Sports Card Radio’s Favorite 2010 Products of the Year
NBA Basketball Boxes
2009/10 Panini National Treasures
- Release Date: August 4, 2010
Highlights
- Great Looking Rookie Cards With Large Patches
- Notable Nicknames Autograph Set
- Lots of NBA Patch Logoman Jersey Cards
- Huge Checklist & Tons of Inserts
2009/10 National Treasures Basketball Checklist
A product completely out of my price range on all levels (boxes and most single cards) so maybe there is the Rolex Watch type envy here, but compared to 2009 National Treasures Football, Basketball was a huge success. At the time of release, Blake Griffin still hadn’t played an NBA game, however Tyreke Evans and Brandon Jennings had solid RC seasons.
The rookie cards themselves are some of the nicest looking basketball rookie cards I’ve seen in a long time. If 2010/11 looks similar with some added frills, I wouldn’t be too disappointed. There were a good amount of veteran and HOF type autographs, including my personal favorite “Notable Nicknames” which feature beautiful on-card autographs. Overall, I felt this set delivered on its promise to deliver high end cards to the big spending collector. That doesn’t often happen with $300+ boxes – this one does measure up to the price tag.
Hobby Box SRP – $400.00
Current Box Price ~ $550.00+
Recent eBay Sales:
- Blake Griffin Auto/Patch #/99 BGS 9 RC $2,000
- Blake Griffin Auto/Patch #/25 $1,300
- Jrue Holiday Auto Patch #2/5 $820.00
- Stephen Curry Auto/Patch RC #/99 $449.95
- Russell Westbrook Colossal #1/1 Patch/Auto $405.01
2009/10 Panini Adrenalyn XL Basketball
- Release Date: February 15, 2010
Highlights
- Online game that encourages collecting top cards/players
- Introduces kids to collecting/NBA Players
- Cheap $0.99 Packs
- Ultimate & Rare Cards have secondary market value
2009/10 Panini Adrenalyn XL Basketball Checklist
This set is not really covered or talked about within the collecting community, because the majority of the people playing are young kids … who probably have better things to do than blog all day!! 🙂 The game itself is pretty simple, and Panini has a winner selling $1.00 packs that are simply code cards to activate online. There are some rare autograph versions that were used as promotional items during the 2009/10 NBA All-Star Game. These cards can fetch huge sums of money online. However, the main product is a simple product containing only ‘base’ cards with special Ultimate and other rare variations that make the card more valuable when playing against people online.
The 2010/11 Version is soon to be released, I’m sad it doesn’t have the enhancements I’ve seen in the 2010/11 Hockey Version … however I’m sure the kids will enjoy playing with a new group of cards. If Panini can keep adding little pieces to the game/cards every year to make them more collectible, this has the potential to be a long running project for them. It certainly opens the door to collecting cards, and it definitely educates children on all the basketball players around the league – which is great.
Pack SRP – $0.99
Recent eBay Sales:
- Kobe Bryant All-Star Autograph $370.55
- LeBron James Ultimate Signature $20.51
- Blake Griffin Unplayed RC $6.99
- Blake Griffin Special RC $5.00
2009/10 Panini Classics Basketball
- Release Date: March 31, 2010
Highlights
- On Card Autographs of RC’s, Vets and Legends
- Small Checklist = You know what you’re getting
- 40 Card Rookie Auto Checklist
- Simple clean design
2009/10 Panini Classics Basketball ChecklistThis set stands out to me only for a few reasons. The rookies are signed on-card, and the cards themselves look pretty nice. You also have a deeper autograph checklist in this set compared to some of the other sets … most notably Wes (Wesley) Matthews who signed with Utah in 09/10 but is currently playing for Portland.
With most of the 09/10 Panini sets either being sticker or on some kind of fabric/ball – this set stands out to me as a good one to collect if you like simple on card autograph rookies. There are a mix of current NBA and former NBA stars inserted as well. The checklist is smaller than most Panini sets (possibly because of the extra expense to get on card signatures) but its good if you want to try to complete a master set – or find cards for sale online.
