When it comes to Super High End sets and products like Contenders, collectors are on the Panini bandwagon for the long haul. Even though I believe the loyalty is only partially earned, and somewhat by default due to Upper Deck’s departure from the NFL market, it is what it is. Now, any other product that doesnt fall into the bucket I just described above can only be described as a complete and utter clusterfuck, with varying levels of clusterfuckage included. There are sprinkles of success here and there, but over all, Panini’s track record is that of career practice squad running back.

Clear Vision is looking to be right in line with a history of crappy early year products for Panini. The only difference is this time, autographs are only 1 per case. Yes, you heard that right. They are going to trot out a new product with no brand loyalty, and try to rock the boat in a sport dependent on autographs. Although I support trying new formats and new ideas, there is a way to do it, and there is a way NOT to do it.

At the very least, if you are going to try to create value in your product, do it with some GREAT looking cards, or at least some really cool technology. Dont expect me to get excited over a reformatted piece of shit from other unpopular and terrible products. Clear Vision has very few elements to get excited about, to say the least. Not to mention, when the Autograph content does pop up on its “AMAZING ROZDIUCKULOUS CHECKLIST OF TOP GUYS!” its a manupatch auto design with an acetate signature instead of signed shitty pieces of embroidered fabric. YAY! Sign me the fuck up for 8 cases.

Outside of that, Clear Vision is akin to Topps High Tek, which will be making its debut in football this year after making waves in Baseball last year. Just to recap, they are a similar price point, but Topps is offering TRUE hard signed acetate cards for their product, and the autograph content is a normal structure. Here is my preview. Panini thinks that relic content and tired rehashes of acetate designs will make up for a lack of an autograph per box, forgetting that relics mean nothing anymore, and acetate is everywhere.

When they actually do get a card design right as they did with the jumbo patch layered acetate cards, they fuck it up by choosing posed goofy photographs instead of the action shots they should have used from the Rookie Premiere. That’s Panini in a nutshell. They dont know their ass from a hole in the ground on this stuff.

Back during the rookie premiere when they first released the sell sheet for Clear Vision, I saw some ulterior motives at play. Being that Panini overpaid so drastically for the exclusive licenses they have acquired over the last few years, minimum guarantees required in payments to the league will dictate a BLOATED calendar of sets that they will need to build if Topps does in fact get bullied out of their license. That means autograph deals in place will have to be completely re-imagined, which might not be as easy as one would think. They will need a PLAN B to have in case, and a 1 per case autograph content product could be that stop gap until new deals are done. However, we should all have a hearty chuckle if they think Clear Vision is the right way to roll that plan out. Hell, let us not forget that they chose to NOT get any of these cards truly hard signed at the rookie premiere. They barely got ANYTHING hard signed at the premiere. What a fucking joke!

Either way, it looks like this set is going to have a more limited run, which might be the only saving grace that it has. Panini is notorious for printing the shit out of their early sets, expecting them to eventually sell WELL below dealer cost, and this might end up in that group regardless of its seemingly lower case run. I mean, from the looks of these cards, it definitely deserves to be in the bargain bin at the release. However, we know there are collectors that will bust anything, and the group break contingent will eat up some of the cards.

Clear Vision is a joke in the funniest possible sense, and its scary that Panini thinks this should be a set on their calendar. Although it is better than trash like 2014’s Hot Rookies, or even Score, but outside of that, I fail to see its value. You will have people who will say “WELL, IM GOING TO GET A TOP AUTO IN EVERY CASE.” This is a true statment. However, not every collector is going to open that much. Most collectors will bust one box of it, run for the nearest trash receptacle, lose their lunch, and walk away.

Of all the All Star games, Baseball is the one where people have the least potential to get injured – at least in my opinion. This leads to a game that can be played at almost full speed. Inexplicably, Bud Selig thought this was a cue to add stakes to the game, and make it count. I cant even explain how infuriating that is. Either way, this game is interesting without the prize, and I always watch every year.

This year, there are some BIG rookie names involved, as well as some bigger hobby names that continue to hold the market for MLB cards. Guys like Kris Bryant and Joc Pederson are making their all star debuts, and I could not be more excited. Here are some things to watch for.

Kris Bryant in the Derby and the Main Event

Over the last few years, there has always been at least one big name that Topps structures all their releases around. Puig, Abreu, Harper, Trout, all have taken the crown. This year its Bryant, and his cards are going absolutely fucking insane.

Check out some of the craziness:

2013 Bowman Chrome Kris Bryant Auto BGS 9.5

2015 Topps Archives Kris Bryant Fan Favorites Auto

2015 Bowman Inception Kris Bryant Auto Jumbo Patch /5

His Finest Superfractor auto is up for auction, and is already garnering huge bids. This is a rarity, considering that repack companies usually buy up all the big hits before they hit eBay.

