On the Radar - 2022 Topps Update - Legends Variation

 Topps Update is officially out tomorrow, but has been showing up for a couple days now and it has been confirmed that Robin  is part of the Legends variation checklist.  

2022 Topps Update #US19

2020 Topps - Legends Variation

Year: 2020
Manufacturer: Topps
Set: Flagship (Series 1)
Card Number: 149
Card Type: Legends Variation

With the release (finally) of Topps Update I can sort of confirm that Robin won't and doesn't have a legends variation in the 2021 set.  And I'm ok with that, I will say however that I love when he does get that honor.  I love seeing Robin on the new Topps designs.  And I'll apologize for the long string of On the Radar posts.  I was traveling for the last couple weeks and well it also seems that there is just a ton of Robin cards coming out this year.  Did I mention that we've past over 600 new cards this year?

Ahem well going back to the trough I've been pulling from another card from my latest COMC delivery.  It's Robin's 2020 Topps Legends Variation.  Such a handsome card.  I will say I like the 2020 design over 2021.  It's also a photo that's not over used.  And who doesn't love a back filled with stats??!!

 

1991 Topps Stadium Club Variations

 

This morning there was a forum post over at the Trading Card Database discussing a variation in the 1991 Topps Stadium Club set.  It seems that most if not all of the cards have a one of these back variations.  While some members are working on putting a checklist together it's noted that cards fall into one of three catagories.  Some cards have and A or B by the Topps copyright on the bottom right of the card, or a C or D, or E or F.  Robin falls into the A or B category.  I don't think there's any rarity to either variation as I found an example of each is just a handful of cards.

If you're having trouble seeing the variations, you're not alone I had trouble with my old eyes as well.  Here's a close up of the two different variations.

1992 Topps McDonald's Baseball's Best Obligatory Variation post

 I got a message over at the Trading Card Database this afternoon informing me that indexing the two variations of the 1992 Topps McDonald's Baseball's Best set had been complete and that it may effect my collection.  So I went to check it out and then went into the Yount collection to see if I had one or both variations.  For those who don't know the 1992 Topps McDonald's Baseball's Best set is a very handsome, almost before it's time small set of 44 cards.  Distributed in 5 card cello packs available with a meal purchase back in 1992 (or at least that's what the Standard Catalog told me).  I'm not entirely sure what's up with the one asterisk vs the two asterisk variations, but they can be found all over Topps products from around this time frame.  Might have to do with printing plates, printings, or something else.  Regardless the two variations, while small and easily overlooked, do exist.  As for rarity?  Who knows?  While digging though the 1992 cards I found I had more two asterisks than one asterisk, but I only found 4 and quite digging once I realized I had an example of each.  Also it appears the whole 44 card set has the variation.  Check out the images below.  The front of the card is unaffected.

2014 Topps High Tek Spiral Variation

Year: 2014

Card Manufacturer: Topps 

Card Set: High Tek

Card Number: HT-RY

Card Type: Base Variation

Variation: Spirals

I was digging around my draft posts  (I have a ton of cards scanned) and was surprised I still had one Topp Tek pattern variations I hadn't posted.  I'm still missing a couple variations in the middle of rarity, but I'm happy the two rarest variations are already in my collection.  That said the Spiral variation is not rare.  It's the second most common behind the base pattern.  I love that Robin was included in the inaugural relaunch of the brand.  I was a little disappointed how half-assed Topps was about it though. No pattern designation on the back and all the base cards are lettered instead of numbered.  Not only that but even the autograph cards aren't noted on the card labeling.  But I'm still a sucker for acetate.

2014 Panini Hall of Fame 75th Anniversary Blue Shield Red Parallel

Year: 2014

Manufacturer: Panini

Set: Hall of Fame 75th Anniversary

Card Number: 83

Card Type: Base Variation Parallel

Variation Type: Blue Shield

Parallel: Red Foil

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 21/50

In the past Topps has put out some pretty interesting set configurations.  So I'll assume this is Panini's attempt not to be outdone.  I'll do my best to break down the set for you before we get to Robin's card.  The base set consisted of 100 players, each of those players had 3 base card variations all numbered to just 75.  So right there the base cards are super rare.  On top of that each of those 3 base cards had 5 color parallels (red, blue, green, gold, and black) all very low numbered.  Robin had a bunch of other insert cards in the set also very low numbered.  I have a complete checklist and some images here.

