2009 OPC Blaster Break

Yeah, it's been a week since I posted anything. Sue me.

Video Box Break and Review: 2009 Upper Deck OPC

One Hobby box of 2009 Upper Deck OPC
36 packs per box, six cards per pack (Paid $59)

Part One:


Part Two:


The Pulls

Base Set: 159 of 600 (26.50%)

Parallels
35 Black (one-per-pack)
1 Blank-Backed Black: P. Polanco
1 Mini Black (1:36): S. Olsen

Inserts
2 2008 Highlights & Milestones (15 cards): A. Beltre, C. Gomez
1 Walk-Off Winners (ten cards): J. Damon
1 2008 OPC All-Rookie Team (ten cards): J. Bruce
1 Midsummer Memories (15 cards): C. Crawford
2 Face of the Franchise (30 cards): M. Young, E. Longoria
2 The Award Show (20 cards): A. Beltre, T. Hunter
1 New York, New York (30 cards, 1:36): J. Posada
1 1979-80 OPC Hockey (33 cards, 1:36): J. Toews (Hockey Player)
6 20th Anniversary: L. Berkman, R. Ankiel, T. Woods (three different), Jeter

Autogamers
1 20th Anniversary Memorabilia (1:432/packs): I. Rodriguez

The Review

When I first saw the sell-sheets for '09 UDOPC back in February, with it's faux '76 Topps design and one-per-pack '71 Topps parallel, my first thought was to the litigation that was all but inevitable. With the lawsuit now all but settled, I still have to wonder what Upper Deck was thinking with this product.

I get the fact that Upper Deck wanted to throw a bone to the set collectors; and with a large 600 base set, they have. But I don't understand why they had to call it "O-Pee-Chee." For baseball card collectors O-Pee-Chee will always be nothing more than Canadian Topps. (The fact that all the cards are in English-only goes against the spirit of the originals, but that's for another post.) Issuing a card set called "O-Pee-Chee," and shamelessly ripping off vintage Topps/OPC designs, was all but inviting a Topps lawsuit.

What I also don't understand is why UD decided to kill off a brand name they paid a lot of money for (Fleer), and revive a brand more associated with their competitor? Maybe it was to stick it to Topps?

The Bottom Line

2009 UDOPC is what it is. It's 2009 Fleer Tradition, but under a different name. I received a little more than a quarter of the base set, a bunch of black-bordered parallels, and a one-per-box mini parallel of former Marlin and current Nats pitcher Scott Olsen. I also pulled a black-bordered card of Placido Polanco with a blank-bank, that I didn't notice until after I was done sorting my box. Apparently, these blank-backed black-backs (try saying that five times as fast as you can) are a stealth parallel.

Not including those annoying 20th Anniversary cards, there are eight different insert sets and I received at least one card from each. Unfortunately, one of the inserts I received was of a hockey player. The card in question is from a 33-card "tribute" to the 1979-80 OPC Hockey set. (The first ten cards are of current NHL players, while the remaining 23 are of baseballers.) Last time I checked it says "Baseball Picture Cards" on the wrapper, and not "Baseball and Hockey Picture Cards." If I wanted hockey cards, I'd buy a pack of fucking hockey cards.

You're not guaranteed either an autograph or a gamer in a box, but then again you're probably not buying this for the "hits." You're supposed to get a triple-swatch game-used card every third box, an autograph every sixth, and a 20th Anniversary Game-Used card in every twelve-box case. This box yielded the "case hit," a Pudge Rodriguez 20th Anniversary jersey card.

I paid $59 for this box of cards, and although I got 36 wax packs, I still don't feel as though I got enough for my money. The problem with UDOPC is the price point. Yes, it's only $1.59/pack -- which puts it along the lines of Topps' flagship -- but you only get a measly six cards in a pack. When you consider that a 20-card Hobby pack of Upper Deck's flagship has an MSRP of $5, the cost-per-card of OPC is roughly the same as regular Upper Deck.

Product Rating: 2 1/2 Gumsticks
Box Rating: 3 Gumsticks

... and another thing

Contrary to what it originally said on the sell-sheet, the last 100 cards are NOT short printed. They are seeded at the rate of one-per-pack, but UD actually printed MORE of these cards than the first 500 cards. I received 36% of the "SPs," but only about a quarter of the first 500.

Video Box Break and Review: 2009 Bowman HTA

One HTA box of 2009 Bowman Baseball (paid $85)
32 cards per pack, 12 packs per box

The Details:

Chiptoppers
One Autographed Rookie Card (10 cards, one per HTA box)

Base Set: 230 cards
220 short-set
10 Autographed Rookie Cards (see above)

Inserts
Bowman Prospects: 90 cards
World Baseball Classic: 20 cards

Parallels
Golds: 330 cards (one-per-pack)
Blues: 330 cards (numbered to 500)
Oranges: 330 cards (1:3 packs, numbered to 250)
Reds: 330 cards (1:1020)
Chrome: 110 cards (six-per-pack)
Chrome Refractors: 110 cards (1:5, numbered to 599)
Chrome X-Fractors: 110 cards (1:10, numbered to 299)
Chrome Blue Refractors: 110 cards (1:19, numbered to 150)
Chrome Gold Refractors: 110 cards (1:57, numbered to 50)
Chrome Orange Refractors: 110 cards (1:114, numbered to 25)
Chrome Red Refractors: 110 cards (1:484, numbered to 5)
Chrome SuperFractor: 110 cards (1:2415, one-of-one)
Press Plates: 330 cards (1:93)

