Nonsense Newsletter No. 117: Topps Series 1, Numbers, numbers and more numbers. A cigar box of cardboard gold and more!
In this week’s incredible edition of the Nonsense Newsletter, John Dudley gets down and dirty with 2024 Topps Series 1 baseball. I, on the other hand, air my grievances with numbered cards. And, of course, the Quick Hits section is a home run yet again. So, you know the drill, kick back, sit back, lie back, whatever it is that chills you out, and enjoy this gem-mint installment of the Nonsense Newsletter.
By John Dudley
The release of Topps Series 1 every year marks the turning of the seasons. For me, it is the hobby New Year’s celebration. A new season means new rookies and 2024 Topps Series 1 is packed full of some great ones. With a product chock full of rookies, it is time to get a handle on the 2024 class before diving in to deep.
I will note that a lot of big names have been held back for Series 2 and potentially Update. No Wyatt Langford, Jackson Holiday, Paul Skenes, Noelvi Marte, or Yoshinobu Yamamato here. The list below only ranks players that can be found in Series 1. So without further ado, here is a list of the top players I’ll be hunting.
Hobby Reaches
10. A.J. Smith-Shawver- The Braves were relatively quiet this offseason and didn’t add an ace like many expected unless you count Chris Sale (I don’t). Smith-Shawver is one of the reasons that the Braves resisted the starters in the market. He’s only 20 but has a great opportunity to snag the Braves fifth starter spot. While there is the thought that pitchers don’t fare well in the hobby (tell that to Mr. Skenes), Braves pitchers are an exception as the sizable Braves fan base flocks to them like moths to a flame. He’s one pitcher I won’t be disappointed to hit in 2024.
I open a lot of hockey cards..
I break them myself on my stream, or I get involved in breaks in other streamer’s rooms.
Nonetheless, it’s pretty much what I do now, most every night at some point.
I enjoy it (especially the breaking part of it) and I’ve met some amazing folks as a result.
However, one thing I’m noticing, and I’m assuming this is the same in other sports, is the crazy number of numbered cards coming out of packs.
Everything, aside from the flagship products, seems to contain a slew of numbered cards.
Quick Hits
Grading News- No sign of any grading slow down yet. Numbers for January are out and they show an overall uptick. It’s even better news for SGC, CGC, and BGS who accounted for all of the growth. It’s worth mentioning that SGC graded more than 100,000 baseball, basketball, and football cards combined which is the first time a company other than PSA has reached that milestone.
Hobby News- Prizm Basketball drops 2/14 which means the great Wembanyama chase will officially be on. While he might not have autos in this product, I’d argue that Prizm has never been about the autos to begin with. The reception of Prizm will say a lot about the health of the card market and is worth watching regardless of your interest in the product.
Vintage- It’s happened again! Some one rummages through the attic or basement or whatever and find an old cigar box. And, of course, when they open the box… it’s loaded with 100-year old baseball cards including 20 Babe Ruth cards, 15 Ty Cobb cards, 12 Grover Cleveland Alexander cards, 10 Walter Johnson cards, nine Rogers Horsby among other all-time greats. Click here for more on this incredible find.
Hobby News- 2/14 will be action-packed. In addition to Prizm Basketball, Topps Series 1 comes out. Both of these will be in the top ten most-anticipated releases of this year. If a few rookies perform well, the 14th might go down as one of the biggest release days in the history of the hobby. That’s only slightly hyperbolic.
The Sports Card Nonsense newsletters reflect the opinions of only the authors and contributors. They are for informational purposes only and are not a recommendation for purchases or of an investment strategy or to buy or sell any assets.