Back in 2010, when Prime was first released to a pretty strong rookie class, I was pretty disappointed with the way it turned out. The booklets were boring, the set design was uninspired and didnt offer much out of the ordinary. In 2011, Topps prime improved significantly, especially in the parts of the set that counted. The booklets looked better and the layout was more well conceived to accommodate the relics that were necessary to put on each card. In 2012, Prime is back again, and this year looks like it will be the strongest yet.

The card that excites me the most, oddly, is the base rookie autograph, which looks absolutely amazing. Much like the base cards, it uses the team color swooping lines above the nameplate that I always loved when used back in the day by UD. The cards have full bleed action shots, which compliment the design quite nicely. If I am a collector of the big rookies, these cards would be my first target.

The quad relic Tannehill also looks really good, considering how many swatches they had to fit on the card. The full player shot on a card with four separate 1 inch swatches is something that I think works very well, something that has been a struggle in years past. They even managed to get larger player pictures on the four player relic card as well, a feature that is not usually present when Topps does cards like this.

In terms of the two big hits from the preview, I have two very different reactions. The Luck book is one that I feel does a great job where some of the other examples from Topps prime of years past has failed. The understated design that plays in step with the theme of the overall set peaks my interest, and I cant wait to see what surprises will happen all the way down the parallel scale that these cards usually have. I am beyond sick of event used football swatches in cards, and I really hope these are the final cards of the year to use these lame excuse for a swatch.

On the flip side of the well designed Luck book, is the Blackmon style card, which I get way too much of a triple threads vibe off of. The player in the corner and the swatches in a row down at the bottom doesnt give me the same amount of excitement that I think works better when a bigger swatch is off to the side. Take off some of the windows, and this card is a winner for me.

Overall, im definitely going to check out a few boxes of this stuff, as it has proven to be a fun rip over the last few years. For what it promises, the box is well worth the price of admission, especially considering what Panini would offer at a similar price point.

When Peyton Manning signed with the Broncos, his collectability shot up as the Broncos are a widely collected team with a rabid fan base of people who want to get in on the new hotness. On top of that, Tim Tebow became expendable and was traded within days to be a backup with the NY Jets. Obviously, both card companies jumped at the opportunity to create cards for both players, and with Prestige and Bowman on their way into the hands of these people, the base cards are some of the first indication we have on pricing.

Starting with Bowman, both Tebow and Manning have SSP variations that were inserted into both the hobby and retail versions of the packs. For the record I absolutely love SSP base cards, especially when they are incredibly rare, as they give high end chasers like me a reason to look through the base cards we would normally toss aside. More importantly in Bowman, the veteran design is miles ahead of the hideous rookie designs, and makes me wish that Topps had done every card in the set just like the non-rookie base.

Manning’s card has been selling at crazy prices for a base card, with Tebow right behind.

Check this out:

Peyton Manning SSP Broncos Base Card

Peyton Manning SSP Broncos Base Card #2

Tim Tebow SSP Jets Base Card

Tim Tebow SSP Jets Base Card #2 – Ha, what a price for this.

Prestige is taking the new Tebow craze in new York to another level of stupidity, as they are dedicating a 15 card insert set to his time in Denver. Never, in the history of the league, has a backup QB that played at a mediocre level gotten the attention he is getting. I understand he will drive value in cards, but I just fail to identify with an entire insert set dedicated to the success that was mostly achieved with the entire Broncos team.

Topps similarly dedicated an autograph set in Precision that I also have a distinct issue with, but to their credit, the design should be much better than what we are going to get with the Prestige stuff. Regardless, I understand WHY it was done, but I don’t agree with it, only escalated by my personal status as a Tebow hater.

Lastly, as the year moves on, there is a distinct chance that Manning could be hurt and Tebow could be a starter, which is exactly the opposite of what would be good for both teams, and I think that banking more and more on the situation to take place is probably not a risk I would personally take. If Manning does end up on the shelf, most likely for good, his Broncos cards could tank. Once Tebow hits the field as a starter, it could be his final exam as a passable NFL starter, which by all indications will not end well. Both very bad situations.