Autogamers
Autographed Rookies: (ten cards, 1:40)
Autographed Blue Rookies: (ten cards, 1:98, numbered to 500)
Autographed Orange Rookies: (ten cards, 1:194, numbered to 250)
Autographed Red Rookies: (ten cards, 1:50,000, one-of-one)
Autographed Rookie Press Plates (ten cards, 1:13,000)
Autographed Chrome Prospects: (17 cards*, 1:23)
Autographed Chrome Refractor Prospects: (17 cards, 1:47)
Autographed Chrome X-Fractor Prospects: (17 cards, 1:94)
Autographed Chrome Blue Refractor Prospects: (17 cards, 1:152)
Autographed Chrome Gold Refractor Prospects: (17 cards, 1:457)
Autographed Chrome Orange Refractor Prospects: (17 cards, 1:911)
Autographed Chrome Red Refractor Prospects: (17 cards, 1:4500)
Autographed Chrome SuperFractor Prospects: (17 cards, 1:22,500)
Autographed Chrome Prospects Press Plates: (17 cards, 1:2400)
Bowman Prospect Autographs: (ten cards, 1:24)

The 17 Autographed Chrome Prospects are numbered as an extension of the Chrome Prospects insert set. (BCP111-BCP127)

The Pulls

Part One:


Part Two:


Base Set: 192 of 230 (83.48%)

short set: 191 of 220 (86.82%)
Autographed Rookies: 1 of 10 (10.00%) L. Montz

Inserts
Bowman Prospects: 77 of 90 (85.56%)
Bowman World Baseball Classic: 19 of 20 (95.00%)

Parallels
12 Golds
8 Blues: C-M Wang, R. Ankiel, D. Haren, J. Lannan, M. Lowell, C. Quentin, Y. Escobar, J. Bourgeois
4 Oranges: N. Leyja, N. Buss, T. Johnson, C. Li
67 Chromes
2 Chrome Refractors: J. Jones, P. Aumont
2 Chrome X-Fractors: O. Tejada, J. Bogany

Autogamers
1 Autographed Chrome Prospect: J. Rodriguez
1 Bowman Prospect Autograph: R. Kalish

Fisking the Latest UD Press Release.

I was already to write about my visit last night to the tenth circle of Hell (a.k.a. New York's Citi Field), when I get this e-mail from Upper Deck...

"Upper Deck pays tribute to ‘The Kid’ by producing 20 different versions of his base card to commemorate each year of his MLB career."

Now if I were a Griffey super collector (which I'm not), this headline might as well read:

Upper Deck screws over fans of ‘The Kid’ by producing 20 different versions of his base card to commemorate each year of his MLB career; yet is only bothering to announce this cruel gimmick now, almost a month after the release of 2009 Upper Deck Series Two.

What do you say we have a little more fun with this press release, huh?

---

"North Las Vegas, NV (June 10, 2009) – Collectors began noticing something different as they put together their 2009 Upper Deck Baseball sets: not every version of card No. 855 of Upper Deck spokesman Ken Griffey Jr. looked the same. Truth be told, Upper Deck produced 20 different versions of Griffey’s base card depicting Junior during every year of his MLB career. The images, stats and text on the back of the card correspond directly to the year that’s featured."

In other words, UD is doing EXACTLY what Topps did ten years ago when they made 70 and 66 different versions of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa's base cards -- only instead one for each home run, there's one for each of Junior's seasons. And we all remember what that led Topps to...

1) Repeating the gimmick with Barry Bonds and his 73 homers.

2) The Barry Bonds, Mickey Mantle, and A-Rod Bullshit Home Run Wastes of Space.

3) The debacle that was Generation Now and the travesty of Moments & Milestones.

The fact is, this whole let's-make-multiple-different-variations-of-the-same-card isn't really all that new. To see UD recycle a gimmick that collectors have already rejected is pretty sad, and speaks to the imagination (or lack thereof) of the current baseball product development team.

“`It’s important for us to continue to look at ways to make the regular base card interesting to collectors,' said Gabriel Garcia, Upper Deck’s associate baseball brand manager."

Because it's not like collector's don't want a well-designed, well-structured flagship card set anymore. Right?

Hey Gabe, you want to make things "interesting to collectors?" How about, instead of investing UD's time and resources into gimmicks, invest it into QUALITY CONTROL! Like, oh, I don't know, NOT PUTTING 47 MIS-CUT CARDS IN A WAXBOX. Or how about, PUTTING ALL EIGHT PACKS INTO THE BLASTER BOX! Maybe then you won't need to debase yourselves with gimmicks.

“`By creating different versions of Griffey’s card to commemorate his illustrious career, we hope to have people go back through their collections to see which versions they have and to hopefully put together the entire 20-card set'."

Does Upper Deck really, really, their customers are dumb enough to fall for something this? Does Upper Deck have any shred of respect for The Hobby at all? Do they have any shred of dignity for themselves?

"Since we did not announce this, it’s been interesting to see how quickly collectors picked up on it and how well some of these cards have been selling in the secondary market.”

Because, God forbid, you actually tell collector's what is actually in your product before you sell it to them!

