2015 Topps Platinum Football Cards

Product Review

2015 Topps Platinum Football Product Review

Reviewed by Trey Treutel

Good: Three autographs per box, bold design, lots of Chrome Refractors.

Bad: Shifted considerably to sticker autographs, little else to the release beyond hits and base.

The Bottom Line: The overhauled design is certainly hard to miss but the influx of stickers is a painful and unexpected addition. If you like the design, it might be better to hold for the price drop on boxes.

Card Design: 3.0/5.0

Whereas last year maintained a more-recognizable take on a Chrome-ish product, the 2015 design takes things up a notch. Swirls of smoke and a large team logo now occupy the background. I’m not saying it is my absolute favorite, but it is very eye-catching and I feel it gives the product more of a personality.

Outside of that, the fundamentals of the base remain largely the same with several Refractors for the rookies and just one for the veterans. I still don’t quite understand why the Gold parallel for the veterans has a thicker stock.

The main issue for most collectors is the sticker autographs that were ramped up in 2015. Largely thought of as an on-card autograph product, stickers appeared in more limited numbers in 2014, but now appear to be the norm in 2015. There are some hard-signed autographs but they are few and far between.

Like last year, there is not much else outside of the autographs and base/parallels. The lone insert is the token mini die-cut. Say what you will about Topps, but they always stick to the tried-and-true formula and that can be a little disappointing.

Checklist: 3.25/5.0

I have no major qualms with the checklist. Sure, it would be nice if a mid-season release saw more of a shift to the new rookie names taking the place of the duds or those seeing no playing time. Given the 70-subject checklist, there is a bit of filler in the Rookie Autographs set and that can be a problem as there is a good chance that each box will yield 1-2 of these.

While rare, there is also a decent mix of veteran content that covers both younger stars and seasoned vets. We actually pulled an autographed patch for C.J. Anderson. Not a huge hit these days, but it would have been fairly nice to hit last season.

Value: 3.0/5.0

As far as what the product offers, sticker autographs rarely go hand-in-hand with value. However, Platinum has a moderate price tag despite totaling three autographs per box (we actually pulled four) for around $80. Plus, there is certainly the potential for something big, including on-card autographs or low-numbered parallels. At this price point and three guaranteed autographs, you could certainly do worse.

The Fun Factor: 3.75/5.0

For me, too many products run together these days and I enjoyed Platinum a bit more since it stood out. Brash and shiny, the only thing that holds it back for me is the sticker autographs and limited scope. I would love to see a little more effort in the insert department. Maybe even a few different options per box versus one mini die-cut. One unexpected thing was the fourth hit. Obviously, this does not make the product itself better but it is always nice to get something extra.

The box used for this review was provided by Topps.