Base Cards: Hobby 8, Retail 32
Base Rookies: Hobby 5, Retail 5
1992 Upper Deck Minors Subset: Hobby 5, Retail 5
1994 All-Time Heroes Subset: Hobby 5, Retail 5
1995 SP Minors Die Cut Subset: Hobby 5, Retail 3
2004 Timeless Teams Subset: Hobby 5, Retail 5
1993 SP Short Print: Hobby 2, Retail 1
1994 SP Short Print: Hobby 1, Retail 0
1995 SP Short Print: Hobby 1, Retail 0
Yankee Stadium Legacy: Hobby 1, Retail 1
Gold Parallel: Hobby 1, Retail 0
Holo Parallel #/25: Hobby 1, Retail 0
Relic: Hobby 0, Retail 1
TOTAL CARDS: Hobby 40, Retail 57
So, what can we learn from this? Well, if you like the base cards then you'll love retail. You get almost 2/3rds of the 50 card set in one blaster. However, most of the cards in the set are the short printed subsets. Since most comments I've seen about the base design agree it is pretty boring, the more subsets the better. There were more subset cards in the Hobby packs by a 30-25 count. There were also more of the short printed SP designs, 3 to 1. No autograph in my packs, but the odds are much better in hobby. The blasters do have a one-per-box relic, but mine was AJ Burnett. Unless he signs with the Braves, It's not that great a pull as far as I'm concerned. In my opinion, hobby packs are the way to go in this product. You'll get more of the subsets (which is the appeal to this set) and there's a better shot at a decent insert. This isn't everybody's cup of tea I know, but it's really the only product that interests me at all right now. I don't know if that says something about me or the state of the Hobby.
12 comments:
It's weird that you can get a bat relic of a pitcher... an American League one at that.
Well well, that's a mighty nice Mattingly you got there :) How attached to it are you?
This was a good blog. I haven't encountered any Timeline hobby packs but I have been buying retail. It's nice to know what you're getting in Hobby vs Retail. Sometimes it's obvious like Stadium Club but other times it isn't (Goudey?).
I don't get all the knocks against the base card design. I love it myself and could easily see it being 2009 Topps (which I would love). Guess I'm in the minority.
I was going to make 3 comments...firstly about how weird it was to see a bat relic on a pitcher card (madding beat me to it) and then to note the nice Mattingly card that I don't have (Flash beat me to it.)
My 3rd comment, though, is that the Asian fellow in the pink shirt is the closest-up non-baseball-personnel background person I have ever seen on a baseball card.
The Burnett bat was probably from his days in Florida. Or, it could be one of his bats. With interleague play this is likely.
I have mixed emotions with Timeline. When I first bought packs, Iliked it because I felt it was a neat little set with a sweet price point. But the more I think about it, the more annoying it is.
The base design gets annoying to look at after about 5 minutes. At first it's a breath of fresh air because it's new. But when you stare at it long dnough you realize there is way too much border and not nearly enough photo.
As for the Hobby v. Retail, it does look like the hobby version is the way to go. I like the SP remakes, but I've yet to pull one of the 93 or 94 look-a-likes from retail.
Hmmm
I don't think the base design is terrible, it's just not very good. I like the dual color borders and the team colors used, but the border is too thick and the foil logo is way too big. I get claustrophobic looking at the picture. Look at Wright with the logo right in his face. Look at Kennedy with a logo in one corner and a rookie logo in the other. Everything is just too tight. Open up the orders an eighth of an inch on all sides and shrink the logo and it looks a lot better.
RE: Mattingly
One of these days I'm going to go through my YSL cards, keep one of each player and get rid of the rest. That day will probably come in 2009, however.
Like the Retail v Hobby comparison. I would like to see more folks run these comparisons - Trouble is I think most of us are married to one format or the other.
Sweet Hamilton!
I usually prefer hobby, but sometimes retail is a nice fix.
I'll make you a deal, you can keep Mattingly 5177 (or I'll send you mine) and we can work something out for the rest. Deal? :D
How is your YSL collection looking?
I definitely enjoyed this blog. I have bought a bit fo each myself and have noticed this comparison (now that it was pointed out to me).
I have a about 2-3 of the SP and they all came from hobby packs. I haven't bought a blaster of these, I've only bought the $2 packs from Target because, really, for $2 this is a nice pack of cards to get.
I think I'd rather buy retail on these, to tell you the truth. With retail, you do miss out on the more exotic shortprints... but you get more total cards and come out nearly even on the "common" shortprints.
I admit that my thinking may be a little biased... there's no Mets cards in the 1993, 1994 & 1995 SP Short Prints, so I really don't care about them.
I opened a hobby box of this drivel. Notice I didn't say bought, as I wouldn't spend someone elses money on this crap. IMO, this and Co-signers are deadlocked for worst product of the year. I had no ida what the hell I was looking at without checking the card number on the back, and then crossing that to the reference sheet you need to know what the Sp's are. The auto checklist is attrocious, and the 2 scrub autos you do get look terrible. As the French would say, "un piez de merde"
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