SCF Official Review: 2011 Topps Lineage

[Enigma]

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



24 packs per box
8 cards per pack
Current Retail Price (online): $74.99 - $84.99

Product Description

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS
3 Hits In Every Hobby Box!
- Two Autographed Cards with at Least 1 On-Card Autograph
- One Relic Card

In the spirit of Topps 60th Anniversary, Topps honors its famous past eras with new Lineage Baseball. Distinguished with a 1952 On-Card Autograph list featuring the living greats of the game, a 1975 Mini Relic card set highlighted by 90 stellar players, and topped off with a retrospective of Topps most famed, quirky, and beloved insert cards of all-time, Lineage Baseball is poised to be a runaway best seller!


CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS

AUTOGRAPH CARDS - 2 Per Box with at Least 1 On-Card Autograph

Autographed Reprints
- 75 of the game's past greats sign their name directly on reprint versions of the most beloved card design of all time - 1952 Topps! Immortal legends such as: Yogi Berra, Ralph Branca, and Monte Irvin sign reprints of their original 1952 cards, while younger legends such as Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax and Nolan Ryan are honored with signed on-card reprints from other popular Topps sets.

1952 Autographs
- Ten legends-in-the-making make the cut and appear along with their autograph on the 1952 design. Each of the 85 autograph subjects salute Topps 60th with a Canary Diamond autograph parallel version numbered to 10. HOBBY ONLY!

60TH ANNIVERSARY AUTOGRAPHED CARD CONTINUITY PROGRAM
Sixty players past and present have signed these cards along with an additional inscription wishing Topps a "Happy 60th!" All autographs and inscriptions are signed directly on each numbered to 60 card. HOBBY ONLY!


RELIC CARDS - 1 Per Box!

1975 Minis Relic Cards
- Colorfully bordered mini cards replicating the popular 1975 design are highlighted with a relic piece from stars past and present.

60Th Anniversary Jumbo Relics
- These 25 cards highlighting the best to ever play the game feature a die-cut number "60" containing a JUMBO game-used relic swatch. Each player's card is numbered to 25. HOBBY ONLY!

Jumbo Patches
- The same players depicted on a numbered to 5 JUMBO Patch version. HOBBY ONLY!


BOXLOADER - 1 Per Box!

Topps Giants
- Featuring 20 of today's stars, these cards mimic the original 1964 Topps Giants design and postcard size. Available in Topps Giants Relic parallel version featuring game-used jerseys and bats and numbered appropriately to 64.


INSERT CARDS

Topps 3D
- Designed after the revered "test-issue" 1968 3D set, featuring 25 stars of today, utilizing life-like 3D technology, and inserted 2 PER BOX!

Topps Cloth Stickers
- Modeled after the 1972 test set, these brightly hued fabric cards display 50 subjects on the Lineage base card design, and unlike the original are actual stickers. 2 PER BOX!

Topps Venezuelan
- Topps updates a tradition begun in 1959 with these 25 Spanish language variation base cards. 2 PER BOX!

Topps Rookies
- Twenty 2011 Rookies displayed on cards featuring the standard 1980's Rookies insert design. 4 PER BOX!

Topps Stand Ups
- These colorful die-cut cards, patterned from the 1964 set, are designed to be displayed when folded. Twenty-five current stars as well as reprinted cards featuring players from the original set will be included. 2 PER BOX!

60Th Anniversary Celebration
- Randomly inserted cards redeemable for a Topps 60th Anniversary ring. HOBBY ONLY!


BASE CARDS - 8 Per Pack!

Base Cards
- Rookies, Veterans, and Legends are highlighted on base cards created with a nod to the tradition of Topps classic design tenets, but with a contemporary look.

Topps All-Time Rookie Team
- These 10 "field of dreams" specialists, featuring both curent stars and legends, have been selected as a member of the Topps All-Time Rookie Team. Each card is embellished with the time-honored Topps Rookie Cup logo.


PARALLEL CARDS - 18 Per Box!
The entire base set is paralled as follows:

Canary Diamond
- Sparkling cards numbered 1/1. HOBBY ONLY!

Printing Plates
- 800 base card plates numbered 1/1. HOBBY ONLY!

1975 Minis
- The popular 1975 design, serendipitiously including some subjects from the original set such as Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, and Tom Seaver.

Diamond Anniversary
- Glittering rainbow foil cards adorned with the Topps 60th Anniversary logo.

Platinum Diamond
- Dazzling diamond bordered cards.

WHAT WE PULLED



Vladimir Guerrero Oversized Box Topper



Base - 157/200 (78.5%)
Dupes - 0
Diamond Anniversary (6)
Platinum Diamond (6)




1975 Minis (6)
Topps Stand-Ups (2)
Topps Rookies (4)
Topps Venezuelan (2)
Topps Cloth Stickers (2)
Topps 3-D (2)



1975 Topps Mini Josh Johnson Jersey



1952 Topps David DeJesus Auto



1952 Topps Reprint Bob Del Greco Auto (on-card)



FINAL RATINGS

Base - 4.5/5
Design - 5/5
Fun - 5/5
Value - 3/5
Rebuy - 4/5

Total - 21.5/25 (86%)

Every year, it seems there's a new throwback product on market. Look at releases such as Allen & Ginter, Heritage and Gypsy Queen for starters. Each tries to mimic the look and idea of the original. But what if you had 60 years of designs and ideas and you could make one product to bring it all together? Well, you would have Topps Lineage.

Topps Lineage is a trip through memory lane all sealed up into 24 individual packs. The 200-card base set features a mix of today's stars, yesterday's heroes and the future of baseball. In addition, ten subjects are highlighted as members of the Topps All-Rookie Team, even denoted with the famous Topps Rookie Cup logo. Topps continues the Diamond Anniversary theme with a parallel version of the same name and the Platinum Diamond parallel.

Remember when inserts seemed special each time you got one and how they really appealed to you as a kid? Well, Topps has brought back a myriad of those for Lineage. From Topps Rookies (which takes you back to buying Rack Packs in the 1980s) to Topps Venezuelan (complete with the backs written in Spanish), you get it all. Seriously, who didn't enjoy being able to transform your card in a pop-up version with Topps Stand-Ups or the ability to move a card and have the player move as well with Topps 3-D.

Lineage will yield a relic and 2 autographs on average. While you can still find the 60th Anniversary relics and autographs, Topps streamlined the amount of various sets you will find. There is only one relic set, the 1975 Topps Minis and one autograph set, based of the 1952 Topps design. In an absolutely amazing fashion, Topps split up the 1952 Auto set in today's players which uses stickers autos and living subjects that were originally featured in the 1952 set. Reprints were made of these cards and all contain on-card autos.

Topps Lineage is a wonderful and whismical trip through the past 60 years of Topps. Many of the sets featured have probably been forgotten about, yet the mere mention of them elicit fond memories. This is a great bridge between three or even possibly four generations of collectors. I for one can't wait for Topps to hit its 75th Anniversary just to see what other memorable moments will be made for collecting's next generation.

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 their products, visit them today at www.topps.com.