SCF Official Review: 2013 Topps Heritage

[Enigma]

First and foremost, I'd like to thank our sponsors at Topps for providing us with this box.



24 packs per box
9 cards per pack
Current Retail Price (online): $74.99 - $89.99

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS
- Every Box will include: 1 autograph or relic card
- Now Find Autographs at 2X the Rate!
- A Checklist Card will be inserted into every 8th Pack as an additional Card.


PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

AUTOGRAPHED CARDS

Real one autographs
Retired and active players. Subjects will include players that appeared for the last time on a Topps card in 1964. Real One Special Edition - hand #'d to 64.

Real One Dual Autographs
Up to 10 cards signed by a retired and active player. Hand-numbered to 25 or less. HOBBY ONLY

Real One TRIPLE Autographs
Up to 5 cards signed by retired and active players. Hand-numbered to 5. HOBBY ONLY

1964 Cut Signatures
Featuring players from the 1964 Topps set. All 1/1.


AUTOGRAPHED RELIC CARDS

Clubhouse Collection Autograph Relics
Uniform or bat relic cards, autographed by active and retired players. Hand-numbered to 25 or less.

Clubhouse Collection Dual Autograph Relics
A retired and an active player, each featuring a relic piece and an on-card autograph. Hand-numbered to 10. HOBBY ONLY

Flashbacks Autographed Relics
Retired subjects featuring a highlight from their 1964 season. Numbered to 25 or less.


RELIC CARDS

Clubhouse Collection Dual Relic
Dual uniform or bat relic cards featuring a retired star matched with a current player. Hand-numbered to 64.

Esteemed Heritage Book Cards - NEW!
Includes a patch, bat knob or bat plate in a book card. #'d 1 of 1.

'64 Mint
Relic cards featuring retired stars from 1964 and today's stars, along with a coin minted in that year. HOBBY ONLY
- Nickel - #'d to 15
- Dime - #'d to 10
- Quarter - #'d to 5
- JFK Silver Half Dollars - #'d to 1 of 1

1964 Topps Coin Relics - NEW!
Actual 1964 Topps player coins, embedded as a relic. #'d to 5 or less.

1964 U.S. Postage Stamp Relics - NEW!
Includes a photo of an event or player matched with a stamp from 1964. Sequentially #'d.

Clubhouse Collection
Single uniform or bat relic cards of active stars. Clubhouse Collection Gold Parallel - #'d to 99


INSERT CARDS

New Age Performers
Top current players whose performances have eclipsed the giants of the past.

Memorable Moments
Top moments from the 2012 season.

Then and Now
Statistical comparison of a 1964 player vs. a 2012 player who were the leaders in statistical categories.

Baseball Flashbacks
Flashback highlights from the 1964 season.

News Flashbacks
World news moments from 1964.

1964 Topps Complete Set Redemption - NEW!
A redemption card for a complete set from 1964.

1964 Topps Tattoos Buybacks - NEW!
These original tattoos from 1964 will be framed.

1964 Bazooka Stamps Buybacks - NEW!
These original stamps will be framed.


BASE CARDS (1-500)

Base Cards (425 Subjects)
- Veterans & Rookies in the 1964 Topps Design.
- High-Numbered Short-Printed cards (75) (1:3)

Base Card Variations
- Error Short-Prints - Cards reproducing errors from the 1964 set. Limited.
- Throwback Colt .45s Variations - All Houston Astros players will have a base card variation featuring them in their throwback Colt .45s uniform used during the 2012 season commemorating the last year they were named the Colt. .45s. Limited.

Action Image Variations
Features new action images of star players. Limited. HOBBY ONLY

Color Variations
Color change variations of star players. Limited. HOBBY ONLY


PARALLELS

Venezuelan Parallel Limited NEW!
The card back color changes from Orange to Black. Limited.

Mini Parallels Limited.NEW!

Chrome Parallel Sequentially #'d.
- Chrome Refractor Parallel - Sequentially #'d.
- Black Bordered Chrome Parallel - #'d to 64.
- Gold Bordered Chrome Parallel - #'d to 5. HOBBY ONLY


BOX LOADERS

1964 (Box Loader)
Parallels of selected base cards that are included as 3-card strips with an advertisement back. HOBBY ONLY

1964 Topps Originals (Box Loader)
Original cards foil-stamped and inserted in 1-card penny packs. HOBBY ONLY

1964 JUMBO Box Loader
Styled after the 1964 Topps over-sized cards. HOBBY ONLY
- Relics (20 subjects) - #'d to 25.
- Autographs (10 subjects) - #'d to 10 or less

WHAT WE PULLED



Base - 192/425 (45%)
SP Variation (1) - Prince Fielder
SP High Numbers (8)




This is a product for set collectors. The full set is 500 cards. However, the final 75 cards are Short Prints, falling 1:3 packs. For those who enjoy busting boxes to put sets together, you would be looking at almost a full case before having the possibility of completing this set. In addition, there are photo variations as well as color variations on either the front or back. On average, you will get one of the photo variations in every box. The design is based off of the 1964 Topps design. This has a continuation of a theme from previous Heritage releases over the last few years. I understand the idea of keeping things as close to the original product as you can, but the High Number SPs are a bit too much when you consider how many products are released on the market as compared to 1964.

Heritage Chrome /999 (1) - Edwin Encarnacion
Heritage Chrome Refractors /564 (1) - Stephen Strasburg



There are four chrome parallel levels to find ranging from Heritage Chrome /999 to Heritage Chrome Gold Refractors /5. Like some of the SP Photo Variations, some of the parallels are Hobby Only. Generally, these will be the only numbered cards you will find outside of the relic or autographs.



Each hobby box will come with a box topper. There are three types, a 1964 Topps Buyback, an oversized Jumbo in the 1964 Design using current players (/25) or an advertising panel which combines 3 players onto one card. While the Buyback program is a nice idea, the use of the 50th Anniversary stamp is ridiculous. What point does it serve? The cards would be more collectible without it. It simply takes away from the original card. There are a few Insert Sets in Heritage. More information can be found below.




Heritage contains 5 insert/chase sets. Baseball and News Flashback focus on items that happened on and off the field in 1964. Memorable Moments fast forwards to 2012 to bring some recent happenings in baseball. New Age Performers and Then And Now have been around for a few years in Heritage. New Age highlights the young stars of today as Then And Now combines a great from 1964 with a star of today. On average, these collectively should fall around 1:2 packs.

Clubhouse Collection Drew Stubbs Jersey



Each hobby box will contain one relic or autograph on average. These items can range from simple jersey swatches to coins to autographs. Be on the lookout for some 1/1 Bat Knobs (though it would be nice to see something like this be exclusive to one release instead of found in multiple releases). With the price point and what you get out of the boxes, one relic or auto just doesn't seem enough as compared to what other releases contain.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Base - 3.75/5
Design - 4.25/5
Fun - 4/5
Value - 3.5/5
Rebuy - 4/5

Total - 19.5/25 (78%)

NPN Information:

NPN 2013 Topps Heritage BB
PO Box 765
Pittston PA 18640

Limit 1 Request Per Household

Postmarked By: 5/29/13
Received By: 6/5/13

Canada Skills: 11 x 9 + 1 - 33 = ?

Once again, I'd like to thank our wonderful sponsors at Topps for giving us the opportunity to open and review this release. For more information on all of their products, you can visit them today at www.topps.com.

If interested in any of the base or insert cards, they are available for request. Please PM me with the card or cards of interest. Cards will remain available for 30 days from the time this review is posted. As always, only VIP members may make requests for the first 48 hours.