Monday, June 10, 2013

Topps wants me to relive my youth... with Day Glow?

I dropped in my local card shop (LCS) today and the owner reminded me that it was twenty-five cent pack week.  Nice!

Here's a copy of the postcard sized advertisement that's been sitting next to my LCS's register.

Huh, I like promotions.  Usually they focus around the ballpark, like $1 hot dogs or bobbleheads, but why not baseball cards?

The guy behind the counter had me pick out four packs from an 800 count box for a crisp one dollar bill.  By the looks of it I was one of the first to purchase the promotional packs, and for the record I took four off the top.  I'm not a pack searcher.  Although it would have been almost too easy to do so!

Now mind you, I'm in my mid-thirties, but I don't recall ever being able to purchase a pack of cards for a quarter.  The first set I hand collated from packs was '88 Topps and I believe wax packs ran at forty cents apiece for fifteen cards.

Five cards for a quarter though?  The "kid" in me jumped at the opportunity.

Here's what the unopened packs look like:
 


Clear cellophane?  Yep.  Kind of takes forty percent of the thrill away from ripping a pack of five cards when you know the identity of two of the cards before you bust in.

C'est la vie.  I guess I can't blame Topps for wanting to go the cheap route on a promotion.

Here's the other cards from the pack.  Everything looks pretty much like regular 2013 Archives.
 

Well, there was one exception: this Day Glow card of Country Breakfast.  Yes, Billy Butler has probably the coolest nickname in all of Major League Baseball.

I must say my camera doesn't do the Day Glow orange justice.  I tried different settings, but each take looked more washed out than the previous.  You really have to see one for yourself to get a true feel for the color.  Oh, and I think I know what "reliving my youth" and day glow colors have to do with one another.  I had more than a few day glow colored clothing items in my closet as a middle school youth!  Oh, those were the days.

The Day Glows from the other three packs?  Yep, nothing spectacular, but I should be able to flip the Freese at my LCS for a Cub!  #CrosingMyFingers


I'm not sure how collectors feel about another parallel to chase, but I don't think a promotion like this is a bad idea from Topps overall.  Especially if younger collectors get a chance to purchase some quarter packs before someone comes and buys them all up in a selfish attempt to make a buck.

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to trading in some late 1980's junk wax next week to "get a new pack with exclusive cards."  Fun-fun!

9 comments:

  1. I would love to trade for that Ellsbury card if you want to email me.

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  2. Wait, there's a place where you can trade in your late '80s junk wax? This sounds like one of those email scams to me ...

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    1. I'll try it out next week and see what happens. Should make for a good post!

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  3. Thank goodness you posted this! I almost forgot to stop in at my LCS today. We were limited to two packs per person.

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  4. Would you mind shooting the Belt my way via PWE? I got my packs today and pulled a Sandberg I can send your way. LMK and shoot me your address.

    Adam - arpsmith

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  5. i was limited to a single pack - but my insert was a kershaw so i didn't mind!

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  6. what shop had these. the three in my area(schaumburg) are not participating.

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    1. My LCS is in the heart of Peoria, IL: Baseball Card City.

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