REVIEW:2017 Bowman High Tek Baseball

The High Tek or Topps Tek name isn't new to the Topps family, but it is new to the Bowman one. Introducing in 2017, Bowman High Tek.

This prospect loaded product is exactly what you expect from Bowman plus more. How did my inaugural break of the product go, well, let's take a look!

Each 10-card box of 2017 Bowman High Tek Baseball will include, 4 On-Card Autograph Cards

and 1 Base Parallel Card. Boxes run around $110.

Each 12 box case will guarantee a 1992 Bowman Variation Insert Card.

The 2017 Bowman High Tek Baseball base cards are printed on acetate with a touch of foil that brings out a nice design. The base cards will also make you scratch your head some as there are multiple, 11 about, pattern variations that takes the background and changes it up. It also gives each background design a level of rarity.

The base set itself is only 56 cards. However, with 10 to 11 variations to each, it makes it much, much deeper and really is one for the player collector.

The players in the base set are young stars and upcoming future stars like you would find in the Bowman Prospects. Big names like Gleyber Torres, Rhys Hoskins and Clint Frazier are among the group.

 

How do you know the difference and the levels of rarity, your guess is as good as mine. 

But, from my research from multiple sites, here is the order mine are in.

Gears. Seems to be the base. Moniak was a nice find.

Pin Wheel, another base card version.

Stripes and Arrows is a tad tougher.

Hexagon is about the same toughness.

 

Unlike figuring out base cards, parallels are much easier to spot and luckily exclusive to one or two patterns and not them all. Parallels include the following, Green Rainbow /99, Gold Rainbow /50 (the one I pulled), Orange Magma Diffractor /25, Red Orbit Diffractor, Mojo Diffractor /5, Black Rainbow 1/1, and Black Galactic Diffractor 1/1.

Nice Devers right here. You can note how the gears and foil are gold.

 

I didn't pull any of the tough to find inserts, so let's take a look at the on-card autographs that have a checklist of 43 cards.  It doesn't appear the autographs have different versions. That would have been way too much.

My first was AJ Puk.

Second was Bo Bichette. Possibly the best pull of the box unless I can get some values on the Devers.

Patrick Weigel

And a gold parallel from the World Series champs, Forrest Whitley.

There are other autograph parallels to find of, Tidal Diffractor /199, Green Rainbow /99, Orange Magma Diffractor /25, Red Orbit Diffractor /5, Black Galactic Diffractor 1/1, and Black Rainbow 1/1.

 

Other hits not found in my box are,

2017 Bowman Rookies that has 10 cards, 2017 Bowman Rookies Autographs, 1992 Bowman Variations, 1992 Bowman Variations Autographs, Bashers Set, Bashers Autographs, and Foundations of the Franchise Die-Cut .

OVERALL, I am glad that Topps stuck to what the brand was known for in the late 90's and since the Topps version has been back in 2014 with it's multiple base card levels. It can be a bit confusing and hopefully there will be some detailed visuals for guidance on how to tell the difference in rarities but I like it. I would definitely say it's not one for the kids. I remember busting packs in the 90's and I didn't have a clue about the difference.

The autographs look pretty nice on the acetate and I think the checklist is pretty solid overall for autograph finds. The box price isn't too shabby for a prospecting product and there is definitely plenty to find.

This product is for the prospectors and for the player rainbow collectors that's for sure.

You can find the complete checklist for 2017 Bowman High Tek, HERE.

Please make sure to take a minute out to thank Topps for providing this box for me to review as they help provide prizes for me to giveaway in the MLB Pick Em Promotion! This was the last product to be included in the prize package so new promos coming up! Follow Topps on all social media sites and visit their SITE, as well 

REVIEW:2016 Topps Update Baseball Hobby Box (1:1,055 pull) And GIVEAWAY!

Topps Update is a late season release where collectors are chasing key rookie debuts from 2016 and key players that changed uniforms. I mean, you gotta update your team or player PC and not wait for the following year. I know I want to.

How did this years version go? Well, check it out and READ ON!

In every box of 2016 Topps Update baseball hobby box is 36 packs of 10 cards. So you are getting a ton of cards per box. There is also one autograph or relic card per box. Boxes will run you roughly $50.

The base set is loaded, as I said above, with key rookies and players in new uniforms. It also has a very HEAVY All-Star game presence. There are 300 cards in the base set with key rookie cards of Julio Urias, Jameson Taillon, Byung-Ho Park, Blake Snell, A.J. Reed, Tyler Naquin, Michael Fulmer, Nomar Mazara, Jose Berrios, Albert Almora, Hyun-Soo Kim, Trevor Story, Lucas Giolito, and Willson Contreras.

There are a few subsets to find and....

Some very nice base card images. This one, despite being a hated rivalry player, is one of the best.

