So by now I'm sure many of you have seen and read about 2012 Topps flagship. I don't mind the design at all. Sure it is a little pedestrian but it doesn't look horrible. Simple really. A clean and simple look. However my gripe isn't with the design. What happened to the rumors of Topps releasing seven series over the course of the year? Bumping up the base set to 792 in the first six series and then a 300 or so card Update set? What foul and cruel person dangled this rumor in front of us, only to have it dashed by Topps themselves? OH CRUEL FATE WHY DO YOU MOCK ME??
...anyway.
Seriously, what happened? I was really looking forward to collecting a smaller set each month going toward the larger goal. It sounded great. Buying a hobby box would almost net you a full series X set, needing to buy less and collect more. Topps talked about 2012 being a 'game changer' and the seven series plan WAS a game changer. Well, more like a throwback to pre-1974 Topps baseball but it would be new to me and everyone else born after 1980. Again the cards look fine but seriously, what's different about another 330 card series 1 with a bunch of inserts and parallels? Oh, and another giveaway online. Ok, so hobby boxes have less packs (24 now as opposed to 36). Maybe the 'game changer' is that we will have to buy more. More like a 'wallet changer' if you ask me. I'll buy it though, as will most everyone. It also seems a tad weird that they are announcing this in August, as opposed to October/November when they first released images of 2011.
I just don't get it. Hopefully Topps has something else in store in this 'game changing' year for them. I mean, its not like they won't release the same stuff next year too. Allen & Ginter, Bowman (which were rumored to be inserts in 2012 flagship, remember?), Chrome, Heritage, Tribute, Triple Threads, etc. Just take this year's release schedule and put 2012 in place of all the 2011 and the 2012 release schedule is all set. Nothing will change. They won't release less product. Man, I just can't get over how disappointing it all is. Only in the hobby for under two years and I'm already dejected and disgusted with it. Good thing this blogging community exists because if it weren't for that, I would have lost interest long ago.
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"Only in the hobby for under two years and I'm already dejected and disgusted with it." Welcome to the Topps monopoly. Not that everything was sunshine and roses before, but it wasn't like this. I'm not buying another Topps baseball product until they stop making lazy, boring crap that has no value.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have only been around since the beginning of the monopoly (I believe). I started up again in March or so of 2010 and Upper Deck had just released their 2010 unlicensed set. So I've only experienced the monopoly aspect of Topps as a whole. Based on what I have read and collected in past sets, it seems like they have gone with this formula since 2006. 660 card set, 330 update set. Inserts, parallels, year in year out. I think its just really frustrating because of this whole 'game changer' talk, then delivering the same thing. If they didn't intend on changing things, he shouldn't have said it and I would feel this way. I would just accept 'Topps being Topps' and buy like I usually do.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened? I think you already know. It is embedded in your sentence:
ReplyDelete"Buying a hobby box would almost net you a full series X set, needing to buy less and collect more. "
I know I know, I just didn't WANT it to be that. I mean hey, Topps is there to make money, thats why they exist but they don't have to insult us like we're children because "we'll just buy it anyway". You won't gain customers by insulting them, only lose them.
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to understand why people are focusing on collecting older cards & sets now. While I have liked some of the recent 2011 Topps set collecting the base set is getting a little stale to me.
ReplyDelete