Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Upon further review: 2012 Topps Series 2

I saw a post a few days back, from Brian over at the Play at the Plate blog, wonderfully titled "Topps Gives Collectors the Finger".  In that post, Brian laments the fact that Topps has decided in their series 2 blasters to not give collectors the chance to pull an auto or relic.

Brian, I must say thank you (politeness...yes it is a requirement...lol) for doing what I failed to do, which is reading for comprehension.  I had decided to start buying blasters for series 2 after not buying any of them while completing Series 1.  Had Brian not posted this on Sunday, I probably would have busted a couple of more blasters in the process of completing the series 2 set, all the while likely not being aware that the possibility of a 'hit' was nil.

I took this to mind while traveling last night for work.  I decided to hit a Wal-Mart not too far from the hotel I was staying in, and grabbed 3 rack packs of series 2.  I'm forever obsessed with my luck changing when I visit different towns, hoping that I'll pull that card of cards that I can never get locally.

Well, let's just say I got kicked in the teeth this time, and I think I've learned my lesson.....

Finally.

I know that there are a couple of math majors out there that will tell me that this is possible, but it is still damn depressing when you buy 3 rack packs, and in 2 of the packs you see the exact same 2 cards back to back...

Damn Yankees

Plus, the sequence of the inserts was the same in the packs as well:

1 Golden Giveaway (I now have 7 of these bad boys collecting dust)
1 '87 Topps Mini
1 Gold Parallel
1 Other insert (Mound dominance, A Cut above, Golden Moments, etc.)

I wouldn't say the feeling that I have is fed up, I can't say that I'm that far gone yet. 

I think I'm somewhere between disappointed and disgusted.  The word that will best describe my feelings will come to me in a couple of days after I've had time to think about it.

What few Topps base sets I've put together over the years, I've enjoyed.  Maybe the collation this year is similar to what it was in years past, and I've never noticed until now.

Whatever it is, it may be time for me to let the base set go.  2012 may be the last year that I put together the base set, because I just don't get the thrill from the packs like I used to.


I've got plans for the 2012 set that I build, but I will not reveal them until I finish the set.  But after the three ugly rack packs I bought in Duncansville, PA on Monday night, I'm going back to the blasters.  I may not have a chance for a relic or auto (not that those are the determining factors for me anyhow...), but at least it was fun pulling a manupatch...hey, I'm weird, leave me be...where else can you pull something off the wall like this?

Hey Tommy

I actually got more of a kick this week seeing these cards in the mail...

Thanks Greg!

Upon further review, 2012 Topps Series 2 is not a bad set on the whole. However, the gold theme is still overdone, and outside of a couple of new inserts that I liked there is nothing that makes me scream WOW!


That word will come to me yet....

Thanks for reading, Robert

3 comments:

  1. I think Topps is just getting a little blah to us now I mean with no competition they don't have to do something really cool since they already know you'll have to buy it because it's pretty much the only baseball cards that on the market. I must say though the mixing up of the cards in this year's set has just plain out sucked. I mean I bought two or three packs and my golden moments insert each time was a Prince Fielder. All I can say is that I will be SO happy when Topps loses the license and some other companies can come into the business. Ok, rant over.

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  2. Glad to shed some light on the blaster issue for you Robert. I think it would have been nice to see them plaster the side of the blaster with a "NO HITS IN HERE!" label or something like they do with the "BONUS PACK" nonsense. As for Super's comment, Topps isn't ever going to lose their license. They've got a stranglehold on that thing and it's not going away (unless they start doing business like Upper Deck). The collation is a big problem and I've had the same problem with packs within two blasters purchased together (Series 1).

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  3. I still think the best way to build a set going the retail route is the 72 card hanger packs for 10 bucks. Get two for the price of a blaster and get 144 cards which is way more than the blaster contents.

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