2015 Topps Finest Generations

Year: 2015

Manufacturer: Topps

Card Set: Finest

Card Type: Insert

Insert Set: Generations

Card number: FG-20

I was finally able to get my hands on one of Robin's newest cards.  It's nice to see Robin featured in the set somewhere.  These base Generations inserts fall about one per mini box, although I could be wrong about that.  There is also an autograph version of this set, but Robin isn't featured in it.  This insert also has three parallels all extremely rare.  The refractor is numbered to just 25, the red refractor to 5 and the superfractor to just one.

As far as design goes I'm less than blown away, but a new card is a new card.  And with the parallels being so low numbered this will probably be the only version I get.  And as I posted before, Topps was offering this design as wall art on their website.

1983 Sporting News Official Baseball Guide

Year: 1983

What: The Sporting News Official Baseball Guide

Back in April I post about some old panels I had picked up years ago.  Tony L over at Off Hiatus Sport Cards asked what they were in my Yount checklist.  I had to dig them out and after looking at them I was kind of stumped as well.  Back when I won them they were listed as SGM panels and I was a little disappointed when I got them to see that they were just cut outs of some magazine or book.  Well that got me thinking and doing a little searching and I concluded that they probably come from the 1983 Sporting News Official Baseball Guide, but without being able to actually look at the guide I couldn't know for sure.  

So after a little searching I found a copy for a penny on Amazon. Yep a whole penny, plus $3.99 shipping.  I can handle 4 bucks.  Not only that but the Guide features Robin on the cover so it was a win win for me.  I get a new piece of memorabilia and I get to find out if those panels were in the book.

Well I'm happy to report that the mystery is over and those panels did indeed come from this guide.  I guess someone decided to see if they could make a little money by cutting out panels and I guess they did because I bought two.

The book I received was an old library copy with the paperback cover being reinforced with acetate and the library number on the spine. Inside is piled full of statistics, write ups on the previous years season by team, and a great write up on the 1982 World Series, the Brewers one and only appearance.

2010 Topps Cards Your Mom Threw Out 1975

Card Manufacturer: Topps

Year: 2010

Card Set: Series 1 Baseball

Card Number: CMT-24

Card Type: Insert 

Insert Set: Cards Your Mom Threw Out - Basic Back

In 2010 Topps hit upon an idea that ended up being hugely successful, The Cards Your Mom Threw Out online promotion.  If you don't remember the premise I'll sum it up.  Seeded in Series 1, 2 and Update were code cards.  You set up an account online, entered your codes, and you got a card.  Then you could trade that card or have it actually shipped to you.  I can't remember what Topps charged for shipping, heck it might have even been free.  I ended up getting some great 50's and 60's cards.  Not of anyone big, but it was cool to unlock a 56 Topps card.  Of course I also unlocked a huge amount of junk wax and condition was an issue, but free cards are free cards.  Topps continues with it's online code promotions today, but they pale in comparison to this first attempt.  

In addition to the promotion Topps also had an insert called Cards Your Mom Threw Out that ran through all three series.  They featured classic cards from all years and also featured an original back parallel.  Robin would get two cards in the set, his 1975 rookie card was featured in Series 1 and his 1985 Topps card for some reason in Series 2.  Topps loves to reprint it's old cards and maybe it's time they stop.  At least once a year I think we get a reprint of some sort of Robin's 1975 card.

2011 Topps Gypsy Queen Mini Box Variation

Year: 2011

Card Manufacturer: Topps

Card Set: Gypsy Queen

Card Number: 61

Card Type: Mini parallel

Parallel Type: Mini box photo variation

The inaugural year of the Gypsy Queen brand.  And with a new brand came new gimmicks.  For Gypsy Queen that meant paper frame parallels, framed mini relics and full size relics, SPs, and of course a cool mini box within the main hobby box that contained mini variations and mini versions of the insert cards that you couldn't find in the regular packs.  For me the base design is way too bland and yes I know it was meant to mimic the original Gypsy Queen tobacco set.  I've never been a huge fan of Gypsy Queen mainly because I hate the manufactured short print, but everything I love about the retro Allen and Ginter isn't in this set.

That being said I do love new Yount cards and Gypsy Queen over the years has been very good to us Yount collectors in that respect.  Robin gets lots of love being placed in the mini boxes, framed parallel checklists, and usually getting relic and auto cards too.

