The dog days of summer are never bad for me, because that’s when one of my favorite sets — Topps’ Allen and Ginter — is released.
It’s hard to believe, but this is the 10th anniversary of A&G, which remains true to its original 1887 release with cards of sports stars and rookies, politicians, history-making figures and quirky celebrities.
The inserts remain thought provoking, with a true mix of history, pop culture and innovative achievements.
The card design remains the same, with a player depicted in a colorful illustration. The background has the typical A&G feathered technique, and the poses are mostly vertical in the base set, which I really enjoy. Some cards work in a horizontal format, but I prefer vertical because that’s the look I remember when I was young and eager to collect baseball cards.
It’s hard to believe, but this is the 10th anniversary of A&G, which remains true to its original 1887 release with cards of sports stars and rookies, politicians, history-making figures and quirky celebrities.
The inserts remain thought provoking, with a true mix of history, pop culture and innovative achievements.
The card design remains the same, with a player depicted in a colorful illustration. The background has the typical A&G feathered technique, and the poses are mostly vertical in the base set, which I really enjoy. Some cards work in a horizontal format, but I prefer vertical because that’s the look I remember when I was young and eager to collect baseball cards.
A base set consists of 300 cards, plus there are 50 short prints. A hobby box has 24 packs, with eight cards to a pack.
Sports represented outside of baseball include soccer (Julie Foudy), rowing (Megan Kalmoe), surfing (Kelia Moniz), hockey (Jeremy Roenick) and college football (Jimbo Fisher).
Non-sports figures include comedians (Brian Quinn), actors (Val Kilmer), activists (Malala Yousafzai), television hosts (Jeff Mauro), sports reporters (Michelle Beadle and Buster Olney), musicians (Mike Mills), fictional movie characters (Apollo Creed), historic documents (Magna Carta), historic sites (Appomattox Court House), nutritionists (Robb Wolf) and weird beards (Incredibeard).
Sports represented outside of baseball include soccer (Julie Foudy), rowing (Megan Kalmoe), surfing (Kelia Moniz), hockey (Jeremy Roenick) and college football (Jimbo Fisher).
Non-sports figures include comedians (Brian Quinn), actors (Val Kilmer), activists (Malala Yousafzai), television hosts (Jeff Mauro), sports reporters (Michelle Beadle and Buster Olney), musicians (Mike Mills), fictional movie characters (Apollo Creed), historic documents (Magna Carta), historic sites (Appomattox Court House), nutritionists (Robb Wolf) and weird beards (Incredibeard).
Box toppers are common in hobby boxes, and there are 10 different ones under the theme “Pride of the People.” The topper I pulled was Big Ben from the United Kingdom. Others feature the Great Wall of China, Mount Rushmore, the Colosseum, the Great Pyramid of Gaza and the Eiffel Tower.
Some collectors will be fortunate to pull hobby exclusive cabinet card box toppers that feature relics, autographs, autographed relics and cut signatures. There is currently a Ted Williams cut signature card on eBay; the seller is seeking $1,500 for the 1/1 card.
Some collectors will be fortunate to pull hobby exclusive cabinet card box toppers that feature relics, autographs, autographed relics and cut signatures. There is currently a Ted Williams cut signature card on eBay; the seller is seeking $1,500 for the 1/1 card.
Each pack will contain a mini card. Some will be parallels of the base set, while others will be inserts in their own right.
The hobby box I opened was a birthday gift from my wife, and the pricing fell within the range of the $95 to $105 that is advertised online. A wonderful gift, to be sure.
I pulled 134 base cards and 24 minis. Nineteen of the mini-cards were base parallels.
My box contained one autograph and two relics. The signatures are on-card and are framed in a mini-card format. The one I got was of former Kentucky basketball star Willie Cauley-Stein, who was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings.
The hobby box I opened was a birthday gift from my wife, and the pricing fell within the range of the $95 to $105 that is advertised online. A wonderful gift, to be sure.
I pulled 134 base cards and 24 minis. Nineteen of the mini-cards were base parallels.
