As with many Topps products that were launched in the 2008-2009 timeframe, Platinum started off as a design disaster. Since that time, including a banner year in 2012, it has become one of my favorite releases of the early card season. Last year, Platinum was a great product that had a ton of reasons to buy in, and this year, its looking that much better.

Rookie Autos

I was shocked to see that Platinum was the first product of the year to feature on card autos of the rookies in their NFL uniforms. That is crazy awesome, considering that the cards are on Chrome stock which is notoriously laborious to get done in a reasonable timeframe. Talk about a logistics win for Topps, and the cards were well worth the effort.

This year, the cards look vastly improved in terms of the design, very much more similar to 2011 and 2012. I really like the open area in the back to focus more on the highlighted player and the shape of the nameplates. Very well-conceived and executed.

Here is 2013:

2013 Topps Platinum Eddie Lacy Gold Refractor Auto

2013 Topps Platinum Geno Smith Auto Camo Refractor

2013 Topps Platinum Montee Ball Auto RC

Here is 2014:

Rookie Auto Patch

I think 2011 is the benchmark for Topps Platinum, but these could be a challenger. Very sci-fi type of look that reminds me a lot of designs we would see in products like SPX back in the day. Although swatch size looks to have shrunk a bit (not a big deal), I really think the overall look is a nice improvement over 2013.

Here is 2013:

2013 Topps Platinum EJ Manuel Auto Patch Logo 1/1

2013 Topps Platinum Geno Smith Purple Refractor Auto Patch

2013 Topps Platinum Mike Glennon Rookie Auto Patch

Here is 2014:

Vet Auto Patch

Topps has become a company that is very cautious about adding veteran autograph relics early on in the season. Many of the players from Base Topps and Topps Finest will repeat in platinum with a different design, which I really despise. I would love to see more vets added to the checklist each year, and I think it’s a mistake to let Panini run train on them through the pre-season when it comes to vet checklist quality. Although Topps regularly outperforms Panini in just about every aspect of the rookie crop to start the year, veterans are a weak spot. Not good.

That being said, I think this design has serious potential on Chrome stock. Although the mockup makes it seem like that White box will be pronounced, its likely that it wont show as clearly in the finished product. If it does, the design drops significantly in quality for me, but Ill have to reserve judgment.

Here is 2013:

2013 Topps Platinum Andrew Luck Auto Patch Gold Refractor

2013 Topps Platinum Doug Martin Auto Patch

Here is 2014:

Dual Auto Patch

In my opinion, Topps is absolutely horrible at Multi Signed Cards outside of a few examples from Five Star and Museum Collection. Too much emphasis is placed on building design elements around the sticker autos and not enough is placed around the players featured on the card. Instead of a side by side presentation with large player photos, they are forced to the side in penny sized examples each and every year. Set after set looks like this and I hate every second of it. Although last year was a departure, it was still basically the same concept.

In some better news, looks like Bortles and Bridgewater are good to go for 2014. No sign of Manziel yet… ruh roh.

Here is 2013:

2013 Topps Platinum Giovani Bernard / Eddie Lacy Auto Dual Patch

2013 Topps Platinum Robert Woods / EJ Manuel Dual Auto Patch

Here is 2014:

I will definitely be chasing the hits of whomever the Vikings decide to draft with this product, and I sincerely hope that very little changes about the format from previous years. This product has become a staple, and I am guessing that there are some major reasons why Topps trots it out again. Collectors are drawn to Superfractors like nobody’s business, and Platinum is prime territory for that type of situation.

When it comes to rookies and prospect, there may not be a bigger release than the Bowman set each year. Many of the top rookies who were drafted will have their first cards and autographs, as well as other bigger names coming into the league. This year’s Bowman design is the best it has been in a number of years, and I am excited to see how it shakes out.

Retail versions of the product have already started to show up:

2014 Bowman Jose Abreu Mini Refractor

2014 Bowman Jose Abreu Chrome RC

2014 Bowman Kris Bryant Chrome RC

2014 Bowman Mark Appel Silver Diamond Bowman Retro

2014 Bowman Bo Jackson Silver Diamond Bowman Retro

The top guys in this year’s checklist are easily Masahiro Tanaka and Jose Abreu. We have already seen the finished product for Abreu’s autographs, and Tanaka will likely only be base cards. Even though no autographs will be present, his rare parallels will still be extremely valuable. With such a hot start for both guys, these cards should be enough to go out and buy a few boxes, and that is exactly what happens each and every year.

Other players like Mark Appel, and other top draft picks will also have cards, and though Puig is likely not going to be an autograph, there are quite a bit of other guys who will be happy to take his place as the top value guys.

I rarely buy baseball these days, but I have bought boxes of Bowman each and every year. Its just too cool a product to miss out.

Topps Five Star, as mentioned earlier, is one of my favorite sets of the year. Although this class does not bode well for high end, Five Star always looks amazing year after year. I detailed a bunch of reasons last week why everyone should be excited, but more pictures released today should get everyone that much more ramped up.

