Topps Heritage has all of the potential to be the best release each year.  Real cardboard stock, familiar designs, minimal inserts, one series release - a throwback to what set collectors and long-time collectors would want in a product.  But, it's a Topps product so of course they screw it up.  Believe it or not, some people in the hobby still want to build a set.  Key word = build.  Not buy a set without the fun of collecting, not be forced to buy cases upon cases to complete a set but actually buy a reasonable and manageable amount of the product and be able to hand collate a set.  What makes Topps Heritage an impossible set to build?  SHORT PRINTED BASE CARDS!  Not only are they short printed, they are typically the star players in the set.  It's not like Topps said "oh, let's short print the same way we did in the original release".  Why would Topps care about their history?  Instead, Topps says "let's short print the best guys so large case breakers and group breakers can get the most return on their purchase".  

I've put a ton of time, effort and $$ into trying to build the 2012 Topps Heritage set.  This was my first attempt to build a Topps Heritage set, as I was attracted to all of the things mentioned previously - 4 years later, I'm still 19 short prints away from a full set.  Since that point, I said to myself - why even bother with this release?  It is truly "uncollectible".  For some silly reason, I started to feel excitement for the 2016 Heritage release and was looking on eBay/Twitter to see if there were any good deals on base sets (since I knew I'd never be able to afford enough to hand collate).  Then I saw the checklist and the short print cards in this years release include: Kershaw, Ortiz, Harper, Trout, etc.  Pretty much anyone you'd actually be excited about pulling in a pack.  Yet again, Topps caters to the case breakers & re-sellers rather than the collectors.

This exact topic was discussed on Twitter today by a few people I'd consider "collectors".  Here are some snippets from the conversation:

• Re: SPs - "At least knock them down to reasonable amount like 25.  Shouldn't have to buy a case to complete a set.  I won't."
• "I bought a Heritage box every year from 2001-14.  Some years 2 boxes, blasters, looses, etc...Guess how many sets I've completed?  None!"
• "It's a set that is, ironically, uncollectible.  It's not realistic to collect this set as, well, a set."

Given the price point of the product, nostalgic aspect and minimal inserts, Topps is once again flipping the bird to set collectors and, well, collectors by including so many SPs in this years set.

Did you collect basketball cards back in 1991?1991 was a pivotal year for a hobby surge in basketball cards.  Upper Deck launched its first basketball product and the first key marketable rookie was entering the NBA since David Robinson.  Larry Johnson was at a level that Shaq's RC reached, before Shaq was a rookie.  1991 Upper Deck basketball was the first of its kind, and Larry Johnson was coming off an amazing college career that led to crossover into mainstream media.

Larry Johnson would go on to lead a long and successful NBA career, and it was cool to pick up this rookie card in PSA 10 form as it was a HUGE deal when I was a kid collecting cards.  While I've moved away from the NBA a bit, there is still something cool about picking up key NBA RCs from guys I grew up watching and rooting for.

Rik Smits was my boyhood hero.  My parents had attended Marist College and were season ticket holders for the men's college basketball team.  I used to love attending the games and shooting hoops on the court after the game.  Then, they had signed this really tall kid who was very raw but had a ton of promise.  I think I watched almost every home game Rik Smits played in college and met him on a number of occasions.  As a kid who was always the tallest in his class, it was amazing to stand next to a guy who was 7'4".  Rik was always very nice to everyone and spent a ton of time with kids at the summer basketball camps or at other alumni events.

I followed him throughout his NBA career and wanted to add his best rookie card to my collection.  I may have to find a few other cool Smits cards to add to my PC as well.

Sorry for the wait.  Things have been crazy on my end lately, but it doesn't mean I've fallen off the map.  A lot has changed since my last post:

1. I've switched from BVG/BGS to PSA for my graded card needs.
2. I truly enjoyed the Heritage High # release; always enjoyed Heritage, just wish the base sets were smaller & without SPs.
3. I've been selling a TON of digital cards lately, like a LOT of them.
4. Using the digital card sales, and sales from BVG/BGS cards that no longer fit into my defined PC - I've been able to purchase some cool cards for my collection.
5. I'm putting a lot of my PC effort around PSA graded rookie cards, and have vowed to decrease the amount I spend on wax boxes this year.

So, now that we're caught up.  Here is a cool card that I picked up this week via eBay.  I was a huge Chris Mullin fan as a kid, loved the style of his play and he had one of the sweetest jump shots in the game at the time.  

I hope to be more active in 2016, but I said that last year too.
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