Sunday, May 06, 2018

2018 Topps Now Opening Day Team Set

For 2018, Topps introduced a program where collectors can buy the Topps Now Opening Day team set PLUS receive ALL the Topps Now team issues given throughout the season. The initial team set consists of 15 player cards. Collectors can buy the regular version or may splurge to receive one autographed card as part of the team set. Mine are the non-auto flavor.

The cards themselves feature a borderless front. The cards are standard size (2" x 3") but are a heavier than normal stock. They also feature a high-gloss finish, reminding me of Stadium Club sets. The "Topps Now" logo adorns the upper corner. The player's name appears in a mixed-caps font in the lower left printed on a white background that ends in a diagonal "cut." There is a small space after that and the player's position is listed in a mirrored white background, offset a slight bit from the one to its left. The team logo is also on the right. The team name appears in all caps in white under the player name portion.


The cards backs feature the Topps logo, team insignia, player name, position, team name, and the card number at the top. The cards are numbered with the "OD" prefix for "Opening Day." A nice touch is that the cards are sequentially numbered within the team. That's a throwback I miss from the days of Fleer. There is a paragraph of information about the team's 2017 season and a forecast, of sorts, about the 2018 season. The paragraph on every single card back is the same. UGH. Seriously? Someone at Topps couldn't come up with something specific to each player here? Ah well. The TOPPS logo is also watermarked across the back, which is a nice (if not a bit weird) touch.


The lower portion of the card back features copyright information.

Some of the cards are vertically oriented, while others are horizontal. It's a nice mix of photos and the photos themselves look spectacular. Someone finally upgraded the equipment used by field photogs at Topps.


I am looking forward to getting whatever Topps Now cards for the Tribe become available as the season progresses. I do not know if cards issued during the season come together at the end of the season of if they ship throughout the season. Honestly, I cannot image Topps shipping all these during the season. In any case, as I receive my additional cards, I'll be sure to share them here!

1 comment:

Once a Cub said...

I've purchased many over the past 2+ years and you'll get them within 2 weeks. However, unless you're buying quantity from Topps (10+ of the same card), I'd recommend the secondary market where singles can be had for under $6. Once sold out, most of the sellers will raise a couple of bucks, but you can still find them for under the $10 threshold Topps sells for.