Like birds starting to make their way south for the winter and the onslaught of new TV shows, another fall tradition continues as Topps makes the final additions to the base set for the year. 2011 Topps Update Series Baseball is the unofficial third release of the year for the trademark set, offering a familiar mix of rookies, All-Stars and traded players in their new uniforms.
Product Configuration: 36 packs (hobby box), 10 packs (jumbo box)
Price Point: Base-Brand Set
Target Audience: Set Builders, Rookie Card Collectors
Box Break
- One autographed or relic card per hobby box.
- One autograph and two relic cards per jumbo box.
Product Highlights:
- 330-card base set includes rookies, All-Stars, traded players in new uniforms and season recaps.
- Diamond Giveaway continues to offer online redemptions for cards and prizes including diamond rings, vintage packs and diamond-embedded cards.
- Kimball Champions: 50 more players round out the mini card checklist that began back in Series 1.
- Diamond Duos pair both active and retired players based on some sort of connection.
- Parallels: Gold (/2011), Black (/60), Silk Collection (100 cards, /50), Printing Plates, Platinum (/1).
- Diamond Parallels: Platinum Diamond (1:4), Cognac Diamond, Hope Diamond (/60) and Canary Diamond (/1). Hope Diamond and Cognac Diamond parallels for all of 2011 Topps Series 1, Series 2 and Update Series players, including variations.
- Topps 60: 50 cards highlighting specific achievements.
- Topps 60 Autographs: 30 current stars with their signatures highlighting specific stats they rank in the top 60 either all-time or among active players.
- Next 60 Autographs: Highlights 20 youngsters.
- All-Star Stitches: 65 players are featured on these relic cards that feature swatches from All-Star workout jerseys. Parallels: Platinum (/50) and Canary (/1).
- All-Star Stitches Autographed Relics: Combine an All-Star workout relic with an autograph. Set consists of 15 cards (/25).
- All-Star Jumbo Patches: League patches from 55 All-Star workout jerseys are cut up and embedded with over-sized swatches (/6). Exclusive to hobby and jumbo boxes. Autographed versions for ten players will also be included.
- All-Star Stitches Dual and Triple Relics: Ten players will be featured in each of these sets that offer multiple relic swatches (/25). Only available in hobby and jumbo boxes.
- Glove Leather Cards match up a current star with a hero from the past. These manufactured leather cards will be inserted one per hobby case and one per jumbo box. A parallel limited to 99 copies will be made, as will a one-of-one "Nicknames" parallel.
- Diamond Duos Relic Cards: Two players are paired up with two relic swatches (/50).
- 1966 Mickey Mantle Reprint: Topps remakes Mantle's 1966 card and includes a uniform piece (/66).
- 60th Anniversary Autographs: Running throughout Topps' 2011 baseball products, five additional players inscribe autograph cards with special birthday wishes for the card manufacturer.
- 60th Anniversary Sketch Cards: These hobby and jumbo box exclusives feature one-of-a-kind works of art recreating iconic Topps cards from the past.
- Player Sketch Cards: Players become artists to create miniature masterpieces and doodles.
Card Gallery:
 |
Making purchases through affiliate links can earn the site a commission |
2011 Topps Update Series Baseball Product Review
Reviewed by Jeremy Brannon
Good: Great for set builders, various Diamond parallels for player collectors, rookie cards of late-season call-ups, All-Star Game patch cards, Topps 60 autographs.
Bad: Only one hit per hobby box, poor odds of pulling the nicer inserts, possible overproduction of base cards.
The Bottom Line: 2011 Topps Baseball Update Series is a great compliment to Topps Series 1 and 2. The Diamond Giveaway code cards, Diamond parallels, and Topps 60 autograph sets all continue. Hope Diamond (/60) and Cognac parallels include all cards from Series 1, Series 2 and Update. The Next 60 and Topps 60 autographs feature both future stars and legends like Hank Aaron and Sandy Koufax. The All-Star patches are gorgeous but difficult to pull. Legends short prints and a solid list of rookies, such as Mike Trout, Paul Goldschmidt and Eric Hosmer, round out an overall solid break.
Card Design: 4.0/5.0
The base set continues with the same design as 2011 Topps Series 1 and 2. Collectors can expect great action photography on card fronts and complete statistics accompanied by biographical information on the back. Several levels of Diamond parallels are geared toward player collectors, providing a challenge to complete their favorite player's “rainbow". Kimball Champions and Diamond Duos continue as well, but feel more like an afterthought. All-Star Patch relics, featuring beautiful patches from players' All-Star workout jerseys are always a huge part of Update.
Checklist: 4.0/5.0
2011 Topps Update features a great selection of rookie cards alongside Major League Debut and All-Star subsets. The relic and autograph checklists cover a wide array of players, but it is very difficult to pull a high-end card.
Value: 3.0/5.0
Set builders will need to break this product in bulk to complete their base and insert sets. While the relics, patches and autograph checklists are great, most collectors can expect to pull a single jersey relic, which is to be expected from a product with a lower price. The parallels do give collectors an opportunity to trade or sell to help offset break costs.
The Fun Factor: 4.0/5.0
The various inserts, rookies and traded players make for an overall fun break. Base Topps features some of the best photographs in the industry and Update follows suit. The inclusion of Hope Diamond and Cognac parallels add a nice challenge for player collectors. While you might not pull a rare patch or autograph, you still feel satisfied with your break.
|
Making purchases through affiliate links can earn the site a commission |
