Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Topps Chrome Makes Me a Hypocrite


Last winter's bad ideas become this summer's shiny wonders. 

I was harshly critical of this year's Topps flagship set, to the point where I made sure I wouldn't buy a single pack of the stuff. I still don't like it. I have to admit, sadly, that it looks really good in a Chromium suit. I will probably buy more of these, even though this value pack was full of dirty rotten Cubs.


As is usual with these things, I dug straight into the bonus pack first, which gives you three retail-only pink refractors. People made a big deal out of "REFRACTOR" being on the back of the cards again like it used to be with Topps Chrome, but people were wrong. The refractor designation on the back seems to only exist on the plain old refractors and not the myriad color/prism/whatever parallels of parallels that Topps comes up with. Of course, it's really only difficult to tell with a quick glance if something is a plain refractor versus a base card, so Topps must have considered this helpful if not quite keeping with tradition.


Last year, Sepia was the retail color du jour. This year, it's pink.


More Cubs. An injured Cub.


I ended up with back-to-back Goldschmidt cards in the same pack, both his base version and this prism refractor.


Cub or no, I still don't like these inserts at all. In Chrome, it appears that they are refractor-ed by default.


Hey, a Cardinal! Sure, it's a lousy base card... but... hey, a Cardinal!


Refsnyder is a rookie and a (plain) refractor. His was the only card with the designation on the back.


This was my hit. I really have no comment. Any fans of the socio-political pop-country music artist (and son of a former pitcher) out there?

6 comments :

  1. I'd actually be interested in both the McGraw and the Schwarber (if you were looking to get rid of that as well). We haven't thrown cards at each other in a while. I'm sure we could work something out. :D

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  2. I think the Chrome look great. I've gotten a few lots, and it's the hardest I've had to work to see which is a regular refractor versus a base. I do wish they'd designate the type of refractor on the back for the others - prizm and black and whatnot.

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  3. Glad the design turned out to be good for something, since I actually don't mind it that much. 2008 was similarly vindicated by the Chrome version. Have you tried Optic yet, or will the Hazelbaker Rated Rookie that's on the way from me be your first in-person look?

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  4. If you're interested in sending those dirty rotten Cubs my way, I have some birds I can flip your way:

    '16 Chrome Base: Piscotty, Hazelbaker, Wacha
    '16 Pink parallel: Hazelbaker

    I'm pretty sure I have other birds I could send your way too.

    http://findingtimeforcardboard.blogspot.com

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  5. I'm staying away from the shiny cards this year (with the exception of a Braves team set) as I already have enough on my plate I'm trying to build. Don't need any more distractions!

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  6. Not a McGraw fan but would love to trade for price

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Comments are highly encouraged, but then again, so is eating your fruits and vegetables.