What: 2017 The Bar Pieces of The Past Volume 2 trading cards
Arrives: Mid-November
Box basics: One memorabilia card per box (10 boxes per case)
What’s buzz-worthy: Super Break once again takes a look at history with a mix of cut autographs and memorabilia cards that include pieces of handwritten letters, presidential documents, land grants and more.
Keep reading for a gallery and more info.
We’ve had Trumpocracy and the Disg-race to The White House, but now Topps‘ Garbage Pail Kids are feasting on the ongoing he-said-he-said saga between James Comey and Donald Trump.
The 2017 Topps GPK A Comedy of Comey sticker set launched today via Topps.com and can only initially be found there for the next six days adding even more mockery to the political tumult in Washington, D.C.
There’s now more political cardboard to be had.
Topps has entered the election realm with a set of Topps Now cards that launched today after the first Presidential debate Monday night.
What: Decision 2016 Series 2 trading cards
Arrives: Oct. 21
Box basics: Two hits in every 30-card box (16 boxes per case via four inners).
What’s buzz-worthy: The drama of the presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump returns to cardboard once again as a hobby-only release that includes a one-pack box and an autograph in every four-box inner case. The kicker? No more than 150 overall cases will be made.
Keep reading for more and a gallery of images from the product.
Election Day is still a ways away but there will be spoils for those who are victorious buyers of Decision 2016 trading cards from BlowoutCards.com.
How? A limited number of remaining promo cards that had only been available with purchase at the National Sports Collectors Convention are now up for grabs.
What: 2016 Super Break Super Charged National Edition
Arrives: July 28
Box basics: Five buyback cards and one memorabilia piece per box (three boxes per case)
What’s buzz-worthy: Super Break Charged Edition features “some of the world’s finest” from presidents, historical figures, athletes, celebrities and beyond. In some cases, there will be even more items than there should be for this multi-faceted brand.
We’ve had plenty about Decision 2016 trading cards here on The Buzz, but if you’re a politically inclined collector chasing the cards of this year’s final four candidates — the Presidential and VP players — then you might be happy with Donald Trump‘s VP pick.
Collecting Mike Pence will be much easier than Trump or Hillary Clinton — and maybe easier than her forthcoming VP pick, too.
How?
If you tore into boxes of Decision 2016 trading cards, you may have a reason or two to look back at those cards for some rarer variations that may carry more value than you thought.
Why? The makers of the landmark political product have revealed the short-prints in the product and relative scarcity of the parallels for many of the cards. In addition, per-box odds for retail and hobby have now been disclosed, giving collectors a better idea of what’s rarer in the product or what they should expect in a box or case of Decision 2016 trading cards via either hobby or retail.
Interestingly, for example, the most-plentiful cut auto in the product is that of Donald Trump, while cuts with a red-foil frame are much rarer parallels for any subject, whether short-printed or not. (That means this Trump buyer probably got a bit of a deal.)
Also interesting? The shredded currency cards, which are now confirmed to be found one per case, have two versions with one much rarer than the other. Meanwhile, many of the inserts have rarer parallels — with their relative scarcity now confirmed. One example? The Trump Under Fire cards with red foil like this one are the rarest finds.
Keep reading for a full breakdown of the odds and new short-print info.
A holiday card signed by President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy is a pricey and impressive piece, but the card presently up for sale via Goldin Auctions is even more unique.
It’s from 1963, and it’s one of only 15 known to have been signed sometime between Nov. 18 and Nov. 20 of that year — down time between trips — before his death in Dallas on Nov. 22.
The official White House cards for that year also were prepared with facsimile signatures but were not sent out. These signed cards were later discovered in the 1980s, according to the auction company.
.@tedcruz and Heidi check out their first trading cards – right after @GMA town hall. #collect pic.twitter.com/jCnsDHlsUi
— Rick Klein (@rickklein) April 18, 2016
ABC News Political Director Rick Klein offered his thoughts on the Decision 2016 trading cards here on The Buzz last week. Today he was able to show Republican candidate Ted Cruz and his wife, Heidi Cruz, their cards from the product.