If entire sets rely on content based around both players, Im not sure how collectors will react if the bad possibilities become reality. However, if Manning leads Denver to the Super Bowl they might have had if the Broncos had a good QB last year, these cards could become almost unbuyable. Im sure that is precisely what both Topps and Panini would like to see.

When Bowman Signature hit shelves yesterday, it marked the first autographs of the 2012 season on NFL licensed cards. Although the cards don’t feature the players in their NFL uniforms, the limited release of the product and player quality has bred some RIDICULOUS prices to start the year for 2012.

Check this out:

Robert Griffin III RC On Card Auto Helmet

Andrew Luck RC On Card Auto Helmet

Justin Blackmon RC Base Auto Red Ink /15 – Huge price for a receiver and an ugly card.

Andrew Luck Accolades On Card Auto

LaMichael James Blue Ink Helmet on Card Auto

Basically, because the top tier rookies are tremendously short printed, they have even more reason to be that much more expensive in a product like this. I have to believe that once cards with them in their uniforms (airbrushed or otherwise) are released, the prices will drop to more expected ranges, but should hold their value more than a normal product like this because of the small number of available boxes.

Collectors really are hungry for guys like Griffin and Luck, more than I think many people expected them to be. They are walking in the desert, thirsty for 2012 autographs and see an oasis in the distance. When they get there and find out it’s a mirage, they are so thirsty that they drink the sand. Topps has some AMAZING stuff in the pipeline, from what we have seen, I am someone who is more likely to wait until that streets.

Once the NFL draft ended, Topps got on their horse and started to solicit some of their products that will be released over the course of the 2012 season. These products did and continue to make me very excited at the possibilities for 2012 and one of the highest rated draft classes of the last ten years. One product that they really didn’t pimp much of was Bowman Signatures, which fell off the relative radar in the face of a diminished distribution, and some incredible previews from 2012 Topps flagship.

Now that the cards from the hobby product have hit eBay, they are some of the worst looking cards Topps has done in the last two years. Aside from the hideous presentation of the players in generic jerseys, the cards lack the kind of pizazz that one should expect from a product that costs 30 bucks a pack. I completely understand that there is a hole in this spot in the calendar, but as someone who likes good looking cards, I am not going to touch this product in pack form.

Here are some of the bigger listed hits so far:

Andrew Luck Accolades On Card Auto

Ryan Tannehill Red Ink Helmet on Card Auto /15

LaMichael James Blue Ink Helmet on Card Auto

Trent Richardson All American On Card Auto

To be honest, I wonder what Topps would have lost if they waited another few weeks and used the time to update the non-helmet cards to have retouched jerseys that used NFL logos. Panini Prestige is obviously not going to be as successful, maybe to a huge deficit, but it is an established product that collectors expect at a certain time of year. This is a brand new product that COULD have been a great one, if Topps hadn’t rushed to meet deadlines.

Starting with the helmet cards, at 2 per box, these cards aren’t horrible. They are MUCH better than the base rookie cards, but these face a unique situation that I understand why they were produced the way they were. In order to get hard signed cards, the rookies HAD to be presented in this way, and that I have no problem with. The whole card together looks MUCH better than the Panini design it was ripped from, but that is about it. Everyone should know how much I hate head shot photos, and how much I love on card autos, so I am not going to complain too much about the way these turned out. If I was a Luck fan, I might chase one down.

Outside of that, the rookie content in this product is not just bad, its horrid. As I mentioned in my previous post, the NFL licensing is somewhat to blame for the situation, but Topps is responsible for the way the cards turned out. I really dislike the single color background, as I think a photoshopped stadium would have worked much better. I also think that the generic uniforms should have been given some identifying marks. Something to break up the colors, as RGIII looks like he took a bath in blood. The fact that there is little to distinguish one photo from another, the appeal of the cards is drastically diminished. There needs to be more differentiation so that I know its David Wilson on my card and not Trent Richardson.