  

As expected, there are also base card variations with different photos. I didn't pull one and did find it easier to search pack to pack to see if I did. I don't match the photos to find the difference, I use the codes on the back in the small print in the right hand bottom. It makes things much easier as the last few digits is all that matters instead of matching photo to photo.

The base cards will end in a 14, the Rookie Photo Variations will end in a 35 and the All-Star Photo Variations with a 58. I hope this helps you too.

Parallel time!

Gold parallels are always a find in any Topps flagship related product. They are numbered to 2016 and fall 1:7 packs.

Rainbow foil, 1:10 packs, find their way in the product as well.

There are tougher parallel finds such as Negative 1:87 packs (not numbered)

And Black (1:67 packs) that is numbered to 64

Other parallels not found in my box are, 

• Pink numbered to 50.
• Platinum numbered 1/1.
• SILVER FRAME numbered 1/1/
• PRINTING PLATES numbered 1/1

Now onto the inserts. 

There are plenty to find. I either got a parallel or insert per pack on average in my box.

Ichiro's major hits continues in the Update series. They are inserted 1:8 packs.

Elite players in the 3,000 hits club are found in this insert set and they are inserted 1:6 packs.

The fun and popular designs from Topps Fire found their way in the Update Series and are inserted 1:8 packs.

Can't argue with this card. The Mariners throwback colors look great with the splash paint appeal of Topps Fire. Don't you agree?

 

First Pitch pays tribute to the pop culture icons who threw out a ceremonial first pitch during the 2016 MLB season. These rank in my Top 20 favorite insert sets of all-time and are inserted 1:6 packs. You can also find inspirational Brady Kahle included as well. That's one for sure I want to find.

And finally, there are TEAM FRANKLIN showcasing top MLB players who are a part of the premier batting glove company's team and are inserted 1:8 packs.

Now onto my hit.

To be strictly honest, I was really expecting a single color relic in the box. It's my usual pull from Topps Series 1, Series 2 and Update. I have never pulled an autograph or anything else but one of those. So when this 3,000 Hit Club Gold Medallion showed up at an alarming 1:1,055 odds, I was in shock. It's numbered to 50.

 

Other hits not found in my box include:

 

Every relic card showcases material from the official 2016 MLB All-Star Game Workout Jerseys!

All-Star Stitches Autographed Relics numbered to 25, All-Star Jumbo Patches Autographs numbered to 6, All-Star STITCHES with a Gold Parallel numbered to 50 and a PLATINUM Parallel - numbered 1/1. ALL-STAR JUMBO PATCHES showcases National League or American League logo patches and are numbered to 6. ALL-STAR STITCHES DUALS are numbered to 25.ALL-STAR STITCHES TRIPLES are numbered to 25.

3,000 Hits Club Medallions like the one above are like the insert set but include an medallion. with a Gold Parallel numbered to 50, a PLATINUM Parallel numbered to 10 and a PLATINUM Parallel autograph numbered to 10. 500 Home Run Club Stamp Cards, First Pitch Relics have the actual ticket stub from the game featured and are numbered to 10. That's a great addition!! I would love to see future autographed versions Own the Name: Feature a letter from the nameplate of a game-worn jersey. Each card features one letter and is a 1/1!

Scouting Report Autographs, CHASING 3,000 autographed versions of the Ichiro set, 3,000 Hits Club Autographs are numbered to 25.Fire Autographs are numbered to 25.TEAM FRANKLIN autographs are numbered to 25.

Overall, this product will not be for the big hit seekers for hobby boxes anyways. Jumbo boxes come with an autograph and two relics. They run almost twice as much as the hobby as you would expect with bonus hits. But, better chances at some of the bigger epic pulls above I listed.

For those who can't afford the jumbo boxes, hobby is for the set collectors, team and player collectors, rookie collectors, ones who collect photogenic base cards and just those looking for an affordable rip on a rainy day.  Which today is one of those days so I expect you to rip one.

NOW GIVEAWAY TIME!!
WIN SOME 2016 TOPPS UPDATE PARALLEL CARDS INCLUDING THE /64 BLACK ABOVE!

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(s) will be chosen after 7 randoms
4. Card(s) 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 November 8th 2016. Winner will be announced in a separate post on November 9th 2016
9. If you don't follow all of the rules above, you will be disqualified.
10. 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!

Project Pedro Trade Recap Part 21:1999 Topps Gold Label Football Hobby Box Break

Elegant. Shiny. Appealing. Collectible. Rare.

These are just some of the words I can use to describe Topps Gold Label. I bought a good amount back in my day but never a box. The product was way too high end for me and my wallet. But, now, prices are a bit more steady and taking a risk on something like this is worth it.

It also seems fitting that I put this up today as Topps has revived the brand for baseball which releases today.

Every box of 1999 Topps Gold Label football hobby comes with 24 packs of 5 cards. Boxes run under $40 so it's a good buy especially if you pull some of the rarer cards or just like the shiny goodness cause....

Even the wrappers are shiny.....

