It's a lot cheaper--but it's no longer a complete set. 2018 Topps Chrome Sapphire Edition baseball has made its return for a third straight year as an online exclusive but unlike 2016 and 2017, this year's product isn't a $1,500 complete set. The high-end release is being issued in 106-card boxes with three guaranteed autographs at $199.99 per box. Base Set The … [Read more...]
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Comparing Rarity of Topps’ 1951 Blue Backs and Red Backs
While the 1952 Topps set is arguably the company's most iconic issue, a pair of 1951 sets have garnered a lot of interest from vintage collectors. About the 1951 Topps Sets In 1951, Topps printed two types of cards - one with red back and another with blue backs. The cards were actually more than mere trading cards. Rather, they were used to play a baseball game and were … [Read more...]
Vintage Pack Facts: 1971 Topps Baseball Wax
After boosting its set to 720 cards in 1970, Topps went even bigger the following year. Their 1971 baseball set grew to 752 cards (they'd top it again in '72 with a whopping 787). This week's edition of Vintage Pack Facts courtesy of VintageBreaks.com takes a look at the products released by Topps during that 1971 season, one that ended with Roberto … [Read more...]
2018-19 Upper Deck Series 2 Hockey Preview
The NHL season will be in its second half when Upper Deck releases the second half of its flagship brand of hockey cards. While no release date has been announced, sometime in February seems like a good bet. The 2018-19 Upper Deck Series 2 set will feature a 200-card base set, along with 50 Young Guns rookie cards. As usual, expect those land once in every four … [Read more...]
The Wayback Collector: Rare Fans Cigarettes Package Rediscovered
The 1922 Fans Cigarettes set (T231) is one of the rarest tobacco card issues around. The set is so rare that only a few cards are known. That's particularly noteworthy as at least 85 are believed to be included in the set. To date, a grand total of three Fans Cigarettes cards have been discovered. Categorized as T231 in the American Card Catalog, it is somewhat surprising … [Read more...]
‘For Keeps’ Podcast Tackles 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken Saga
For those who grew up around 30 years ago, it remains a childhood icon. For everyone else, it’s still one of the hobby’s most recognizable cards. The 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken F***Face turned into a national story and offered some measure of immortality to Cal’s brother. In his latest ‘For Keeps’ podcast focused on all types of collectibles, David Peterkovsky chatted with Jon … [Read more...]
2018-19 Upper Deck Series 1 Young Guns Checklist Released
They're not exceptionally rare but they're definitely still popular. The 2018-19 Upper Deck Young Guns Series 1 checklist release is one hockey card collectors anxiously anticipate. The wait is over. The long-running series of rookies returns November 8 with the release of Series 1, the first half of the NHL's flagship trading card … [Read more...]
Analyzing the Population of High-Grade Sandy Koufax Cards
His mainstream cards are easy to track and the checklist isn't a long one. The lingering, painful arm injury that ended his career also kept his cardboard to a minimum but he remains one of the most popular post-War Hall of Famers. You know his rookie cards can be pricey but how about the career run of Sandy Koufax cards? Which of the primary cards from his … [Read more...]
2019 Topps Opening Day Baseball Preview
One of the hobby’s lowest cost and longest running sports card products will be back for another year. 2019 Topps Opening Day baseball, a kid-oriented product that’s been embraced by enough adults over the years to keep it in the early season stable of releases, is set to arrive on March 13. Opening Day will stick with the 36-pack hobby box concept but just as with … [Read more...]
Vintage Pack Facts: 1972 Topps 3rd Series Football
Collectors--and in the 1972 that was mostly young folks--had gotten used to two series of Topps football cards since the company resumed its place as the NFL's official partner in 1968. However, after four years, the company turned things upside down. Football was exploding in popularity, thanks in part to the new ABC-TV smash hit, Monday Night … [Read more...]
