Topps takes a lot of heat among collectors. Some of it is warranted because they have a stranglehold on the baseball trading card market. It is a good move for Topps. Topps doesn't have to compete with Upper Deck, Fleer, Donruss or any other company that used to make baseball cards. Now, all my collecting dollars goes right into the hands of Topps. But, I do understand the criticisms of collectors.
I am not going to go balls to the wall on my critique of the baseball card industry. I am also not going to give the pros and cons of the Topps monopoly. I am here to post about the Topps Diamond Giveaway. I am a fan of this promotion. I am able to get some nice cards and trade with others online. Both those actions are awesome.
The Topps Diamond Giveaway offers collectors a chance to get Red Diamond Die Cut cards. This set offers a wide array of players to choose from. The set includes current stars and scrubs as well as past legends. The Red Diamond Die Cut cards are shiny and obviously die cut. The downside to getting one of these cards online is the many trade offers that come with it. I have gotten numerous bunk offers for this Ethier. It drove me nuts to the point where I was rushed to send in my payment to receive this card. I was sick of getting offers of a junk 1991 Topps card or a 1987 Topps card for this beauty. I was going to try and wait until the end of this promotion and get one big bubble mailer full of cards that I had stored on the Topps Diamond Giveaway site.
The second Red Diamond Die Cut card that I got in the bubble mailer from Topps is of Kurt Suzuki. I haven't gotten a Kurt Suzuki card in awhile. It at least seems that way. I didn't get too many offers for this card. The Ethier drew a lot of attention among collectors.
It got me to think about, who is the most collected current Dodger? I know collectors love the Dodger legends such a Sandy Koufax and Jackie Robinson. But, since so many people seemed to be sending me offers for the Ethier die cut, it made me think that he must be the most popular among current Dodgers. I think Ethier is the third best player on the team. Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp are near the top at there current positions. I don't think Ethier is one of the best outfielders in baseball.
Who do you guys think is the most collectible among current Dodger players?
One of the gripes that people have with the Topps Diamond Giveaway is the condition of the vintage cards that they send out. Topps gives a disclaimer that the condition of the cards that they picture may be different than the condition of the cards they send out. The two cards pictured above are from the 1966 Topps set. These are the oldest Dodger cards that I own. The Lou Johnson is in very good condition. The corners are slightly dinged but, other than that the card looks solid. The Claude Osteen on the other hand is bent and folded in several places. The Osteen was much loved over the years. I still enjoy the Osteen just as much as I enjoy the Johnson. I knew going in that the condition of the cards will vary.
I got some more old school goodness. The 1977 Topps set is one of my favorites. The card shows Manny Mota with his wrist heavily taped with what appears to be shipping tape. Mota's wrist was probably killing him but, he was probably man enough to play through the pain. The second card is a 1973 Topps Claude Osteen. The photo appears to be taken at Dodgertown in Vero Beach,Florida. I miss Dodgertown. Arizona is the better spot for Spring Training overall. No one can successfully argue otherwise. But, Dodgertown had a great vibe and it felt like baseball heaven. Baseball heaven isn't in a cornfield in Iowa it is located in Vero Beach.
I love Dodger team cards. Team photos such as this have a high school class feel to them. The back of this card has a checklist and the previous owner of this card seems to have collected the entire Dodger team set. Good for that guy!
1975 Topps is another one of my favorite sets. The color schemes used have a great 70s vibe. At least the vibe that I think was going on in the 70s since I wasn't actually born yet. Mike Marshall had 21 saves and 15 relief wins in 1974 according to the back of this card. That is getting the job done. Also, Marshall has a great mustache and sideburns. The mustache/sideburns combo probably helped him have such a good season. Great facial hair gives you special powers. That is a fact.
The last card I got from Topps is a 1979 Bobby Castillo. He is a local LA guy and makes a lot of appearances representing the Dodgers. I got this card in the hopes of getting it autographed by him someday. Also, Castillo still has a great mustache.
This was a very sweet package from Topps. I still have a couple more cards on the Diamond Giveaway site. I am just waiting to hear back from some trade offers.
