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Every year Topps has created an Allen & Ginter product that seems to outshine its predecessor. Whether it be the inclusion of current hot celebrities or athletes that are making a splash; this product is a key point to Topps releases during any given year. There are some collectors that stay away because of the addition of non-baseball subjects, but it’s important to know that is one of the great things about it. It gives collectors a break with new faces, but holds strong with a pretty solid checklist.
There is also the addition of the embedded trivia game that has collectors scurrying about to figure out the results. Last year’s set featured the Murder in Willow Cove story line and this year should have something just as spectacular.
New inclusions for this year will be the addition of Double Rip cards, 3X relic designs, Arachnology Spider relic cards and the living legend; Pele. In each three-hit box collectors can find a combo of autos, relics, cut signatures or the rip card. Rip cards fall one per hobby case.
The base set will feature 350 subjects and the last 50 cards will be short-printed cards that will fall about one every two packs.
Parallel cards are back and there will be 350 of them as well. Parallels included in the mini variety will be in either an A&G back, (no numbered versions #/50), A&G Baseball back ,#’d/25; hobby only Wood parallels and Printing Plates will each be numbered 1/1, and finally a partial set of Cloth Cards numbered to 10 and only in hobby products.
The new Double Rip cards will be limited edition rip cards that can be ripped on both sides. Always the dilemma, “should I rip it or keep it?’- these will be numbered to 10 copies and will feature the basic rip card parallels like exclusive minis or full-size memorabilia items, but may also contain 50 one-of-a-kind items that are true 1/1’s. A printing plate may be a 1/1, but there are other printing plates. Imagine getting a piece of a Hope Diamond!
Relic cards will be featured in three different ways. According to Topps, no box will contain two of the same relic design. This is definitely a welcome sign for collectos. Two different framed relics will feature either active or a retired star and a regular-sized relic will make up basic relics.
Additional relics include:
- DNA relics- 10 framed mini cards including a strand of hair from a historical figure. 1/1
- Select Picks- You guessed it- Guitar picks used by famous guitarists. 1/1
- Oddity Relics- framed relics featuring odd and unique relic pieces.
- Arachnology cards- Hand-crafted cards will feature full, preserved spider in an exquisite window box style. Will be 1/1’s and be featured as redemptions. Hobby only.
Book cards are back and there will be 25 of them and will contain either two relics, two autos or one of each. There will also be 100 framed original book cards that contain a buyback cards. Each of these will be a 1/1.
Be on the lookout for full-sized inserts in 2013 Allen & Ginter. Usually formed as box toppers, these cards give each box a little extra something to the box opening experience.
Full-Sized inserts include:
- Across the Years- 100 cards connecting MLB stars to fans by birthday.
- One Little Corner- Clear cards featuring planets, moons and other solar system goodies.
- Palaces and Strongholds- 20 cards featuring some of the largest and most-impressive castles and forts in the world.
- Martial Mastery- 10 cards featuring the most fearsome warriors in history. I wonder if it’s just each member of the Wu-Tang Clan, maybe not.
- Civilizations of Ages Past- 20 cards featuring civilizations that have come and gone.
There will be the( love it or hate it) mini inserts featuring unique topics like, The first Americans, Inquiring Minds, Heavy Hangs the Head; these will be 30 monarchs from throughout history, Codes-Ciphers-Cryptographs, Peacemakers and Famous Finds. These will fall about 1 per 5 packs.
Official box loaders will have an all-new style this go around. Relic versions will be numbered to 25 while signed versions to 15 copies. Also included are auto’d relics numbered to five and a new addition; cut signatures each being numbered 1/1.
There will be 10 cabinet relics that will have relics you can’t find anywhere else- such as, full jersey pieces with the player’s name and number. Cabinet book relics will also feature 10 subjects, but will be in book form with two full relics. Both of these versions will be 1/1.
Be on the lookout for this product the week of July 15, 2013. Each case will have 12 boxes with each box containing 24 packs. Always a fun rip- the case guarantees make it even more enjoyable in case form if you can afford it.
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