After watching about 20 case breaks online and scouring auctions with the coolest cards of the product, this is definitely turning into quite the release that Topps has going for it. Although I am still not a huge fan of the price for one card, as a case break product, it may mitigate some of the pricing issues that one person buying one box might have. Bottom line, many of these cards are insane, just insane. Here are some other thoughts.

The Good

I love the look and design of this product, it is clean, it looks high end, and the encased presentation definitely adds a lot to the whole set. Each card is more beautiful than the next, and that’s even before you start looking at patch content.

When it comes to the actual patches themselves, these are easily some of the most ridiculous ones we have seen in a baseball product in a very long time. Dynasty is littered with jumbo patches with huge pieces of logos, numbers, letters and tags, and I have yet to see a real one color piece anywhere. This is where I think many collectors will fall all over themselves to get a piece of their favorite player, as these are going to be the highest end cards for all those people who love the chase.

I also think the checklist is a win, even if it does have a few duds. Combing over auctions, player collectors are not JUST chasing their guys, which is a big deal in this hobby. Even the duds are cracking some nice prices, and that only speaks to how much people love the content. Although its not the best it could be, the addition of the throw in redemptions for the rookie and unproven players is a nice way to make up some of the issues.

Lastly, the main hits are all live. I have yet to see any major redemptions other than the ones that were added to the product as part of the help for rookie players. Even in those boxes, you are still getting a live auto patch, and that’s a very good thing to accompany a redemption in a box that costs 300+ per card.

The Bad

I was dead set against the price here, but when compared to a set like Flawless, you get considerably more for your money. With flawless, you get 2 nice cards, a good card, and 3-4 other junk cards. With Dynasty, the big hit of the case is going to be a HUGE hit, and the other cards are all going to be extremely nice too. Although I dont think this is something Im going to run out and buy, I have softened a bit on the cost per box.

That being said, I think there is a lot that can be added to make this more than a one card per box product. Adding in single autographed cards to accompany the big hits in every box is something I would definitely consider, even if it means extending the checklist out on the auto patch side of things. With one card, it gives the impression of this is IT, so it better be good, which is going to sour the people who get skunked on a one box break.

The lack of varied designs is a big of an issue too. Topps elected to change photos rather than the look of each card, and I would have liked more variety in they way each player’s allotted cards were laid out. Different photos cannot be the benchmark for a product like this. For reference, these white HOF type cards are the only variation that exists from the normal sepia run.

The Ugly

The one of one autograph pen quality is complete shit in some cases. There was an obvious need for running the pens longer before signing, and the stock seems to have sucked up the ink to the point that it is barely legible in some of the major cards. Considering these are the chase cards, there needs to be attention to detail when doing the signing itself.

I understand that the players likely didnt have this instruction, but it needs to happen. Many of the other cards turned out awesome, and its a shame the 1/1s did not.

Baseball collectors are of a different breed than many other sports. When it comes to high end, they rarely bite unless it is something that completely blows people away. For the first time, Topps is trying a MEGA high end product in Dynasty, that costs over 300 dollars per CARD. Although each card is an auto patch, this puts a card by card price well above any other product ever released in Baseball. I am a huge high end autograph chaser, so my ears perked up when I heard about this product, but I have some questions.

Here are some of the cards that are up so far:

2014 Topps Dynasty Albert Pujols Auto Patch /10

2014 Topps Dynasty Bryce Harper Logo Patch Auto 1/1

2014 Topps Dynasty Miguel Cabrera Auto Patch /10

2014 Topps Dynasty Yasiel Puig Auto Patch /10

Now, before I go on, let me say that I love the look of this product. The sepia style presentation with silver and gold signatures really pops, and I think that the patch quality is unlike anything we have seen, maybe since 2010 Ultimate Baseball. The issue is not that, though. I would even go as far as saying that Topps Dynasty’s design and patch quality may be one of the saving graces of this set.

