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2011 Topps Opening Day Review
Well...my local Wally World is a little slow on putting out new product, but today I made my way down the road to Target, and low and behold...they had the new Opening Day on the shelf. So I picked up a couple of blasters. I'm taking a different approach to collecting Opening Day than I am with Series 1. With Series 1 all I was interested in was the base set (and the Kimball Champion minis). With Opening Day it's the exact opposite. All I'm really interested in the inserts, and not the base set (I might try to chase a few base cards that don't have the same photo on either Series 1 or 2).
So to kick things off, let's take a look at the base cards. The first thing you'll notice is...
OH MY GOD!!! Is that Lance Berkman in a Cardinal's uniform???
Click on that picture to enlarge it and tell me if that's airbrushed (or Photoshopped). I cant tell. They wouldn't. Would they? Did they really? I pulled a Carl Crawford in his Red Sox uniform too. But poor Manny Ramirez was still in his White Sox threads. Someone at Topps headquarters must still be mad about last year's AL East Champs.
Anyway, what I was about to say was that Topps re-designed the Opening Day logo. I like the new design a lot better than the previous one, but they put April 2011 in the design. I know MLB is touting April 1st as the "official" opening day, but there are 6 games on March 31st. In my book that makes March 31st Opening Day, not April 1st. But hey...what do I know?
Next up we have the blue parallel numbered to 2011. Here we see a fine specimen in Roy Oswalt, hurler extraordinaire.
I don't want to be "that guy" who complains about everything. But as I grow older, my tolerance for stupidity gets smaller and smaller. I've found that life is short, and I just don't have time to deal with idiots. With that being said...Why do the Arizona Diamondbacks have a Bobcat for a mascot? They're the DIAMONDBACKS for crap's sake! If that wasn't bad enough, Topps had to go and put put the extra wrong opening day date on these cards too. Enough on that subject...let's move on.
The next insert set is the Superstar Celebrations. The checklist that I looked at here only listed the first card, then simply indicated that the rest were TBD. Well, I pulled 6 of these cards out of the two blasters I bought, the highest number was SC-19. So I'm going to guess that there's 25 cards in this insert set (because I also pulled 6 mascot cards out of the two blasters).
When I look at this insert set, I could take it or leave it. And if I feel that way about a set, I'll end up leaving it. Superstar Celebrations, you're off the table.
So I tested out the "glowing power" of these cards, and it turns out it's pretty weak. But if I was 7 or 8 years old again, I'm sure I would be in bed, under the covers, holding my Stadium Lights cards in front of a flashlight until they turned radio active. These cards are cool. They totally appeal to my inner child (but I guess all baseball cards do that).
Be honest...how long did it take you? Don't bother telling me. No matter what number you give me, I won't believe you. Anyway, I thought this was going to be a set built around error cards, not a Sunday funny-paper puzzle.
The next insert set is "Opening Day Stars." Topps brought back the 3D cards they had in their 2010 Series 2 set. The scan doesn't come close to doing the card justice, so don't judge these cards by the image you see here. These cards are phenomenal. If you liked the 3D cards in the 2010 set, you'll like these too.
And last, but certainly not least, we have the Presidential First Pitch set. I think this is an insert set that belongs in Opening Day. Baseball is full of traditions and this is one that Topps does a good job of capturing on a baseball card. It's a 10 card set, and I'll be chasing these cards.
They also have Topps Town inserts in these packs, but I'm not even going to bother.
So here's my wrap-up...
Base cards: 2.5 stars out of 5
I like the new Opening Day logo. Hate that it has the wrong date on it. I like players in new uniforms. I hate that the majority of the base cards are the same photos as Series 1 (and I guess Series 2 also).
Parallels: 1 star out of 5
Don't like the shade of blue on the border. Hate that they added an extra wrong date on top of the logo.
Mascots: 4.5 stars out of 5
Love this insert set. I'll be collecting all 25 of them. To me, the mascot is the epitome of home-team loyalty, apple pie, grandma, and the 4th of July all rolled into a baseball card. But for the love of God, please stop with the wrong date for the opening day of baseball.
