Card of the Day: Max Verstappen 2020 Topps Chrome Formula 1 Sapphire Edition Photo Variation Orange Refractor #6

Product Highlight: 1997 Topps ProShooters Photo Marbles

Now this is one of those times you really don’t want to lose your marbles. Especially once you see how crazy collectors go for these tiny little orbs.

One of the most sought after Topps test-issued products from the 90s are the ProShooters Photo Marbles released in 1997. Collectors in Canada and Northeast U.S. had the opportunity to buy these before they disappeared off of store shelves.

Packaged inside each box are (24) packs. Inside each pack are (2) marbles and (1) of (2) checklist cards. That’s a total of (48) marbles and (24) checklist cards per box.

Much like a baseball card, each marble houses a picture of a Major League Baseball player. There are (60) total marbles in the set. Guys like Ken Griffey, Jr., Chipper Jones, Hideo Nomo, Roberto Alomar, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa all have marbles made. Many other popular players of the time are also included.

The marbles themselves are difficult to pin down. Only a small handful ever appear on eBay. What is really hard to find are the (2) checklists. Each checklist has (30) player marbles pictured on it. Player collectors go nuts for these because very few surface. Most checklists were likely thrown out by those who opened the packs.

Card of the Day: Andrew McCutchen 2020 Topps Series 2 SP Photo Variation #467

Card of the Day: Bryce Harper 2019 Topps Stadium Club Photo Variation #291

2018/19 Topps Chrome UEFA Champions League Soccer SP Photo Variation Guide

2018/19 Topps Chrome UEFA Champions League Soccer contains (5) SP Photo Variations.  That’s not a lot compared to other sets.  These are quite difficult to pull, and each one has a Superfractor parallel #’ed 1/1.

Lionel Messi #1, Christian Pulišić #23, Harry Kane #48, Antoine Griezmann #84, and Cristiano Ronaldo #100 are the only SP Photo Variations.  While each of them has a base card in the main set, their SP Photo Variation is harder to find.  CMP codes for SP Photo Variations end in #223, whereas base cards end in #203.

Here’s what the SP Photo Variations look like:

Card of the Day: Brett Favre 2008 Topps Packers Tractor Photo #34

Card of the Day: Richard Sherman 2015 Topps Veteran Photo Variation #209

Card of the Day: Joe Mauer 2014 Topps Series 2 Snoopy Photo Variation SP #125

I’ve Turned Into Where’s Waldo!

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This is another photo from the Phillies dinner I attended Monday night.  The Williamsport Crosscutters posted it earlier today.  I bet you can’t find me in it.  This is not a trick.  I’m in there.  I feel like Where’s Waldo?

Flashback Product of the Week: 1985 Topps Baseball Photo Rub-Downs

Topps has literally tested millions of different ways collectors can enjoy the hobby.  Stickers, tattoos, posters, and even collectible masks have been some of the ideas they’ve ran with in the past.  In 1985 Topps released their Baseball Photo Rub-Downs product.  The set consists of 112 players featured on 32 different rub-down sheets.  If you take a coin and rub it over the paper backing of the sheet you can transfer the image to another surface.  Stuff like this was popular back in the 80’s, so it makes sense that Topps would try it.  There are 36 packs per box each containing 2 sheets.  Boxes can be found for under $10.00.