Trader's Retreat - Sports Cards Weekly
By Jim Van Nest
April 29, 2015
BoxOfficeProphets.com
As per usual, while most of these dates are solid, there is the chance the release dates could change without notice. That being said, let's take a look at the offerings for April 15th - April 21st!
April 29th
2015 Cryptozoic Sons of Anarchy Seasons 4 & 5 - This is the second set of cards chronicling Sons of Anarchy. Seasons 1-3 were a big hit and boasted a fine slate of autographs. 2015's version is no different. Cast autographs and costume cards are the big hits in this set. Priced around $79, each 24 pack box (five cards each) should net you one auto and one costume card. There are also temporary tattoos and case hits of replica patches. Any fan of Sons of Anarchy will be wanting to check this one out.
2015 Bowman Baseball - The much anticipated 2015 version of Bowman Baseball finally hits shelves this week. Sporting a bigger checklist, you'll be able to track 150 pros and 150 prospects. Chrome Colored parallels abound, so get your rainbow collecting hat on and dig in. At only $62 or so per 24-pack box, this is a set collector or player collector set. Each box will feature only one autograph, which is standard for Bowman Baseball. I know people can't wait for this one to hit stores, so gas up and be ready to head out and bring home one of the favorite sets of every baseball season.
2015 Panini Diamond Kings Baseball - One of the more well known insert sub-sets gets the full set treatment again as Panini dropped 2015 Diamond Kings baseball on Tuesday. This set has nine cards in each of the 12 packs per box and will yield two "hits" - combination of autographs and relics. Also, included in each box will be two framed parallels. Priced around $77 per box, Diamond Kings is a stylized set of cards featuring players from all eras - from the Babe all the way up to today's stars.
2015 Panini Contenders Draft Picks Football - Making its debut this week is the first collegiate football set to come from Panini Contenders. As its NFL counterpart, Contenders DraftPicks is all about the autograph. Each 24 pack box will feature six autographs and 48 inserts and/or parallels. At $132, they're going to have a lot of takers coming for Contenders autos of the up and coming 2015 rookie class. Get 'em quick before the draft and you can root for your autographs to go to your favorite team!
2014-15 Upper Deck Masterpieces Hockey - This insert set turned full product should have hockey collectors pretty excited. Not seen since the 2011-12 Parkhurst set and priced around $118 per box, you'll receive 15 five-card packs and you can look for one autograph, one relic and one more of either one for a total of three big hits! This set is loaded with parallels and short prints and you can expect a few of each in every box. This is another stylized set rather than a straight photo set. The samples I've see look pretty nice, so puck-heads, get your credit cards ready!
Down the Road
This section will be a "down the road" look at some upcoming products through blasts direct from the card companies.
KRIS BRYANT ROOKIE CARDS...WHERE TO FIND THEM! - The Chicago Cubs’ phenom prospect Kris Bryant made his much anticipated MLB® debut today – and collectors want to know where to get his MLB-licensed trading cards.
Starting on April 29th with 2015 Bowman Baseball, Bryant will have a prospect base card, inserts and autographed inserts.
Make sure to check out 2015 Tier One Baseball on May 20, which will have redemptions for an autographed Bryant card.
Bryant will appear in 2015 Topps Finest Baseball as card No. 111, one of the short-printed base cards, and is scheduled to release June 3. Bryant will also have an autographed rookie card in the set.
His Rookie Cards will appear in Topps Archives Baseball (limited base cards and autographs) and Topps Series 2 Baseball, which releases in June.
And moving into July/August, look for his autographed cards in Stadium Club, Allen & Ginter and Topps Chrome.
The 2015 MLB® rookie captured national attention during Spring Training when he hit 17-for-40 (.425), hitting nine home runs and driving in 15 runners. While in the Minors this season, he launched another three home runs and added 10 RBI in 28 at-bats in just seven games.
Topps Inks Jameis Winston to Autograph Deal - The Topps Company, Inc. is proud to announce that it has reached an autograph deal with former Florida State University quarterback Jameis Winston. Winston, one of the top NFL prospects, will be featured throughout all of the company’s 2015 products including Toppsâ, its flagship product. 2015 also marks the 60th Anniversary of the company’s first NFL product.
“We are excited to add a player of Jameis Winston’s caliber to the Topps family,” Topps Football Brand Manager Kevin Eger said. “Winston is an electrifying player and collectors always look forward to a player’s first Topps Rookie Card. Winston will lead a thrilling 2015 rookie class, and we look forward to working with him in our 60th year of football cards.”
His cards will first appear in the ever-popular Bowman Football, which releases in June.
The 2013 Heisman Trophy winner was a standout at Florida State, and could be the No. 1 pick in May’s NFL Draft. Winston earned a number of awards throughout his college career including 2013 AP Player of the Year honors, and won the 2014 BCS National Championship. He also won the Walter Camp Award, Manning Award and Archie Griffin Award in 2013.
Topps Gives Collector the Experience of a Lifetime - Tyler Badger, a 21-year old student at the University of Georgia, is the newest member of the Corpus Christi Hooks. Although he has no baseball awards or accolades to his name, Badger met with Houston Astros executive advisor Nolan Ryan and president Reid Ryan at Whataburger Field on Monday to sign a one-day contract with the Hooks after winning the Topps Make YOUR Pro Debut promotion featured in the company’s 2014 Heritage Minor League Baseball trading card set.
Badger spent the afternoon in full uniform taking batting practice with the club, lounging in the locker room, fielding questions from media and talking baseball with several top prospects including Carlos Correa and Mark Appel along with Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. “It’s truly an experience of a lifetime,” said Badger, an Atlanta Braves fan turned Hooks aficionado. “I love the essence of Minor League Baseball and how each team has roots within its community. That’s certainly true with this great organization and I’d just like to thank Topps, Minor League Baseball and the Hooks for such a tremendous experience.”
The Make YOUR Pro Debut promotion is featured annually in Topps’ Heritage Minor League Baseball set and allows collectors a chance to win a baseball experience for the ages. Topps will commemorate Badger’s pro debut with a trading card to be featured in its 2015 Topps Pro Debut set that releases in early June.
Topps supported the event throughout the day with photographs and content from its @BowmanCards and @ToppsCards twitter handles.
And that'll do it for this week...please make this a weekly stop as we'll be highlighting the hottest new releases every week. Also, keep an eye out for Reviews of 2015 Topps Gypsy Queen Baseball and 2015 Topps Museum Collection Baseball!! Til then, take care