TheMirl.com presents
THE WRITERS
Topps News
|
July 21 - Topps.com Gets Extreme Makeover
The Topps Company announces it has made significant enhancements to its website, www.topps.com,
including a new design. The all-new Topps.com now includes:
Current & Past Checklists
Collectors can now get complete checklists of all their favorite sports trading card sets from the past
and the present. The new feature also helps them keep track of sets they’re building by creating
personal want lists. Additional checklists from the past will be added.
My Checklists
Collectors can create their own checklists based on brand, player, team, etc.
Trade Posts
Need a card? Collectors can post their cards for trade and consider trade offers. There’s even a
special Barry Bonds forum where the Bonds Homerun History cards can be traded. (coming soon for
all products!)
Games
Users can have a virtual Pack Wars Tournament, play the Wacky Packages game or catch Ring Pops
falling from the sky. This all-new area is non-stop fun!
New Products Info
Need info on a cool new baseball product that just hit stores? Topps.com supplies users with all the
fine details including card images.
Enhanced Message Boards
Collectors can join fellow collectors to discuss the hottest topics in the trading card hobby. (coming
soon!)
Live Chatting
Topps fans can now chat live with their buddies and other collectors. (Soon soon!)
Topps News
Extra! Extra! Users can learn about upcoming products and special promotions in the Topps News
section.
Founded in 1938 as Topps Chewing Gum, Topps issued its first baseball cards in 1951 and is an
international marketer of entertainment products, principally candy, collectible trading cards and sticker
album collections. Topps Internet business includes Topps.com, eTopps.com, TheToppsVault.com
and thePit.com.
July 18 - 2005 Bowman Chrome Baseball Preview
Year after year, Bowman Chrome proves why it’s a “must have” for rookie card
collectors. And this year, Bowman continues it’s rich tradition of offering the most
collectible rookie cards in the hobby. Here’s just a tiny taste of what you’ll find:
# 330 Tadahito Iguchi Rookie Card / White Sox – The starting second baseman is
the front-runner for A.L. Rookie of the Year honors.
# 352 Mike Morse Autographed RC / Mariners – Already the starting shortstop and
batting a stellar .345
# 248 Hernan Iribarren RC / Brewers – He started second base for the World in
last week’s Futures Game. He’s on the fast track to the majors.
# 341 Andy LaRoche Autographed RC / Dodgers – He has 26 home runs in the minors and has been
tabbed one of the best prospects in the game.
# 190 Melky Cabrera RC / Yankees – He just got the call and he’s roaming centerfield for the most
storied franchise in sports history.
Considered one of the best Bowman Chrome checklists ever compiled, the 353-card base set includes
140 veterans, 25 prospects, 165 Rookie Cards and 23 Autographed Rookie Cards (1 per box).
And it wouldn’t be Chrome without the Refractor Parallels – Refractors (4 per box), X-Fractors (#’d to
225), Blue Refractors (#’d to 150), Gold Refractors (#’d to 50), Red Refractors (#’d to 5) and
SuperFractors (1 of 1). Bowman Chrome also offers the popular 1 of 1 Printing Plates parallel with each
subject featured on four different plates. The 23 Autographed Rookie Card subjects will sign their
plates.
Bowman Chrome is offering the Alex Rodriguez cards “that never were” featuring designs from 1994-
1997 (2 per box). This tribute set also features parallels – Refractor (#’d to 499), X-Fractor (#’d to 99) and
SuperFractor (1 of 1). Autographed versions include ’97 Chrome (#’d to 99), ’96 Refractor (#’d to 50), ’
95 X-Fractor (#’d to 25) and ’94 SuperFractor (1of 1).
2005 Bowman Chrome Baseball hits shops the first week of August and carries a $4.00 SRP for each 4-
card pack.
June 27 - Sneak Peek at Topps Turkey Red
Hailing 2005 Turkey Red Baseball as one of the
most stunning products it has ever produced,
Topps offers collectors a sneak peek at what this
beauty will have to offer. Barry Bonds, a Topps
exclusive, not only appears in the base set, but has
signed autographs for the product.