2012 Panini Cooperstown

Card Manufacturer: Panini

Year: 2012

Card Set: Cooperstown

Card Number: 106

Card Type: Base

The inaugural year of Panini's Cooperstown brand.  Panini has got a lot of mileage out of it's Hall of Fame license and it all started here.  The design is interesting, I have a hard time deciding if I like it or not, but with so much information hidden around the card it's hard not to like it even if Panini used black and white photos, can't use logos, and opted for only one stat year on the back.  But I like the induction year on the top of the front of the card, the active playing years bracketing the player name on the back, and nice write up on the back.

Robin has a bunch of inserts in the set and an autograph.  This base card has one parallel, the Crystal Collection, serial numbered to 299 that were seeded 3 per hobby box.

2012 Topps Golden Moments Insert

Card Manufacturer: Topps

Year: 2012

Card Set: Topps Update

Card Type: Insert

Insert Set: Golden Moments

Card Number: GM-U26

Not to be confused with the Golden Moments Die Cut cards that were available though Topps' online promotion in 2012, the Golden Moments insert was a continuity insert that ran through Series 1 and 2 and into Update.  The Update set is denoted by the U in the numbering on the back.  

This insert set had autographs, relics and auto relics available for some players and I was excited to see Robin in the set, but disappointed to find out that he did not have any of the other variations.  It's sad because this is one of those inserts that was designed for the autograph and relic versions.  The relic would have gone with there home plate and logo is and the autograph would have been inserted around Robin's waste.

The card commemorates Robin's awesome day at the ballpark on the last day of the season in 1982 and moving on to the ALCS.

21st Century Digital Yount Revisited

I first mentioned Topps' Bunt cards about a year ago.  If you're curious here's a quick link to the post.

Since that post and Robin's two original cards Topps has release 4 more.  Personally I have no interest in  these "cards".  They hold as much value as the images I've captured and am going to share.   Looking at some eBay auctions of the digital cards others don't feel that way and that's fine, to each their own.  But as a Yount collector I've taken it upon myself to also try to be a Yount historian and chronicler of his cards and memorabilia. You won't hear me call myself an expert, by any means, but this is my attempt.  I've even made a page up top to help inventory these things.  Since they don't physically exist they don't belong in the master checklist, but since they do exist at least as zeroes and ones we'll give them their do and their own page.

Topps labels all their cards sequentially as they are released.  No sub-numbering inserts, each digital card gets it's own unique card number.  The "backs" also feature the print run, and depending on the insert sometimes stats and facts.

The two cards near the bottom, Robin's Archive cards and auto parallel were just released last week.  

While I don't put any value on the cards themselves it's interesting to see the designers come up with new inserts and be able to release them in digital packs immediately.  And while some inserts are based on  real inserts from various Topps products it'll be interesting to see if any of these digital designs make it into the physical product.

New Yount Alert

We have two new products coming out this Wednesday and Robin has cards in both of them.

Robin has a base card in Topps Archives and this time he's on a card design he's never been featured on.  The past two years Robin was also in the Archives base set, but featured on a designs that he'd actually had a card in those original sets.  This year he's featured on the 1957 design and will have all the parallels that go along with it. He is also featured in the original buy back autograph set.  How many cards is that?  Who knows.

He's also featured in Topps Finest - Finest Generations insert set and the parallel cards.  He's not featured in the autograph set.

Topps also released some new online wall art featuring the new Finest design. Robin has two card available, or were available.  His base card in numbered to 49 and is $69.99, He also has a gold parallel numbered to 1 that someone has already purchased, that card was offered for $199.99.

The nice thing with the online wall art is we get to see what Robin's Topps Finest card will look like.

2012 Topps Gypsy Queen Full Size Relic

Card Manufacturer: Topps

Year: 2012

Card Set: Gypsy Queen

Card Number GQR-RY

Card Type: Insert

Insert Set: Full Size Relic 

Relic Type: Bat

In 2012, Robin didn't have a base card in the Gypsy Queen set.  He did, however, have two relics in the set, this full size version and a framed mini.  If this image looks familiar it's because it's one Topps has used over and over again.  Just from a quick scan through the collection this image was also used for his Gold Rings Manurelic card in Topps Series 2, it would also get heavy usage in 2013 as Robin's Gypsy Queen mini box variation image, Tribute base card image, and Triple Threads base card image.  In 2014 Topps would use it again for his Breakout Moments insert and some of his relic cards in Topps Museum Collection.  