My box contained one autograph and two relics. The signatures are on-card and are framed in a mini-card format. The one I got was of former Kentucky basketball star Willie Cauley-Stein, who was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings.
The two memorabilia cards I pulled were white swatches worn by Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado and by author Malcom Gladwell. Question: what kind of relic does one use for Gladwell, a Canadian journalist who wrote books like “The Tipping Point,” “Blink” and “Outliers”? Looks like a piece of his dress shirt. Wouldn’t a scrap of the first draft of a manuscript worked better? Just saying.
Because it is the 10th anniversary of the Allen and Ginter set, Topps has inserted stamped cards from previous years. Perhaps they don’t have the lure of those Topps buybacks in the Heritage sets, but the words “10th Anniversary Issue” are stamped in gold on the left-hand side of the card. You have to turn the card sideways to see it properly.
I found three stamped cards in my hobby box. The first was a 2006 J.D. Drew and the second featured Aaron Rowand from 2009. The third was a framed mini of Ricky Romero from the 2012 set.
Rip cards return, one in every 346 packs. It will be a lucky collector who pulls a double rip card, as they fall one in every 1,723 packs. Book cards are autographed and come in single subject (1:1975 packs) and double subject (1:7,950).
Cut signatures are 1/1 cards that are very scarce, falling at a 1:68,738 clip. Good luck..
I found three stamped cards in my hobby box. The first was a 2006 J.D. Drew and the second featured Aaron Rowand from 2009. The third was a framed mini of Ricky Romero from the 2012 set.
Rip cards return, one in every 346 packs. It will be a lucky collector who pulls a double rip card, as they fall one in every 1,723 packs. Book cards are autographed and come in single subject (1:1975 packs) and double subject (1:7,950).
Cut signatures are 1/1 cards that are very scarce, falling at a 1:68,738 clip. Good luck..
As usual, Allen and Ginter offers a variety of inserts in regular and mini-cards. The largest subset is called Starting Points and contains 100 cards. Collectors should find them in every other pack. As one might expect, these cards feature a current star and returns to their major-league debut.
A Healthy Mind and A Healthy Body are inserts that can be found one in every 288 packs. Both are 10-card subsets. More commonly found are Great Scott!, a celebration of scientific discoveries. There are 10 cards in this insert set, and I pulled four of them.
Menagerie of the Mind highlights mythology, and there are 20 cards. I pulled a centaur and a zombie; other possibilities include a unicorn, mermaid and dragon. Ancient Armory features different types of weapons used throughout history; I pulled three of the 20 cards, including a catapult and a cutlass.
A Healthy Mind and A Healthy Body are inserts that can be found one in every 288 packs. Both are 10-card subsets. More commonly found are Great Scott!, a celebration of scientific discoveries. There are 10 cards in this insert set, and I pulled four of them.
Menagerie of the Mind highlights mythology, and there are 20 cards. I pulled a centaur and a zombie; other possibilities include a unicorn, mermaid and dragon. Ancient Armory features different types of weapons used throughout history; I pulled three of the 20 cards, including a catapult and a cutlass.
The awkwardly sounding What Once Was Believed and What Once Would Be are 10-card inserts. The former proves how we have been wrong about things through the ages (a flat earth, alchemy), while the latter revisits some predictions made years ago (lunar colonization, robot housekeepers).
Hoist the Black Flag is all about pirates like Blackbeard and Captain Kidd in a 10-card set. I pulled two of them. First Ladies is another mini insert, with 41 cards honoring the wives of the presidents.
Once again, the Allen and Ginter set is entertaining, educational and fun to put together. It makes the long, hot days of summer feel so much cooler.
Hoist the Black Flag is all about pirates like Blackbeard and Captain Kidd in a 10-card set. I pulled two of them. First Ladies is another mini insert, with 41 cards honoring the wives of the presidents.
Once again, the Allen and Ginter set is entertaining, educational and fun to put together. It makes the long, hot days of summer feel so much cooler.
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