Collectors will also be pleased to know that each
24-pack box guarantees 2 Relics and/or
Autographs, 25 Parallel cards and an Original-
Sized Box Loader such as this Barry Bonds
Autographed Relic cabinet card (5 ¾ x 8).
2005 Topps Turkey Red Baseball Releases the week of August 29th and carries a $4.00 SRP for each
8-card pack (7 base cards & 1 parallel).
June 23 - Topps at 2005 MLB All-Star FanFest
Topps encourages this year’s MLB All-Star FanFest attendees to stop by the
Topps Booth for free sample cards, Pack Wars, prizes and a whole lot of fun.
(Detroit, MI / July 8th – 12th)
Topps is also offering several commemorative cards and sets:
**Wrapper Redemption Program
Fans and collectors opening five packs of premium Topps brand cards at the
Topps booth will receive a unique card of Tiger Town’s finest ballplayer-Ivan
Rodriguez. The FanFest exclusive Topps card includes an actual piece of Pudge’s
Detroit Tigers Jersey.
Also available via redemption is a cool dual card featuring a Motor City legend and a legend in the
making – Al Kaline & Ivan Rodriguez and a single card featuring one of baseball’s most feared hitters —
Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees.
**2005 Topps Baseball Complete Set (Special Detroit Tigers Box)
Fans and collectors can stop by the Topps Booth and purchase a unique 2005 Topps Baseball
Complete Set featured in a commemorative Detroit Tigers box. As a bonus, the set includes five
exclusive Tiger Prospects cards – Eulogio de la Cruz, Humberto Sanchez, Danny Zell, Kyle Sleeth and
Curtis Granderson.
**Five-Card Commemorative Tiger Set
With each purchase of the 2005 Topps Complete Set (Tiger Edition), Topps will give collectors an
additional 5-card set, produced just for 2005 All-Star FanFest. The special Tiger set includes favorites
Kirk Gibson, Al Kaline, Ivan Rodriguez, Magglio Ordonez and Jeremy Bonderman.
June 17 - Fan Favorites Includes Short Printed Autographs
Topps announces that the recently released 2005 Fan Favorites Baseball features several short printed
Autographed Cards. Fan Favorites, which includes never before seen Topps photography on classic
Topps designs, has a history of offering some of the most sought after autographed cards in the hobby.
The short prints are as follows:
15:
Barry Bonds
40:
Ernie Banks
Andre Dawson
John Elway
Johnny Podres
Don Zimmer
Duke Snider
George Brett
Johnny Bench
Mike Schmidt
Nolan Ryan
Reggie Jackson
Stan Musial
Tom Seaver
Wade Boggs
90:
Bob Gibson
Brian Sabean
Brooks Robinson
Cal Ripken
Carl Yastrzemski
Dave Winfield
Dick Williams
Dr. Jim Beckett
Juan Marichal
Lou Whitaker
Marvin Miller
Michael Kaye
Ron Gant
Ron Santo
Scott Brosius
Steve Carlton
Theo Epstein
Tony Gwynn
Walt Jockety
Whitey Ford
Yogi Berra
League Leaders Tri-Signers (50):
LLT-JSB Reggie Jackson/Mike Schmidt/George Brett
LLT-MBG Don Mattingly/Wade Boggs/Dwight Gooden
LLT-RSM Frank Robinson/Duke Snider/Stan Musial
Rookie Dual Autographs (50):
RDA-SC Tom Seaver/Rod Carew
RDA-RB Nolan Ryan/Johnny Bench
These subjects along with the other autographed card subjects, have also each signed 10 rainbow foil
parallel cards.
Fan Favorites Baseball carries a $5.00 SRP for each 6-card pack. Each 24-pack box guarantees two
autographed cards.
June 16 - Josh Gibson Estate Inks Exclusive Deal With Topps Baseball Cards
The Topps Company announces that it has signed an exclusive trading card
deal with the estate of legendary Negro League slugger Josh Gibson.
