2011 Topps Baseball Series 2, An All About Cards Review and Box Break Recap

2011 Topps Baseball Series 2 is the continuation of what will become the master release of Topps Baseball Cards for this year.  There are a few insert additions and Series 2 puts an emphasis of the greats of the game, but for the most part, what applies to Series 1 applies to Series 2.

Like Series 1, Series 2 falls under our classification of trading cards because of its reasonable price point and base/insert card foundation.  While hits can be found even in single retail packs, those who’s primary purpose is pulling hits from this product will most likely be looking to increase their odds with purchases that are hobby exclusives, some with multiple box orders or even by the case.  The hobby box we opened for this review 36 packs with 10 cards per pack and each box yields one autograph or relic card.

Here is a look at the cards we found in our box.

 Joe Mauer base card, front and back

Parallels of the base set include...

 Diamond Platinum cards

 Gold Border Cards #/2011

 Kenley Jansen Black Border #/60

New inserts for Series 2

 These great looking Diamond Stars

Prime 9 Redemption cards.  Follow this link for more information on the Prime 9 Program

 and Before There Was Topps featuring cards from other companies prior to 1952

Returning insert cards include...

 Diamond Duos

 Topps 60

 Our favorite, Kimball Champions, this time concentrating on past greats of the game.

 60 Years of Topps

60 Years of Topps comes paralleled with the Original Backs of the cards like this Jim Palmer we pulled.

 Toppstown Codes

and Diamond Giveaway Codes

And our hit for the box...

this Tyler Colvin Topps 60 Relic card.  

Overall Look

Still love the design and the photography.  The look of the new insert set Diamond Stars is in a tight race with Kimball Champions for the best looking cards in the entire set. 

Quality and Variety of Players and Subsets.

Series 1 provided the base cards for most of the star players of the MLB.  Topps has upped the ante on Series 2 by adding a wide range of Hall of Famers on cards like Kimball Champions and a brand new subset, Legends Platinum Anniversary cards, that keeps the checklist on par with Series 1.

Do the hits hold up?

No big changes here.   The hits work for this release.

Will you want to collect them all?

It still holds true that Topps Baseball Cards are THE cards to collect for the widest variety of collectors.   Especially with this being an Anniversary edition, most will want to collect a master set.

Rating

 4 1/2 out of 5

2011 Topps Baseball Series 2 continues to work well for both beginning and seasoned collectors.  Your Baseball collection is incomplete without them.


Review box provided by Topps

An expected Hat Trick for Panini with three upcoming Hockey card releases

Even though the Stanley Cup Playoffs are over, Hockey fans have a lot to look forward to in the near future thanks to Panini.

Luxury Suite is days away and releases of Zenith and Dominion will follow shortly after.  With different price points, there is something for everyone.   Judging by the images coming in, collectors will be happy with owning any of the releases, but will probably want them all.

We are going to give you a small sample of what to expect.  For a more in-depth look you'll have to visit The Knight's Lance with the links we supply.

Luxury Suite - Should be released in the next day or two - Link for more details

 Got to love this Alexander Ovechkin dual memorabilia, Stick and Jersey Number.

A super sweet Taylor Hall Prime Patch - On Card Auto

Zenith - Projected Release Date is July 6, 2011 - Link for more details

 Shiny Tyler Seguin Rookie Roll Call with Nufex and awesome Ovechkin Gifted Grinders

 Love the look of this Multiple Award Winner Tim Thomas Chasing the Cup

Great Jimmy Howard Private Signings On Card Autograph

Dominion - Projected Release Date is July 27, 2011 - Link for more details

 Roberto Luongo & Alexandre Burrows Tag Team Dual Laudry Tag memorabilia card

How great is it that "Goalie Style" is visible on Luongo's Tag?

Soon to be Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Nieuwendyk and Jarome Iginla, high scorer and former Dallas Stars player involved in the Nieuwendyk trade both appear on two versions of Peerless Patches Dual

You've got to admit, this is some sick stuff.  