Much virtual ink has been spilled on this blog, and others, on Topps' stealth gimmicks from last year. And although they've continued with the base card variations, Topps has at least given The Hobby the common courtesy of announcing what is in the product, before it goes live. (And no, do not interpret that last statement as an endorsement of the Legends base card SPs in 2009 Topps. They're still stupid and pointless.) Why can't UD do the same?

While no version is more limited than another, the cards are limited in nature and should be considered short prints.

Let's deconstruct this sentence, shall we? If "no version is more limited than another," than should they really "be considered short prints?"

Here's a novel solution: STOP MAKING BASE CARD VARIATIONS. Your target audience hates them. One card, per player, per card number, AND THAT'S IT.

Video Box Break and Review: 2009 Upper Deck Series Two Hobby

One Hobby box of 2009 Upper Deck Series Two
16 packs per box, 20 cards per pack (paid $69)

The Video:


The Pulls:

Base Set
247 of 506 (48.81%)
47 Mis-cuts

Parallels
2 Gold (numbered to 99) J. Guthrie, T. Cahill

Inserts
1 20th Anniversary 1989 Buyback: J. Montgomery
8 20th Anniversary: T. Woods, M. Jordan, Interleague Play, B. Favre, The President of S. Korea, T. Perez, and a couple of hockey players
4 USA Baseball National Team (22 cards): A. Oliver, J. Fellhauer, K. Davis, R. Jackson
4 O-Pee-Chee Previews (50 cards): R. Martin, J-Roll, C. Beltran, J. Beckett

Autogamers
1 2005 Dual Signature Reflections (numbered to 99#) D. McPherson/S. Rolen
1 USA National Team Jersey (20 cards*): K. Volz
1 USA National Team Autograph (17 cards*) : C. Hernandez
1 UD Game Materials (58 cards*): K. Griffey, Jr.

* Two Jersey cards, and one autograph per box
# Packaged as a chiptopper

The Review

I'm sorry, but Upper Deck's quality control has gone to complete shit. Just about every pack I ripped had three mis-cut base cards -- that's about two-and-a-half packs worth of cards. Between this, and the half-empty Blaster of Goudey I ripped last week, UD needs to fix this, STAT.

As mentioned on this blog, and others, many of the same players who appeared in the first series also make appearances here -- and these aren't special subset cards; they're base cards. If you're going to have the same 100-150 players in both series, and NOT include some of the fringe players, then what's the point of even having a second series?

Inserts include another batch of 22 USA National Team cards -- basically, it's Stephen "Give me $50 million, or else" Strasberg, and 21 other dudes you've never heard of before, and will never hear from again. Series Two was supposed to have a 50-card set loosely based on the 1977 O-Pee-Chee baseball set, which in turn was based on the 1977 Topps set. But this was changed at the last minute to a 50-card preview of the upcoming 2009 O-Pee-Chee set. It should be noted that the backs of these cards are identical to the '77 OPC/Topps backs.

You're promised three "hits" in each box, and a fourth packed as a chiptopper. The chiptopper was a buy-back of a dual autograph numbered to 99. Unfortunately, it's of Dallas McPherson and Scott Rolen. (Although considering some of the buy-backs that others have pulled, I guess I should be happy that I got an actual Major Leaguer.)

Product Rating: 2 1/2 Gumsticks (out of 5)
Box Rating: 1 Gumsticks (out of 5)

Cardola: 2009 Bowman Draft Picks Football

Again, courtesy of Topps...

Part One



Part Two


So why can't Bowman Baseball be more like this?

Why is Joe DiMaggio Holding His Junk?

Couldn't UD have come up with more dignified picture? I mean, it's Joe DiMaggio for crying out loud. Show some respect.


(h/t Beckett)

Video Box Break: 2009 Goudey Blaster

Yesterday was my birthday and I gave myself a present. Unfortunately, I picked a blaster of 2009 Goudey.

On-Location Pack Break: 2009 Upper Deck Series One Jumbo

Lesson #1: When filming an on-location box break, bring your own wax. Just in case.

The Greatest Video Box Break Ever: Part Two

The Greatest Video Box Break Ever: Part One

2009 Bowman Baseball

24 packs per box, 10 cards per pack
Supplied from Topps

A Special Preview of my 2009 Bowman Video Break.

I promise you, that my upcoming video box break of 2009 Bowman Baseball will be THE GREATEST VIDEO BOX BREAK YOU'VE EVER SEEN!!!

I wouldn't be making this claim if I didn't think it would be THAT FUCKING AWESOME!!!

Seriously, this box break will BLOW YOUR FUCKING MIND!!!

By the time this gets posted, I'll be on my way to the site of my epic break. I don't want to give away any hints, but all I'll say is the reason why it will be THE GREATEST VIDEO BOX BREAK EVER, has to do with this guy...

Cardola: 2009 Topps Series Two Hobby

Part One:



Part Two:



Part Three:

Thoughts and Observations on 2009 Upper Deck Series Two.

Since I seem to be the only person on the planet who has opened Series Two UD Baseball, (Yeah, I know, you're jealous. Don't hate, folks.) I figure I'd give you all a heads-up on what to expect when the UPS guy gets around to your neck-of-the-woods. Consider this a collector's guide to UD2.

