1909 T206
1934-6 Diamond Stars
1941 Play Ball
1953 Topps
1960 Topps
1972 Topps
1983 Topps
1991 Stadium Club
2001 Topps Heritage
2006 Allen & Ginter
2010 Bowman
This review based upon:
$5.00+ pack prices and rising
Piles and piles of discarded base cards in cheapo boxes
A truckload of new inserts for no goddamn reason
The exact same boring ass black border they've used with slight variations for over a decade
A 220 card set so you get the same 3 players per team (6 for the New York and Boston markets) that's in every single set produced this year
Something like 4 actual base cards per pack so you need two or three boxes to even have a chance at a set
Half the pack chewed up by regular and Chrome prospect/not rookie things that make a travishamockery of the RC rookie logo designation.
Gold parallel cards. NO ONE WANTS THESE
Topps using bootleg crap Chrome stock in the only set where Chrome really matters
The Steven Strasburg card everyone's losing their shit over won't even be considered his 'true' rookie card by the end of summer.
Yeah, there's a good rookie crop in Bowman for the first time in a decade. Oh, and on-card autos. I concede those points.
If you really want the Heyward, or the Chapman, or the Jackson, or even the Strasburg, you'd be FAR better off just buying the damn card instead of rolling the dice and buying overpriced packs hoping to pull one. Or just wait a year and buy a box for under $50. You think box prices for a set with Strasburg autos could never drop that low? Ahem.
Bowman needs to die. Painfully. Bowman Chrome? Good idea. Bowman Draft & Prospects? Good idea. Filler base set that ends up in the bin with the wrappers? Watered down rookie crop put together too early in the season to get a comprehensive rookie class? A bunch of prospect cards that will be hot now and cool off as soon as a 'real' rookie card hits the presses? Oh, and autograph cards that are part of the base set? Die Die Die Die. Yesterday.
Bowman is a useless set and has been for years. Don't get caught up in the perfect storm of a good rookie crop, an exclusive license and collectors driven mad from boredom. You'll regret it later.
For more lovlies like my Bowman representative, check out this wonderful website for hours of amusement.