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Hobby Box SRP – $80.00
Current Box Price ~ $70.00+ Recent eBay Sales:
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MLB Baseball Boxes 2010 Topps
Bowman Baseball
- Release Date: May 12, 2010
Highlights
- Stephen Strasburg, Jason Heyward and Starlin Castro
- Pre-Strasburg Injury hobby boxes sold for $200+
- Made the Superfractor even more collectible
- Made hobby shops with big pre-orders lots of $$$
2010 Bowman Baseball Checklist
When I originally wrote a review for this product – the PreSale price was under $75 per box. In fact, when I went to the TriStar Collector Convention in San Francisco shortly after the sets release, you could buy boxes for $75. Prices quickly soared when a Stephen Strasburg Superfractor sold for over $16,000. Blaster Boxes quickly became hard to find at retail locations like Target and Wal-Mart – and hobby shops started charging over $200 per hobby box (and often still do).
Hobby stores and box flippers made money on this product if they pre-ordered before the hype began. The profits probably evened out over the course of the year – as Topps Chrome and Bowman Chrome (once thought of as sure winners within hobby circles to go up in value) completely flopped and can still be had for less than what boxes originally cost dealers wholesale. Stephen Strasburg and Jason Heyward stole the show in terms of attention – however Starlin Castro, Jose Iglesias and others have potential to go up in value in the future as well.
 
Hobby Box SRP – $75.00
Current Box Price ~ $150+
Recent eBay Sales:
- 2010 Bowman Baseball Hobby Box $157.00
- 2010 Bowman Baseball Retail Jumbo Box $159.99
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2010 Topps Series 1 & 2 Baseball
Highlights
- Both had Million Card Redemption
- Stephen Strasburg #661 added to Series 2
- Abe Lincoln & Pie In The Face SP’s
- Affordable
Topps Series 1 Checklist – Topps Series 2 Checklist
Topps Series 1 Hobby Boxes dried up pretty quick – so either people bought less series 2 … or the Topps printer just was missing the ‘off’ switch for the second series. The SP’s in Series 1 were a mystery, and the Abe Lincoln didn’t show up right away. Series 2 had Stephen Strasburg inserted into the Million Card Redemption as Card #661. You could call that the most re-printed (RC) in history … as there are several variations that were released in other Topps sets.
The Million Card redemption is cool – and talk about a great way for Topps to get information about its customers – as you have to sign up to receive your cards. I’ve gotten some e-mails from collectors this year that have scored 1950’s and 60’s Topps Baseball cards from this program, so that’s cool. These are the types of redemptions that collectors actually enjoy … ones that are a ‘mystery’ and can be redeemed instantly. Overall, these were great sets for collectors during the baseball season.
Current Box Price ~ $65.00+
Recent eBay Sales:
- Topps Series 1, 2 + Update 991 Card Set $65.00
- Topps Series 1 Retail Box $64.88
- Topps Series 2 Master Set 614 Cards $50.99
2010 Topps Allen & Ginter Baseball
- Release Date: June 16, 2010
Highlights
- Stephen Strasburg Mini Cards (If you could find them)
- Odd-Ball Mix is a nice change
- Huge Checklist
- Not Too Expensive
2010 Topps Allen & Ginter Baseball Checklist
I had trouble thinking of another set that stood out during the season. Seems like everything that came out after August was just a re-run of what Topps had already done. Stephen Strasburg was a main part of sets well after he had tanked his elbow and Buster Posey turned out to be the real stud. I know Topps is an east coast company – but you can tell as Posey, Lincecum, Matt Cain, Bumgarner and other west coast players are not apart of sets after they are rookies (see Lincecum autographs). However, Topps Allen & Ginter is a nice change from Baseball – as this set really focuses on odd-ball and athletes/celebrities from other areas of sport. There was a day when just about every set tried to copy what Allen & Ginter had with random athletes … but for the most part, Ginter is the place for David Blaine or Shawn Johnson autographs in a baseball set.
Hardcore baseball collectors might not enjoy this set – or avoid it all together. I think it still has a place in the baseball card market and the hobby in general. Now that only Topps is making licensed baseball cards – Allen & Ginter is a perfect set to mix in with the rest of the prospect & base card driven sets. I think it would sell better if it came out later in the year after people were done collecting Heritage, and Series 1/2 + Update. It will be interesting to see how 2011 can measure up – and if they start including more prospects like Bryce Harper and others.