1) The master checklist to UD2 has still not been posted to the Upper Deck website. There is a link to Series Two, and it mentions a street date of next Tuesday. But if you're one of those collectors who, you know, actually wants to know what's in a product before you buy it, you'll be disappointed to learn that the UD2 link takes you to Upper Deck's generic "Collector's Zone" page instead.

2) As you may have noticed in my video break, the "Silver Common" StarQuests are back for Series Two. For some strange reason the Silver's in UD1 were exclusive to loose retail packs and Jumbos. Not so for UD2.

OBTW, other than the words "BLUE" and "UNCOMMON" on the back, there is no noticeable difference (at least none to my discerning eye) at all between the Silvers and the Blues. Seriously, they are EXACTLY the same.

3) It appears that UD tacked a few extra cards onto the base set. Series Two was originally set at 500 cards (#501-1000). But according to the Team Checklists I pulled, there are a minimum of three extra cards in the set. Those additional cards -- all of which (surprise, surprise) are "Rookies" -- are:

#1001 Brett Anderson
#1002 Trevor Cahill
#1003 Jordan Schafer

4) Selected players who had base cards in UD1, are also in UD2.

You may have noticed that I pulled the Phillies Team Checklist out of my UD2 Blaster. Comparing and contrasting it with the Series One Team Checklist, five members of your 2008 World F'n Champions (Rollins, Hamels, Lidge, Howard, and Chutley) have base cards in BOTH series. And while UD2 DOES include many of the role players and backups you come to expect from a set like this, J.A. Happ and J.C. Romero are not to be found in either series. That sucks!

So there you have it; a taste of what's to come. Anyway, I think I'll be heading to the Audubon Wal-Mart tomorrow, if you know what I mean.

Video Box Break and Review: 2009 Upper Deck Series Two Blaster

Bloggers Note: 2009 Upper Deck Series Two Baseball is not scheduled for release until May 19. However at the Wal-Mart in Audubon, NJ, Blasters are already on the shelf. Don't tell anyone though, it'll be our little secret.

One Blaster box of 2009 Upper Deck Series Two (paid $19.97 + tax)
Ten packs per box, eight cards per pack.



Base Set: 64 of 500

Parallels: NONE

Inserts

5 Silver "Common" StarQuest: B. Webb, B. McCann, E. Longoria, F. Liriano, J. Bruce
3 Blue "Uncommon" StarQuest: B. Phillips, C-M Wang, D. Pedroia
1 Gold "Rare" StarQuest: B.J. Upton
1 Emerald "Super Rare" StarQuest: B. Phillips
1 OPC Preview: Chipper
1 Upper Deck Allen & Ginter Goodwin Champions Preview: C. Ripken, Jr.
1 20th Anniversary: N. Ryan

Autogamers

1 UD Game Materials: Dice-K

Video Box Break and Review (On-Location): 2009 Upper Deck Goudey.

Part One:


Part Two:


And if you're ever in the Philadelphia/Trenton/Bucks County Area, drop the kids off at Sesame Place and check out Warren's. And tell 'em Stale Gum sent you.

Special Preview: On-Location Box Break, 2009 Goudey.

Gonzo Box Break: 2009 Topps Finest

Bloggers Note: This is a Gonzo Box Break. To experience this video break properly, please follow these instructions before viewing.

1) Acquire a half-pint 10-inch hypodermic needle (the kind used for spinal taps & inoculating bulls).

2) Fill this full of rum, tequila, Wild Turkey, or Flying Dog Brewery's Gonzo Imperial Porter.

3) Inject the entire contents straight into the stomach, through the navel. This will induce a fantastic rush -- much like a three-quarter hour Amyl high -- plenty of time to watch the awful spectacle below.

4) Set to full-screen and press play.



One Master Box of 2009 Topps Finest Baseball -- supplied by the manufacturer for free.
Two, six-pack, mini-boxes per Master Box (MSRP $50/mini-box)

Base Set: 49 of 164 (29.88%)
short set: 48 of 150 (32.00%)
1 Autographed Rookie Letter Patch (14 manufactured letter patches, 1:2 mini-boxes): T. Snider EXCH

Parallels

4 "Plain Vanilla" Refractors: J. Posada, X. Nady, HanRam, M. Garza
4 Blue Refractors (numbered to 399): The World's Fattest Vegetarian, K-Rod, T. Hudson, M. Tuiasosopo
1 Green Refractor (1:2 mini-boxes, numbered to 99): G. Meche
1 Gold Refractor (1:4 mini-boxes, numbered to 50): M. Buehrle
1 Autographed Rookie Letter Patch Refractor (1:4 mini-boxes): A. Solome "E"

Inserts

1 2009 MLB Rookie Redemption (1:3 mini-boxes): #1

Product Rating: 2 Gumsticks (out of 5)

Remember when "Baseball Cards" had, you know, *BASEBALL* players on them?

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you this year's "Poley Walnuts."



And yes, this is an actual card that will be inserted into '09 UD2 packs.

From The "You Knew This Was Going to Happen" Department: Topps Sues UD.

Those of you that had April 14th in The Stale Gum Lawsuit Pool, congratulations, you are a winnah!

From Bloomberg...

Topps, which was taken private in 2007, claims in a lawsuit filed today in Manhattan federal court that Upper Deck’s newest cards are using a design from Topps’ 1971, 1975 and 1977 cards.

Umm, ya think?

To review: This is a 1971 Topps card.