This is my first card of Robin's from the set I've been able to acquire.  This is another deal I found on COMC.   This might be the priciest of the cards I had in my last shipment, but it was still under $5.

What I have here is Robin's Blue Shield variation Red foil parallel.  The other two variations are a green shield and a red shield and they use different photos for all three cards.

Not a bad first card to add to the collection.  Overall it is what it is.  The backs look very similar to Panini's other Cooperstown offerings.  Back in October of last year I had stated that I'd like to at least get a set of the base cards.  That's proving to be a little harder than I thought.  Both from the price point and just the general availability, but that's all part of the fun of the chase.

2009 Topps Series 2 retired base variation

Card Manufacturer: Topps

Card Set: Topps Baseball Series 2

Card Number: 595

Card Type: Base Variation

Variation Type: Retired Photo Variation

Unless you live in a cave you probably know that 2015 Topps Series 1 baseball is out and all the rage.  The reason I bring this up is that Topps once again has inserted unannounced variations.  Some are photo variations and some are those terrible sparkle variations.  I bring that up because it makes me long for the days when Topps use to put former stars and Hall of Famers as their variations. 

And while this years set of the Topps flagship is the first time in a while they've done anything to really shake up their formula, getting rid of those stupid variations should have been one of them.

Alright enough ranting.  I featured Robin's 2010 variations a couple months ago.  I remember back in 2009 and 2010 being really excited to see Robin featured as one of the player variations.  And looking back I'm also glad to see Topps used photos that hadn't been and still haven't been recycled to death.

I still wish Topps would go back to this type of photo variation in their sets.  It's easy to tell you got a rare card and who doesn't love seeing one of their favorite players on the current design?

2002 Topps 206 Mini Blue Jersey Polar Bear back

Card Manufacturer: Topps

Card Set: Topps 206

Year: 2002

Card Number: 289

Card Variation: Blue Jersey

Card Type: Tobacco Size Mini parallel

Card Back Variation: Polar Bear

I vividly remember when Topps 206 came out.  I opened a ton of this stuff. Left me rephrase that I opened a ton of Series 2 of this stuff.  Mainly because Robin had not one, but two base cards, or rather a base card and two variations.  Plus the mini's and the back variations.  I pulled some great card from this set.  I pulled an original T206 buyback, some bat cards featuring vintage players from the original set, and a Joe Mauer rookie autograph, among others. It also came out right about the time I really started getting back into card collecting and my discovery of eBay.

It was also the birth of using vintage designs for a products that paved the way for Allen and Ginter, Goodwin Champions, Champ's, Turkey Red, Topps 205, Mayo, and two more sets of 206.

And while this isn't first time tobacco sized mini's had been inserted in a current product, that belongs to Pacific Private Stock, it is the start of the trend. This set does start the overall return of the tobacco size insert, but wouldn't be used again till 2006 with the inaugural Allen and Ginter set.

Each of the three series featured different mini back parallels.  Robin's card was featured in Series 2 and has the Polar Bear, Piedmont, red and black, and Carolina Bright's backs.

The Polar Bear backs are the most common and can be considered the base backs, then rarity goes, Piedmont Black, Piedmont Red, and Carolina Bright's being the rarest.

I love that the variations for Robin's cards in the set pretty much bookend his career with this blue jersey, classic 70's Brewers, representing the start of this career and the Pinstripe variation representing the end.  

2010 Topps retired photo variation

Card manufacturer: Topps

Card Set: Topps Baseball Series 1

Year: 2010

Card Number: 116

Card Type: Photo Variation

Variation Type: Retired Player Photo variation

I really miss when Topps inserted it's base variations with retired and HOF players.  It was easy to tell you got something special, now with photo variation, stat variation, and those stupid sparkle variations you pretty much have to have a cheat sheet to figure out if you pulled a variation.  And yes Topps still had more variation gimmicks in this set.  

