed). Unlike previous year’s sets, there is no mention if any of the base cards will be serial-numbered.
Each two-pack Hobby box will yield …
- An Autographed Triple Relic Card serial-numbered to 99 or less,
- A Triple Relic Card serial-numbered to 36 or less,
- A Triple Threads Unity Autographed Relic Card serial-numbered to 99 or less,
- A Triple Threads Unity Relic Card serial-numbered to 36 or less.
There will also be the usual number of multi-swatch and/or oversized Relics, bat knobs, laundry tags, full letter patches, cut signatures, and “book-style” cards – all of them low-numbered and all of them tough to pull, even in super-premium product like this. Each 18-pack case will yield at least one Autographed Triple Relic serial-numbered to 36 copies or less and a one-of-one Autographed Relic.
There is one note about the Relics that collectors interested in this product should be made aware of before they put down a deposit on a pre-sell. A disclaimer printed on the sell-sheet states that, “Triple Threads captures the excitement of the entire MLB season, with relics from the Regular Season, MLB All-Star Game, Spring Training, and the Post Season!”
Topps has never printed such a disclaimer before, and it’s unclear if these Spring Training-used Relics will be marked by Topps as such. Just as unclear is if collectors will equate such Relic cards while those cards featuring a swatch from a real game.
2012 Triple Threads Baseball will be released exclusively to The Hobby the week of September 19. Each Hobby box will contain two packs of seven cards, and each pack should retail for around $100. Hobby cases will have 18 boxes.
Chris Harris writes the popular hobby blog Stale Gum
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[…] Triple Threads is generally regarded as Topps’ best running long-term entry into the extreme high-end product line. By virtue of being around for several years, Topps has a pretty good idea what is needed to make a product like this successful in the secondary market. Let us understand that in today's world almost any product in the $50 per box range which provides a decent number of cards is almost guaranteed to do well out of the gate. Any of the basic Topps products usually sell well even with just one "hit" in a box. Now, Triple Threads is pretty much the opposite as although the packs are pricey, each mini-box contains both an autographed relic card as well as a relic card. And, if you are lucky enough to pull one of the really cool "triple" relic cards, then you really enjoy the product. After a successful run last year, collectors were looking forward to 2012 Topps Triple Threads. […]