2012 Topps Prime / Walmart hanger packs

[Squirmy1970]

Hi Folks,

Yes, it's yet another question from the newbie.

Has anyone bought "Value Pack", 2012 Topps Prime hanger packs from Walmart? I recently bought 10 packs or so from a local Walmart.

The packs are mostly clear with some blue. They contain 3 Topps Prime packs and 1 plain, clear pack with three cards in it. The Value Pack clearly states, "This pack contains 24 cards: Three 7-Card Topps Prime Football packs - Plus - 1 bonus pack of 3 Exclusive Parallel cards!"

My issue/question is that the so called Parallel cards don't seem to be any different from the cards in the regular Topps Prime packs. I've compared the regular Prime cards of various players with their "Parallel Card" and can't discover any difference between the two whatsoever.

I contacted Topps customer service and they instructed me to send in the Value Pack UPC's and my Walmart receipts to see what they could do. However, they didn't seem very sure they'd be able to do anything since this is 2012 product.

Any thoughts?

Squirmy1970

[ejiminee]

I don't buy Prime. Not sure why.

But I know that in the Platinum & Chrome rack packs, the bonus pack of 3 Exclusive Parallel cards are Orange refractors.

Maybe the foil on the bonus cards is orange instead of silver? Was there a pack with just 3 cards in it?

Seems odd that they couldn't pull that off. The packs are different from the regular cards, so you'd think that they pack them out at a different time (or place) than the normal ones.

I hope you get a good answer. I'm curious to hear what you find out.

[tsands11]

I have seen these packs that you are talking about, but personally I do not purchase them. When it comes to retail, I stick to topps chrome/topps platinum. These yield nicer/higher-end cards then topps prime will as it is a mid/low end card. Again I have seen these hanger packs you are talking about but I tend to spend the extra few bucks to get the higher end card, most of the time they will include a 2 pack or single hobby cards.

[whitney777]

Prime uses different photos for hobby and retail. I believe the parallels are a variant color foliage.

[hayn]

First and foremost, Topps Prime retail are literally completely different products from the hobby version. Retail Prime have different poses and are printed on thin stock. The differences in variation will be subtle. Look really carefully at the design nomenclature of the bottom half of the card. You might need to have an extremely bright light or a day with sun and no clouds. Then try to look at these cards with a loop, you should see a color variation.

My experience with retail sets made me aware of the extreme differences. I agree with tsands11 in that I would only purchase Chrome and Platinum retail. In general, the majority of Topps and Panini retail cards are that the pose and card stock defer. In Crown Royale, the design is based on the standard card size as oppose to the hobby die cut base. It looks like two different products to say the least.

[Squirmy1970]

Guys, I feel like a total idiot. Hayn is right on. I looked at the Parallel cards again and they do have a slight difference in the color of the foil (light blue.) Unless you hold it at just the right angle, and in natural light, you can't tell. It's a bit aggravating that Topps would make the differences between two products be so slight you can hardly tell.

Anyway, now I know. I'm probably gonna stay away from Topps Prime going forward. Thanks again for all the input, it really helps.

Squirmy1970

[hayn]

Guys, I feel like a total idiot. Hayn is right on. I looked at the Parallel cards again and they do have a slight difference in the color of the foil (light blue.) Unless you hold it at just the right angle, and in natural light, you can't tell. It's a bit aggravating that Topps would make the differences between two products be so slight you can hardly tell.

Anyway, now I know. I'm probably gonna stay away from Topps Prime going forward. Thanks again for all the input, it really helps.

Squirmy1970

No problem. Now that you're aware that these cards can have a minute differentiation, moving forward, you can deduce the different parallels. Besides color, a slight pose can create not only a different parallel but this can make a huge impact on your financial aspect of what your collection is valued at per BV. A good example would be 2012 Topps Chrome. I have a David Wilson one hand on football that has minimal value, yet I also have a David Wilson two hands on football that has a BV of $25.00. Understand that this is not a Topps exclusive. All sports card companies follow this example. It's just one more facet and a fun way to enjoy your collection.

[hayn]

Just a comment that I forgot to add. Most LCS (local card shops) will break open a hobby box and sell individual packs. This also holds true with online card shops.

This is a great way of a sneak peak to see if you like the product. It also is a great way to make a visual decision in purchasing more packs or a hobby box. I purchased retail Prime in 2012. 2013 was my first experience with hobby Prime. Mrs. Toshi purchased two or three packs. We were extremely pleased with hobby Prime. I love the variety and the tiers utilized. Prime I, Prime II, etc.