Card of the Day: Alec Bohm 2022 Topps Chrome Ben Baller #89

Card of the Day: Dustin May 2020 Topps Chrome Ben Baller Edition #176

Ben Baller’s Bling Helps To Keep Chrome King!

Chrome is king!  Especially when it arrives with some Ben Baller bling!

I absolutely love the Topps 582 Montgomery Club.  As a member not only do I get exclusive sets mailed to me throughout the year, I’m also allowed to pre-order certain limited edition online-exclusive products before the general public.  On one hand I get to collect, and on the other I get to flip.  Its the best of both worlds.

The latest online-exclusive product everyone is talking about is 2020 Topps Chrome Baseball Ben Baller Edition.  Ben Baller is an artist and jeweler.  He’s one of the twenty individuals Topps is currently working with on their Project 2020 set.

Ben Baller’s style can sure be seen on these cards.  The base set consists of (200) cards which have Green #’ed/99, Blue #’ed/75, Gold #’ed/50, Orange #’ed/25, Red #’ed/5, and Superfractors #’ed 1/1 parallels.  You should find (6) parallels per (24) pack box.

Coming (2) per box are blinged-out 1985 Topps Baseball inserts.  Parallels include Gold #’ed/50, Orange #’ed/25, Red #’ed/5, and Superfractors #’ed 1/1.

One of the main attractions are the (1) per box Ben’s Diamond Die-Cuts.  These have the same parallels as the 1985 Topps Baseball inserts.

Its possible to pull an autograph, but that can be difficult.  The easiest autographs to pull are Gold Refractors #’ed/50 which drop 1:403 packs.  Orange, Red, and Superfractor autographs will be even more difficult to find.

The MSRP on a box is $250.  Flippers have already been pre-selling them on the secondary market for $1,000.  Will that price stick?  Nobody knows.  It could drop.  It could also rise once they begin to ship, and breakers start ripping into them.  Anything can, and will happen.

First Glimpse Of Panini’s Hoops Cards In NBA Baller Beats

Lots of new gadgets and games are being introduced this week at the Los Angeles Convention Center during E3.  Just like I said in this blog post last week, one of the products being demonstrated is NBA Baller Beats.  I know this is a sports card blog, and I rarely talk about video games, but some of the in-game rewards are virtual Panini NBA Hoops basketball cards.  In the trailer above you get to see your first glimpse of these in the game.  Way cool!  I wish more trading cards were incorporated into video games.

Anyone who preorders NBA Baller Beats at GameStop will receive an assorted 3-pack of NBA Fathead 5×7 Tradeables.  This is probably one of the best ways I have seen trading cards and video games working together.

Virtual Trading Cards Integrated Into NBA Baller Beats

Looks like I predicted the future once again.  About three years ago, I wrote a blog post on how I think sports cards should be integrated within video games.  Last year, Panini had Marshall Faulk sign some cards for insertion in copies of Madden 2012.  Its happening again, but this time on a bigger scale.

This fall, Majesco Entertainment Company plans to release NBA Baller Beats exclusively for Kinect on Xbox 360.  This game gets the player off the couch and lets them train along side their favorite NBA teams using a real Spalding NBA licensed game ball replica basketball that comes with the game.  In the game you get to try out your ball skills while listening to an exciting soundtrack.  The better you do, the more songs, levels, posters, and trading cards will be unlocked.  That’s right.  I said trading cards – virtual ones at least.  Panini has come to a production integration agreement that will allow players to unlock virtual trading cards based on their 2012-13 NBA Hoops product.  They will be used as in-game rewards.

I think this is a really big step into reaching potential collectors.  Video games are huge, and you have to go where the fans are.  People complain today and say the hobby isn’t doing well.  I believe the hobby is doing fine.  No, its not what it use to be, but that’s because many people lost focus and didn’t want to change.  You must integrate your business to where the customers are, not waiting for them where they use to be.  Topps is doing well with this too releasing a few mobile apps.

NBA Baller Beats will have a demo setup this year at E3 which takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Center June 5-7.  I bet this will be a hot toy come this Christmas season.