Now don't get me wrong it's a great pose, a great picture, with that classic baby powder blue uniform, but those examples up top are just what I could find from a casual search.  I had thought about compiling an image gallery of all the cards Topps used the same image for and see how many, or few, are original.  I don't know why Topps does this.  It might have to do with licensing, but I would assume a company that has been around since the 50's and was the major card producer for all of Robin's career would have image gallery so huge and enviable that they could pick a different image for Robin till the end of days.

Ahem.  I really like that his relic in this set is not super rare.  As it were around this time a bunch of Robin's relic cards, most notably those for Allen and Ginter, had very low production numbers and are hard to find and pricey.

2009 Upper Deck SP Legendary Cuts Generations Memorabilia Dual Relic with Ryan Braun

Card Manufacturer: Upper Deck

Year: 2009

Card Set: SP Legendary Cuts

Card Number: GM-BY

Card Type: Insert Dual Relic

Insert Set: Generations Memorabilia

Card Attributes: Dual Jersey Relics

I really do like the 2009 SP Legendary Cuts set.  Maybe it's because Robin has a significant amount of card to chase in it or it might be this card and it's sister card with JJ Hardy.  

2009 was a time before the Braun PED scandal and it was looking like he might be the second coming of Yount.  Ryan was on fire, having won the Rookie of the Year award in 2007 and having a hot bat  he was emerging as a bonifide superstar in Milwaukee and that's something we hadn't had in a while.  This card made perfect sense.  Sometimes I'll look at a dual player card and wonder why the hell were these two players put together, but not here.  This card works on so many levels and back before Ryan's fall from grace this was a pricey card.  Not insanely pricey, but I had to shell out a few bucks for it.

And for some reason I really dig Upper Deck's postage stamp theme throughout the set.  The perforated edge adds a nice inside border and the card is laid out nice.  There's not a ton of foil on the card, but the the foil that's there accents the relics and the logo in the center of the card.  I also like that at least one of the swatches has a little color with a pinstripe.  Back in the early 2000's when relic cards were taking off these two or dual color pieces commanded a premium over their plain swatch brothers.  Overall a great card.

2009 Upper Deck 20th Anniversary Retrospective #1296

Card Manufacturer: Upper Deck

Year: 2009

Card Set: Upper Deck 20th Anniversary Retrospective

Card Number: 1296

Card Type: Base Insert

At the end of Upper Deck's multisport licenses they were putting out huge sets.  I mean their 2009 baseball set was over 1000 cards.  They also put out a Yankee Stadium Legacy insert set that was 5000 cards, so this set falls right in the middle with 2500.

These 20th Anniversary cards were seeded though out all of Upper Deck's products in 2009.

The good news, Robin has 5 cards in the set, 1296-1300.  The bad news, all the card use that same photo and look exactly the same.  Sure each card focuses on a different aspect of Robin's career, but if you were to lay them out side by side there's almost no difference.  I guess that's how you can make a 2500 card set fast.  

We do get a nice crotch shot of Robin in a classic Brewers blue uniform and pinstripe pants.  The back is pretty simple with just about as much information on the front.

2003 Upper Deck Play Ball

Year: 2003

Card Manufacturer: Upper Deck

Card Set: Play Ball

Card Number:34

Card Type: Base

I personally believe that base cards just don't get enough love.  Now days it's all fancy relic auto button cards, but there was a time when all you got was base cards.  It was possible your favorite player might be featured on more than one and it's also possible he  might be in a special mail in offer or even get a Hostess card.  Ahem, I'm not that old, but it's true, seems like the base set in any given series is just filler for the hits, where it use to be the an inserted autograph or relic was like winning the lottery not mandatory in selling a product.

Well 2003 Upper Deck Play Ball sure isn't a throwback to just base cards, but there are some nice ones in the set.  Besides the base there were two parallel sets to chase, the red backs and minis.  Plus the set does have relic cards to chase and other goodies.  I should note that the mini cards have a different background.

Play Ball was Upper Decks answer to Topps' 206 and 205 and Donruss Diamond Kings artcentric releases.  I don't remember ever opening a pack of this, let alone a box, but in 2003 there was more baseball sets produced than anytime in history so it doesn't surprise me that I missed it. 

Over all the card is fairly simple and pays homage to the 1941 set.  Choosing to copy the colorful 1941 release over the black and white 1940 cards seems like a no brainer.  Looking through the set the artwork is pretty well done and was one of the selling points of the set.