REVIEW:2016 Topps Series 2 Baseball (Giveaway)

I must admit, I missed out for the first time in many, many years on Series 1. Not even one pack cracked and that is something that will go down in my hobby history as a disappointment. However, I wasn't going to let Series 2 slip by and I plan on getting more after this break.

Let's see how this rip went first.

 

In every box of 2016 Topps Series 2, you find a ton of cards. You get 36 Packs Per Box with 10 Cards Per Pack with One Autograph or Relic Card Per Box. Boxes currently run around $70. 

The base cards, which I didn't get to see in Series 1, are better than I thought. I kinda questioned the design at first preview with the white fuzzy clouds in one top and one bottom corner, but they look pretty snazzy in person. I especially like the player name and team logo positioning. The photography has gotten really good the last few years on these as well as I enjoyed looking at multiple base card photos.

There are 350 base cards in a set made up of vets, rookies, team cards and other fun additions.

 

Future Stars subset returns once again.

 

And some key rookies are found in series 2 including Kenta Maeda, Brandon Drury, Kyle Waldrop, Peter O'Brien, Max Kepler, Frankie Montas, and Socrates Brito. I pulled most.

 

Topps also included team cards and some fun subsets. Even a Yankees fan like myself can dig the "fun" tupe of card like this David Price/David Ortiz one represents.

 

As with past releases, base card short prints are in play. There are SSP's which are fun/different photos and there are Sp's which are Jackie Robinson Day related with players in their 42 jerseys. For the first time in my Topps busting career, I was actually able to pull one. Sp's like this Jackie Robinson one below fall, 1:69 packs while the SSP's fall much tougher at 1:683.

These variations used to be also much tougher to distinguish til they started the code change on the back. Usually the code at the bottom of the card goes unnoticed, now Topps changes the last two digits which will help you, as it did me, find photo variations without all of tough work. Now you just gotta see in this years if the code ends in 85 which makes it a Base card, or if it's a Jackie Robinson SP Variation that ends in 33 or the tougher Photo Variation SSP Variations which end in 35.

Now it's time for the inserts. Not something I dug in previous years but the last two years of inserts have been much more impressive and I like that only one, if one, is found per pack. Felt like before they were over-flooded with inserts now they are not.

 

Up first, let's discuss base card parallels. I was impressed to pull many different ones. These are the gold parallels numbered to 2016. They have a gold foil where the white fluffy cloud would be. These fall 1:6 packs. I actually pulled 7 but needed to make my picture square lol.

 

These are rainbow foils. I really like these. It's like pulling a refractor in regular Topps form. They fall 1:10 packs.

 

Up next, I pulled my first ever vintage stock. They not only have the old Topps logo on the front, but the backs have vintage stock feel. They are numbered to 99 and fall 1:148 packs.

 

And black parallel which is similar to the gold but black on the edges. I almost missed this one if it wasn't for the small foil look to it. These are numbered to 65 and fall 1:50 packs.

Other base card parallels are:

• Pink - Numbered to 50.
• Platinum - Numbered 1/1
• Clear Parallel - Numbered to 10
• Printing Plates - Numbered 1/1
• Framed Parallel - Numbered 1/1 

Up next, Berger's Best named after Sy Berger. They feature another 65 memorable cards from Topps history (the others were in Series 1) and are inserted 1:4 packs. I got two times the Griffey action!

 This insert also has memorabilia and autographed cards!

• Berger's Best Autographs that are numbered to 25
• Berger's Best Relics that are numbered to 99
• Berger's Best Autograph Relics that are numbered to 10
• Berger's Best Cut Signatures that are numbered 1/1

Topps' tribute to 100 years of Wrigley that continues from Series 1 covering players and moments from Wrigley.

 This insert also has memorabilia and autographed cards!

• 100 Years at Wrigley Field Autographs that are numbered to 25.
• 100 Years at Wrigley Field Relics that are numbered to 99.
• 100 Years at Wrigley Field Autograph RELICS that are numbered to 10

Hallowed Highlights feature great achievements from 15 retired stars and legends and they are inserted 1:8 packs. Found Nolan Ryan among others. I do like that Mays photo angle on the bottom row.

 This insert also has memorabilia and autographed cards!