The issue is the cost per box, which is venturing into Flawless' insane territory, for a sport that has a hard time coughing up the big bucks for even crappy products like Triple Threads. Similar high end products that have always paled in comparison to the checklist and card quality of Dynasty. If that is the nature of the Baseball market, this is a huge risk regardless of what is inside.

With all that is going on in the hobby, is that a risk that Topps should be taking? Im not sure the answer is a positive one, as there is absolutely NO FUCKING WAY this should cost as much as it does. Not because there isnt anything worth tons of money, but instead because of what is available. Like Flawless, there are no 1/1 logos, no booklets, nothing other than some of the top cut sigs to make this different than a set like Five Star, which arguably looks better. Having a top quality checklist shouldnt be the determining factor of content. It just shouldnt.

Personally, I cant say I would be on the list of a person who is going to be buying this, but again like Flawless, I am definitely going to be chasing down some singles. I just cant justify spending 300+ per box, for one card, even if that card is an auto patch of a bigger name. There are too many duds on the checklist, and too much risk for a sport where Jeter, Trout, Griffey and a few others are the only real SUPER high end players.

Even though some of the singles that are up so far are easily going to clear the box price, I wonder if that will hold. Also, with younger unproven players also populating the checklist, it becomes more of a risk by the day. A low print run may create contrived scarcity to match the low serial numbers, but I see way too many similarities between this and other overpriced products.

I like simplicity. Simplicity is one of the more underrated concepts in the hobby when it comes to design, and it bothers me. That being said, there were a lot of collectors who came into the peak of their collecting years during the late 1990s who will disagree with me.

They like things shiny and busy. Topps has taken this to heart in creating a few product concepts this year, and this week’s release of Topps High Tek is one of them. Im just not a fan.

2014 Topps High Tek Mike Trout On Card Red Auto /10

2014 Topps High Tek Jose Abreu On Card Auto RC

2014 Topps High Tek Jose Canseco Black Auto 1/1

2014 Topps High Tek Nolan Ryan B&W Auto /15

Usually, whenever a set has acetate cards, Ill take a look. If the acetate cards are hard signed, I will usually be all over it. For whatever reason, High Tek (another awful 1990s name) is one of those sets that breaks from my normal affinity for the combination. The cards are shiny, full of patterns, and look like they are straight out of 1997.

I understand why Topps is going to this well again, as collectors seem to be like babies in that sense. If the design is busy and shiny, they are happy regardless of how horrible the design looks. Its almost like a set of keys for an infant. Shiny and noisy! All things considered, though, there will be a lot of people who will love every last card that is populating this returning beast.

On the other hand, this is a pretty low cost box for the checklist and on card autos that it houses. I was pretty surprised to hear this comes in at under 100 bucks a box, which I believe will appeal to many of those individuals who made the 1990s their wheelhouse.

I guess I should become more accustomed to the “retro nostalgic but not vintage” feel that we are likely going to be seeing more often if this set finishes as well as it looks like it will.

This past Sunday was a big day for the hobby, believe it or not. For the first time this year, Johnny Manziel finally got some legitimate playing time when the Browns got down 17 points versus the Bills. The current situation in Cleveland is murky for the first time all year, with Brian Hoyer experiencing setbacks in throwing interceptions and losing games. This means, for the first time as well, Manziel's increased playing time and hobby super-stardom is also becoming closer to a reality.

Since Sunday, you can see that collectors are a bit more back on board with Manziel. It will climb as he is named starter:

2014 Topps Chrome Johnny Manziel Auto Patch

2014 Topps Chrome Johnny Manziel Auto Money Manziel Inscription

2014 Flawless Johnny Manziel Auto RC 1/1

2014 Crown Royale Johnny Manziel Silhouette Auto Patch

Let’s face it, despite having very little playing time to his name this year, Manziel is still the top rookie in the class. His rare combination of fame and potential is a hobby formula for success even if he doesnt play well at first. Although his prices have dropped significantly he is still the rookie that everyone wants to pull from their box. He is either someone you want to keep for your PC, or sell to someone who is one of his many fans.

