Please Topps

[C&C Collecting]

With Major League Baseball granting Topps exclusive rights to make officially licensed cards (Upper Deck will be able to make cards but without team names or uniforms) I am hoping for a set from Topps that looks back on the golden days of collecting. Of course, those Golden Years might be considered the Dark Ages by some but it was a time when the hobby was king. It was a billion dollar industry in the early 1990's and it was affordable...even for kids on allowance. Nothing beats buying 50 cent packs and trying to piece together a set one pack at a time. No chase cards. No rare cards that make a complete set something of an impossibility. This year Upper Deck introduced a set, O-Pee-Chee that reminded me of those days. No gloss. Base card heavy (over 600 players in the base set). Topps Total was something like that a couple of years ago. I am hoping Topps introduces a plain cardboard set...one that is player intensive. I will always remember the 1987 and 1986 Topps sets for just those reason...affordable and a challenge. How else could Paul Zuvella, Al Pulido, Juan Espino, and hundreds of other less than notables become immortalized? Imagine a set that is plentiful enough for it to reach out to future collectors to get kids into the hobby again, or old collectors back in the game. Imagine a set that gives us TTM hunters a card that looks good, is affordable, and is perfect for our TTM habits. Think 1987 Topps. Each team set is 30+ cards, each pack around $1. Each pack with 10 cards or even 12. Imagine a set where collecting doesn't have to be a hunt for a white rhino. There will still be sets for the treasure hunters out there but the average set collector and TTM hunter needs a set where cash is not the goal, the fun is.
If Topps des this they would endear thousands of kids and adults to a hobby that is either new or old to them. Affordability is the name of the game these days in this recession. Topps can score a grand slam here by putting the collectors first and giving them the simple, yet large set, of their youths.

What do you all think...would you buy a set like this if it was $1-2 per pack with 10 cards per pack, few (if any) insert cards, non-glossy, and had a base set of around 800 cards?

[deeakay]

Great post! I second everything you say.
I'd like to add, that the MLB (Selig's office) should send a memo to each MLB team to encourage the players to sign cards through the mail, in-person, etc. to continue to stimulate the hobby and grow the MLB fanfair!
And give the players an FYI, that people don't make squat on selling signed cards (TTM)! I mean I bought a TTM Signed '09 Topps Sabathia for under $5 delivered! The seller maybe made $.50 after the TTM postage & materials, dual Ebay & Paypal fees, and S/H to me!

Since Topps and the MLB now have this partnership/licensing agreement, notice can and should be given to the players on how they can do their part! "Sign the kids & collectors cards!"

[dak]

Being a team collector, I couldn't have said it better myself! Great thread!

[maple19]

This needs to be done but i don't think Topps will do it.. At least most of topps cards are Great to send TTM and not glossy like UD

As For Players signing Cards stop sending like 5 to 10 cards for them to sign all you need is one or two at the most for your collection

mike

[palantri]

i like your post- and partially agree with it

like it or not, the high end chase cards have become part of the hobby- and a very profitable part. from a business perspective, it would be foolish of topps to completely do away with this- they would lose a lot of money from the big money collectors/investors who drop thousands of bucks at a time to pull the big hits.
Yes, I know its a hobby- but its also a business. Topps would be well advised to do both- continue releasing the lower priced stuff, like their base set, but also include some nice, higher end product for those people who only collect that stuff
Ed

[C&C Collecting]

I'm not saying do away with the Chase card sets. They can still have their Heritage, A&G, and all that. I'm just asking for a aset to make the hobby affordable again. Who can pay $5 per pack anymore and build a set. Topps has the chance to do something great here. I just hope they take the lead in a hobby that was once theirs and reinstitute a second golden age of collecting.

[dicekmvp]

I really like the GU and autos so I like it how it is now

[deeakay]

As For Players signing Cards stop sending like 5 to 10 cards for them to sign all you need is one or two at the most for your collection
mike

I don't see many ppl sending that many. I've seen like 1-3 collectors on sites posting 5 of 12 successes for example, but it doesn't seem to be common.
I've sent a few 4 card TTM but that's accompanied by me send 4 or more for the signer to keep for himself.
I believe 1-2 cards is sufficient if ppl TTM for successes as a general Sports fan, but I believe sincerely sending 4 cards is appropriate when a collector's successes and mailings consist of players they are genuinely fans of (that would be my case).
I like to believe the above quote was directed at me (it wouldn't be fitting).

[indyreds]

I really like the GU and autos so I like it how it is now

I am tired of the first thing I am being told by my local dealer is how many hits in a box. I always ask if he has opened any of the newer product so I can see it. I am more interested in how glossy it is and what types of players it has in it. The worst are the sets with 100 or less players! Every card in a set being a star card just makes all the cards seem like commons to me. It might sound odd, but there are so many GU'd cards out there they they truely have very little interest to me at all at this point and I can truely get many more autos TTM for the same price as pack busting or just paying for who I want. I long for those old traditional sets as well! Topps Total was a winner in my books and more sets like that would interest me! I agree totally with the thread starting post!

[Oxxon]

Ah, the glory days of cardboard. I hope they bring back the gum. Anyway, I would love to see the 12 - 15 card packs instead of $5 6 card packs. I was never crazy about the glossy stuff from a TTM point of view.