what happened??

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.

the set topps got right

While sorting through the box I purchased on Sunday of 2009 Topps T206, I noticed something. Something I felt was really right. I've seen plenty of original T206 cards (including the six I own), and I feel this 2009 issue really gets it done properly. The minis look spot on like the original set, and even the regular sized cards just look like a blown up mini (that is good). More importantly, I feel the pictures on the cards capture the look, feel and spirit of 1909. The washed out colors, some of the poses, the grittiness of some of the pictures. Many of the actions are even close to what was going on on the 1909's (see some of my close-to-1909-favorites above, with the Weaver is fantastically close to an original pose). While technically the set was issued from 1909 to 1911, I think what Topps may be doing is trying to recapture that ideal. Which means we may see another issue of 206 in 2011. Makes sense to me. T206 is one of the most collected, popular and sought after vintage sets ever. Why wouldn't Topps want to capitalize on that? I don't mind it when they get it right (see 2009), as opposed to just silly (see 2010). As I stated, I have seen many originals and even out of the six I own, three are wearing caps, three are not. Not all are capless. No idea why Topps did this but it makes the set much less desirable, at least for me. They also didn't have to change the layout, and while I don't hate the 2010 layout, its just not the same. Maybe they could have just called it series 2, made the set look the same, added new rookies and different pictures on those who were in series 1. Maybe that idea sucks, but it would capture the original more so. As for the thick bronze parallels, I don't really care for them and are kinda useless. The minis are all good though, even with the different backs. Anyway, enough of my rant here. I will continue to collect the 1909s when I can (and when cheap enough), and I will continue to collect the 2009 set until its finished. No 2010 though, the blaster and jumbo pack were enough.