Sunday, October 25, 2026

2026 Factory Set


2026 Factory Set


For the 7th straight year, and 9th of the last 11, I went the factory set route for the Topps set.  I just don't have the time (or money) to try to build this thing purchasing individual packs.  Even if I did, I'm not sure I'd be able to find enough packs to buy to complete the set.  Not sure what that says about what Topps is trying to do, but more than a decade into this trend, it really feels more and more like a middle finger to not just set builders, but the set itself.


The set this year was once again 700 cards, at least in theory.  Mine, for the 2nd year in a row, had 699 cards.  Card number 691, Joey Cantillo, was not included.  The sharpie is showing where it would be in the binder.  As mentioned, this is now two years in a row the set was missing a card.  I guess it's possible I misplaced it, but I sorted and sleeved this entire set in one sitting on a clean table top in my dining room, with a clean floor below me.  I certainly didn't lose it.  I guess it's possible it stuck to another card, but I would have noticed if I was trying to put two cards into one pocket.  This is on Topps.  Last year I submitted a report on their website.  I've yet to hear anything back.  I don't know if I'll bother this year.  Why waste the time when it's quicker just to drop a dollar on sportlots and have the card sent.


Topps did include 2 copies each of cards #697-700.  This wasn't advertised on the box.  The last few years the box has advertised that rookie variations would be included and they come in a cellophane pack.  These were just randomly mixed in with the other cards.  I almost suspect it may have been done in error.  Who knows.  These don't move the needle for me.  Either make them part of the set, or don't, I don't see the point of them otherwise.  

I like the set itself okay this year.  It's far from the worst design of the last twenty years, but it's not in the running for my favorite either.  I noticed the photography in the first 350 cards tended to be much better as a whole.  Which gives the impression that they may be rushing to throw series 2 together.  I'd like to see Topps go back to a single series, even it meant delaying its release by a few weeks.  My biggest complaints with this set, is that there is too much shiny foil on the cards, and the city abbreviations in the upper left.  It just bugs me, especially since Topps went ahead and put "Athletics" on the Sacramento cards like a bunch of capitulating cowards.  Clearly they could have gone with full team names for everyone else.  (Or you know, just acknowledge that the Athletics play in "SAC," I don't see what the problem is)

I'm also annoyed by the lack of attention to the glamour numbers.  1, 50's, and 100's get star players but all the other zero's are just random.  It would take an intern less than an hour come up with a list of 70 deserving names to give the zero numbers to.  I guess Topps just can't find the time, given how rushed they must be to come up with 300 goofy insert sets and a million variations.

A fun part of going through the set, was finding Albuquerque Isotopes I was familiar with.  Here are some guys who spent some time in The Duke City this year:


I think this kid will end up spending the better part of the next decade as an every starter for someone, but the Rockies must not be convinced as he spent a lot of time in Albuquerque this year, including a couple of starts next to my seats in left field.


Chad had some nice moments with the Rockies in 2026, including a game winning hit where he drove in my favorite Isotope, Sterlin Thompson, but was in Albuquerque most of the year.  He set the franchise record for consecutive games reaching base safely before getting called up for some coffee.


Ritzy got hot at the end of the year for the Isotopes.  I'm not sure where he fits in going forward with the Rockies, and wouldn't be surprised if they move on from him before Spring Training.  He'll catch on somewhere though.  


Beck had a great rookie season for the Rockies in 2025, so it was a surprise to see him end up in Albuquerque again this year.  His bat was just ice cold all year in Denver and wasn't much better in Albuquerque.  He'll almost certainly be outrighted to the Isotopes and moved off of the 40 man before spring to make room for Charlie Condon.  The Rockies have a lot of problems, but good outfield prospects isn't one of them.


Finally, here is the Zac Veen.  Zac has been my daughter's favorite player for two years now.  She goes to school in Michigan, so I timed a visit this fall around the Rockies playing the Tigers while Zac was up in the bigs.  We got seats on the wall and made banner for Zac, which he saw and was nice enough to come over and sign for her, and give her a ball.  Zac was just named the Pacific Coast League MVP for 2026.  The first Isotope to win the award since Joc Pederson, back when we were still a Dodgers affiliate.  





Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Williamsburg, VA



These nine cards were sent by David in Williamsburg, Virginia.  David runs the blog "Card Boredom," where you can see that he just completed the run of cards #1-310 in the 1952 Topps set.  Congrats!  I myself tackled the first 310 cards about five years ago after a more than decade long effort to do so, and I'm glad I did it when I did, because there is no universe in which I'd be able to pick up the Mays today.