And this is a 2009 Upper Deck "1971 OPC" card.



Seriously, who didn't see this coming?

Cardola: 2009 Topps Heritage Hobby

Editors note: Stale Gum will be on vacation in Florida for the next week. So, here's something to tide you over.

The card that may make Bowman Baseball relevant again.

Well, for this year anyway.

In case you don't know who this guy is, check this out.

Yeah, But Is It Real?

Steve Mendez has got to be the luckiest SOB in the world. Over the past three years, he's pulled autographed ones-of-one of LeBron James, President John Adams and Robert Treat Paine.

Now, this same guy pulls a one-of-one Babe Ruth cut "signature" out of a pack of 2009 Topps. That's four ones-of-one in three years. Pretty lucky, huh?



With what went down yesterday, the question must be asked. Is that even a real Babe Ruth autograph?

Well? Whaddya think?

(h/t Beckett Blog)

And now a Public Service Announcement

If you've opened up as much 2009 Upper Deck Series One as I have, you've noticed that the collation sucks. How much so? Well...

About a month ago, I bought a Series One Blaster at the local Wal-Mart. You can find that video here. In that particular Blaster I pulled a "Historic Firsts" insert of Mariners manager Dan Wakamatsu and a "USA 18U National Team" insert of Jeff Malm.

The next week, I went to the same Wal-Mart and bought another Blaster. In that box I pulled a Gary Sheffield Gold parallel numbered to 99 and another Jeff Malm USA insert.

For the next few weeks, this Wal-Mart was out of UD Blasters. But today, I noticed that they had put a few more out, so I bought another. Take a guess as to what I pulled.

Another Dan Wakamatsu "Historic First," another Jeff Malm USA, and another Gary Sheffield Gold parallel numbered to 99.

Combine that with the Hobby box I ripped at Dr. Wax Battle's and I've pulled three Dan Wakamatsu's, four Jeff Malm's and two Gary Sheffield Gold parallels.

OBTW, I've yet to pull a David Price rookie card.

2009 Upper Deck Baseball Blasters: buyer beware!

Insulting Our Collective Intelligence, One Gimmick at a Time.

The sad thing is, someone at Topps has convinced himself that collectors actually want these gimmicks.

Seriously, Who Cares Anymore?

It's like they're not even trying.

(h/t topps-heritage.com)

The Final Word on the Topps/Wal-Mart Kerfuffle

So yeah, I was wrong. It turns out it was a gimmick after all. In addition to the stealth "Black" cards in Wal-Mart Blasters, there will also be a stealth "Throwback" version of 2009 Topps that's exclusive to Target Blasters. The plan was to release both versions in April, but Wal-Mart jumped the gun and released them a month early.

The Cardboard Junkie has, as usual, expressed the opinions of many Hobbyists. Most of what I wanted to write, he already covered, so I won't pile on.

I will leave you with this. If Topps, Wal-Mart, and Target got together to create a special-run exclusively for their stores, I wouldn't have a problem with it. The problem was the bait-and-switch.

If a collector purchases a Blaster of 2009 Topps Baseball, he/she has the expectation of receiving 2009 Topps Baseball and not a stealth parallel set that he/she was not aware of -- and probably doesn't want anyway. It really is like buying a can of tomato sauce and getting diced tomatoes instead.

And another thing. Is it really too difficult for the card companies, big box retailers, and distributors to, you know, actually tell us what's in the product before we buy it? Or am I asking too much?

Now Starting for your St. Louis Cardinals...

... First Baseman Albert Putta Playername!

And yes, this is what 2009 UDX will look like.

(h/t Beckett Blog)

Why the Wal-Mart Black cards are not a gimmick. (I think)

In 1997 Pinnacle Brands released the third edition of their popular Pinnacle Certified Baseball set. The set had been highly anticipated by collectors as it was one of the first sets to exploit the low-numbered parallel concept. At a time when a card serial-numbered to 5000 copies was still considered "scarce," '97 Certified had three different parallel sets limited to under 100 copies: Mirror Red (limited to 90 copies), Mirror Blue (45 copies), and Mirror Gold (serial-numbered to only 30). The '97 Pinnacle Certified Mirror parallels raised the bar (or lowered it, depending on your view) and established the benchmark for scarcity.

But when '97 Certified went live, some collectors noticed something peculiar. They looked like a base card, but it had the "refractor-like" sheen of a Mirror insert. Collectors had accidentally discovered the now-legendary Mirror Black parallels, and as reports of them began to surface on the Beckett Message Boards, many were led to believe that these cards were a "stealth" one-of-one parallel.

Only it wasn't. Pinnacle later admitted that the Mirror Blacks were printed as part of a test run and inserted into packs as a mistake. (They weren't even ones-of-one as at least two Jay Buhner and Juan Gonzalez Mirror Blacks are known to exist.)

Fast forward to 2009 and the news that some base set cards being pulled out of 2009 Topps Wal-Mart Blasters have black-borders. Given Topps' recent history, many collectors have (rightly) called shenanigans. However the Wal-Mart Blacks, just like the Mirror Blacks of 1997, may very well be legitimate error cards.

Why do I believe this? Let me count the ways...

1) The coloring

If Topps was to produce a special edition of their base set, why would they choose the same color as one of their established parallels?

