Prime Cuts is almost here — but the wait for its checklist is now over.
How many Babe Ruth memorabilia cards will there be? How many rookies made the cut? Who’s signing and whose memorabilia can be found for the first time?
Oh and who made it onto the eight-player autograph booklets?
Keep reading to find out what’s in store for 2016 Panini Prime Cuts baseball cards …
A historic World Series win for the Chicago Cubs means a historic day for Topps Now.
How historic? A mere (record) 36 different cards with a record five different signers, a Relic and 10 different base cards — and that’s just in the standard Now set. There’s a completely separate Now-branded team set also available that was previously teased here.
The five signers can be seen above — Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, David Ross and Dexter Fowler. The World Series MVP, Ben Zobrist, gets a Relic.
We’re just a few hours away from Game 7 of the World Series where the Chicago Cubs will end more than a century of futility — or the Cleveland Indians will make them once again wait for next year.
On cardboard and in the hobby, there’s no comparison between the two teams as the Cubs are largely stocked with young players (several homegrown) who are well-established and readily available on cardboard — for now — compared to the Indians, who have a few young notables but nobody who’ll truly break the bank. Among the Cubbies’ notables are Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell, Javier Baez, Jake Arrieta, Willson Contreras, Anthony Rizzo … and that’s not all on a list that’s meaty and the cardboard is boldly available for nearly all of them.
That got Buzz wondering … if the Cubs win it all, is their victory bigger than the Boston Red Sox’ 2004 World Series win when it comes to the hobby and collecting? Is it bigger than Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens — you know, all those historic super-human performances that ultimately turned out to be, well, a bit questionable? They all sold plenty of cardboard in the past — plenty — but that team and those players were mostly established veterans. The Cubs are largely kids with plenty of potential for future successes — dare we say dynasty — for years to come being a real possibility.
And that would all start with a ring tonight and pay off for collectors for years to come.
I’d argue that demand for the Cubs’ key players autographs and key players could be the biggest thing seen in years once it’s all said and done. Once The Curse of the Billy Goat is dead and buried alongside that of The Bambino there’s all kinds of potential for now in the short-term, later in the weeks and months to come and, ultimately, for future seasons.
It could be like nothing we’ve ever seen before.
Agree? Disagree? Tell Buzz what you think in the poll below …
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Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
We’ve seen autos. We’ve seen Relics. We’ve seen auto Relics. We’ve seen double autos. But today’s lineup of Topps Now cards spotlighting Game 6 of the World Series is something we have not seen before.
There are double auto Relics — and they are cards of the Chicago Cubs’ biggest bats from last night, Kris Bryant and Addison Russell.
From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there’s a box you’d want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
The box: 2016 Topps Update baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
Packs per box: 36
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 356
Base set completion:
300 of 300 (100 percent)
Duplicates: 19
Notables on base cards – Anthony Rizzo, Clayton Kershaw, Nolan Arenado, Francisco Lindor, Buster Posey, Jackie Bradley Jr., Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson, Mike Trout, David Ortiz, Kris Bryant, Aroldis Chapman, Jake Arrieta, Ichiro Suzuki
Rookie Cards (95; includes duplicates) – Notables include Aledmys Diaz, Michael Fulmer, Julio Urias, Willson Contreras, Tyler Naquin, Kyle Schwarber, Corey Seager, Kenta Maeda, Nomar Mazara, Trevor Story
The Chicago Cubs‘ dominating Game 2 victory in the World Series Wednesday night was sparked by the hot bat of a returning slugger and the strong arm of an ace who held the Cleveland Indians hitless deep into the night as part of a 6-0 win.
Today, the slugger and the ace have new Topps Now cards that will only be available for 24 hours via Topps.com as part of its real-time baseball card program.
The slugger is, of course Kyle Schwarber, who will be signing six types of standard and Relic cards, while the ace is Jake Arrieta, who is among the remaining five cards as part of today’s offering.
From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there’s a box you’d want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
The box: 2016 Topps Update baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
Packs per box: 10 (plus one medallion pack)
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 101
Base set completion:
81 of 300 (27 percent)
Duplicates: 0
Notables on base cards – Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Manny Machado, Matt Wieters, Ichiro Suzuki, Mike Trout, Aroldis Chapman
Rookie Cards (14) – Johnny Barbara/Ben Gamel, Jeimer Candelario, Tyler Goeddel, Derek Law, Joey Rickard, Julio Urias, Jose Berrios, Matt Bush, Tim Adleman, Lucas Giolito, Shawn Morimando, Luis Severino, Corey Seager, Stephen Piscotty
The Chicago Cubs are headed back to the World Series and Topps has the cardboard to prove it.
Less than 24 hours after the team clinched its first National League pennant since 1945, Topps Now cards are on the way documenting the big win — but for only 24 hours via Topps.com.
There are Kris Bryant autographs — a first for the player in the line — along with Relics and standard cardboard as part of today’s 16-card lineup.
Gold Label returns this week from Topps with a framed autograph in every seven-pack box.
What specifically might it include? Well that answer came today with the release of the final checklist.
National Baseball Card Day is this Saturday.
The hobby shop event will have participating stores in the United States and Canada giving away free six-card packs to visitors. It’s a promotion that hasn’t been done since 2008.
A bonus card of Kris Bryant will only be available with purchases. It can be seen above.
From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there’s a box you’d want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
The box: 2013 Topps Chrome baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
Packs per box: 8 (seven standard packs and one Purple Refractor pack)
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 32
Base set completion:
22 of 220 (10 percent)
Duplicates: 0
Notable players on base cards – Jose Bautista, Cole Hamels, Starlin Castro, Max Scherzer
Rookie Cards (8) – Melky Mesa, Didi Gregorious, Alex Colome, Zack Wheeler, Robbie Grossman, Eury Perez, Carter Capps, Shelby Miller
Sometimes a memorabilia show can be memorable for reasons besides the memorabilia.
The Fanatics show in Chicago this weekend was just that for Steve Millsap during a photo opp with Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo.
Check out the video above and hear more from Millsap here in the Blowout forum.
Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
One of the biggest moments of the Chicago Cubs’ season will hopefully make a big impact for the team’s charities.
How?
A number of game-used items from Jake Arrieta‘s no-hitter on April 21 are currently on the auction block via MLB.com to benefit Cubs Charities.
Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo are going into the memorabilia business (sort of) with the Bryzzo Souvenir Co.
Click here to check out their video from the MLB Network. Buzz figured a collector or two might enjoy — and there’s got to be come potential real-world marketing memorabilia — Bryzzobilia? — to come here.
Right?
Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
Pete Gray is one of Major League Baseball’s more unusual finds in the record books and now he can be found in packs of 2015 Topps Update as a player in its Pride & Perseverance insert set.
It’s a 12-card set showcasing past and present players who have had obstacles in life that didn’t stop them from appearing in a big-league game.
BlowoutBuzz.com 