Cards from David is turning into something of a fall tradition, as this is the third fall in a row I've received one of his excellent bash brothers envelopes in the mail.  Included in this bunch was a 1988 Score Glossy.  It's the first time I've added a 1988 Score Glossy since 2013 (that's 13 years ago!) and only the 3rd copy in my collection.  I was a little surprised to learn both of those facts.

Thanks for the cards David!

Updated totals:


Sunday, October 18, 2026

"Topps Now" Sterlin Thompson #317

 

When "Topps Now" first came out, I thought it was a dumb gimmick that would likely sell millions of cards.  Ten years later, I feel vindicated on both counts.  I just didn't ever expect to actually order any myself.  That changed last June when they finally lured me in with an offering I couldn't turn down.  I would have waited for these to show up on eBay, but I wasn't confident any would find their way there, as I couldn't imagine this would be a super popular offering (I was wrong, regular variations showed up almost immediately and for cheaper than I paid, live and learn).  Since I was going to be paying a shipping fee, I figured five copies would be better than one.  So here it is, my first "Topps Now" card, Sterlin Thompson "Call Up," at least, I think that's what's its called:

The card commemorates Thompson's walk-off pinch hit single to beat the Cubs on June 10, 2026.  Since moving to Albuquerque a few years ago, I've been a season ticket holder for the Albuquerque Isotopes, the triple-A affiliate of the Rockes.  My seats are near the left field foul pole, where there is a section where all the seats are elevated swivel chairs and the rows have a bar top for drinks, food, whatever.  For the majority of the last two years, Sterlin Thompson has been the left fielder.  Before every game, I give him shout of "Let's go Sterlin!" and he's nice enough to wave over in acknowledgment.  He's also nice enough to toss over a ball nearly every game.  I've met him a few times at season ticket member events, and with my daughter at a couple of the team's "Friday Night Autograph" sessions before games.  He's a really nice guy and we're all rooting for him to leave us behind in Albuquerque become an everyday starter in the big leagues.  He led all of triple-A baseball in on-base percentage this year with an absurd .475 obt, and I've also seen him go over the wall to bring back homers and he regularly guns guys out when they're dumb enough to test his arm.  So hopefully he makes a roster out of Spring Training next year, be it with Colorado or someone else (bad as the Rockies have been, they are flush with promising young outfielders).  Thompson did pretty well in 27 games with Rockies this season after making his debut, including a monster game at Wrigley that saw him hit two homers and a double.

The card itself is pretty mediocre.  Topps really mailed in.  The back has no write up, no stats, just a another large photo.  The design itself is pretty generic and uninspiring, more or less a 2020 base card rehash.  I've never really looked at any other "Topps Now" cards so I don't know if this is the standard format, or if other cards get different treatment and looks.  To be honest, for a long time I thought Topps Now was the same as the "Living Set." Now I'm not sure if the "Living Set," is still even a thing.

For those that have never ordered Topps Now, here's how it arrives.  The cards come in this semi-sturdy black "pack" with a flap on the back.


The cards inside are packaged in a rigid plastic case, the sort of which we've all seen a million times before.  I ordered five copies so it's not the over sized ones I've seen breakers open up and flip through in  instagram videos.  Just a little skinny one that probably wouldn't hold more than five.


I've seen videos of people who make poor life choices flipping through stacks of 100 plus copies of some Topps Now card they ordered, then getting super excited or super disappointed depending on what's inside.  I never thought much of it, beyond, those guys are crazy.  But here's the thing, these cards come with a packing slip.   One with giant bold lettering telling you exactly what you are getting.  Check it out:


Needless to say, I wasn't surprised to learn I had been sent a "black" variation numbered to ten.  Not to mention, it was the card showing on top of the case.  I don't know if sometimes they are inserted in the middle of the stack, but I sort of doubt it.  So what is with all these videos of guys "shaking" and "shouting," or "whining" as they flip through their Topps Now purchase? As little respect as we all have for online breakers, we don't hate them enough.

Here's a look at the five cards I received:


And here is the "black" variation:



The back of the card, as far as I can tell, is identical to the regular card.  No serial numbering on these and even the foil stamped numbering is on the front of the card (see below).  I have no idea how many variations there are.  I can't imagine a whole lot, as there couldn't have been that many people racing to pull out their credit cards to pull the trigger on Albuquerque Isotopes fan favorite Sterlin Thompson, at least not at this point his career (which no doubt will get better).