Superstar Celebrations: 2 stars out of 5
This set doesn't do anything for me. I've got nothing.
Stadium Lights: 4 stars out of 5
Love the idea of the glow-in-the-dark cards. Yes, it's gimmicky, but in a good way. Plus, the angle of the photos (taken from that angle to include the lights from the stadium) make the players look larger than life.
Spot the Error: 1 out of 5
Total let down. The Jose Bautista card actually has him at the plate in mid-swing without a bat in his hands. Really? Come on!
Opening Day Stars: 4 stars out of 5
I loved the 3D cards last year and I love them again in this set.
Presidential First Pitches: 4 stars out of 5
Whoever came up with the idea for this insert set needs a nice big fat raise. To me, it's a no-brainer. The reigning president always throws out the first pitch. It signifies that the baseball season has begun, and that's what this set is all about.
Overall: 3 stars out of 5
I think the entire set does a good job of capturing the essence of baseball's opening day in the form of baseball cards (especially the Mascots and Presidential Pitches). I was glad I didn't see any diamond-platinum parallels (those things hurt my eyes). I'll be chasing the majority of the insert sets (minus the Superstar Celebrations and Spot the Error cards), so if you want to work out a trade, you know what I'm after. I'll post my want-list up on the side when I get a chance.
Note: No Purchase Necessary information
NPN 2011 Topps Opening Day Baseball
PO Box 2220
Duryea, PA 18642
More...
So to kick things off, let's take a look at the base cards. The first thing you'll notice is...
OH MY GOD!!! Is that Lance Berkman in a Cardinal's uniform???
Click on that picture to enlarge it and tell me if that's airbrushed (or Photoshopped). I cant tell. They wouldn't. Would they? Did they really? I pulled a Carl Crawford in his Red Sox uniform too. But poor Manny Ramirez was still in his White Sox threads. Someone at Topps headquarters must still be mad about last year's AL East Champs.
Anyway, what I was about to say was that Topps re-designed the Opening Day logo. I like the new design a lot better than the previous one, but they put April 2011 in the design. I know MLB is touting April 1st as the "official" opening day, but there are 6 games on March 31st. In my book that makes March 31st Opening Day, not April 1st. But hey...what do I know?
Next up we have the blue parallel numbered to 2011. Here we see a fine specimen in Roy Oswalt, hurler extraordinaire.
One small detail they added to the blue parallels (just to torment me, I'm sure) is they added the April 1, 2011 date above the Opening Day logo which already has April 2011 in it. So they put the wrong date for opening day on the card twice, as if to emphasize their ineptitude. I guess this makes the whole set error cards.
Moving right along, we finally get to the first insert set. This is what I'm really looking for this year. I've been halfheartedly trying to get the mascots from previous Opening Day sets, but this year, I'm doing it. I don't know why I like these cards so much. Maybe because they're different. You know...everyone loves the underdog and mascots rarely get any recognition yet they are such a huge part of the whole baseball experience. This is the largest insert set with 25 cards (a very manageable number for an insert set). I like these cards, but I have a problem with one of them.
Moving right along, we finally get to the first insert set. This is what I'm really looking for this year. I've been halfheartedly trying to get the mascots from previous Opening Day sets, but this year, I'm doing it. I don't know why I like these cards so much. Maybe because they're different. You know...everyone loves the underdog and mascots rarely get any recognition yet they are such a huge part of the whole baseball experience. This is the largest insert set with 25 cards (a very manageable number for an insert set). I like these cards, but I have a problem with one of them.
I don't want to be "that guy" who complains about everything. But as I grow older, my tolerance for stupidity gets smaller and smaller. I've found that life is short, and I just don't have time to deal with idiots. With that being said...Why do the Arizona Diamondbacks have a Bobcat for a mascot? They're the DIAMONDBACKS for crap's sake! If that wasn't bad enough, Topps had to go and put put the extra wrong opening day date on these cards too. Enough on that subject...let's move on.