2) The scatter-shot distribution

Some Blasters have yielded nothing but lack base cards. Some have yielded nothing but white-bordered base cards. Now if Topps really, really, did produce a parallel that's exclusive to a particular pack-type, wouldn't it have made sense for them to distribute them a little more evenly? (i.e. one-per-pack)

3) Bad P.R.

With all the goodwill Topps has earned with their 2009 effort, why would they throw it all away with a gimmick like this?

More than likely what happened was redux of the Mirror Blacks -- only on a much larger scale. When the time came to produce the Wal-Mart Blaster packs, Topps (or the sub-contractor who printed the cards) made a mistake. A number of black-bordered cards were accidentally produced, and instead of throwing them away, they decided to pack them out as a Wal-Mart-exclusive "Special Edition." In other words, Topps is trying to make chicken salad out of chicken shit.

But hey, I could be wrong. If Topps really did collude with Wal-Mart to create a "stealth" parallel, and failed to inform anyone until after the fact, many collectors will never, ever, purchase a Wal-Mart Blaster again.

Finally, an explaination of those Black Bordered Topps base cards.

Ripped-and-posted directly from Topps.

"Topps is confirming that it randomly inserted special “BLACK” cards (the entire front of the card is black except for player image) in 2009 Topps Baseball Series 1 $19.99 value boxes found at Wal-Mart.

"The exclusive limited edition set includes each of the 330 subjects found in the 2009 Topps Series 1 Base Set."

And now you know. And knowing is half the battle.

Video Box Break and Review: 2009 Upper Deck Series One Hobby

One Hobby box of 2009 Upper Deck Series One Hobby (paid $68 at Dr. Wax Battle's)
16 packs per box, 20 cards per pack.

The Video

Look for the special cameo appearances by A Cardboard Problem's Sooz, and the one and only Fast Eddie!



The Pulls

Base Set: 249 of 500 (49.98%)
37 doubles

Parallels
1 Gold (numbered to 99): Twins Team Leaders

Inserts*
3 1975 O-Pee-Chee (1:6): F. Hernandez, J. Hamilton, M. Holliday
1 Stars of the Game: B. Webb
1 Rivals: J. Hamilton/R. Oswalt
2 USA Baseball Retrospective: M. Brown, T. Teagarden
6 USA Baseball 18U: J. Turner, C. Garfield, J. Malm, M. Stassi, N. Franklin, W. Hatton

Trade Bait*
2 2008 Historic Firsts: OBAMA!, The Ghats of Varanasi
2 2009 Historic Firsts Predictors: The New York Stock Exchange, A Space Alien (WTF?!?!?)
8 20th Anniversary (1:2): A hurricane, three hockey players, a former President and his VP, and three actual baseball players: K. Griffey, Jr, P. Martinez, and D. Winfield
4 Yankee Tedium Lunacy (1:4) #6666 (M. Rivera), #6705 (B. Abreu), #6718 (J. Giambi), and 6731 (M. Mussina)
4 Crockumentary (1:4): That J.D. Guy, J. Ellsbury, J. Lester, E. Longoria

Autogamers#
1 Inkredible: D. Murphy
2 UD Game Jersey: Cap'n Cheesburger, J. Saltalamacchia

* Two inserts per pack
# One autograph, one single-swatch game jersey, and one multi-swatch game jersey numbered to 199 or less per box

The Review

It's the 20th Anniversary of Upper Deck Baseball, and as usual UD did an excellent job with the base set. Some collectors have complained about the gold "bar" on the bottom, but all-in-all it doesn't distract too much from the card.

The first series is back to 500 cards, the first 400 of which are the regular player cards and are arranged by team. The next 30 (401-430) are "Rookies," then 30 Team Leaders (431-460) , ten Season Highlights (461-470), and 30 Team Checklists (471-500). The Team Leaders cards are new and feature three players from each club on a horizontal-format card. Again, the Team Checklist and Season Highlights look exactly like the regular player cards.

Each pack includes two inserts, and among the ones you might receive is a 50 card set that suspiciously looks like 1975 Topps. The rest of the inserts leave much to be desired. Yankee Tedium Lunacy and Crockumentary are finally put to rest, which is a good thing. Unfortunately, UD just can't let go of the "mega-set" concept, and has unleashed their latest monstrosity: the 2500-card 20th Anniversary.

The Bottom Line

Wow, this box sucked. According to the sell-sheets, you're supposed to get one autograph, one single-swatch game jersey, and one multi-swatch jersey card in each box. I received the AU, but both of my gamers were single-swatch.

But getting screwed out of a multi-swatch jersey card is nothing compared to the 37 base set doubles this box yielded. What was weird is that all those doubles were from the first 100 cards in the set. I received substantially fewer cards numbered 101-200. This is unacceptable.

Of the eight 20th Anniversary cards I pulled, only three featured actual baseball players. In fact, I got just as many hockey players as I did baseball players. Last time I checked it still says "baseball cards" in the wrapper; so why am I getting hockey cards?

With that said, you're not really buying Upper Deck for the "hits," you're getting it for the base set, and it is (as usual) great -- even if you only get half of it and three-dozen doubles in a box.

Product Rating: 3 1/2 Gumsticks
Collation Rating: 1 1/2 Gumstick

... and another thing.