It should serve as no surprise that Topps is looking to move more and more towards 2009 Exquisite football, borrowing from the best designed high end sets ever produced in football. The swooping science fiction Scimitar type of design has been used before, and I have absolutely no problem with Topps borrowing from the best.

Here is what 2009 Exquisite brought us before:

2009 Exquisite John Elway Auto Jersey

2009 Exquisite Lance Briggs / Patrick Willis Dual Auto

2009 Exquisite Clay Matthews Auto RC

2009 Exquisite Peyton Manning Auto Jersey

Here is what Five Star is going to be bringing us next week. Easy to see the similarities, and that is a very good thing.

There is more nastiness here than Five Star has produced in the past, and I would expect more pics as the week moves on. Stay tuned for more coverage here.

Back when 2010 Topps Prime was released, I was unconvinced it had the staying power to be a long term brand for the calendar. After a tremendous year in 2012, and some nice looking examples in 2013, Prime has become better than I could have ever guessed.

Here are some of my favorites:

2012 Topps Prime Jumbo Patch Auto – Andrew Luck

2013 Topps Prime Jumbo Patch Auto Booklet – EJ Manuel

2013 Topps Prime Jumbo Five Patch Auto Booklet – Mike Glennon

2012 Topps Prime Quad Relic Auto – Russell Wilson

This year’s set looks better than any of the previous years have been, especially on the box hit rookie cards that we know will be the main focus of the product. They have taken on a look very much like Topps Supreme, and that is a very good thing. Prime has always been about using all sorts of swatches from the premiere, breaking from the normal jersey relics that are everywhere.

No one can deny that the booklet cards are also a big draw, making a big statement very early in the year. Although booklets are common later on in the season, these are some of the early ones that feature pictures from the premiere. We get some booklets in Inception with the retouched photos, but this is a bit more attractive for people that dont like those airbrushed versions.

As for the base autographs, the design is always cool. To see that Topps is going to be adding people like Favre, from what we are seeing, I think this could be more that just a fun rip. The full bleed design with autographed base cards is always something I will support, and I cant wait to see who is on the checklist this year.

Prime may be lost once the season switches into high end mode to close everything out, but it works as a mid year product. Im a fan.

I am a huge fan of Topps Five Star, and I would go so far as saying it is my favorite set of the card year. Bottom line the on card autographs available in this set have yet to be replicated since 2009 when Exquisite lost NFL licensing. Although the rookie class this year is as cold as ever, the people who do go and open the packs will be treated to some very nice looking content. Here are my favorite parts of the set.

Five Star Quotable Inscriptions

There are not many things that can compete with National Treasures in terms of sheer value, but these come close. Collectors want to get the different inscriptions that are available for their favorite players/teams, and over 2010-2012, they have not been disappointed. Topps has done a great job with getting the players to sign some really awesome inscriptions over the years, some of which are my favorite cards ever made. I will be hunting for these as usual.

2012 Topps Five Star Andrew Luck Auto Inscription

2011 Topps Five Star Jerry Rice Auto Inscription

2011 Topps Five Star AJ Green Auto Inscription

Five Star Auto Patches and Booklets

This set will include on card patch autos for HOF and current stars, and that doesn’t happen very often in this hobby. These always look awesome, and have always been on display when I have bought them, and I cannot wait to see who will comprise the set this year. So many times collectors lose sight of how rarely these come around, and we don’t truly provide support for the companies when they actually get off their but and make it happen.

2012 Topps Five Star LeSean McCoy Auto Patch

2012 Topps Five Star Aaron Rodgers Auto Patch Booklet

2010 Topps Five Star Drew Brees Auto Patch

Five Star Rookie Auto Patches and Booklets

Each year, the rookies have these in the product, and more often than not, they are not as valuable as the National Treasures. Personally, I think that is a crying shame, as Five Star always has looked that much better. The jumbo patch autos from 2012 may have been the best looking rookie auto patches since 2008 Exquisite and I am not even joking about that. This year also looks a lot nicer than any other we have seen so far.

2012 Topps Five Star Robert Griffin III Auto Jumbo Patch

2012 Topps Five Star Andrew Luck Auto Patch

Five Star Auto Base Cards

I am a big fan of signed base cards, and Five Star is the leader in the clubhouse every freaking year. They always look good, and we actually got a preview of the Marshawn Lynch version that looks awesome. Five Star is to autograph collectors what Ferraris are to car collectors, and its because they never disappoint. I just wish the value comparison was there.

2012 Topps Five Star Joe Montana Auto Base

2012 Topps Five Star Victor Cruz Auto Base

2011 Topps Five Star Peyton Manning Auto

If we actually started to put our money where our mouth is, and recognize on card content with higher value, that would be exceptional. For some dumb reason, that doesn’t happen. I hope collectors realize how important this set is in the grand scheme of things, although I don’t expect people to wise up overnight. This is THE premiere autograph set of the year, and its up to us to show that on card is important. We CONSTANTLY complain about stickers, and yet we never reward for when autos are hard signed. Quite hypocritical if you ask me.