2011 Topps set

The Diamond Anniversary of Topps. 60 years of producing baseball cards. This year they would do some pretty neat stuff to push the possibilities in the card industry. The possibility of getting a baseball card embedded with an actual diamond appeals to everyone and even peaked the attention of casual collectors. the way in which they were available however was a bit of a hassel. In order to have a chance to receive a 1 of 1 diamond variation card you needed to receive Diamond giveaway code redemption card and then enter the code online for the one in a gazillion chance to even catch a whiff of one of these cards. Overall the set is steller and the Topps company is doing a lot to ensure that there will be 60 more years of Topps cards. Here is a quick pictoral overview of what is included in this anniversary set.

Hobby Box-70$ 1 Relic or autograph per box
Jumbo Hobby Box- 100$ 2 relic + 1 auto

Pictured below:
Far Right- Standard basecard great picture quality with a bit of flair added by the chrome trimming around the name. There are different variations of the basecards including short prints.
Middle- gold variation of the basecard, and they are all serial numbered /2011
Far Left- Kimballs champions of games and sports insert cards. there is a set of 50 of these cards in each series of the Topps set. the painted pictures look nice but I have noticed a problem with centering on the cards and had a few manufaturer defected cards.

Pictured below:
Top- Diamond duos insert card. there are variations that contain game used jersey and  are serial #'d. cool idea for a card but its been done before in previous Topps sets. still a great subset.
Bottom- 60th Anniversary Diamond sparkle variation. the photo is the same as the base or gold variations but has a beautiful sparkle background that is simply stunning. These cards are placed ever few regular packs so they are not hard to come across. Great parallel edition. probably the most memorable inserts they have done in years.

Pictured below:
Top Left: 'Before there was Topps' series 2 inserts. gives a shout out to the cards that were found in cigarette and gum packs of the 1910's-1940's. cool but purely nostalgic.
Top Right: similar to the nostalgic aim of the previous. these are remakes of the classic legend cards of the early 20th century baseball cards.
Bottom Left: 60 Years of Topps inserts show classic rookie card years of Topps but with slightly different photographs. from the original. kind of a cool insert set but with the other 3 insert sets that are similar it is kind of white noise. beautiful cards though.
Bottom Right: The Topps 60insert set is a mix of classic and current players who's photos are set over a giant #60 in the background. these cards all have variations that included diamond sparkle, game used bats or jersey pieces, and also autographs. Great insert set but between me and my friends I believe we have pulled about 11 cubs game used cards. whats with all the low end players like Randy Wells in the Game Used lineup. not cool.

Pictured below:
Topps Leather Nameplate of a mix of classic and current players. there are different variations that are serial #'d. This insert is a bit contrived for me to really like it, but it is a well made card and adds to the originality of the set. you get one of these Nameplates in each jumbo hobby box

This set is a great start to the Baseball card season. I am a BUYER on this set and love the looks of most of the set. a couple of the insert sets seem a bit repetative but the cards are well made for the price and will be a favorite of collectors this years. For an affordable set the photos on these cards and the quality of the way they are made are outstanding. This set will bring back wayward collectors to their old passions of collecting. Until next time, and as always Peace, and Baseball cards.