By now, you've probably heard the story of Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel. The winners of a Indian reality game show, the two 20-year-old cricketeers were signed by the Pirates, becoming the first players from their country to sign with a Major League team. Although Singh and Patel will probably never appear in a Major League game, Upper Deck thought it appropriate to commemorate the achievement with a card in the "2008 Historic Firsts" insert. After all, card collectors love collecting obscure prospects. Don't they? And if anything could be considered "Historic," it surely would be this.

There's just one problem. Instead of giving the two Indians their own baseball card (if only for the novelty), Singh and Patel's "rookie card" has a picture of the Ghats of Varanasi.

A picture of a Temple? Really, Upper Deck? Would it have killed you to, you know, ACTUALLY GIVE RINKU AND DINSEH THEIR OWN CARD?

How To *Properly* Do A Single-Card Insert

This is what makes the David Price gimmick card so frustrating. With this card, Upper Deck got it all right.



It has a different design from the base set, not numbered as part of the same, and was announced on the checklist before the product's release.

It reminds me of those way-cool SP cards that UD did in the early-90s.

Cardola: 2009 Topps American Heritage

Part One


Part Two

Cardola: 2009 Topps Series One Hobby

The Stale Gum Lawsuit Pool.

By now, you've seen the sell-sheets and the preview on Wax Heaven. The question is this: How long will it be before Topps sues Upper Deck for copyright infringement?

List the date in the comments, and the closest will win, something.

Video Box Break and Review: 2009 Topps Series One HTA

One HTA box of 2009 Topps Series One (paid $95)
50 cards per pack, ten cards per box

The Video



The Pulls

Base

One full 330-card base set
108 doubles

1 Variation (19 cards, 1:19) W. Johnson

Parallels

10 Golds (one-per-pack, numbered to 2009) B. Lidge, Berkman/Lee, KosFu, J. Manuel, C. Jackson, D. Span, E. Burriss, B. Roberts, C. Lambert, B. Bixler
1 Black (one-per-pack, numbered to 58) B. Barton

Inserts

10 Legends of the Game (25 cards, one-per-pack) C. Young, H. Wagner, T. Speaker, G. Sisler, J. Foxx, Pee Wee Reese, R. Maris, M. Mantle, R. Clemente, C. Yastrzemski
10 Turkey Red (55 cards, one-per-pack) R. Ludwick, B. Molina, Chutley, G. Atkins, C. Granderson, A-Fraud, J. Upton, G. Soto, T. Hunter, M. Caberea
10 Ring Of Honor (25 cards, one-per-pack) T. LaRussa, B. Lidge, D. Snider, L. Gonzalez, G. Carter, A. Pettitte, J. Leyland, A. Pujols, R. Clemens, R. Howard
10 Ticket to Toppstown (30 cards, one-per-pack) J. Santana, HanRam, A. Gordon, R. Howard, J. Peavy, Ichiro, K-Rod, M. Cabrera, C. Quentin, L. Berkman
1 WBC Redemption (1:10)
1 Topps Attax Redemption
1 Legends of the Game Manufactured Patch Bullshit (1:10*, numbered to 50) L. Gehirg "H"

Autogamers*

1 Career Best Autograph (47 cards, 1:10) T. Snider
1 Career Best Relic (34 cards, 1:10) Ichiro

* One autograph, one relic, and one manufactured bullshit patch card per box.

The Review

Well, that's more like it. After a couple of lackluster years, the Topps flagship is back and it is a marked improvement over what we've seen the past few years. It's not quite where it ought to be, but Topps is on its way back.

The base set is still only 330 cards, which is about 100 cards smaller than it ought to be. It breaks down to 255 players, 30 rookies, 10 league leaders, 15 managers, eight postseason highlights, six award winners, five Classic Combos, and one dead Hall of Famer.

The design is Topps best effort in years, and "effort" is an apt term. As many have commented, the fronts have a mid-90s feel to it, and for some reason, I love the "arch" element on the back. I can't explain why, I just do. I also like the fact that Topps chose NOT to airbrush those players who have changed teams. Mark Teixeira is still pictured as an Angel, Pat Burrell is still a Phillie, and Chan Ho Park is still in Dodger blue. The only airbrushed card I could find is of Greg Golson who was traded from the Phillies to the Rangers.

Another thing that's pretty cool are the Classic Combo cards. Not for what's on the front, but what's on the back: checklists. Call me old fashioned, but I think checklists deserve to be in the base set. The only problem is that Topps didn't include any of the inserts in the checklists, only the base cards.

Speaking of which, each HTA pack comes with a Gold parallel and an insert from one of four sets: Legends of the Game, Turkey Red, Ring of Honor, and Ticket to Toppstown. I don't quite understand why Topps chose to reprint Turkey Red though. Hasn't that set been done already? What's next, Allen & Ginter inserts in 2010 Topps?

One insert this product could have done without are the variation cards. 17 of the 19 variations are of the CMG legends and the other two are of President Obama and CC Sabathia in an airbrushed Yankee uniform. Topps had already included these 17 in the Legends of the Game insert, and I don't see the point of including them in a variation.

The Bottom Line

This HTA box yieled one full 330-card base set and about a third of a second. I also pulled 40 inserts, 11 parallels, 1 variation, and two redemptions. My designated autograph was of Blue Jays outfielder Travis Snider. Snider was the 14th player selected in the '06 draft and was the youngest position player in baseball last year. My relic was a plain gray jersey of Ichiro.