The deal grants New York City-based Topps exclusive rights within the MLB
trading card category for all trading cards including insert cards, cut autograph
cards, memorabilia cards and Gibson’s image use on packaging and
advertising.
“To this day, when fans and collectors talk homerun records, you rarely hear
the name Josh Gibson, but we want to help change that,” said Warren Friss,
Topps Vice President. “We plan to spotlight this man’s legendary
accomplishments and pay tribute to his historic career.”
Gibson, a catcher for the Pittsburgh Crawfords and the Homestead Grays, hit close to 800 home runs
during his 17-year Hall of Fame career. Gibson slammed an astounding 84 home runs in a season
and is the only player to ever hit a fair ball out of Yankee Stadium.
“Topps has always been associated with the rich tradition of baseball. Our family is very honored to
have Topps Trading Cards highlight Josh Gibson as one of the greatest home run hitters in baseball
history,” said Sean Gibson, grandson of the former Negro League great. “This exclusive relationship for
the next two years is not only meaningful for recognizing Josh’s career but all those Negro Leaguers
who played during the 1920’s-1940’s.”
Gibson joins Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez as Topps exclusives.
Founded in 1938 as Topps Chewing Gum, Topps issued its first baseball cards in 1951 and is an
international marketer of entertainment products, principally candy, collectible trading cards and sticker
album collections. Topps Internet business includes Topps.com, eTopps.com, TheToppsVault.com
and thePit.com.
June 2 - Topps Pays Homage to Legendary Turkey Red Set
Topps is pleased to announce that this summer it is paying homage to the
legendary 1911 Turkey Red Baseball set with its own rendition featuring today’s
stars --2005 TOPPS TURKEY RED BASEBALL.
The original 1911 Turkey Red tobacco card set, considered by many hobbyists to
be the most gorgeous baseball card set ever produced, consisted of oversized
“Cabinet” cards measuring 5 ¾” x 8” and featured some of the most stunning
artwork ever captured on a baseball card.
Topps has recaptured these classic visuals and has given them a modern day
twist which links today’s superstars with yesterday’s legends. Collectors can now
see Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez on the picturesque baseball landscapes that Napoleon Lajoie,
Honus Wagner and Tris Speaker once graced.
Collectors will also be pleased to know that each 24-pack box guarantees 2 Relics and/or Autographs,
25 Parallel cards and an Original-Sized Box Loader.
Here’s the breakdown:
BASE CARDS (315) (2 ½ x 3 ½)
255 Veterans & Prospects
30 Rookies
15 Retired Stars
10 Action Cards
5 Reprints
PARALLELS
315 Turkey Black
315 Turkey White
315 Turkey Red
315 Turkey Gold (#’d to 50)
315 Turkey Suede (1 of 1)
AUTOGRAPHS
5 Exclusive Barry Bonds Autographs (Five different 1 of 1’s)
22 Turkey Autographs (includes Topps exclusive A-Rod)
22 Turkey Black, White, Red & Gold Autographs (sequentially numbered)
22 Turkey Suede Autographs (1 of 1)
RELICS
31 Turkey Relics (Pujols, Clemens, A-Rod and more)
31 Turkey Black, White, Red & Gold Relics (sequentially numbered)
31 Turkey Suede Relics (1 of 1)
BOX LOADERS / Cards featured in original Turkey red size (5 ¾ x 8)
12 Autographed Relics (Bonds and A-Rod / guarantee 1 per case)
16 Turkey Red Cabinets (includes 3 U.S. Presidents)
Original Turkey Red Buybacks
11 B-18 Blankets ( Jeter, Bonds and Ichiro)
Original B-18 Blanket Buybacks
2005 Topps Turkey Red Baseball Releases the week of August 29th and carries a $4.00 SRP for each
8-card pack (7 base cards & 1 parallel).
