Trader's Retreat - Box Break and Review
2015 Topps High Tek Football
By Jim Van Nest
January 19, 2016
BoxOfficeProphets.com

Hello, good people, and welcome back inside the Trader's Retreat. It's been a while since we've posted anything, but I'm back with some 2015 High Tek Football! Topps has resurrected the High Tek brand and they've brought it over to football for 2015. This mix of acetate and foil cards is full of wild designs and is more interested in parallels and variations then it is about completing a full set. Player collectors will have their hands full with this one!

Configuration: 1 pack per box, 8 cards per pack – 8 Cards total

Set Breakdown
112 Card Base set
Parallels: Purple Rainbow Diffractor, Confetti Diffractor, Tidal Diffractor #/75, Gold Rainbow Diffractor #/50, Clouds Diffractor #/25, Red Orbit Diffractor #/5, Black Galactic Diffractor 1/1, Black Rainbow Diffractor 1/1, Printing Proofs 1/1
10 Card Base Retro Variation set
Parallels: Red Orbit Diffractor #/5, Black Galactic Diffractor 1/1
85 Card Autograph set
Parallels: Tidal Diffractor #/99, Gold Rainbow Diffractor #/50, Clouds Diffractor #/25, Red Orbit Diffractor #/5, Black Galactic Diffractor 1/1, Printing Proofs 1/1
10 Card Bright Horizons Insert Set #/50
Parallels: Red Orbit Diffractor #/5, Black Galactic Diffractor 1/1
8 Card Bright Horizons Autograph Set #/50
Parallels: Red Orbit Diffractor #/5, Black Galactic Diffractor 1/1
15 Card DramaTek Performers Insert Set #/50
Parallels: Red Orbit Diffractor #/5, Black Galactic Diffractor 1/1
10 Card DramaTek Performers Autograph Set #/50
Parallels: Red Orbit Diffractor #/5, Black Galactic Diffractor 1/1
15 Card Low-Tek Diffractor Set #/50
8 Card Low-Tek Diffractor Autograph Set #/25

Base

As you can see above, we pulled six base cards in our pack, including twi of Cincinnati RB Jeremy Hill. The way this set works is that these clear acetate cards are emblazoned with different foil patterns in the background. So, when you see the Hill cards, one is the Spiral background, the other is Circuit Board. Actually, this is all quite confusing, but our friends over at CardboardConnection.com have done a fantastic job of breaking all of the base variations down on their site. You can check it out: Right here!

Aside from the Hills, we also pulled a Waves version of Chris Conley's rookie card, the Dots version of Dorial Green-Beckham's rookie card, the Grass version of Odell Beckham Jr. and the Cubes version of Antonio Brown. There is only a small stat line on the back of the card and some demographic info, otherwise, this set is to be seen and looked at, not read. I have to say, I've always kind of dug the acetate cards, going back into the early '90s when they debuted.

Parallels

While this set is littered with parallels, there is only one per box. In our box, we pulled a Confetti Diffractor of Raiders up and coming QB, Derek Carr. The card is the Grass version, but in the light you can see a whole new pattern that is made of the diffractor technology. It's a very sharp card and is numbered out of 99.

Autographs

The final card in our box is our guaranteed on-card auto and we pulled Jaguars rookie WR Rashad Greene. Greene's card is of the Grass pattern and features a nice blue ink on-card auto in a washed out background segment at the bottom of the card. The card is the base auto and is not numbered. I was concerned about how the autos would look on a clear card, but the nice dark ink looks quite nice.

Final Thoughts on 2015 Topps High Tek Football

This is a hard product for me to review. I have a nostalgic affinity for the acetate cards, and Topps has definitely taken them to the next level. However, for an eight-card box that runs about $43 per box, I have a hard time picturing myself picking any up. Especially with only one hit and one parallel per box. Generally speaking, you won't pay $42 per eight-card box where three-fourths of the box is set up to be base cards. That being said, if you pull a Peyton Manning or Todd Gurley autograph out of one of these boxes, you're had an amazing pull and a great card. So, it's an odd review where the technical grades are all sky high, but the value just might not be there for a lot of collectors.

Also, to see the live break of this High Tek box, click Here!

Ratings

Innovation: 5
Fun: 5
Value: 2
Rebuy: 3

Total– 15/20 - So, I give 2015 High Tek Football a C+/B- final grade!

NPN Information

NPN 2015 Topps High Tek Football
PO BOX 2220
Duryea, PA 18642

Limit – 1 Request Per Household

Postmarked by: March 9, 2016
Received by: March 16, 2016

For our Canadian collectors, your entry will need to be accompanied by the answer to this skill question: 2 + 13 x 3 – 8 = ?