Quick Peek: 2015 Topps Star Wars Masterwork

*EDIT- A "Thank you" to Sooz, from Cardboard Problem and Topps, she left a comment with a link to Topps Star Wars Facebook which includes the checklist for Masterwork along with some very cool preview images. Here is the Topps Star Wars link

Once again Topps is turning to Star Wars, the first of 5 Star Wars releases this year, but this time going high-end with their 2015 Star Wars Masterwork release scheduled for a mid-February release. Each $250-275 box will include 4 packs for a total of 20 cards. Each box will include an on-card autograph, a sketch card and two other “Premium” inserts (read this as manufactured relics).

There are some positives like autographs of the main characters including Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, multi-signature autograph booklets, limited sketch cards and movie prop and costume relics. But like your typical Topps release there are plenty of parallels (4 per base card while inserts have 6 parallels each.) and no matter how “Groundbreaking” Clay Luraschi claims it to be manufactured relics are not “taking collectability to new heights”. Some of the manufactured relics include stamps and weapon medallions plus for some reason they decided to create autograph cards that contains a fragment of the pen used to sign the cards. I don’t know why anyone would want a cool autograph with the nib of a pen attached.

In the end this is the type of product where you leave others to pay the upfront price of the box and instead hunt down the singles that interest you when they begin to flood the secondary market. I love Star Wars releases and I am sure that even at such a high price point people will still purchase boxes I think companies are definitely going about creating value the wrong way when they insert fake relics and autographs of Background Stormtrooper #2 in to a product like this.

Base:

Inserts:
Defining Moments base, Rainbow Foil parallel #/299, Metal parallel #/10 & Gold parallel #1/1

Inserts

Hits
Manufactured relics

Hits

A Quick Peek: 2014 Topps Star Wars Wacky Packages

If you are a child of the 1970s or 1980s than Topps has the set for us and the time has arrived with it's release tomorrow. The set, 2014 Star Wars Wacky Packages, combine two of our favorite childhood things with Star Wars and Wacky Packages. Boxes should be selling in the $55-60 range and will contain 24 packs.

 

 

Along with the funny package stickers like “Use The Floss” and “Leia’s Sticky Buns” there will be parallels, Reality Television parody cards, Travel Posters, Coloring Cards and Fold-Out Comic Book Ads.

Like other Star Wars and Wacky Package sets that have been released recently there will also be sketch cards, printing plates and artist autographs. Sets like this are appealing because of their humor but with the addition of Star Wars there is a double dose of nostalgia and I plan on opening at least a couple of packs.

A Quick Peek: 2013 Panini National Treasure Football

The super high-end, $450/box (8 cards), will be released in two weeks and it is looking pretty good. It is nice to see a solid design, on-card autographs and a nice collection of patches all put together for a complete set. The price is waaayyyy outside of my league so I will not be busting any packs but I would love to hunt down some of the Seahawks cards, especially the 12^th Man patches (though I am betting they too will be out of my price range).