May 9 - Pope Card Redux
The sports trading card generating the most buzz among collectors right now doesn't feature a baseball,
basketball or football player. This captivating athlete was a soccer goalie who also liked skiing,
swimming, hiking and kayaking.
His name: Pope John Paul II.
A one-of-a-kind card featuring the pontiff's autograph was released earlier this year by Topps, the best
known maker of baseball cards. When the pope died last month, collectors wondered whether anyone
had found the card and what it might fetch in a marketplace suddenly sizzling for all things John Paul.
The location has been determined. A collector in Stockton, Calif., beat 1-in-135,475 odds and plucked
the pope rarity out of a $1.50 pack of otherwise ordinary baseball cards about two weeks before the
pontiff died. The day before the pope's funeral, he sold the card to Jeff Hoekstra, the manager of a
collectibles store in nearby Modesto.
How much is it worth? That's what Hoekstra is trying to find out.
He paid into four figures for the card, then immediately took it to eBay seeking a hefty profit. His first
auction closed at $8,100 but the sale fell through, so he offered it up again for $6,999 but got no takers.
His third try began Sunday and expires next Sunday. Like the first time, he started bidding at a penny and
will take whatever he can get.
Hoekstra said his first posting drew so much interest within the first hour that "if someone had offered
$15,000, I would not have taken it. ... I thought I could get about $25,000 or $30,000."
Now, however, "my thinking is, day by day, this card is getting less and less valuable," said Hoekstra,
who is 32 and not Catholic.
While the card's value may be dropping, interest in it remains high.
It's on the cover of the upcoming issue of Beckett Baseball, a leading trade publication, and many media
outlets reported the $8,100 "sale" last week. Hoekstra's initial eBay posting has drawn 13,400 hits, with
more than 600 coming since the auction closed; by comparison, the most hits he'd ever received
previously was around 500 for a rare Michael Jordan card.
"The lure of this card is very much his recent death and the fact the pope was an extremely popular
world leader," Beckett Baseball editor Mike Payne said. "Even if he was still living, I think the card would
bring a significant figure."
Why Topps even made a pope card is a story itself.
About a decade ago, card makers rejuvenated their industry by putting "inserts" into a limited number of
packages. The prizes had natural tie-ins, like autographs and pieces of jerseys and bats. Topps
stretched the boundaries last year with cards featuring autographs of every U.S. president.
Since George Washington isn't around to give his John Hancock, Topps used "cut signatures" —
autographs cut out and embedded into a card. While historians might be horrified, it's an accepted,
authenticated practice. And collectors love it.
So Topps responded with two sets this year: the 48-card World Treasures collection featuring a lineup
of historical heavy hitters such as the pope, Napoleon Bonaparte and Winston Churchill; and a 51-card
Power Brokers series that ranges from John Paul Getty and P.T. Barnum to Thomas Edison, Martin
Luther King Jr. and Helen Keller.
"By taking autographs of some of the most famous people who have ever lived, it really attracts new
collectors," Topps spokesman Clay Luraschi said. "That's our biggest thing. We want to bring people
into the hobby."
The cards actually are pretty bland. There's no picture, just the autograph on the front and a short bio on
the back. The pope's autograph looks like "J P II," a shortened version of his full signature, "Joannes
Paulus II."
The pope card was "pulled," as traders say, from a box of 36 packs, said Jerry Schoolcraft, owner of Big
Valley Collectibles, who unknowingly sold it. He said the lucky buyer was an infrequent customer who
recently resumed collecting.
"He came back and had it in a baggie. He said, `Is this a good card?'" Schoolcraft said. "I told him if he
wanted to sell, now was the time. It wasn't the kind of card to hold onto forever and ever."
Why would anyone pay so much for it, especially when a pope-signed, official Vatican photo of John
Paul and Mother Teresa recently went for $1,750 on eBay?
"Really, it's about bragging rights," Payne said. "You can buy a pope autograph cheaper, but Mr. Deep
Pockets wants this one."