Robin was featured two years in a row as a base card variation starting in 2009.   You can see the full checklist here.

I love this card what a great photo.  And in an old school Brewers uniform.  

OK detectives, who is #9 sliding behind Robin? I've got my guess.

2014 Topps High Tek Stripes Base variation

Card Manufacturer: Topps
Card Set: High Tek
Year: 2014
Card Number: HH-RY
Card Type: Base Design Variation
Variation: Stripes
Note: Rarest of the six variations



Once upon a time I was a pretty serious poker player.  And I'll be honest I was pretty good.  Good enough to win a trip to Vegas and make money in Vegas.  I don't play much anymore due to my limited free time, but when I was big into it I picked up Doyle Brunson's Super System book.  I don't know how many of you have read it, but pretty much Doyle lays down the basics and then tells you why he does something completely different.  It's kind of funny.  To paraphrase: you gotta use your gut.

Why do I bring this up?  Well I've been feeling I could write a book on the timing of buying cards on ebay.  And my first rule would be never to buy or go after the first one of something being offered it will almost always go for the  highest price.  So why would I go after, bid on, and win this card?

Had to go with my gut.

I have no idea how many of these striped versions actually exist, as a matter of fact I don't know if Topps will ever tell us. But knowing that these are the rarest of the rare base card variations, I had to try and snag one.  Because even if the first one might go for the most money, if they are that rare my chances of seeing another one in the coming months once the High Tek mass ripping ends might be few and far between.  As a matter of fact I've only seen one other one offered on Ebay and that guys wants $80 for it (he was trying to get $150 the first time he listed it).  I've seen some speculation that this design might be as limited as just 5 copies!

So how much did I pay for this super rare variation.  $11, well $11.25 plus shipping so right about $14.  Did I over pay?  I don't think so.  As a matter of fact after I won it I was scared the seller might back out. Because I thought I got a screaming deal.  This is one of those rare occasions you have to buck the trend and jump in.  The fact that actual print runs are still unknown helped me a lot.  It also helped that there are so many versions and variations and parallels that it's a little overwhelming.  It was for me at first.  But I realized that I'll probably be able to pick up the other 4 variations anytime.  I know at least the two most common I should be able to pick up much cheaper in a couple months with the market is still flooded with them, but these rarer ones it's now or probably never.

So here it is the rarest base variation for the American League in Topps High Tek.

2014 Topps High Tek Cracked Ice Base Varaition

Card manufacturer: Topps
Card Set: High Tek
Year: 2014
Card Number: HT-RY
Card Type: Base Design Variation
Variation Type: Cracked Ice
Note: This is the second rarest of the 6 design variations.



I was really excited to see Robin in this year's Topps High Tek.  I think it's because I do love the chase and that fact that early speculation on the set layout put estimates of possible cards in the in the 150's per player.  Of course after the set was released and we figured out what was really going on that number dropped down to the high 20's with some pretty rare cards.  The other big revelation was that instead of every player having 12 variations, which was how a lot of us read the sell sheet, each player only had 6 and it was dependent on which league they played in. Also only the base design had parallels and autographed parallels.

After it was all said and done I'm pretty confident of my Yount Tek Checklist and I'm only a few cards images short for almost every example, I don't have high hopes for actually seeing the Galactic Charcoal 1 of 1 and even if it pops up chances are it'll be a crappy picture or scan.

But I was able to snag one of the rarer base variations.  According to Cardboard Connections this is the 2nd rarest variation.  What that exactly means I don't know.  I'm still waiting to see exactly how rare these base card variations are, but I figured I'd pick this one up while it was fairly cheap.

The scans really don't do these cards justice.  They are shiny and partially see through.  So I made a GIF.  While I don't have high hopes of picking up all the diffractors I am going to try and complete the base variation set and this is a great start.