This year is no different. A master box will cost a collector anywhere from $180 to $200, depending on the retailer. Each master box includes two mini-boxes, in which there is a pack containing seven cards.
Topps promises that each mini-box will include an autographed relic card and a “plain” relic card (the quotations are mine), one of which is a triple relic. For set builders, there are 100 cards of veterans and retired players. But this is not a product that caters to set builders. Autographs and relics? Indeed.
But if you are interested in base cards, there are some parallels to chase: purple, emerald (numbered to 199), gold (99), ruby (50), sapphire (25) and 1/1 onyx and printing plates.
The design for Triple Threads football is vertical in the base set, with some nice applications of gold foil. The team logos are stamped in the upper left-hand corner of the card, the player’s name position and team also are in gold, and there are some nice gold lines that frame the photo of the player are nice. The team logos are anchored toward the bottom right-hand corner of the card front.
It works to a better effect in Triple Threads football, perhaps because it is more subtle.
The card back utilizes seven lines of type to give player highlights and information in a Triple Take format: three major pieces of information are given for each player. The first two facts are game-related, while the third item focuses on a player’s interest, goal, or personal fact; for example, T.Y. Hilton’s third take is a wish — he would like to have (or have had) lunch with LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson. Or, Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill is a fan of the Discovery Channel’s annual “Shark Week” series.
Imagine that — a Dolphin enjoys watching sharks.
True to its word, Topps provided the promised big hits in each mini-box. The first mini contained a Triple Threads Relic Autograph card of Browns running back Duke Johnson. This card had a sticker autograph with a gold background, and the horizontal layout had a dark, circular swatch.
The second hit was a Triple Threads Relic card of Packers running back Eddie Lacy, numbered to 18. This card contained three different swatches in a vertical layout. The white swatch (which had a touch of green) was sandwiched between two dark green swatches.
Two emerald parallels also graced the second mini-box. These were cards of Lacy and Redskins running back Alfred Morris.
The big hits were a Triple Relics Autograph purple parallel card of Jaguars running back T.J. Yeldon, numbered to 70; in fact, numbered 1/70. This was a horizontally designed card with three generous swatches.
The other big hit was a Triple Threads Jumbo emerald parallel relic card of Panthers wide receiver Devin Funchess, numbered to 50.
Topps has put another nice design with Triple Threads. There is nothing terribly different in this year’s product, but Triple Threads collectors know what to expect. And that can be comforting, too