I think I'm done with Topps Now. Even a Tim Wallach offering isn't likely to get me to pull the trigger on the Topps website, I'll just wait for them to show up on eBay.  But who knows, I tend to be impulsive when it comes to baseball cards.

And for those of you still reading, here's video of Thompson's walk off hit against the Cubs.



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Tuesday, October 13, 2026

2025 Topps Shoebox Treasures #15 "Paint Splatter" #/15

            


Card Review: 9.2

(my scanner was being difficult, so these are photos)

This is the 16th variation of this card that I've posted.  I believe there are five (5) more I don't have, a Rainbow Auto, Grayscale Auto, Shoebox Treasures Logo Auto, and the two "one of ones" (yes, two "one of ones," I hate everything about modern cards so much).

I prefer this non-autographed version a little more than the autographed version.  I just have the strong opinion that unless you're under the age of 15 or so and are having the card signed in person at the ball park, that autographs don't really belong on cards.  They're just sharpie stains that blemish the card.

My feelings on this card are more or less the same as they are for the autographed version, or any of the other 15 versions I've posted about.  It's fine.  The concept is great.  The regular base card was a really cool and fun idea, as was the entire set.  Then they made two dozen variations.  What are we doing here?  I know it's hypocritical, as I post about buying them all, but who asked for this?  Who are the people getting excited about endless inserts, and numbering to various amounts?  Sure, I'm here blogging about the 16th version of what is more or less the same card, but I'm grumpy about it.  I feel taken advantage of, that my o.c.d. is being exploited for profit.

I want to see a figure as to how many "one of ones" of a given player, say Shohei, have been produced in the last five years.  My guess is it's more than 1.  I know, "they're different," and each one is "unique," but come on.  I can lay out a 100 copies of a 1987 Topps Tim Wallach and fine differences and unique traits about each one.  More so, who is going to want these in another five years?  Take this set.  Who is going to be seeking out these variations down the road?  I see a future where dime boxes are loaded with cards numbered out of 20, 10, 5, even 1, while there are still a few collectors seeking out the base cards to complete their sets and paying a premium of a few bucks to do so.  Not that I believe you can judge a card by it's resale value, but just to illustrate my point.

Today, there are a lot of collector's still celebrating the acquisition or actively seeking a 1972 Topps #729 Bob Veale, nearly 55 years after kids were pulling it from packs.  And while Veale was fine pitcher who won 120 games and went to two all-star games, does that really warrant the number of people who weren't even born in 1972 that know exactly what that card looks like from memory?  Now try to imagine a scenario 55 years down the road in which anyone still wants this card currently listed for 50K on eBay: 


Maybe I'm wrong.  But I've seen this movie before and I doubt the ending is going to be any different this time around.  Try to imagine explaining why you thought paying 50K for this "card" was a good idea in another 20 years.  I can't.

Number of this card in my collection: 1 (well 2, but I somehow misplaced my first one, so I'll keep it at one until it shows up.)

Thursday, October 8, 2026

Mansfield, TX


These three cards were sent by long time regular contributor Tom of Mansfield, Texas.  Tom has been sending me cards going back to 2013.  Tom ran the blog "Angels in Order," which may now be retired as the link I have for it is no longer working.

Thanks for the cards Tom!

Updated Totals:


 

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Oceanside, NY

These six cards were sent by long time contributor Bo, of Oceanside, New York.  Bo has been sending me cards going all the way back to 2015.  It's kind of wild to type out here in this post.  I have hard time reconciling that in my mind, that over a decade has past since I started this blog, or that a generous stranger would continue to send me cards for that long.  Thank you, Bo, as always, the cards are greatly appreciated.

For a number of reasons, most of them good, I'm not posting on this blog nearly as much as I used to.  Of late, I've actually started to consider if I should wrap it up as I just don't see a future where I start posting regularly again.  Rather than let it linger in the background and stress me out, or feel like something I'm neglecting, some sort of satisfactory conclusion feels like an okay idea.

I don't know what that means, or what it will look like, but it's an idea I've started to kick around.  We'll see.

Thanks again Bo!

Updated Totals:





Monday, August 3, 2026

2025 Topps Shoebox Treasures #15 "Paint Splatter Autograph" #/15



 Card Review: 9.0

This is the 15th variation of this card that I've posted, and I have another variation in hand that I haven't posted yet.  There is alos at least one more variation on ebay that I don't have (or plan on having given it's price tag and it being numbered to "1").  This "paint splatter" is pretty much the same as most the other autos, which is to say, it's fine.  It's a take on the 1988 Topps All-Star card which is hard to mess up.