Bidding ends on Michael Jackson Memorabilia. Thriller Jacket sells for $1.8 Million.

We told you about the auction for Michael Jackson's red jacket from the Thriller video and other various  memorabilia items.  We also told you we would update you with the final prices paid for these items.  Bidding has ended and the jacket sold for $1.8 Million, considerably more than the estimate $500,000.

Other items that went for a hefty sum were;

Hand written lyrics to "We Are The World"  Estimate $5,000  Winning Bid $270,600

Michael Jackson's American Music Awards Glove    Estimate $30,000  Winning Bid $196,800

The shirt he wore for the "Scream" video   Estimate $6,000  Winning Bid $72,000

There were other items of note from famous musicians, but the only memorabilia to even come close to the kind of prices paid for Jackson's items were Ringo Starr's Cape from "Help" which sold for $37,500 and a Kurt Cobain signed guitar neck which sold for $32,000.

The least expensive Michael Jackson item, which sold for $384, was a General Admission Ticket and accompanying Wrist Band for the Michael Jackson Memorial Service that was held at Staples Center in Los Angeles on July 7, 2009.

Of course, for a fraction of any of these items, you can just pick up a box of Panini Michael Jackson Trading Cards and have your chance to own a piece of an item like the one that were sold at auction.

Just saying.

Use this link to see all of the Michael Jackson items and their closing prices

A retro box break of 2004 Upper Deck Disney Pixar Treasures Collectible Trading Cards with a really nice hit.

Continuing our Pixar weekend, we bring you a box break of 2004 Upper Deck Disney Pixar Treasures.  Except for some limited edition fun cards that were passed out for free at movies theaters, these cards represent the last time a true set of collectable trading cards were released based on all of Pixar films.  They recently resurfaced and I grabbed a sealed box, waiting for the right moment to open them.  This weekend just seemed like the right time.

The box contains 24 packs with 5 cards per pack.  These cards were released right around the time "The Incredibles" hit movie theaters, so the majority of the cards concentrate on that movie.   The usual pack breakdown is 2 cards from any of Pixar's previous films which include Toy Story,  A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo, then an insert card and finally two cards from The Incredibles.

Because these were released in 2004, you will not find cards for the movies Cars, Ratatouille, WALL-E, Up, Toy Story 3 or Cars 2.  Perhaps it is time for update set.

Here is a look at the base cards for the set.

On the back of all of the cards there is a write up and on the lower left hand corner, Upper Deck's diamond holographic foil stamp.

There are three insert sets to chase.

Concepts - highlighting original concept art for the movies.

Now You Know - providing plenty of Pixar trivia.  By the way, did you know that Flik, from A Bug's Life, was originally named "Red" and was a high-diver in P.T. Flea's circus?

Outtakes - recaps of the best of the "outtake reels" from the end credits of the Pixar films.  It is hard to tell from the scan, but these are die cut at the top of the card.

So here are the 'star" character cards we pulled from the different movies.

 Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story

Flik from A Bug's Life and Jessie from Toy Story 2

 Mike and Sulley from Monsters, Inc.

 Nemo from Finding Nemo and Mr. Incredible from The Incredibles

Here are the inserts from the box.

 Concepts

 Now You Know

Outtakes

But the big hit for the box was this.

Reel Piece of History - imbedded in the card are two frames of film from a print of Toy Story 2.  According to the back of the card these frames were taken from the main theatrical release of Toy Story 2.  If you look closely you can see the film sprockets and the film's soundtrack, which are the two sepia toned lines on the left side of the frames.  There are 5 variations of the Reel Piece of History cards, one each for the movies Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo.

There are 90 movie character cards, 10 Concept cards, 10 Now You Know cards, 10 Outtakes cards, 50 The Incredibles Memorable Scenes cards and 5 Reel Piece of History cards for a total of 175 cards in the Disney Pixar Treasures set.  

Out of the 120 cards in the box, there were 5 doubles and all of those were in the cards from The Incredibles Memorable Scenes.  

All in all, a great looking set of cards.  Hopefully there will be a second release of the cards based on the more current Pixar films.