Topps’ plans for the 2016 National Sports Collectors Convention include a wrapper redemption program featuring its Bowman brand. The 2016 Bowman “National” Refractor packs will consist of four cards. They can only be obtained by opening ten sealed packs of any 2016 Topps products (except for Opening Day and Stickers) or five packs of 2016 Bowman or 2015 Bowman’s Best. … [Read more...]
Topps Chrome Baseball 2015 Box Break-Review
Is there any hobby brand which has become as well established in the past 20 years as "chrome"? When I took a look at our 2015 Topps Chrome box, I was struck by how commonly accepted the word is now in the hobby. In fact, with Bowman, which mixes Chrome cards and your more standard issues cards, the commonly accepted word for the cards many of us grew up with is … [Read more...]
Bryce Harper Cards Push Upward
His name has been on collectors’ minds since he was a high school player on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Notoriety in this day and age is sometimes hard to live up to but after a sizzling start, finding the best Bryce Harper baseball cards has become a priority for those who like to buy and hold modern era cardboard. While some may place Mike Trout on a higher … [Read more...]
2015 Bowman Baseball Info, Checklist, Newest Listings
Geared more toward prospects and inserts than ever, 2015 Bowman Baseball made its official debut Wednesday. Every 24-pack hobby box has one autographed card. Jumbo boxes, with 12 packs of 32 cards, have three autographed cards. Among the big prizes: Signed cards of White Sox phenom Carlos Rodon. Several had already been listed on eBay by Wednesday night, including a … [Read more...]
Ramblings: When Gregg Jefferies Ruled
For fans and collectors, spring means time for the recurrent belief that this year’s prospect will become the next Mike Trout or Giancarlo Stanton. Back in the penny stock market days of the card collecting hobby (what we call the overproduction eras well), we looked forward to seeing how our “heroes of tomorrow” were progressing. Was this the year when they’d break out? … [Read more...]
Cooperstown Calling but Adrian Beltre Cards Still Get Little Respect
There have been few better over the last 20 years than Adrian Beltre. One of only a small number of players still active who began their careers in the 1990s, he's a lifetime .286 hitter, with a 90.2 WAR and a decent chance to join the 500 home run club. He’s positioned as a potential Hall of Famer and there's little doubt he will be a first-ballot inductee. … [Read more...]
Giancarlo Stanton Rookie Cards: Still a Value Play?
When the Marlins decided to sign their best player to a 13-year, $325 million contract, they locked up someone who could prove to be one of baseball’s all-time great power hitters. There are quite a few Giancarlo Stanton rookie cards to choose from, but like Stanton himself, many of them no longer come cheap. Still, it might not be too late to jump on the early issues of a … [Read more...]
Rise of the Bowman Chrome Autograph
We spent the past couple of weeks talking about the likely impact that case breakers are having on inflating the supply of new card issues, and whether or not case breakers are good or bad for the hobby. Regardless of where you stand on the latter issue, the one thing that is clear is that increasing supply creates logistical issues of great impact for manufacturers, … [Read more...]
Jose Abreu Autographs Will Be Part of 2014 Bowman Baseball
From 1951-55, Topps and Bowman engaged in a heated rivalry for control of the burgeoning sports card market that saw the development of some of the era's most popular sets. As the sports card collecting market blossomed in the 1980s, Topps re-launched the still familiar Bowman brand in 1989. Over the years that followed, Bowman evolved to become what Topps calls 'prospector's … [Read more...]
2014 Bowman Chrome Baseball to Offer Two Autographs
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 … [Read more...]