Bryant will be partaking in both legs of the ASG festivities, with the Home Run Derby tonight and the All Star Game on Tuesday. Although a shitty performance wont hurt him at all, if he comes out a winner in either event, it could definitely help him.

He is, without a doubt, a guy that is performing on a level similar to what we saw with Puig, and that makes for good hobby results. Although Puig literally set the world on fire, he hasnt really sustained it. Bryant will have big shoes to fill if he wants to reach the level of other hobby mainstays, and this could be a step in the right direction.

Joc Pederson in the Derby and the Main Event

Like Bryant, Joc is having a great year. He is on the verge of setting every major Dodgers team rookie record, and he should be getting similar recognition to his counterpart. His cards arent selling half as well, as many dont believe his ceiling is as high, but man, he can put on a show.

Here is where his cards are sitting:

2012 Bowman Chrome Joc Pederson Blue Refractor Auto BGS 9.5

2015 Topps Museum Collection Joc Pederson Dual Patch Auto

2015 Topps Archives Joc Pederson 1990 All Star Rookie Auto

Pederson needs to make a statement on a national level to get even MORE love in the hobby than he is already getting, and this is a perfect opportunity for him to do so. Bryant was a big name from the time he was drafted, and Pederson is running the race in second place. Not bad for a guy drafted in the 11th round.

Considering he wasnt even in the top 25 for Baseball America in 2014, he has made waves since being promoted when the Dodgers got rid of Matt Kemp. Might eventually end up as a top hobby name, especially playing in LA.

Repeat MVP for Mike Trout?

I dont think Topps could be more excited than for their main spokesperson to win the MVP last year in Minnesota. Trout went on to win the league MVP, and solidify his spot atop the Hobby. He remains the top autograph in Baseball, and his production speaks to why that is the case.

2015 Topps Finest Mike Trout Orange Refractor Auto

2015 Topps Stadium Club Mike Trout Auto SSP

2015 Museum Collection Mike Trout Framed Auto

If he can repeat as MVP, I doubt it will have a huge impact for his already sky high value, but it could definitely mean a bump momentarily. Baseball is one of those sports where the minor big event can mean increases or decreases in value, and I would like to see him put on a show.

Pitching Takes Center Stage

Its really too bad that Max Scherzer will not be able to pitch due to his starting on Sunday. We almost had the same situation with Chris Sale, but I guess that Ventura and Yost worked it out. Pitching has been the story as much as the rookies this year, and its always fun to see them go one on one with the best hitters in the game back to back to back. Although its usually only an inning at a time, it makes for some fun TV.

All Star Releases in Topps Bunt

If you have been following along with me on Twitter, you know how much I love the digital apps that Topps does. Each of the last few years, Topps Bunt has made an event out of the All Star festivities, and they are knee deep in it again this year.

Here are some of the cards:

2015 Bunt All Star Legends Johnny Bench

2015 Bunt All Star Bryce Harper Card

If you opened Series 2 baseball, you probably have some of the codes for Bunt sitting around, and I would say now is the best time to use them. Get yourself signed up, get some free coins, and check out the all star sets they are running at the moment. The cards look great, and they will definitely be rocking and rolling all night long tonight and tomorrow.

I have mentioned before that the game has been generating a lot of buzz lately, and this is easily one of the biggest weeks of the year for them.

Overall – this is a fun time to be a collector of all things baseball. I hope everyone still gets the enjoyment out of the All Star Game that it brings me, or at least some entertaining hobby reactions. Here is hoping that we get a good show again.

I love big events in sports, especially ones that have an attached fan event. Each year, baseball has the All Star Fan Fest that runs simultaneously with the All Star Game, much like the NFL experience that runs along side the Super Bowl. This is one of the biggest sports memorabilia shows of the year for MLB, and with it, comes a lot of fun giveaways.

Here are some of the more interesting things you can pick up:

2015 Topps All Star Game Chris Sale Die Cut Auto

2015 Topps All Star Game Johnny Bench Commemorative Patch

2015 Topps All Star Game Todd Frazier Fan Fest Set

2015 All Star Game Fan Fest Mr. Redlegs Bobblehead

2015 All Star Game Oyo Minifigure Felix Hernandez

Last year in Minnesota was a big deal for me, as I loved chasing down all the Twins themed items like Bobbleheads, manu-patch cards, and posters. Some of the cards ended up being quite the desirable item. It looks like Topps really wanted to have a repeat performance, as they brought back the card giveaways, and complete sets that have special cards.