• Hallowed Highlights Autographs that are numbered to 10
• Hallowed Highlights Relics that are numbered to 25
• Hallowed Highlights Autograph Relics that are numbered to 5

First Pitch, probably my favorite insert set the last few years, makes another return.These fall 1:8 packs.

I wished this one had autograph and relic cards!

 

One of the cool additions to Series 2, takes me back to the 90's when they did Homerun cards for McGwire and Bonds. This time they did 30 cards chronicling Ichiro's pursuit of 3000 hits in the MLB and they fall 1:9 packs. I would have loved to had seen all of them chronicled up to this point and made some tougher to find like they did in the 90's. But, it's also a huge difference between 70 home-run cards and 3,000 hit cards, so it's understandable why they weren't done that way.

 

These also have autograph and relic versions

• CHASING 3000 RELICS that are numbered to 1
• CHASING 3000 AUTOGRAPHS that are numbered 1/1
• Ichiro Stamped Originals that have a foil stamp on them.

 

And obviously, my favorite part of Series 2. The Griffey chase. Griffey makes it to the HOF and Topps has been commemorating it along the way. This time it comes in the form of an insert set called Tribute To The Kid. This is a 30 card set, that I need to chase down, that falls 1:8 packs. I really like the design and that he is featured on all of the teams he played for.

These also have:

• "Tribute to The Kid" Autographs that are numbered 1/1.
• "Tribute to The Kid" Relics that are numbered to 50.
• "Tribute to The Kid" Autograph Patches that are numbered 1/1
• "Tribute to The Kid" Stamped Originals that are Ken Griffey Jr. buyback cards that will be randomly found in packs with special stamping

 

It's a Griffey collectors dream come true! I opened every pack looking forward to the next Griffey find.

Topps Series 2 also offers a variety of code related things and even a couple of coupons for 50 cents off Topps items. You find one of the FREE Bunt Packs per box at 1:36 odds. I will be giving that away on Twitter since I don't do Bunt or digital cards.

 

And now onto my hit. As with all of my Topps flagship breaks, I pull a relic. This time I pulled a George Springer Scouting Report one that falls 1:65 packs.

There is so much in terms of hits and pulls you can find in Topps Series 2, I am not even sure I can list them all for you. I guess you might have to check it out for yourself if you wanna really know, but I did offer a good list above of some.

Overall, Topps Series 2 probably isn't for the big hit collectors even though there are ton of great pulls to find but tough at landing. However, Topps Series 2 is for the collector and is even great for those new and younger collectors. It offers a great base set to put together, fun chase inserts with great themes, and that occasional wow factor pull. It's built as a winner to collectors as it always has been and to me is like wine, it's gotten better with age.

NOW TIME FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!!

Enter to win some cards of YOUR favorite team (excludes Griffey lol)!

20 or below entries= 1 winner

30 entries =2 winners

50 entries = 3 winners

It's as easy as can be to enter to win some cards above. Just read and follow these rules:

1. Please make sure to take a minute out to thank Topps for providing this box for me to review and to host this/these nice giveaways with. Follow them on all social media sites and visit their site, HERE, as well.
2. ***VERY IMPORTANT***MUST BE A U.S. RESIDENT to enter or have a shipping address in the U.S. Shipping costs have gone haywire and I can't afford to ship everywhere.This is always hard to do as I appreciate all readers but I hope you all understand non-U.S. readers.
3. Random winner will be chosen after 7 randoms
4. Card may be shipped PWE. I like to forewarn on this.
5. LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW telling me ONE PRO AND ONE CON OF THE PRODUCT.
6. EARN AN EXTRA ENTRY FOR SHARING THIS CONTEST ON YOUR BLOG AND/OR ON TWITTER. Make sure to leave your link in comments too so I can count it. If not, I won't be able to give you the credit. Commenting with it is very important or you WILL LOSE OUT an extra entry!
7. Sport Card Collectors or it's owner (person who runs the blog), WILL NOT be held responsible for lost, stolen or damaged mail. Sorry had to add this in since someone tried to scam me once about this.
8. Contest starts today, ends on June 22nd 2016. Winner will be announced in a separate post on June 23rd 2016. 
9. Don't forget to thank the above sponsor of this contest and I won't mind a thank you as well :)

Good luck to all that enter and thanks for reading!