Don’t Get Me Wrong (Topps)

2020 Topps (cropped screenshot)

(Edited 2/13/2020) If you’re like me, you can’t wait for Topps Series 1 to be released. (In case you didn’t know, Topps Series 1 official release date is Wednesday February 5th.) Besides opening up the packs and beginning the process of building the set, I also enjoy reading reviews of this product. Past reviews have always been very informative and bring to light some errors/variations/peculiarities in these cards. In fact, there already seems to be a pretty major mistake in the Series 1 checklist. Tthe Twitterverse and hobby blogosphere (see Night Owl’s The lone Ranger post) have already noted that the 2020 Topps Series 1 checklist has only one Rangers base card in it. I’m pretty sure Rangers fans are not happy about that. The case breakers and some of their customers probably aren’t happy about it either.

2020 Topps Decades' Best #DB-24
2020 Topps Decades' Best #DB-24

Moving along, here we have an image of one of the yet-to-be- now-released Series 1 Decades Best insert cards. Is it just me or is there another Topps goof in this card image? This card (most likely numbered DB-24) shows Sandy Koufax and more Dodgers celebrating their 1963 World Series-clinching victory against the New York Yankees. This is great except for the fact the Dodgers don’t wear RED numbers on their backs.

I obtained this image from a screenshot of a Topps video called “Breaking 101: How to Join a Group Break“. The video promotes joining the Series 1 case breaks at the Topps Million Card Rip Party (held at Dallas’ AT&T Stadium on Tuesday February 4th). The card appears in the 85-second video at about the 1:03 mark.

Here’s the original black-and-white photo from Getty Images:

From Getty Images (Original Caption) 10/6/1963-Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles Dodger pitcher Sandy Koufax is mobbed by his teammates, after winning the fourth straight World Series game against the New York Yankees.
From Getty Images (Original Caption) 10/6/1963-Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles Dodger pitcher Sandy Koufax is mobbed by his teammates, after winning the fourth straight World Series game against the New York Yankees.

Back in 1964, Topps did it right. The 1964 Topps World Series Summary card #140 photo may be a little fuzzy but there doesn’t appear to be any glaring errors here. Sandy Koufax is being mobbed by teammates wearing blue numbers on their backs–as he should be.

1964 Topps #140
1964 Topps #140

From the few mockups I’ve seen so far, the Decades Best insert cards look very attractive. I’m really looking forward to trying to complete the Series 1 100-card insert set. Of course this insert set will be continued in Series 2, most likely with an additional 100 cards. Series 2 jumbo boxes will even include 2-card packs of chrome versions of Decades Best as a boxloader.

2020 Topps Decades Best Willie Mays
2020 Topps Decades Best Willie Mays
2020 Topps Decades Best Ken Griffey Jr.
2020 Topps Decades Best Ken Griffey Jr.

The 2020 Topps Series 1 checklist lists two Decades Best cards featuring the Dodgers. Will the second card , numbered DB-85, have a similar error? I doubt it. I expect it will use a photo that was originally in color and not need to be colorized.

But how about Series 2? Will there be a similar error card? If so, will it be a Dodgers card or another team? Or will Topps have the time and resources to find and correct a similar error? If we’re lucky, there will not be an error card in Series 2. If we’re even luckier, the actual Series 1 Decades Best 1960s Dodgers card will be flawless and only the mockup will be flawed. Will we also see more Rangers base cards than any other team in Series 2?

For now we will wait and see. As Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders sings it,

It might just be fantastic
Don’t get me wrong

Stay tuned…

BBCARDZ License Plate

Author: BBCARDZ

6 thoughts on “Don’t Get Me Wrong (Topps)

  1. I’m into them too, but I can see me at a dealer table in a month or two having to buy 3/4 of these for 25¢ each after I open a couple boxes to start my set.

  2. That 1960’s Decades’ Best card is pretty cool. I went over to the checklist to see if the A’s would be featured on a card for their play during the 70’s… but sadly it doesn’t seem like they made the cut 🙁

  3. the 60s design is divine – groovy really. A friend opened a blaster and gave me all the cards she wasn’t keeping. You know where to go if you are interested in any. 😉 I’m spreading them out over a couple of uploads.

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