Topps, Now

I hadn’t gotten into the Topps Now segment of collecting. There were a couple reasons for this. Mainly, I was too lazy. With only 24 hours to a) realize there was a card I might want and b) decide I wanted it…I didn’t stand a chance. I’m not that hooked into my phone to the point where I would see every card announcement, and I’m generally a bit slower on the draw when it comes to purchases. 

The whole concept was also giving me pause. At what point is a baseball card not a baseball card? This didn’t come in packs. It isn’t given as a promotion with another item (the definition Keith Olberman has used). It was a stand-alone item. When is it just a fancy picture? Is $9.99 worth it for a small fancy picture? If it’s a fancy picture, as opposed to a “baseball card” were there better ways to commemorate an event? I was never sure. I always had it in my head that if I ever attended a game where something happened worthy of making a card, I’d go for it. (Even though I passed at the David Ortiz retirement one.) If I was at a no-hitter, or another World Series clincher, I think shelling out the money would be a worthwhile expense. Spending a bunch of money for Spring Training cards wasn’t. 

But, then I saw that Topps was producing a special card to somehow benefit the kids Stoneman Douglas. All of the proceeds would be donated. I thought that was a pretty nice idea. Then, I saw that the card would feature three players, including Chris Sale. Suddenly, something made me take the leap.

A few days later, I got the tell-tale envelope in the mail.

Of course, since this was my first experience with Topps Now, I wasn’t sure what to expect. When I opened the envelope, this slid out.

This was the back of the card I expected. It was enclosed in a pretty handy case, which was cool. I flipped the case over, and saw this.

Now, this is where I’m embarrassed to say that my first thought was concern. Technically, the listing for the card said that art was subject to change. I wasn’t sure what that actually meant. Looking at this card made me fear that the “change” was to simply go with a gray back and let the SD hat stand on its own.

Of course, I was just being an idiot. The gray was just foam packing to keep the card secure during shipping.

Here’s the front of the card I was expecting. I still think it’s odd to have a card celebrating players wearing SD gear, and include a picture where you can barely make out the front of the hat. But, I’m glad I made the plunge.

Will I do it again? Maybe. I think I’ll stick to my guideline of grabbing a card if I happen to be at the game. But, I don’t imagine that I’ll be grabbing a card of a random Tuesday’s walk-off victory.

But that’s always subject to change.