2018 Topps Clearly Authentic Review - How Topps made the right choice with Ronald Acuña Jr.

Join us as we dig into one of Topps' highly anticipated guaranteed hit products, 2018 Topps Clearly Authentic Baseball. Topps takes the traditional autographed card one step farther with their custom made acetate cards, which sets each signature distinctly apart from their traditional counterparts.

2018 Topps Clearly Authentic Baseball / Topps

Atlanta Braves rookie phenom Ronald Acuña Jr. is prominently featured on the box, as Topps looks to capitalize on his new fame. With Acuña leading the charge for National League Rookie of the Year, it looks like Topps made the right choice for him to be the face of this product.

The video below reveals the autographed acetate card for the 2018 Topps Clearly Authentic box provided for this review. (Hint - It is an Atlanta Braves rookie superstar.) To find out which one it is, check out the box break video.

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2018 Topps Pro Debut Baseball Review - A set right on time for summer travels

With school out and temperatures heating up, families are heading on road trips throughout the summer. Along their journeys will be stops at minor league stadiums across the country, filled with the hopes of cheap entertainment and a glimpse at the next major league superstar. Topps helps fans traverse the bush leagues with their release of 2018 Topps Pro Debut, saving a trip for those who cannot get to the reaches of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Everett, Washington; or Biloxi, Mississippi.

2018 Topps Pro Debut / Topps

The 200-card base set features a wide representation of the top prospects across all levels of the minor leagues. Ronald Acuña, Hunter Greene, Royce Lewis, and Gleyber Torrres are some of the more notable players in the set, and Topps adds a nice wrinkle by leaving card number 200 for the former Heisman Trophy winner turned New York Mets outfield hopeful, Tim Tebow. Also of note within the base set is a card dedicated to Derby, the late bat-retrieving dog from the Trenton Thunder.

After spending some time handling the set, the striking design is more evident upon further handling. When holding the cards at an angle to the sunlight, the action photos are set so that the image isolates from the background, giving the appearing of the action jumping off the card. This effect gives collectors a premium looking card without the price tag of a chrome issue.

The insert sets include those that you would expect from the oddities of attending a minor league baseball game. Topps dedicates one set to the travels of minor league baseball writer Benjamin Hill, who chronicles the culture for MiLB.com. Another set highlights the various tribute night uniforms worn across the leagues that serve to drive attendance and apparel revenue.

Following the lead of their major league releases, 2018 Topps Pro Debut keeps collectors on their toes with base image variations and parallels. This box yielded one image variation (1:100 packs) and two green parallels.

In an effort to drive collectors towards 2018 Pro Debut, Topps advertises two relic cards and two autographed cards per box. The box provided for this review was a bonus of sorts, as it drew three relic cards (two of Tim Tebow), as well as two base autographs of Kevin Maitan and Ryan Vilade. The real treat of the autographed inserts is the Splash of the Future set, which are serial numbered signed cards that feature a distinct mostly black and white image that sets it apart from the base set.

As minor league stadiums across the country begin to fill up and they play out their own midsummer classics, fans will be in search of Topps branded cards of their newly discovered future stars to collect and chase autographs. With a box of 2018 Topps Pro Debut clocking in at $70, the recipe is right for a fun-filled summer at the ballpark.

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2018 Bowman Baseball Review – How 2018 Bowman is setting a fever pitch in the industry

Immediately following the release of 2018 Bowman Baseball, prominent sports card dealers were placing five-figure bounties on the coveted Shohei Ohtani Superfractor card. As of this writing, Blowout Cards has ignited the offer to $100,000; therefore, it is of little surprise that collectors nationwide are posting photos of empty retail shelves in their quest to hit the big time.

While Ohtani has provided the necessary mania to give the sports card industry a shot in the arm, Bowman shows that their 2018 release can stand well on its own despite the hype surrounding one vaunted card. With a clean design and attractive inserts, 2018 Bowman Baseball furnishes a product that has staying power for years to come.

The 100-card base set features the aforementioned Japanese phenom, as well as a keen mixture of rookies and veterans. Ronald Acuña, Hunter Greene, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. all lead the charge of the 150-card prospect set, with their chrome cards serving as sought after treats for those lucky enough to get their hands on an entire box.

Digging into the parallels and inserts, traditional serial numbered colored parallels will keep fans busy tracking down their favorite player’s rainbow, while the new Bowman #Trending and Bowman Birthdays insert sets give a new flavor for collectors to dine upon. Equally pleasing are the Bowman Sterling, ROY Favorites, Scouts Top 100 and Talent Pipeline inserts, with each providing another nuance for consumers to pour into while digging for their golden ticket.

Even though this box did not add six figures to my annual income, it did yield a complete base set, a host of inserts, three numbered parallels, and a refractor autograph of New York Mets prospect Andres Gimenez. Just going through each pack was exhilarating, as there was tremendous excitement on social watching many post stories of their frantic searches for the product.

With box prices trending near $150 due to the increasing reward placed on the Ohtani Superfractor, 2018 Bowman Baseball is still worth diving into just for the exciting ride that could end with a life-changing hit.

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2017 Bowman's Best Baseball Review - Bowman saving the best for last

When it comes to 2017 baseball card releases, Bowman literally saved the best for last. The famed card manufacturer looks to end the year on a high note by closing out the season with 2017 Bowman’s Best Baseball.

The base card design drives the desirability of this release, as the rich colorful backgrounds help the player images jump off the cards, making this Bowman’s most visually appealing set of the year. The 100-card base set, which includes 35 Top Prospect cards, will please those searching for an easy path to completion.

For collectors seeking a greater challenge, Bowman keeps things interesting by favoring its trademark refractor cards. They offer a complete set of base refractors (1 per pack), atomic refractors (1 per master box), as well as numbered colored parallels that vary in scarcity (250 or less). These parallels will further drive collectors 2017 Bowman's Best Baseball just to hunt down "rainbows" of their favorite players.

The insert sets are equally attractive and intriguing. The 1997 Best Cuts insert set pays homage to a classic design, fitting both top-flight minor leaguers as well as retired veterans into the checklist. The Baseball America Dean List’s set gives report card grades to the next wave of prospects, and the Mirror Image inserts pair similar talents on the same card. All of the insert sets have numbered colored parallels, as well as autographed versions (save for the Mirror Image cards).

At a price point of $100 per master box, Bowman delivers value by guaranteeing four autographs. The base autograph set includes established young stars Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Kris Bryant, and Mike Trout, as well as upstarts Brendan McKay, Ronald Acuna, and Royce Lewis. For those lucky enough to pull a rarer autograph insert from this set, they could find themselves with one signed by Derek Jeter or Hank Aaron.

Closing Bowman’s release calendar for the year, 2017 Bowman’s Best Baseball provides an attractive mixture of design, diversity, and value that will please collectors looking for a place to spend their newly found holiday riches.

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