Long-time dealer, first-time card-holder … 2013 Bowman includes a surprise

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

Collectors ripping into packs of 2013 Bowman when it officially arrives tomorrow might see a new face among those inside their mylar wrappers if they’re lucky.

And it might be a better card than they think.

It’s a card of Marcel Bilak … who?

—

 Loading ...

—

Bilak is the winner of last year’s Bowman Golden Contract, which got him onto a card in this year’s set — a promotion that will return once again this year. Bilak is the owner of Legacy Sports Cards, a shop in Las Vegas.

What else makes this card special? He wants to corner the market — at least at first — for his Rookie Card. His shop is offering a free box of 2013 Bowman to collectors who bring them in for a trade. How many boxes will be traded? He didn’t say, but it’s a limit of one per person (and while supplies last). Additional details can be found here.

No word on what they’ll cough up for the first BGS 10 copy.

This year, Topps is putting 25 contracts into hobby boxes. Each collector who finds one will get an autographed baseball from a notable prospect. One winner will get a Bowman jersey and a card in next year’s set.

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.

(For more on the product, including prelim and final auto/Relic checklists, click here.)