heritage is now!

Yes, unbelievably, 2011 Heritage is available here in town. I picked up a blaster last night and one today on my way home from work. The local Wallymart had them. CRAZY. They never have stuff the day after release. I always have to wait about a week until the retail stores here get it. The 1962 design is a classic for sure and I feel it works with the modern players of today. I don't know why but something about that photo looking like its being peeled up looks great to me. As if to reveal the information about the player that lies underneath. Here are some of my favorites, picture-wise:

The Hamilton and Markakis sporting the classic 'hold a bat for a picture' poses. Aaron Hill with the bat on the shoulder pose and the Walker with the giant rookie cup (trophy?). Morrow is a short-print and is using the 'I'll just stand here for a photo' pose. The floating heads on the batting leaders are great too. Very 60's Topps.

Oh, and there are these:

Soooooooooooooooo glad to see these return! I loves me some full team photo cards. I know Heritage usually has them but I always kinda forget until it hits me in the face jumping out of a pack.

I did manage to find this guy too:

Ahh, Vernon. With your airbrushed Angels cap. I really hate to say it but this 'Vernon to the Angels' thing has really made me lose interest in seeking out his stuff. So much so that I recently put all my Wells cards into the big Jays box (they had their own box before) and have kinda all but stopped looking for cards on eBay of his too. I know that when you collect a player you should follow him to which ever team he plays for but for now I think he is on hold. Griffey is still holding strong though and I'm always looking for his stuff.

Enough about those two though, we're here to talk Heritage!

Heritage is usually the one set few collectors complain about. With good reason too. The Heritage line usually captures the spirit of the original set it is based on. The card count may be different but chances are if the original had it, the Heritage version will too. Case in point; the 1962 issue has a ten card subset for Babe Ruth, which is also included in this year. The 1962 issue also featured one series that had a green tint to the cards, that are replicated here too (but hopefully not the whole 500 card set). There are also number variations (see below) that Topps did in '62 that they mimic here also. I assume, like the original, it will be cards 1-109 for the smaller number and the rest of the set with the larger.

Overall, I think Topps did a bang-up job this year, paying close attention to the details of the 1962 issue and replicating them here very well. Will I collect the set? I may but that remains to be seen within the coming weeks and months.