May 3 - Topps Pope John Paul II Card Sells for $8,100
The Pope's 2005 Topps World Treasures card, which features the pontiff's actual signature, is the
hottest trading card on the market, according to the June edition of Beckett Baseball. The magazine,
which hits newsstands on Monday (5/9), details the $8,100 sale of the card by a California collector to
another Golden State collector shortly after the Pope's death.
"The Pope's card is a one-of-a-kind. It depicts one of the most revered leaders in history, so from that
standpoint the sale really isn't surprising. These types of cards, featuring world leaders and historical
figures, are en vogue right now. Collectors love the novelty aspect of these issues," says Mike Payne,
editor of Beckett Baseball.
To date, the Pope's card has generated the largest sum tracked for any of the 48 cards included in
Topps' 2005 World Treasures (released November 2004). The set features issues of historical figures
complete with "cutsignatures" (autographs taken from documents and incorporated into the card's
design). Other world leaders included are Czar Paul I and King Frederick the Great, whose cards have
sold for $3,050 and $3,000 respectively. Each card is one-of-a-kind.
The Pope's card still has a long way to go before it is considered the most valuable trading card of all-
time, though. According to Beckett, the biggest sale ever recorded for a trading card remains the $1.26
million paid for a 1902 T-206 Honus Wagner in 2000.
The "World Treasures" Signature Cards are featured in 2005 Topps Baseball Series 1 and The "Power
Brokers" Signatures are featured in the just-released 2005 Topps Baseball Series 2. Following are the
subjects for each insert set:
May 3 - 2005 Topps Total Baseball / 960 Players...The Biggest Set in the Hobby
Topps Total Baseball, the biggest set in the hobby, returns in 2005 featuring
960 different players on 770 cards. A dual numbering system allows collectors
to either collect the entire set or build their favorite teams. And as a bonus,
each card serves as a game piece to be used for a fun, easy-to-play game.
With a kid-friendly .99 cent SRP, 16 inserts per box, two 1/1’s in every case and
exclusive Barry Bonds Autographs, 2005 Topps Total is a must have.
Here’s the breakdown:
BASE SET (770 cards)
574 Veterans
232 Dual Veterans (116 cards)
60 Dual Prospects (30 cards)
88 Dual Rookies (44 cards)
5 Checklists
PARALLELS
770 Total Parallel (1 per pack)
30 Total Domination (3 per box) Includes inflated stats for game play
PRINTING PLATES
6,620 Total Printing Plates (2 per case)
AUTOGRAPHS
Topps Exclusive Barry Bonds (10 total cards) and 6 other players sign
for
Topps Total
INSERTS
20 Total Topps (2 per box)
30 Total Award Winners (3 per box)(image attached)
10 Total Production (2 per box)
30 Team Checklist (9 per box)
BOX LOADER
30 Team Set Stickers
2005 Topps Total ships May 30th and carries a .99 cents SRP for each
10-card pack.
April 27 - Topps Chrome Series 2 / Autographed Rookie Cards
Over the past year, collectors have been buzzing over Topps Chrome
Baseball’s AUTOGRAPHED ROOKIE CARDS.
And 2005 TOPPS CHROME SERIES 2 does not disappoint. Each $30
mini box (2 mini boxes per master box) guarantees 1 Autographed
Rookie Card. The 18-cardAutographed Rookie Card subject list features
some of the most exciting prospects in the game. Here are a few
notables.
# 235 Billy Butler, 3B / Royals first round pick in the 2004 Draft
# 236 Brandon Szymanski, OF / Reds second round pick in the 2004 Draft
# 240 Eric Cordier, P / Royals second round pick in the 2004 Draft
# 242 Justin Verlander, P / Tigers first round pick (2nd overall) in the
2004 Draft
# 243 Kevin Melillo, 2B / A’s fifth round pick in the 2004 Draft
# 244 Landon Powell, C / A’s first round pick in the 2004 Draft
# 245 Matt Campbell, P / Royals first round pick in the 2004 Draft
# 246 Michael Rogers, P / A’s second round pick in the 2004 Draft
# 252 Was Swackhamer, OF / Cardinals fifth round pick in the 2004 Draft
The autographed Rookie Cards also feature four different parallels:
*Refractor (#’d to 500)
*Black Refractor (#’d to 200)
*Red Refractor (#’d to 25)
*Super-Fractor (1 of 1)
2005 Topps Chrome Baseball Series 2 ships May 9th and carries a
$60 SRP for each Master Box. Each Master Box includes 2 Mini Boxes
(featured in Topps Chrome for the first time).