Topps Bunt is also getting involved, with All Star themed cards for the next week, some of which are already out for the players participating in the game. There will be dozens of ASG themed releases, which should include player signature cards, legends, and Fan Fest themed sets.

If you are in the Cincy area, I would definitely go check out the show, as it is worth it just to see all the booths that will be set up. From what I saw last year, its more than just cards and memorabilia, it should have some element of All Star History as well.

When you do attend, Ill be happy to get any of the Topps Digital stuff you arent looking to keep! Shoot me a tweet if you would like to make a deal!

In 2011, Inception became one of the best pre-rookie premiere products in football, being the first to really use retouched photos to deliver NFL uniforms. Back a few years ago, Topps decided to bring it to Baseball as a prospect focused Bowman product, and collectors have liked the way it transfers.

Here are some of the nice hits so far:

2015 Bowman Inception Kris Bryant Auto Letter Booklet 2/2

2015 Bowman Inception Kris Bryant Orange Auto Inception'ed RC

2015 Bowman Inception Mike Trout Origins Silver Signings

2015 Bowman Inception Bryce Harper Origins Silver Signings

Like football, Inception offers a lot of hard signed content for the prospects in the set, presented in a way that looks like painted sports art. Because many of the players have had photos in their MLB uniforms already, the retouching required for football isnt necessary. The cards look a lot cleaner as a result.

For the first time, non-rookie content has also been added to the product in the Silver Signatures set, with guys like Trout and Harper making their inception debut. With a design that looks like the side panel of a baseball, the cards look awesome with the filter used to create the look.

The one draw back is the bottom part of the checklist, which can be comprised of pretty weak performers on the secondary market. Because many of the subjects have already been featured in Bowman products prior, and their inception cards end up being just another in the pile. There are special cards like Silver Signings and Relic Auto parallels that still sell very well, but those are very tough pulls. The strong crop of rookies making their MLB debut have made it much easier to do well if you can pull one, though. Sano, Buxton, Correa, Schwarber, Bryant, Pederson, and others are all included to make up for the duds.

Box prices started at around 90-100 dollars for 5 autos, which isnt a big hit to the wallet. You can bust a box or two and not walk away feeling cheated. The relic auto per box has logo parallels, which are some of the only logos they will have for years. Inception'ed versions of Bowman RCs also are case hits, which have been really popular in the past. All look really high end and nice.

If I were more of a baseball collector, I would be all over this stuff. It plays to everything I love – on card autos, clean designs, and high end content. I have seen some hot cases too, so if you get a nice box, it might be in your best interest to keep ripping.

Just a few days ago, I talked about how important unique autograph content is these days. In football its doubly important because of how many products are built around rookie autographs. Leaf Trinity, like Upper Deck Inscriptions is a product that offers a lot of great content in a unique fashion, and in the process makes their competition look foolish. Also live tomorrow is 2015 Panini Prestige, which might as well be added to the bargain bin black Friday list come two months from now. Trinity is better in every way.

Check out some of the cool cards already up:

2015 Leaf Trinity Marcus Mariota Inscription Auto Gold

2015 Leaf Trinity Jameis Winston Jumbo Patch Auto /25

2015 Leaf Trinity Marcus Mariota Jumbo Patch Auto /25

2015 Leaf Trinity Amari Cooper Inscription Auto

2015 Leaf Trinity Todd Gurley Auto Inscription RC

My favorite part of this product is the inscriptions, which are available for most of the players in the set. The inscriptions are either based on NFL type stuff or a combination of sayings and College accomplishments. Being that most of the content in Panini’s products will be stickers for the majority of the year, these cards are a welcome treat. Topps’ first post premiere product in Inception will not be out until next month, so this is something that should be at the top of your list for a while.

Another highlight over the last few years have been the Pure plexiglass cards, which are back with a new look for the first time in two years. I am not as big a fan of this design as I have been in previous years, but it is still a very nice looking use of the glass with on card autos. Again, better than anything available in Prestige.

People really seem to enjoy the patch autos that come pretty much one per box, but I dont like the vertical presentation on these at all. These would be HIGH END looking cards if they were done horizontally, but it looks like Leaf wanted to save cost and not alter the plates used for the other cards in the set. Really unfortunate, as the player picture would look so much better as a horizontal card. Even the inscriptions would look good as a horizontal card, but im not sure why Leaf has done these vertical the whole time.

Trinity doesnt get half the credit it deserves because its unlicensed, which is the same with other products done in a similar fashion. Brian Gray at Leaf takes pride in the product quality more than many of the other manufacturers, and its terrible that collectors dont respond. This is one of those sets that everyone should check out.