First look: 2013 Topps Opening Day baseball
By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor
Opening Day is Feb. 6.
Well, at least opening say for 2013 Topps Opening Day baseball cards.
Topps unveiled the first looks at the long-running retail-friendly brand on Thursday with many of the staples of the past but also one interesting new inclusion — Mascot Autographs.
Five of the beloved buffoons will appear in Opening Day — ink from Freebird (Cardinals), Mariner Moose, Mr. Met, the phamed Phillie Phanatic and Rangers Captain.
According to the preliminary checklist, 10 players will have autographed cards and among them will be David Wright, Ike Davis, Boone Logan, Hanley Ramirez and Josh Vitters for starters.
The base set will consist of 220 cards — 75 slated to appear in Series 2 — and each will have printing plates as well as an Opening Day parallel limited to 2,013 copies.
The insert cards will be found one per pack and include Superstar Celebrations, mascots, Ballpark Fun and Play Hard. Each of the sets will include 25 players.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
I want that Phanatic auto!!!!
Same here, grew up a major Phillies Phan and still am :) Sometimes I think Opening day should be the set I try to build since it is usually inexpensive to rip. I might just do it next year…
Joe…
But I want the Phanactic Auto! Great set for young collectors as it is “inexpensive”……..cards are made cheaply and pictures can be really blured.
I really wish Topps would do something different with this set. The design should look nothing like the flagship set .A design that should stand on its own would make this a more interesting set for most collectors because we really don’t needed a watered down version of Topps. Mascot autographs are neat but I would look back at the 1993 or 1994 Topps set that had the one gold per pack and follow that model. You add a few serial numbered inserts that focus on the younger crowd and I believe Topps would have winner every year.
I am very disappointed that Topps has eliminated the 3-D Opening Day Stars set. I collected it each of the past two years, and know a few other people that did too.
Mascot autos? Will this count in the “so many hits per box” discussions? Go, Topps.
I loved the signed Phanatic card, but one major problem: The Phillies have always spelled his first name as “Philliie,” not “Philly.”
If I get really lucky I can get a Boone Logan auto! I know this is low end, but if your making autos like 1:1000 packs, at least put some decent players in for autos.
“The base set will consist of 220 cards — 75 slated to appear in Series 2 ” Really? Two series for Opening Day?? Maybe I read this wrong.
As is normal with Opening Day, some of the cards it includes will be of players who are not in the already released 2013 Topps Series 1 set. Those 75 players will appear in 2013 Topps Series 2 later in the year.
Reading everyone who wants the Phanatic autograph. I buy a number of packs each year, just enough to get basically all of the regular set. And I pulled the Phanatic autograph this weekend. It’s cool, though as a Mariners fan, I was rather hoping for the Moose…