Anyway, I think the new Panini Prestige, (upcoming) Rookies & Stars, and Elite releases look a bit ridiculous. I might buy a box or two provided the prices drop, or on a whim if I have an extra seventy or so dollars lying around (doubt it). Exclusivity is not an incentive to buy ugly cards. Also, I feel like I'm going to have a seizure whenever I look at any Rookies & Stars cards (and I did pass out at a Tower Records once from looking at busy CD displays... but that is a story for another time). In any case, I did buy the other two big flagship basketball releases: 2009-10 Topps and 2009-10 Upper Deck NBA Basketball. One was very satisfying and fun; the other left me utterly disappointed and depressed. Oh, woe.
Here's my video box break for 2009-10 Topps NBA Basketball:
The Jumbo box consists of 10 packs with 50 cards in each. You are guaranteed 3 relic cards and 1 autograph relic or autograph card per Jumbo box, as well as 1 numbered Chrome card per Jumbo pack. I bought the box for $95 from a local card shop the week it was released. As you can see in the video (note: there is a part two as well), I got extra hits! Very good deal, very good value for what you get. Also, I was able to complete the entire set with the one box. Really the only drawback to this release is some lame photography - that is, there are too many dunk/lay-up above-the-rim pictures. This qualm alone is very minor though. The 2009-10 Topps NBA Basketball release exhibits a simple and appealing design, nice Chrome parallels, good "hits," lots of serial numbered cards (including Gold versions of base cards), tons of value, and is a very entertaining product to bust open. Here's a quick run-down of what I got:
-Printing plate: Tracy McGrady, #'d 1/1
-Autograph relic: DJ Augustin, #'d 2/2
-Relic (dual): Tracy McGrady
-Relic: Aaron Gray
-Relic: Al Harrington
-Relic: Acie Law IV
-Chrome Rookie: Hasheem Thabeet, #'d 21/50
-Black parallel: OJ Mayo, #'d 07/50
I got the 2009-10 Upper Deck Basketball hobby box for $80 (a bit too much) from the same local card shop. It is 16 packs per box and 20 cards per pack. You are to receive 3 jersey cards, 2 3D Stars inserts, and 1 autograph on average. Here's a run-down of what I got:
Autograph: Josh McRoberts (redemption)
Relic (dual): Carmelo Anthony and Michael Jordan
Relic (dual): Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant, #'d 351/600
Relic (dual): Jordan Farmar, #'d 070/150
3D Stars insert: Steve Nash and Jason Kidd
3D Stars insert: Chauncey Billups and Allen Iverson
Not bad right? True, not too bad at all. Hell, I am super stoked to get my first Michael Jordan relic; Steve Nash is my favorite player, my relic card combos in general were pretty sick, and I am happy to get pretty much any autograph. What makes Topps a superior release to Upper Deck, though, is pure and simple quality. First, both the 3D inserts I received were damaged, which is too bad because they look kind of cool. The card backs are peeling off!
PISS.
A Jordan relic that's not numbered? Pretty much the best player ever and his jersey is not even that scarce? There must be something wrong with that. But then, I'm still new (again) to the Hobby - we didn't have such things as relic cards in my childhood - so maybe this is a regular occurrence. Also, the Nash/Kobe dual relic is numbered with some sort of laser printer/dot matrix. This is the first not hand-numbered or foil-stamped numbering I've seen since I started collecting again. Don't get me wrong - it's a sweet card nevertheless. It just seems like cutting corners to me. The Farmar dual relic did feature foil-stamped numbering. I've already sold that card though... apparently to Jordan Farmar's mother herself (but that is also a story for another time). The relics I did keep, though, came a bit too damaged for my tastes. Maybe I'm nitpicking but this criticism comes about from having the Topps release with to compare. I was able to complete the veterans base card set for Upper Deck with the one box. It would be nice to complete the rookies and Immortals sets for this release; the Upper Deck features more rookie cards than the Topps.
UD RelicsNow, my main goal for buying these boxes is to complete the sets. Hits, inserts, and parallels are just a nice, but rather crucial, bonus. I like getting my money's worth... not necessariliy recouping the cost of the cards with what I receive, but rather being excited for and entertained by what I ultimately get. With this in mind, 2009-10 Topps was more enjoyable to me than 2009-10 Upper Deck. I would definitely be just as satisfied with 2009-10 Upper Deck Basketball had the quality been up to par, and if the hits and inserts hadn't come all overly dented and damaged. Upper Deck put out a rather decent release that is quite collectible (especially the rookie cards), has a clean design, varied photography, cool "Now Appearing" and 3D inserts, and great star-relic combinations. Upper Deck was always my favorite in my youth, but this time it came up depressingly short.
UD inserts and autograph redemption
Took me forever to finish this post... was distracted by the AL tiebreaker. Peace.
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