The next insert set is the Superstar Celebrations. The checklist that I looked at here only listed the first card, then simply indicated that the rest were TBD. Well, I pulled 6 of these cards out of the two blasters I bought, the highest number was SC-19. So I'm going to guess that there's 25 cards in this insert set (because I also pulled 6 mascot cards out of the two blasters).
When I look at this insert set, I could take it or leave it. And if I feel that way about a set, I'll end up leaving it. Superstar Celebrations, you're off the table.
The next set up for consideration is Stadium Lights. This is one of the insert sets that really got me excited about this year's Opening Day. Who doesn't love glow-in-the-dark stuff? Right? I know!
So I tested out the "glowing power" of these cards, and it turns out it's pretty weak. But if I was 7 or 8 years old again, I'm sure I would be in bed, under the covers, holding my Stadium Lights cards in front of a flashlight until they turned radio active. These cards are cool. They totally appeal to my inner child (but I guess all baseball cards do that).
The Spot the Error cards were somewhat of a mystery to me before I saw them. I didn't see any pre-release photos of these cards, nor did I hear anyone talk about what these cards were going to be like. So I was very excited to find out what the big "error" was going to be. Needless to say I was let down. These are two-sided cards that remind me of the Sunday funny papers that had two cartoons side by side where you had to spot the differences between the two.
Be honest...how long did it take you? Don't bother telling me. No matter what number you give me, I won't believe you. Anyway, I thought this was going to be a set built around error cards, not a Sunday funny-paper puzzle.
The next insert set is "Opening Day Stars." Topps brought back the 3D cards they had in their 2010 Series 2 set. The scan doesn't come close to doing the card justice, so don't judge these cards by the image you see here. These cards are phenomenal. If you liked the 3D cards in the 2010 set, you'll like these too.
And last, but certainly not least, we have the Presidential First Pitch set. I think this is an insert set that belongs in Opening Day. Baseball is full of traditions and this is one that Topps does a good job of capturing on a baseball card. It's a 10 card set, and I'll be chasing these cards.
They also have Topps Town inserts in these packs, but I'm not even going to bother.
So here's my wrap-up...
Base cards: 2.5 stars out of 5
I like the new Opening Day logo. Hate that it has the wrong date on it. I like players in new uniforms. I hate that the majority of the base cards are the same photos as Series 1 (and I guess Series 2 also).
Parallels: 1 star out of 5
Don't like the shade of blue on the border. Hate that they added an extra wrong date on top of the logo.
Mascots: 4.5 stars out of 5
Love this insert set. I'll be collecting all 25 of them. To me, the mascot is the epitome of home-team loyalty, apple pie, grandma, and the 4th of July all rolled into a baseball card. But for the love of God, please stop with the wrong date for the opening day of baseball.
Superstar Celebrations: 2 stars out of 5
This set doesn't do anything for me. I've got nothing.
Stadium Lights: 4 stars out of 5
Love the idea of the glow-in-the-dark cards. Yes, it's gimmicky, but in a good way. Plus, the angle of the photos (taken from that angle to include the lights from the stadium) make the players look larger than life.
Spot the Error: 1 out of 5
Total let down. The Jose Bautista card actually has him at the plate in mid-swing without a bat in his hands. Really? Come on!
Opening Day Stars: 4 stars out of 5
I loved the 3D cards last year and I love them again in this set.
Presidential First Pitches: 4 stars out of 5
Whoever came up with the idea for this insert set needs a nice big fat raise. To me, it's a no-brainer. The reigning president always throws out the first pitch. It signifies that the baseball season has begun, and that's what this set is all about.
Overall: 3 stars out of 5
I think the entire set does a good job of capturing the essence of baseball's opening day in the form of baseball cards (especially the Mascots and Presidential Pitches). I was glad I didn't see any diamond-platinum parallels (those things hurt my eyes). I'll be chasing the majority of the insert sets (minus the Superstar Celebrations and Spot the Error cards), so if you want to work out a trade, you know what I'm after. I'll post my want-list up on the side when I get a chance.
Note: No Purchase Necessary information
NPN 2011 Topps Opening Day Baseball
PO Box 2220
Duryea, PA 18642
More...