2016 Topps!!

today, I thought I would take a break from customs and do a post about my first packs of '16 Topps. I don't usually post too much about my collecion, but I mainly collect Topps cards and like to collect cards of the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays, Detroit Tigers, and my favorite players. At last count, I had over 50,000 cards, and that was probably 5 years ago. I have been reorganizing my binders, and I might try to count them once I'm done.

 My first card of 2016: Sonny Gray!

I opened 3 regular packs and 1 jumbo. Probably should've just got a few jumbos, but I think I got some good cards out of the regular packs. I won't bore you with the base cards. I pulled 3 First Pitch inserts, one of Bree Morse, Evelyn Jones, and Steve Aoki. Don't know what the insert rate is for those, but if it's like last years' set, I think I beat the odds. I pulled a Wrigley Field insert (7th Inning Stretch), an Evan Longoria Perspectives insert, a 1961 Bill Mazeroski and 1994 Mike Piazza Berger's Best, and a '78 Topps Bob Stinson buyback. Pretty happy with the inserts, even the rainbow Brian McCann (boo Yankee$!!!). 

 I pulled 2 other Rays, a Steven Sousa, Jr. and a Richie Shaffer card. I got 2 Tigers, JD Martinez, and the team card. As for favorite players, I only got 2, but I think I did ok. I got Steve Pearce (a former classmate of mine at Lakeland High School in Lakeland, Florida), and a Scouting Report jersey card of Corey Kluber, who went to school at Steton University in DeLand, Florida (where I now live). Guess the Card Gods want me to get cards of players close to home.



 I do have a few complaints about the cards. Besides the obvious one of the cards lacking foil on the names (Topps must be saving a ton of money on that), and the ESPN graphic-type nameplates and the super close photos, I really have to say that the backs are basically the same as last years' set. Let's look at 2015 (Update) and 2016 card backs of Jimmy Paredes.

2015 has the O's logo on the top left and has the same design behind the logo as it does on the front of the card. It has the player name at the top center, a number on the top right with the indication of the series above it. There is a bar under all that with height/weight/etc., and under that a bio, a color bar, stats, and the Topps logo, disclaimers, and MLB logos. 

In 2016, it has the same thing, a team logo under the same design on the front of the card in the top left portion, name in the middle (basically the same font, too), card number and indication of the series on the top right (same font!). Underneath is the height/weight, bio, color bar, stats, and Topps/MLB logos. I used to think that the 2004 and 2005 backs looked similar, but these are so similar, they could almost pass off for a Bowman back. I mean really, Topps, is it that hard to come up with a back just a little different than the one from last year? This is why everyone should just quit spending money on Topps' cards and recruit 20-50 custom card makers to design a set. They could include every player, coach, the designs could be voted on, and then the custom artists could get to work. I'm sure they would be better than some of the crap Topps forces on us, and it might even come out cheaper in the end. Seriously, I'm up for it.

Other than the backs, I enjoyed the cards and am organizing them and putting them in my binders. Even though I didn't show many base cards, I enjoy getting them and reading the backs. It was nice to add some 2016 cards to my collection, and I hope to add more in the coming months. Thanks for checking out the latest post on my blog.

-Jeremy