View Full Version : Official SCF Review: 2009 Topps Ticket To Stardom


Enigma
10-08-2009, 08:04 AM
First and foremost, I'd like to thank our sponsors at Topps (http://www.topps.com) for providing us with this box.

http://www.blowoutcards.com/images/baseball/2009toppsticketstardomBB.jpg

20 packs per box
12 cards per pack
Current Retail Price: 78.99 - 89.99

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS:
- 3 Ticket, Relic, Or Autographed Cards Per Box!
- Authentic Official MLB Ticket Stubs!
- Authentic Vintage Game, Concert And Sporting Event Ticket Stubs!
- Each Ticket Stub Card Is Sequentially Numbered!
- WBC Stubs Plus Feature Ticket Stubs Alongside WBC Game Worn Jersey Swatches!
- Opening Day Ticket Stubs Feature Stubs From All 30 MLB Home Openers, Including Yankees And Mets!
- Rookie Cards Are #'d To 199 And Appear w/ The Major League Rookie Logo!

TICKET, RELIC, OR AUTOGRAPH CARDS - 179 subjects - 3 Ticket, Relic, or Autographed Cards per Box !!!
World Baseball Classic Stubs Plus (24) - Hobby Exclusive!
Ticket Stubs Plus (50) - #'d to 299 or less!
Ticket Stubs Plus 2 (50) - #'d to 239!
Autographed Relics (25) - #'d to 89 & 439! Hobby Exclusive!
Dual Autographed Relics (30 subj/15 cards) - #'d & Hobby Exclusive!

- Parallels - 1 of 1! Hobby Exclusive!
- Red (179) - #'d to 10!
- Gold (179)
Buyback Ticket Stubs

OPENING DAY TICKET STUBS - 32 subjects - #'d & Hobby Exclusive!

INSERT CARDS - 40 total cards - 8 per box!
Ticket to Stardom (15)
Big Tickets (15)
Seasoned Vets (10)

- Parallels
- Red (40) - 1 of 1! Hobby Exclusive!
- Gold (40) - #'d to 50!
- Blue (40) - #'d to 99!
- Printing Plates (40) - 1 of 1! Hobby Exclusive!

BASE CARDS - 225 total cards - 11 per pack!
Veterans (200)
Rookies (25) - #'d to 199!

PARALLEL CARDS - 1800 total cards - 1 per pack!
Red (225) - 1 of 1! Hobby Exclusive!
Gold (225) - #'d to 50!
Blue (225) - #'d to 99!
Perforated (225) - one per pack!
Printing Plates (900 plates) - 1 of 1! Hobby Exclusive!

WHAT WE PULLED

First Half:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tczce4mGoBM

Second Half:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcMgjXznrww

Base (197/200) - 98.5%
Dupes - 0
Perforated (20)

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF10062009_00011.jpg

Colby Rasmus RC /199
Ian Kinsler Blue /99

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF10062009_00012.jpg

Big Ticket (3) - Josh Hamilton, Dustin Pedroia, Miguel Cabrera
Big Ticket Blue /99 (1) - Miguel Cabrera
Seasoned Veterans (2) - Vladimir Guerrero, Magglio Ordonez
Seasoned Veterans Gold /50 (1) - Magglio Ordonez
Ticket To Stardom (5) - Cameron Maybin, Matt Kemp, Jay Bruce, Joe Mauer, Kenshin Kawakami

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF10062009_00013.jpg

Bernie Williams Ticket Stub/Jersey /110
Aaron Roward Ticket Stub/Dual Bat /79
Garrett Atkins Jersey/Autograph /489

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF10062009_00014.jpg

FINAL RATINGS
Base Set - 5
Overall Design - 3
Fun - 3
Value - 3.5
Rebuy - 3
Total - 17.5/25 (70%)

Ticket To Stardom contains a 200 card base set with an additional 25 rookies numbered to 199. The card is modeled on a design of a ticket to an event. There's a bar code at the top (only for design purposes) and player information listed at the bottom (much like section/aisle/seat on a ticket). Each pack contains a perforated card meant to look like a ticket stub. The parallels are noticable by the change of color in the border encasing the player's photo.

There are three insert sets in this release. Big Ticket features the a full-color photo of the player on a blue background with the player's face melded into it. Season Veterans features some of the game's best in various poses. Ticket To Stardom showcases some of the young stars in the game on a card that has a ticket design.

The autographs and relics feature single of multiple pieces of memorabilia. The non-autographed relics have an added bonus, a piece of a ticket stub from an actual game the player had participated. Some of the tickets are from an MLB game while others are from the World Baseball Classic.

Ticket To Stardom is an interesting concept to bring collectors closer to the game by attempting to introduce something new to baseball fans. The design of the base cards are not quite there. There should have been more of an attempt to make these cards appear like a ticket. The perforated cards seem good in theory, but truthfully, we will probably see a lot of these with damage. To be honest, I thought it was an issue with how the packs were sealed when I first saw them. The ticket stub idea with the relics is a nice idea, but one Topps did two years ago with football and it wasn't well received. I really hope this release doesn't suffer the same fate.

Once again, I'd like to thank our wonderful sponsors at Topps (http://www.topps.com) for giving us the opportunity to open and review this release. For more information on their products, be sure to check them out at www.topps.com (http://www.topps.com).

andrewcstein
10-08-2009, 08:39 AM
Nice review. Nice to get so close to a base set too!

etmill01
10-08-2009, 10:28 AM
Nice review..I like the look and design of the cards..Ed

mikesilvia
10-08-2009, 04:03 PM
Nice review Tony. What is up with the bar codes?

I would prefer to have something better than a ticket stub, but the concept is solid.

trevorp121
10-08-2009, 04:18 PM
I like the look of the Ticket Stub cards!

garnett_21
10-08-2009, 09:16 PM
Nice break and review! I, too, like the look of the cards, and it's nice to get almost a complete base set in one box! Thanks, Topps!

JammingJames23
10-08-2009, 09:29 PM
This is giving me flashbacks of Fleer Authentix!

BBonds25
10-08-2009, 11:36 PM
Nice review Tony. Personally, I like the ticket stubs. But I'm not a fan of the dual gu. It hides too much of the picture.

JKC
10-10-2009, 12:01 PM
Nice break and review! Thank you, Topps, for providing this!

Darin

harrid4
10-10-2009, 04:21 PM
i really like the tickets stubs and GU swatches.

stewart20rulz
11-15-2009, 11:30 PM
I thought the base were blah, but thought the GU and autos incorporated with the game tickets was neat. I loved the box I bought overall.