The base cards can be a bit confusing at times if you are new to Gold Label with the many different levels. But, it's really easy to tell the difference, just look on the back. Class 1 are the base, Class 2 are tougher and Class 3 are the toughest. I put them in order from left to right. Each player has a card in each class and each photo is different.

Base cards as a whole however, look amazing and are printed on some nice thick card stock.

You can see that here in the beginning of my Tim Couch Class Rainbow. This is Class 1 and 2.

The base cards also have parallels. These are Black Label. It's hard to see it, but the gold names are darker or what they call Black. Got a McNabb so that was a pretty solid find not that Johnson or Flutie are terrible.

Here is a base card parallel next to a black to help you see it better. It's also a nice PC find for me. On the left is the base and the Black Label is on the right. There are also much tougher Red Label variations to find that I believe are numbered to 100 or less depending on the Class.

The inserts are pretty snazzy in the product to as it follows suit of the rest of it.

These also have parallels and all have a theme of chasing someone's records.

Chasing Walter Payton is here. Barry and TD, not going to complain.

Chasing Jerry Rice. I think I know a Packers fan that may request this card.

Eric Moulds is an parallel Black Label that falls 1:40 packs also alongside the base version.

Chasing Dan Marino. Can't go wrong with Brett.

Jake Plummer is the Black Label parallel that falls 1:40 packs next to his base. Wished it had been the Favre but I was always a fan of Jake The Snake so not too shabby.

 

Overall, I think I got my money worth. It's sometimes not always about the money either. Just the nostalgia and the fun is more valuable then anything else which is the way I feel about the hobby as a whole. For those of you who haven't gone back to break something in the beginning of your collecting career, I strongly recommend it. It's really refreshing and puts a perspective on how much collecting has changed to today.

I am not saying I started collecting in 1999 as I started in 1993, but just busting this simple product was fun but made me realize how much emphasis everyone puts on hits in a product today. It's actually quite sad.

Thoughts on today's break or Gold Label in general are welcomed below.

Collecting Basics 5: Parallel Cards

Now that you have chosen your sport, picked up a couple of packs or boxes of cards, now comes the best part. Opening them. However, if you are new to collecting, you may not know what you are looking for or what to find. That's where I hope to come in to help. For the next few posts of Collecting Basics, I hope to break down what you can find in a pack of cards. From base cards to insert cards to parallel cards to memorabilia cards to autographs.

Today's topic will be covering PARALLEL CARDS. Parallel cards are as stated in the name. Parallel.  In this case they are just like the base card, but slightly different. This may mean a different border color, a shine or rainbow effect, a little stamp in the corner to having the persons name being gold or blue instead of silver. Here are a few examples below.

As you can tell with the 2014 Topps Jurickson Profar below. The only difference in this parallel compared to its base card on the front is a gold border . This particular parallel is also numbered. Not all parallels are numbered but some are.

The Profar can also be found in this blue parallel version as well among others that Topps baseball 2014 has to offer.

 

It's not just 2014 and just baseball either. You can find parallels in many sports and many years. Check out some more examples below!

Here is a regular Topps Chrome card of Victor Cruz and underneath is just SOME of the parallels for this edition of Topps Chrome:

 

Overall, parallels should be pretty easy to spot once you know what you are looking for. There is always something a little different compared to its base card counterpart. Some may be more obvious than others.

I hope my tips will help you be able to spot them in packs. If you have anymore questions about parallels, feel free to ask!

Next up on our journey of sports cards is inserts and what they are and what some may look like.

As always, HAPPY COLLECTING!

Panini Unveils Even More For Their 2013 Father's Day Promo!

Panini every other day is unveiling more and more of the cards you will be able to find in their Fathers Day wrapper redemption promo as we are creeping closer and closer to Father's Day. There are some incredible cards to find in this promo that should drive you out to the shops to pick up some.

 

 

 

I really like the Lava parallels as in the Jaden Schwartz above and the artsy autograph appeal to the one next to it.

 

 

I have always been a fan of Pro Bowl game jerseys. You just don't see them included into may products. The Brandon Knight card above as you can tell from the image is pretty sweet! Especially since its a piece of game worn shoe!!

 

This years NFL draft may be weak but the cards are not. Just look above at these two images of Bruce Taylor and Lane Johnson. Then look at this incredible Geno Smith swatch:

Panini proves time and time again why they are the leader in sports cards right now. These amazing promos help drive us to the shops which helps keep the hobby going.

If you are interested in finding out if a shop near you is participating or not, follow the link below where Panini has posted the Dealers Links.

http://paniniamerica.wordpress.com/2013/06/10/panini-america-releases-dealer-list-more-images-for-2013-fathers-day-promotion/

I personally may not have an LCS nearby, but I am going to drive a few hours away to one to participate. I will also post how I did from the packs as well. If you are participating as well, please send us pics of how you did. Would love to post em and maybe throw you in a bonus point or two in our June Contest for doing so!