My other "relic" (and I use that term loosely) was a manufactured letter patch card with a giant felt "H" on it. Somehow this "H" has something to do with Lou Gehrig. Am I the only collector who thinks these manufactured relics are total bullshit? Does anybody actually collect these things? Memo to Topps and Upper Deck: If it's not actually game used, then what the fuck is the point?

Product Rating: 3 1/2 Gumsticks (out of five)
Box Rating: 4 Gumsticks

... and another thing

If a gimmick card of Captain Cheeseburger is the worst Topps can come up with, then I guess I'm OK with that. I don't like it, but at least it's not a furry animal, fake Japanese phenom, space alien, or an old decrepit quarterback on a lawn tractor.

Video Box Break and Review: 2009 Upper Deck Series One Blaster

Cards that will be in '09 UD.

This card will be randomly inserted into packs of 2009 Upper Deck Series One.



Yes, that is a card of a hockey game, in a baseball product.

But wait, there's also these...

And you thought UD wouldn't issue an Obama card?

It's all part of a ten-card, 1:6/pack, insert in Series One called "2008 Historic Firsts." They're also putting in that guy who wasted $15,000 to build a complete set of Yankee Tedium Lunacy, those two pitchers from India that signed with the Pirates, as well as "the first athlete to win eight gold medals at a single Olympiad." (Hmmmm, I wonder who that could be?)

Guess That Gimmick!

We're just a few weeks away from the first series of 2009 Topps baseball. And we all know what that means....

So what do you say we have some fun with it. In the comments, take a guess what the gimmick in 2009 Topps Series One is. If you can accurately guess what it is, you'll win...

... something. (Prize to be determined at a later date.)

START GUESSING, DO IT NOW!

Topps: MAKE THIS HAPPEN!

Come on Topps. Jeff deserves to be on a card. And what better way to honor the greatest card collector who ever lived, than by putting Jeff Burdick in 2009 Allen & Ginter.

Collectors React to the News that Upper Deck is Bringing Back UDX for 2009.

Can't you just feel the excitement already?

OBTW, still no word on '09 Ultra.

(h/t Hand Collated)

1st Impressions: 2009 Topps

Yes, I know. Beckett posted the first prototypes last week. As an editorial decision, I've reserved judgment until somebody posted a sell sheet.

But now, the sell sheets are out. Here's what you'll find in 2009 Topps!

Base Set: 330 cards

Looks like another 660-card phone-it-in special from Topps. :-(

Legends of the Game: 17 variations (1:6 Hobby, one-per HTA pack)

Here's how this gimmick works. Card #1 in the base set is A-Rod, but the variation of #1 is Babe Ruth.

Parallels
Gold: Numbered to 2009 (1:9 Hobby, 1:2 HTA)
Black: Numbered to 58
Platinum: 1/1
Silk: 100 card partial parallel, numbered to 50
Plates

With the exception of the every-other-pack Gold Foil, the parallels are unchanged.

Inserts
Legends of the Game: 25 cards (1:6 Hobby, one-per HTA pack)
Turkey Red: 55 cards (1:4 Hobby, one-per HTA pack)
Ring of Honor: 25 cards (1:6 Hobby, one-per HTA pack)
World Baseball Classic Redemption: Ten cards (1:36 Hobby, 1:10 HTA)
Sketch Cards
Four separate ten-card retail-exclusive inserts.

I don't see a Mickey Mantle hero worship set anywhere on the sell sheet (Thank God).

Turkey Red is this year's "Continuity Insert."

Odd numbered cards #1-50 in the Ring of Honor insert will be given away at HTA stores. Even numbered cards will be inserted into packs.

Each Hobby box will contain a hit, and each HTA box will have three. Then again, if you're buying this JUST for the "Hits," well.....

More info on 2009 UD

• Structure of the 500 card base set...

400 veterans
30 Rookies
30 Team Leaders
10 Season Highlights
30 Team Checklists


• I don't particularly understand the logic behind having BOTH a Team Leader AND a Team Checklist subset.



• Joe DiMaggio is listed as card #0 on the provisional checklist. (Gimmicked SP? God I hope not.)



• All 30 "Rookies" are of September call-ups with Tampa Bay's David Price being the "money card."



• Each 20-card Hobby pack will have two insert cards. Assuming some of these are exclusive to retail, the complete list of inserts reads as follows:
  

  Gold Parallel (numbered to 99)
  StarQuest (25 cards, available in six different flavors)
  Rookie Debuts (30 cards, same checklist as the base set Rookies)
  '75 OPC (50 cards, 1:4/packs, available in regular and mini varieties)
  Rivals (25 cards)
  Greats of the Game (25 cards)
  USA 18U National Team (18 cards)
  USA Retrospectives (14 cards)
  20th Anniversary (1:2)
  Yankee Tedium Lunacy Update (1:4)
  MLB Documentary Update (1:4)



• Each 16-pack Hobby waxbox will yield two jersey cards, one of which will be a multi-swatch card (double, triple, or quad) numbered to 199 copies or less.



• One autographed gamer and a patch card per 12-box case.

1st Impressions: 2009 Upper Deck Series One

UPDATED: Wax Heaven has pictures.




Look at what I found on Dave and Adam's.



500 card base set
Two jerseys and an autograph in a box
1975 OPC inserts

Images of the cards when they become available.