Yet, I feel as though this card is a missed opportunity and as such is a bit of a disappointment.  From the name, "Paint Splatter," I was expecting somthing else.  I thought maybe the image on the front would be a  more blurry, muddled, "splattered," take on the original.  But it's the same image on the front as every other one of these.  The "paint splatter" is confined to the back.  Also, given only 15 of these were printed for each card (technically 30, with 15 getting the auto sticker), how long could have taken to hit these with actual water color paint instead of just the printed design of a "splatter" on the back?

In any event, don't count on seeing any of the other 14 of this card being posted here anytime soon.  Then again, this stuff is hard to predict.

Number of this card in my collection: 1



Sunday, June 21, 2026

Bulletin Board Material



Bulletin Board Material

The above is a photo of the bulletin board in my office.  For years I've wanted to pin a Topps card from every year since '52 to it, but have only now finally gotten around to it.  I'm pleased with the way it came out.  My basic idea beyond one of every year, was to not have any duplicate players and keep it all to one team.  I thought about doing a card from the corresponding World Series Champion for each season, but in the end opted for keeping it all one team.  I feel like this is a better example of the changes (and similarities) in design from year to year.  I was able to pull duplicates from my collection (no breaking up sets in 3-ring binders) for most of these.  1997 through 2007 did require going on Sportlots and hunting down cards as I literally have zero cards from a lot of those seasons, but that was surprisingly painless as far as cost.  Here's a run down of who made the board.


1952 to 1955

I didn't have a lot to go with as far as duplicates from these sets.  Ed Lopat is the only big name here (check his stats, I bet you'll be surprised).  The Frank Overmire is a card I've always thought was nice looking, and ended up picking up a few of them whenever I saw them for cheap when I was building the '52 set as a result.  It may not be apparent, but I didn't actually stick the cards with the push pins.  Sure, they'll have little dents along the edge, but I'm no slabber, they'll be fine.


1956 to 1959

You can really see the thought process Topps was using in the 50's with these cards.  '58 is basically a rehash of '54, but with just the mini picture.  '59 combines '57 and '58.  It wasn't until I started focusing my collecting on vintage Topps sets, that I suddenly saw just how prominent bright colors have been to the design throughout the years.  For decades I viewed sets like '54, '58, and '75 as outliers, but with only a few exceptions, it's almost always in the design.


1960 to 1963

It took me forty years of looking at these cards to see the common thread in '60, '61, and '63, with the red and yellow at the bottom.  Now I can't unsee it.  The names on these cards should start being more recognizable.  The '63 Yogi is probably the biggest card on the board, certainly if condition wasn't a factor it would be.  This might also be my favorite four year run of Topps cards that they've ever printed.  This run represents the heart of my father's collection that survived.  As kids (around '88) my brother and I would go through his shoe box of cards and just be in awe of these.  They somehow seemed older forty years ago than they do today.  None of these were my father's cards.  As I've dove head first into vintage collecting, I've never intermingled the ones I pick up with his originals, which are somehow now far out numbered by mine.


1964 to 1967

This run of four years has never really caught my attention.  I am seeing it with some new eyes, and '64 & 67 do suddenly have a lot more pop of color I didn't always see and ''66 keeps with the red/yellow bottom stripping, so there is some new found appreciation.  Howard/Pepitone/Bouton/Ford also represent four of my all-time favorite Yankees, albeit for very different reasons.


1968 to 1972

I somehow never matched the red bubbles (at least, red in the case of Yankees, various other colors for other teams) in the lower left of '68 with the red bubbles in the uppe right of '69.  I also somehow never noticed "Yanks" as the name in the '70 set, and that was a set I spent a ton of time analyzing as it was the first vintage set build I ever completed.  Outside of Tresh, these guys may not be household names, but they all had very solid careers and deserve to be represented up here on this board as great Yankees of their era (albeit, not all Yankees Era's are created equal).


1973 to 1977

This is a great run of designs.  I don't argue with people who say '75 is the best set Topps ever printed (not my choice, but it's on my short list), and the other ones up here are all great as well.  When you focus on the pops of color on these other four designs, they suddenly look a lot less drab.  The red circle on '73, the blue piping on '74, '76 with the stripes, and '77 with the team names and pennant.  I also really like the players I was able to use for this run.  The Sparkly Lyle is a card that never really caught my eye during my '74 set build, but definitely should have.


1978 to 1981

This isn't my favorite four year run of designs, but there absolutley nothing wrong with them either, as evidenced by these four cards.  I think Topps was really in a groove here and would keep it going for another ten years before they started to over think things.  The Munson, Guidry, and Jackson may be four of my favorite Topps cards in existence, just fantastic examples of what a "baseball card" is supposed to be.


