All right, let’s just say it out loud…some baseball card brands have groupies. Oh sure, there are those who want to use the title “Super Collector” or whatever, but the fact is certain card brands and even types of cards have die-hard loyalists who consider their cards of preference the “true best.”
One such group is known as “Chromies,” and they have the attention of the brass at Topps. Make no doubt about that. Bowman Chrome has been extremely popular with prospectors seeking autographed cards. 2014 Bowman Chrome is likely to be no different.
First, the obvious improvement: 2014 Bowman Chrome will be offering two autographs in every box. And that little extra will be greatly appreciated as the 2014 installment will debut some terrific looking inserts and parallels…Fire Die-Cuts, Dualing Die-Cuts and Mini Chrome Superfractors. Many of these will have autographed versions. Oh, by the way, the folks at Bowman Chrome are so sure that the mini-sets will have been a hit that they are also incorporating mini die-cuts, including autographs.
The Prospect and Rookie autographs will once again be on card. And the clean design of the card fronts call to mind the cards of 2013 and, in a small way, the Topps cards for 2014. Of course, with all the reinvention at Bowman even autographs are getting a makeover. Inserts will include Twitter-Blue Social Media-Graph Parallels. On these cards players will sign with their Twitter handle! These will numbered only to 10.
But the card fronts of Bowman Chrome are not the only thing getting attention. Bowman has entered into a new partnership with Bloomberg Sports (fantasy baseball players know them well), and this will allow Bowman to incorporate cutting-edge stats and information onto the card backs. Bowman declares, “This product has reinvented itself and will not disappoint!”
But not everything is “new school” with 2014 Bowman Chrome. Another feature of the release is the 1989 “Bowman is Back” Silver Diamond Refractor. This insert promises to be a continuity program in all Bowman products celebrating the year that Bowman cards started to be produced again in 1989. This will include Super Jumbo Refractors numbered to 10, and even Black Diamond Refractor Autographs numbered to 15. As of this time no teasers have been released of these inserts, but one can only hope that they will include some type of nod to the great Ken Griffey, Jr. rookie card found in that 1989 Bowman set.
The basic set breakdown is fairly standard as there will be veterans (170 subjects), and rookies (50 subjects all with the “MLB Rookie Card” logo. There will also be Rookie Variations (10 subjects). These specially selected rookies will be shown with image variations and sequentially numbered to 99.
Releasing in September of 2014, the Bowman Chrome set looks as if it will have plenty to keep “Chromies” and every other type of baseball card collector happy when it hits the shelves.
By the way, even though the card companies always say “product subject to change” when they release the preview information, the following is what Bowman is saying about 2014 Bowman Chrome as of now:
Prospects Top prospects who were not in 2014 Bowman.
• Prospect Error Card Variations
Base and Prospect Parallels
• Refractor Sequentially numbered to 500.
• Blue Refractor #’d to 250.
• Purple Refractor #’d to 150.
• Bubbles Refractor #’d to 99.
• Green Refractor #’d to 75.
• Gold Refractor #’d to 50.
• Carbon Fiber Refractor #’d to 25.
• Red Refractor #’d to 5.
• Super-Fractor #’d 1/1. Hobby & HOBBY Jumbo Only
• Printing Plates #’d 1/1. Hobby & HOBBY Jumbo Only
Black Wave Refractor Hot packs: Parallel of the Bowman Chrome prospect cards. These cards will be randomly inserted into Hobby and Jumbo boxes and replace 4 cards.
Silver Wave Chrome Refractor Parallel Hot Packs #’d to 10.
Prospect & Rookie Autographs will have the following parallels:
• Refractor #’d to 500.
• Blue Refractor #’d to 150.
• Bubbles Refractor #’d to 99.
• Green Refractor #’d to 75.
• Gold Refractor #’d to 50.
• Carbon Fiber Refractor #’d to 25.
• Purple Bubbles Refractor #’d to 10. Hobby Only
• Twitter-Blue Social Media-Graph Parallel
• Red Refractor #’d to 5.
• Superfractor #’d 1 of 1. Hobby & HOBBY Jumbo Only
• Autographed Printing Plates #’d 1 of 1. Hobby & HOBBY Jumbo Only
Mini Chrome: Featuring top prospects and Major League stars
• Mini Chrome Autograph: #’d to 10. Sticker Autographs.
• Mini Chrome DIE-CUT Parallel: #’d to 150.
• DIE-CUT Blue Wave Parallel: #’d to 99.
• DIE-CUT Black Wave Parallel: #’d to 25. Hobby Jumbo Only
• DIE-CUT Red Wave Parallel: #’d to 5. Hobby SKU Only
• Superfractor DIE-CUT Parallel: #’d 1/1. Hobby & HOBBY Jumbo Only
Fire Die-Cut Refractors: A vertical die-cut and red spin on the 2014 flagship Bowman Prospect design
• Fire Die-Cut Atomic Refractor: #’d to 99.
• Fire Die-Cut X-fractor: #’d to 25.
• Fire Die-Cut Superfractor: #’d 1/1. Hobby SKU Only
• Fire Die-Cut Refractor Autographs: #’d to 25.
• Fire Die-Cut Superfractor Autograph #’d 1 of 1.
Dualing Die-Cuts Refractor: Horizontal die-cut featuring two top prospects
• Dualing Die-Cut Atomic Refractor: #’d to 99.
• Dualing Die-Cut X-fractor: #’d to 25.
• Dualing Die-Cut Superfractor: #’d 1/1. Hobby & Jumbo Only
AFLAC High School All-American & Under Armour All-American Game Autographs
Due out the week of September 24, optimistic dealers and collectors may have reason to think 2014 Bowman Chrome will be well worth the wait we have in store.
2014 Bowman Chrome Baseball Checklist
Click here to see Chrome on eBay.
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