Current Box Price ~ $65.00+
Recent eBay Sales:
- Henry Morgenthau Jr. Cut Autograph #1/1 $305.00
- Cliff Lee Rip Card (Unripped) #/25 $202.75
- Legends Myth Joy Goldilocks Relic $200.00
- Evan Longoria Autograph $191.50
- Jason Bay Rip Card (Unripped) #2/25 $160.00
- Stephen Strasburg Mini SP (RC) $127.55
NFL Football Boxes  2010
Press Pass Football
- Release Date: March 29, 2010
Highlights
- On Card Autographs of every top NFL Draft Pick
- Features players in College Unifoms
- Often ‘overlooked’ by some collectors
- At least 5 Autograph cards per hobby box
2010 Press Pass Football Checklist
This set wouldn’t make it onto the list if I didn’t have personal experience trying to buy 2010 Jermaine Gresham Autograph (on card) Rookies. They’re simply way too many uses of stickers from Topps and Panini during the 2010 Season. Some promising sets planned for a 2011 release including 2010 Topps 5 Star, Panini Contenders and some others. However, to my knowledge Topps has used stickers for most its 2010 calendar year and so has Panini.
Jermaine Gresham’s signature is ‘tall’ … therefore stickers really restrict his vertical signature cards. I like the look of his autograph much better on the Press Pass versions. You can debate if they will ever have re-sale value, over and above Topps/Panini cards … but as a collector, I enjoy just having the signature on card. Press Pass delivers that. The fact that some collectors just don’t collect Press Pass, make these pretty good buys on the secondary market.
Current Box Price ~ $65.00+
Recent eBay Sales:
- Tim Tebow ‘Go Gators’ Autograph #/8 $300.00
- Sam Bradford Auto/Jersey #/25 $149.05
- Joe Webb ‘Spiderman’ Autograph #/5 $103.00
- Sam Bradford Autograph #/75 $65.00
2010 Score Football
- Release Date: June 30, 2010
Highlights
- Cheap $0.99 Packs Make Them Guiltless
- Over 100 Autographs of RC’s and Vets
- Simple Parallel and Insert Card Structure
- Available Everywhere
2010 Score Football Box Checklist
I remember recording Podcast #57 in July and saying how much I liked this product then. The autographs are all stickers – but I feel that’s okay for a $0.99 pack product – and in fact I wish retail had MORE sticker autographs and HOBBY boxes contain more on-card autographs. There are rookies and a small batch of veteran players that signed – but the autographs are hard to hit in a product like this – but they do make it fun to chase them down.
They made factory set versions – but many collectors put this set together the old fashion way – by hand. There are ‘glossy’ parallel cards in each pack, and maybe my eyes are already getting old … but I found them hard to distinguish over the ‘regular’ cards. Plenty of sets have come out since this release, however – none of them pack the value and fun that 2010 Score had right from the start of the 2010 NFL collecting season.
Current Box Price ~ $30.00
Recent eBay Sales:
- Peyton Manning The Franchise Autograph #5/5 $113.98
- Adrian Peterson Autograph #8/10 $71.88
- Sam Bradford Autograph RC $70.00
- Tim Tebow Autograph RC $63.00
2010 Upper Deck NCAA Sweet Spot
- Release Date: June 30, 2010
Highlights
- Familiar ‘Helmet’ Signatures
- Nice mix of top NFL RC’s and NFL Stars
- Barry Sanders Autographs
- College Uniforms
2010 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Football Checklist
I honestly think Upper Deck can be a ‘player’ in the Football card market because of the NCAA license they have. Players switch teams so often that having a RC card with them in their College Uniform never goes out of style. With Topps re-making baseball into football and no one really loving Panini (and they all use way too many stickers of the same ‘Photo Shoot’ NFL draft picks). Upper Deck at least got the rookies to sign these on the helmets – but considering they can use players in NCAA uniforms, they should be able to have on-card autographs unlike Panini & Topps who get photos/autographs at the same event, therefore prohibiting them from being able to get on-card signatures.
If Upper Deck can A: Get more on-card autographs of the ‘Photo-Shoot’ Draft Picks and B: Get more signatures of guys that emerge late in the season like Joe Webb of Minnesota and Chris Ivory of the Saints – they will sell better than Panini/Topps who have the NFL license. 2010 Football was one of the most lazy and boring year of cards … when you had compelling rookies like Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford. We never saw Michael Vick, I even got TO in a Buffalo Bills uniform in Topps Chrome – well after he had signed with the Bengals….that’s lazy. Upper Deck’s Sweet Spot was delayed several months – however it stood out over re-run baseball/football from Topps and basically the same from Panini carrying over from Basketball.
Current Box Price ~ $55.00+
Recent eBay Sales:
- Tim Tebow Autograph RC #6/25 $214.00
- Colt McCoy Autograph RC #1/50 $210.00
- Dez Bryant Autograph RC #/100 $101.00
- Dez Bryant Autograph RC #/100 $58.95
- Paul Hornung Autograph #20/25 $53.00