1982 to 1986

With this run of cards we've run into my era of collecting.  I know I bought cards in '83, but '84 was the first set I actually remember asking for in the grocery store (and even then it was usually Fleer at the time).  By '86 I was full on trading cards with friends.  That '86 Mattingly is one of the first cards I remember being "special" and standing out among the others.  Prior to that I think my focus was on Expos and cards with "cool" photos on the front.


1987 to 1991

This five year run perfectly captures the heart of my collecting.  I bought more packs of cards during this period than any other period.  These sets will always elicit happy memories for me.  They may not be worth the cardboard they're printed on to modern collectors, but to me they're priceless.  I may also be the only person in the world who holds this position, but you'll never convince me that 1988 Topps isn't the greatest set ever printed.  Just a perfectly executed and genuine throwback to the sets that came before it, with obvious elements of '64, '66, and '67.  Maybe Topps was feeling nostalgic heading into their 40th, because all of these designs borrow heavily from ones that came before (something I wish Topps would do more of today).

1992 to 1995

Thanks a lot Upper Deck, and misguided kids who bought it (my brother and I bought a crazy amount of Upper Deck from '89-'91).  This is the start of Topps messing with the program that had worked perfectly well for forty years, wasn't broken, and didn't need to be fixed.  1992 saw the white backs with color photos of the stadiums, '93 introduced gloss to the backs, and for some reason Topps decided their bubble gum cards required foil stamping in 1995 and have never looked back.  By 1995 I wasn't really buying cards any more.  I would pick up a few packs every year until '97, just to see the designs, but I had moved on to other interest for the most part.


1996 to 2000

I have deep seeded resentment towards the 1996 and 1997 Topps sets.  I actually kind of like the '97 design (a lot if I'm being honest), but these two sets still earn my disdain.  The problem being one of omission.  There is no Tim Wallach in either sets unusually small checklists.  There definitely should be based on precedent, but there isn't.  Other companies at the time were still including Wallach, but for some reason Topps didn't think he warranted inclusion with his 2000 hits and 17 years worth of stats to fill up the backs with.  I don't know what Topps was thinking at the time, and I wasn't buying cards, but I find this to be a rather forgettable period in the Topps timeline.


2001 to 2005

I definitely never bought a single pack from any one of these sets.  They're not bad looking sets.  I like the return of the second photo in 2003, and I find the 2002 bronze border to a subtle ode to '87 and '62 (even if no one else does).  2004 and 2005 would be so much better looking if the names at the top were just matte colors instead of hard to read foil stamping.


2006 to 2009

2008 represents my return to card collecting.  It was just supposed to be something to break the monotony of studing for the bar exam, but now 18 years later I'm still as deep as I ever was into the hobby.  Or at least, my 1988 version of the hobby that doesn't involve slabs or willie wonka golden ticket cards.  This is a nice little run of big name Yankees, maybe the best four year run on my board.


2010 -2014

I didn't like these sets much when they came out, and they haven't grown on me any since then.  Too much white, too much foil, not enough personality.


2015 to 2019

I appreciate Topps making an effort to take some design risk during this run of sets.  They don't all hit (2016 I find particularly terrible), but a few of them do and I'd much prefer Topps take a risk that doesn't work out with a design, then pump out another generic boring set.


2020 to 2023

2023 has really grown on me as a set.  I actually think it's the start of a nice little run that Topps has carried into 2026.  2020 on the other hand may be my least favorite design on this board.  I think Luke Voit, the most anonomous Yankee to ever lead the American League in home runs, is an apt choice to represent the set.


2024 to 2026

2024 is in my opinion, the best Topps design of the last 15 years.  2025 and 2026 are fine as well.  I think were due for a colorful set in 2027, but Topps may have other ideas.  In any event, I've got room for seven more sets before I run out of space.  This whole exercise has made me feel very old.











Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Ebay Pickup


I picked up this lot of 107 cards on eBay at my self-imposed standard of less than 10 cents a card shipped.  The listing made a big deal about there not being any duplicates, which isn't a selling point for me.  In a bit of a statistical anonmoloy, three different cards ('94 Score, '94 Upper Deck, and '95 Topps) all landed on exactly 100 copies with the addition of this lot.  This lot was pretty straight forward, a near perfectly cut '88 Fleer Box Bottom, and the two '91 Baseball Card Magazine inserts were the highlights.

Updated Totals: