We’re at the halfway point of the 2019 MLB season. Things started off really well for my Phillies, but recently they have sunk into second place behind the Braves. Pitching is the Phillies’ biggest problem. They just don’t have it. If I had to pick their best pitcher, I’d go with Zach Eflin. That Jake Arrieta has become so incredibly difficult to watch. I believe he reached his pinnacle when winning the World Series with the Cubs. Since then its been downhill. What bothers me the most is how much praise I keep hearing about their pitching. No sooner does the game end, Phillies lose, and all you hear about is how great the pitching was. Sometimes I think they’re in complete pitching denial.
Ok. That’s enough about me complaining about the Phillies’ pitching. Being almost halfway through the MLB season means the next addition to the classic flagship set is upon us once again. I’m talking about 2019 Topps Series 2. In a few more months we will be welcomed with 2019 Topps Updates.
Flagship sets such as this are made for major set collectors. Products like Series 2 come with (24) packs per box, and guarantee (1) autograph or relic per hobby box. More affordable retail options are always available. If you feel like spending a bit more, jumbo boxes offer more hits.
2019 Topps Series 2 picks up right where Series 1 left off. The base set ranges from card #351 to #700. Parallels include Purple (Meijer), 150th Anniversary, Rainbow Foil, Gold #’ed/2,019, Advanced Stats #’ed/150, Vintage Stock #’ed/99, Independence Day #’ed/76, Black #’ed/67 (Hobby/Jumbo), Mother’s Day Pink #’ed/50, Father’s Day Blue #’ed/50, Memorial Day Camo #’ed/25, Base Clear #’ed/10, Platinum #’ed 1/1, and Printing Plates #’ed 1/1.
Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. made it into the set as a Short Print.
You can’t have a flagship set without photo variations. And there are plenty of them to look for. The CMP codes can help:
- Base – #962
- SP Variation – #031
- SSP Variation – #032
The Advanced Stat parallel also has a different CMP code which ends in #968. The easiest way to identify these is to just look at the back as they are #’ed/150.
Unless you get extremely lucky, your hit for the most part will be a basic one-color relic. There are plenty of big cards to find, but that shouldn’t be your main goal with this type of product. Its vital that you check everything. That autograph or relic may not have been a big dollar hit, but a photo variation or parallel could easily end up being the highlight. The photos Topps picked, especially for the SSP variations, are really interesting.
The Home Run Challenge inserts continue to be my favorite. None of the dates I’ve picked have been correct. Anything that can keep collectors thinking about the product once its been opened is ok in my book. Especially in a time when there are lots of products to choose from.
Gary Vaynerchuk a.k.a. Gary Vee, is featured on his own insert set, and even has some autographs. Gary Vee is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, investor, and internet personality. I’ve talked a bit about him before. Earlier this year Gary Vee appeared on The Rich Eisen Show, and mentioned some of the sports cards he’s been investing in. Trading cards is one of the areas he started in many years ago.
I think its great to see Gary Vee using his platform to talk about cards. The general public listening though shouldn’t misinterpret what a successful, wealthy person like Gary Vee does for a hobby as a new guaranteed can’t lose source of income. A lot of people will interpret what he says in that type of manner. Its not meant to be received that way. Just be smart, and enjoy the show. His insert set highlights top entrepreneurs in baseball.
Set collectors get the most enjoyment out of Series 2. Bring on Topps Chrome and Updates!
Complete Checklist
Here is what I pulled:
Relic
- Jason Heyward Major League Material Relic 150th Anniversary #’ed/150
SP Photo Variation
Parallels
- Evolution – Radio Broadcast – Black #’ed/299
- Tyler O’Neill Independence Day #’ed/76
- Chris Owings 150th Anniversary
- Billy McKinney Rainbow Foil
- Patrick Corbin Rainbow Foil
- Ronald Torreyes Gold #’ed/2019
- Hyun-Jin Ryu Gold #’ed/2019
- Ender Inciarte Gold #’ed/2019
- David Dahl Gold #’ed/2019
Inserts
- Carlos Correa Home Run Challenge
- Byron Buxton Significant Statistics
- Trevor Story Significant Statistics
- Derek Jeter Gary Vee’s Top Entrepreneurs In Baseball
- Chris Iannetta Gary Vee’s Top Entrepreneurs In Baseball
- Johnny Bench 150 Years of Baseball
- Honus Wagner 150 Years of Baseball
- Jackie Robinson Iconic Card Reprints
- Ernie Banks Iconic Card Reprints
- Dale Murphy Iconic Card Reprints
- Javier Baez 1984 Topps Baseball Rookies & All-Stars
- Mark McGwire 1984 Topps Baseball Rookies & All-Stars
- Max Scherzer 1984 Topps Baseball Rookies & All-Stars
- Francisco Lindor 1984 Topps Baseball Rookies & All-Stars
- Chris Sale 1984 Topps Baseball Rookies & All-Stars
- Jose Altuve 1984 Topps Baseball Rookies & All-Stars
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