The other issue is that the other QB targets this year havent exactly had stellar breakout seasons so far. From the top to the bottom it hasnt been all that wonderful. The Jury on Blake Bortles is still out, despite being near the top of every category a rookie QB does not want to be at. He is having major issues with turnovers on a terrible team, and it doesnt look like things are going to be looking up so far, even with a great comeback win against the Giants. Collectors are buying, but not the way they were before the season started. Bortles still has a lot of hobby ground to make up.

Teddy Bridgewater has managed four wins and a TD pass in each of his last six games, but he isnt lighting it up the way Luck and Griffin did in 2012. As a result, his value isnt likely where his potential dictates, but he is on his way to being the class’ top QB so far. With the controversy surrounding Adrian Peterson likely coming to a close this week, his team may get some help in either putting the situation behind them, or welcoming Peterson back to a team whose running game is hurting badly. Teddy is hobby friendly in playing for a widely collected team, but he is going to need to perform to really win a place in many PCs.

Derek Carr is also having his own struggles, as the 1 win Raiders continually show they are not ready for prime time. Carr has shown flashes this year, including a 4 TD game, and has come far with collectors since being named starter before week 1. The only major issue I see with his hobby value is that if the Raiders end up with the number one pick, does that mean that Carr is going to be a thing of the past? The team is not invested in his contract at all thanks to the rookie wage scale, and his time in Oakland may be spent playing behind a new draftee like Mariota or Winston. Not good.

Manziel may end up being in the best situation when the season is over, as Hoyer is not going to be brought back. He also has a great wide out in Josh Gordon to throw to, and if he can pull it together, the Browns may end up being a team to watch. The issue is that his off the field issues continue to be a public spectacle, and the AFC north is nothing to shake a stick at. The hobby is still behind him, and that isnt a surprise considering how he came into the season with a hype train like we hadnt seen forever.

Before I start anything regarding this review, I think we should all be completely honest. Putting this product up against Chrome, head to head, is like sending a Honda Accord onto a NASCAR track and expecting it to perform. That being said, there is only one type of card in this entire freaking product that is even worth a damn. Outside of that, it might have better not existed. I honestly believe you could do Crown as a one pack product, and the pack can either be a blank dummy card or a silhouette patch auto. That’s about how shitty of a brand this product really is, silhouette or absolutely nothing at all.

Here are the best cards up so far:

2014 Crown Royale Johnny Manziel Silhouette Auto Patch /25

2014 Crown Royale Mike Evans Silhouette Auto Patch

2014 Crown Royale Teddy Bridgewater Silhouette Auto Patch

2014 Crown Royale Jamaal Charles Die Cut Auto /5

Lets start with the Silhouettes, because like I mentioned above, the rest of this product is horrendous. They are REALLY nice this year, and continue to be on card autographs, which I am fully in support of. Even though they separated out the card design again with a bar across the middle, I still think the cards worked. I would like to go back to the player in the middle of the patch instead of off to the side (like these were in 2010), but its a nit picky complaint that isnt too big of a deal.

As for the rest of the cards, this product is a huge fucking dog. The silhouettes are literally the only cards worth anyone’s time at all. This product is stuffed to the brim with crappy sticker autographs, most of which are so ugly that it doesnt matter they exist at all. I dont get the metal bolt motif either, espcially with the different types of foil that are used behind the player. Its almost like they had two designs for the silhouettes, and the ones they used for the base autographs was the reject. Instead of putting jersey swatches behind the player, you now have crazy foil patterns. I dont get it. Im not even going to start talking about the separated area for the sticker for the millionth time. Some of these cards are so bad, I dont even have words for them. I cannot fathom how a design team could sit around and plan this set out, and someone not raise their hand to talk about how horrid the cards look.

Here is the bottom line. Panini is almost starting to build entire products without consideration for the majority of the set. There is no equity left in many of their brands, and that is a scary thought for what they are doing with their exclusive license. Crown will be in closeout faster than Chrome, and there are 4000 too many cases of Chrome out there. That’s not a good thing.