What did they say when they saw the cards? Check out a video after the jump.
Politicians have appeared on cardboard since the earliest years of trading cards — you know, in packs of cigarettes back in the 1800s — and they’ve appeared in countless non-sports, war and even sports sets of the last 30-plus years as collecting emerged upon the national psyche and flourished as part of the pop culture landscape.
But the new Decision 2016 trading cards arriving this week include something that we haven’t yet seen in a political release — the chance at autographs and more advanced “hit” cards along with a healthy amount of traditional cardboard.
In the midst of one of the most-tumultous political seasons in years, this is a product that offers a promising start for a perhaps-expanding trading card genre of its own — and the potential for something more.
It already appears to be a landmark release, but don’t just take Buzz’s word for it.
“The idea of a set that captures that drama of an election – that is compelling,” said Rick Klein, who is ABC News’ Political Director and also a long-time baseball card collector. “I feel like it’s something that could start as a novelty project but catch on. You’d be surprised by how many political junkies are also collectors. People love pins, hats, signs. I’ve seen autograph-seekers at obscure conferences for senators most people could never name.”
This year’s presidential race is one that’s gotten plenty of attention for arguably all the wrong reasons, but no matter which way you lean there’s plenty of potential memorabilia if that’s your type of thing. (Buzz isn’t all that interested but knows some of you inevitably will be, so here we are.)
How?
On the candidates’ official websites. That’s where you’ll find coloring books, ugly sweaters, barbecue gear, caps, shirts, and, of course, plenty of signs and buttons. You’ll find koozies, calendars, all kinds of stuff … and even water bottles. (Some sell anti-competitor items, too, but it might not be who you think taking that approach.) The costs are sometimes low — but often not — and, interestingly, only one of the five candidates, Ted Cruz, sells actual autographed items. (The poster above? That’s $55, though there’s no note of its size.)
Keep reading for a look at some of the odd, creative and readily available items found on official stores for Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and John Kasich.
Topps is promising more political Garbage Pail Kids to come this year — and it has the preliminary sketches to approve it.
Entertainment brand manager Mark Von Ohlen shared these sketches online Saturday before their arrival to come on Tuesday.
The creator of Decision 2016 trading cards offered more details about the forthcoming product this week with a number of formats that the political product can be explored.
Why? Because it’s been a tumultuous political season so far.
“There is unprecedented interest in this year’s presidential election,” said Brian Wallos, who created the set. “With Donald Trump joining the race and other non-traditional candidates campaigning, we felt that creating a high-quality collection of presidential trading cards was a natural. Not only can people learn from these cards and even make more informed decisions about whom they might support, but they will now have an opportunity to memorialize this historic election campaign.”
So, what’s new?
We’ve seen plenty of politicians in our sports card sets in the last decade or so and even more here and there in various non-sports sets in the past, but one easy way to filter out the interesting cards from the mundane is to pick a niche.
That’s ultimately up to your taste, but one niche that might appeal to more baseball fans on this Presidents Day would be cards that show a Commander in Chief actually on a baseball field throwing out a ceremonial first pitch.
There have been quite a few.
What: Decision 2016 trading cards
Arrives: March
Box basics: No per-box details released — but six cards per pack, 24 packs per box, 12 boxes per case.
What’s buzz-worthy: The drama of the presidential race gets its first full cardboard documentation here with Decision 2016, which is being distributed by Leaf Trading Cards.
Keep reading for more and a gallery of images from the product.
Five presidential candidates will take a few more jabs on Wednesday when Topps‘ newest group of Garbage Pail Kids officially arrives with a 10-card subset specifically focusing on those seeking the highest office in the land.
The 2016 Topps Garbage Kids: American As Apple Pie In Your Face set includes spoofs of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Jeb Bush and Ben Carson. Each of them has a pair of names adorning artwork meant to evoke a laugh or two at their expense as part of an overall product that parodies American pastimes, icons and moments as only the Garbage Pail Kids can.
Its artwork on the wrappers? You can see it at right — it’s all keeping with an All-American theme. (You can click here to view a PDF of the checklist.)
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