There is also veteran content that is included in Bowman, which from what I have seen looks pretty cool. Like a revamped version of Topps Magic with the painted filter on the cards. The Manning and Tebow SSP base cards will be HUGE sellers for the Broncos and Jets collectors. Honestly, these cards wont make the splash they would have because of the way people will react to the rookie content. I think some veteran base cards with the auto stickers could have made this product somewhat better, but I don’t think that was a part of the plan. The veterans do have some autographs, but it’s a subset that doesn’t look as cool as the veteran base cards.

I have stated before that I would much rather wait the extra time to have a fully baked NFL product, and I have a feeling that after this year, the calendar might be adjusted. Although releasing previous year’s products in April is a HORRIBLE idea, releasing NFL branded products in May could be a similar venture for both companies.

I rarely talk about basketball on this site, so when I do, it needs to be something significant or I wont have the interest in posting. Now that the NBA season is wrapping up, and LeBron James has another opportunity to get to the NBA finals, its only fitting that his place in the hobby gets some play. Basically, for the last 8 years, Basketball cards have been about 2 people, with 2 others sprinkled in. The first is Michael Jordan, who will most likely remain the best ever for decades to come. The second is LeBron James, who has maintained a die hard following of collectors everywhere, even despite his public disregard for the team that drafted him. Of course, Durant and Griffin have recently come on as highly collectable players, but their marketability pales in comparison to the first two.

Although LeBron has won multiple league MVPs, he has one gaping hole on his resume – a ring. San Antonio may have the best team in the league this year, but as long as LBJ has a shot at a title, his cards will go nuts. They have definitely been doing that so far this month:

03-04 Exquisite LeBron James Rookie Patch Auto /99 BGS 9

03-04 Exquisite LeBron James Emblems Patch Auto /15

Exquisite LeBron James Michael Jordan Dual Patch Auto /23

James’ 03-04 Exquisite Rookie Patch Auto has long been a coveted card that many high end basketball card collectors have chased. For a long time, it was one of the only modern cards that broke the 10K ceiling that I have referred to in many of my discussions. Without a ring, the card can only be so valuable, but if James is able to squeak one out, the possibilities are even more likely that the cards could end up breaking 15K. Bosh might be back in time to play in the finals, and that will put more pressure on the Thunder or Spurs if Boston caves in the rest of the games the way they did last night.

During the regular season and for most of the post season, LeBron has played at the potential that people have assigned to him since he was drafted. Even with his accomplishments, the elusive championship has brought an onslaught of criticism with it. I almost think of what Peyton Manning went through prior to 2006, only on a worldwide scale. Everyone has something to say about James and his clutch performances or lack thereof, but his cards continue to be valuable regardless.

As an exclusive of Upper Deck, James has yet to have an NBA licensed auto card of him in his heat uniform. Because I hate player exclusives as much as I do, regardless of sport or player, I wish this weren’t the case. As a result, players like Durant and Griffin have REAPED the benefits, as their top tier performance and regular auto insertions in Panini product have made them that much more popular among a hobby almost 100% focused on the chase of high end cards.

Here is what I mean – check out these Jordan-esque prices:

National Treasures Blake Griffin Rookie Patch Auto /99

Panini Preferred Kevin Durant Silhouettes Patch Auto 1/1 – NOT EVEN A ROOKIE!

Even the old UD cards are going nuts, despite the Sonics Uniform:

Exquisite Kevin Durant Rookie Patch Auto /99 BGS 9

I have often said that Panini should invest the money to buy the exclusives of Jordan and LeBron from UD, as the value they bring to products is relatively immeasurable. I would even go so far as saying the license for the NBA isn’t worth even close to what it is with the two of them. National Treasures has struggled upon release because of how difficult it is to sell a product like this without the two hottest players. Only after Griffin and Lin’s explosion have they become hot, and that wont do anything for the shops who are forced to stock the high priced boxes.

Collectors have since gone back to busting years old products of Exquisite and the like, and now that LeBron is close to being back on top, that should continue. Even Blowout is pimping their stock of 03-04 products just to capitalize on the James and Wade tandem that has been raking all year long.