April 19 - Home Run History with Barry Bonds
As Barry closes in on the Babe and Hank, Topps will be there every step
of the way, as it has been since the release of his rookie card in 1986.
Now collectors can join Topps as it chronicles history in the making.
Beginning with the just-released 2005 Topps Series 2, Topps
celebrates Barry Bonds’ historic career and home run chase by
commemorating each and every one of his blasts in a unique set called
"Home Run History". It’s the ultimate Bonds collection!
In Series 2, collectors will be able to find cards for home runs 1-330 inserted 1:4 packs, with each card
featuring specifics of that particular home run on the back. The series will continue in 2005 Topps
Traded & Rookies, where collectors will be able to find home run cards 331-660. The set will be caught
up to date with the release of 2006 Topps Series 1, which will feature home run cards 660-?
And next month, Topps will launch “The Barry Bonds Trading Floor”, a special website dedicated
exclusively to collectors who wish to trade cards from this special Barry Bonds set. Stay tuned!
April 7 - 2005 Cracker Jack Baseball Features Short Prints
The highly anticipated 2005 Topps Cracker Jack Baseball hits hobby shelves this week and like lat year,
the base set features several short printed cards.(image attached) The short prints, seeded 1:3 packs,
are as follows:
NNO Josh Beckett
1 David Wright
3 Alex Rodriguez (Fielding variation)
4 Victor Martinez
6 Bobby Crosby
11 Aaron Rowand
13 Zack Greinke
21 Carl Crawford
26 Daniel Cabrera
30 Adrian Beltre
31 Chipper Jones
41 Matt Lawton
51 Eric Gagne
56 John Buck
60 Mark Prior (Portrait variation)
71 Cesar Izturis
75 Melky Cabrera (Common version is # 198)
75 Gary Sheffield
84 Craig Wilson
85 Johan Santana (Portrait variation)
106 Khalil Greene
110 Miguel Tejada
111 Johnny Estrada
112 Ronnie Belliard
126 Mark Buehrle
135 Michael Young
135 Ian Kinsler
146 Ryan Drese
151 Paul Konerko
156 Chase Utley
164 Landon Powell (Common version is # 207)
166 Mark Loretta
176 Casey Kotchman
181 Nick Swisher
186 Chris Burke
191 Joey Gathright
196 Angel Guzman
201 Ian Kinsler
206 James Jurries
211 Chris Denorfia
216 Steve Doetsch
221 Edgar Renteria (Red Sox)
221 Edgar Renteria (Cardinals)
225 Scott Rolen
226 Larry Walker
228 Mike Matheny (Cardinals Variation)
231 Johnny Damon
235 David Ortiz
236 Pedro Martinez (Mets)
236 Pedro Martinez (Red Sox)
The short prints also exist in all five mini parallel sets – Red, Blue, Grey, White and Stickers.
Each 9-card pack carries a $3.00 SRP and includes 7 Base Cards, 1 Mini Parallel and 1 Secret
Surprise. Each box guarantees 2 Memorabilia Cards, which include Relics and Autographs!
March 23 - Topps Commemorates Return of Baseball to D.C.
To commemorate the return of Major League Baseball to Washington, D.C.,
The Topps Company has created a special trading card set of the all-new
Washington Nationals.
The 55-card commemorative set, which is available at www.topps.com,
includes 48 Active players, 1 Manager, 1 RFK Stadium card and 5
Highlight cards.
The set carries a $19.99 SRP.
