Strata Baseball Inserts Coming To ’14 Topps Series 2 Next Summer

UPDATE:

Series 1 will contain Strata cards.

Topps decided to spill their guts on 2014 Topps Series 2 Baseball.  We haven’t even had the opportunity to process Series 1 yet which comes out January 29, but Series 2 looks to be more interesting.  I usually never pay that much attention to their flagship brand.  To be honest, it never really interests me and has too many base cards.  Although I can’t complain too much since 2013 Topps Series 1 Baseball contained the Harry Kalas One-Of-One Cut Signature that I own.  Just out of pure curiosity, I decided to take a look at what Series 2 has in store for collectors.  For the most part, its the same old same old – autographs, memorabilia, parallels, and commemorative relics.  Before blacking out of boredom, I hit on Strata inserts.

Last year Topps wowed football fans with their Strata Clear Cut autographed memorabilia cards.  In fact, I would say that they were some of the most well designed cards of the year.  2013 Strata Football is slowly working its way out onto the secondary market, and I’m sure it will be another hit.  By the looks of it, baseball fans will get a taste of Strata within Series 2.  As of right now, it doesn’t look like it will be a standalone product of its own like football.  Collectors busting boxes of 2014 Topps Series 2 Baseball won’t be finding these Strata inserts easily.  These will be hobby only with a mixture of living and deceased players.  It sounds like the living players will be limited to 25 copies while the deceased players will be 1/1 cut signatures.  I don’t think we’ve ever seen a shadowbox style card accompanied with a cut signature.

Why do collectors enjoy these cards so much?  Because they’re designed extremely well.  They contain a jumbo piece of memorabilia without sacrificing the player’s image.  Combine that with a swooping piece of clear plastic over the front signed by the player and you have one hell of a card.  Most jumbo relic cards don’t look anywhere near this good.

It takes a lot for me to get excited about something within this great hobby of ours.  We tend to see the same stuff presented to us under new names all the time.  Innovation mixed with great card design has just gone right out the window for some manufacturers.  Rarely do we see something new that makes us stop and look.  Let’s hope for a few Phillies in these Strata inserts.

2014 Topps Series 2 Baseball is due out in June.

Card of the Day: Russell Wilson 2012 Topps Strata Clear Cut Gold Auto/Jersey

Card of the Day: Robert Griffin III 2012 Topps Strata Clear Cut Patch Auto

Our First Real Look At 2012 Topps Strata Football

Today we got our first real look at 2012 Topps Strata Football.  Before we just had mock-up pictures to go on.  I must say, Topps is really stepping up to the plate and creating some nice looking cards.  Having acetate die cut panels over top a jumbo patch relic sure stands out from a lot of those cookie cutter products we’ve been seeing for years.  Lets not forget about the hard-signed autographs that include inscriptions.  This is just the beginning.  Topps is crushing the competitiom right now.  Someone finally takes design into consideration.  You just can’t keep pumping out the same old stuff year after year.

Even More Strata Football Images

Here are some more images of 2012 Topps Strata Football.  Its scheduled to be released in October.  Each box will contain (1) Clear Cut Auto Relic, (1) Rookie Auto, (1) Rookie Relic, and (1) Rookie Die-Cut.

It slices, it dices, and it can even bring home the bacon.  All you need to do is SET IT AND FORGET IT!  The Rivet Patch parallels #’ed/5 will be able to fan out.

Have You Seen Strata Football?

One of the biggest innovations the hobby has seen over the last few years is the Shadow Box card.  It was introduced to us by Upper Deck back in 2009.  These eye appealing inserts have a layered 3D effect that just looks down right cool.  After the market gladly welcomed them, I’m surprised that we haven’t seen a product entirely based on Shadow Box cards.  That’s usually how it goes.  Find something collectors love, and then flood the market.  With Shadow Box cards, that sure isn’t the case.

Until now, nobody really challenged Upper Deck’s Shadow Box cards.  Now it looks as if Topps has answered that challenge with Strata Football.  Having a jumbo swatch in the background with layered images and autographs is a major improvement to the standard Shadow Box cards we’ve seen from Upper Deck.  The overlaying autographs on the signed booklet relics are nice looking as well.  I can’t help but think about those plastic overlays we saw in 2008 Topps Letterman.  Collectors really didn’t like them, but I think that was a major response to all the manufactured patches.

This is exactly what the hobby needs to see.  Innovation versus the same old stuff we’re use to seeing.  When one company releases something collectors enjoy, answer back with something bigger and better.  I’d love to see some baseball cards like this.