46 Comments

Must say, I do like the border design MUCH better than I have for the past few years. I have always been a big fan of the set as a whole, but haven’t been too pleased with the card design since 2008.

ummmm……I thought it hadn’t changed, at all ?!?! It is like a lot of Topps products….close your eyes and point-then try and attach what name you think the item might be……(this is especially true of there football items-like Prime; Unrivaled; Five-Star .

It is too bad….the companies (yes…..I mean you folks at Panini as well) do not listen to their consumers better. I know they cannot give in to all the ideas we the consumer might have out here, but maybe not so many parallels & massive color replicas in almost EVERY PRODUCT.

Finally…..I would utilize the regular communication channels-but both companies mentioned above, dont seem to reply to ‘customer service’ contact links

happy holidays…….Steve-O

Steve, do you want a Ginter set that looks like Chrome? If so, wouldn’t it be Chrome?

Chris…….it was called ‘Allen & Ginter Gloosy”

Steve: What are you talking about? Adding a layer of gloss to a set is not exactly like printing it with etched plastic surfaces. In fact, it’s not even close!

Even though Chrome is no longer printed on “etched plastic surfaces.”

I am very excited to see this one, nice clean design. Want to see more images though and learn more about subsets and inserts. I thought last years set was truly awesome. I love the “secret” type inserts like Treasure cards and Faces cards from last year. I would love to see more retired baseball included. More dna cards! Loved floral cards too! That was a very cool idea and if it focuses on rare plants around the world I think it should stay! A true original I thought. Go Ginter 2012. Let me review the planned setlist LOL.

I like this design ( from what I can tell from the one card). I just hope they ante up with autos of retired players as they did with the 2006 set (and as they do with GQ). Chris I’ve written a number of times about my love for A&G, my favorites being the inaugural 06 set and 2009 probably my all time favorite ( great colors and designs). 2012 looks like a return to that form. Not sure why all the hate from readers right out the gate…

BTW I was not a fan of the glossy edition either. Rather pointless and counterintuitive in my opinion. I’m a mini fan…

It is a good product but it is getting hard to tell which year the auto’s and game used cards came out.

Harris: Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. It *could* be if they wanted to …

I like the base design, but there is A LOT more to this product than just that. For one how about a product that doesn’t include 40% redemptions? Also the rip cards are the big draw but topps has had major screw ups in 2 of the 5 years this product has hit. Topps knows this will sell, but it would be nice to reward collectors with a solid product a la 2006.

I must say I do love the design, it’s gotten better the last two years and this one looks very nice. But I’m refraining from buying Ginter this year. Four boxes purchased in the last 2 years, and I pulled 0 autographs, 0 numbered minis, 0 rare inserts (face flocculence, etc). I’ve seen breaks with 3 great hits in one box. If Topps spread the wealth a little then it might be worth buying, but I can’t justify spending 100 bucks on 3 $3 jersey cards and a bunch of minis and crummy inserts of ships and historical figures. I love the vintage-type products, but Ginter just isn’t worth the gamble.

Chris, does this mean what I think it may mean…Hammering Hank auto in Ginter?

Corey: We could hope so … but he does have quite a large sig these days. Might be better on a box-topper or larger cabinet card.

I’d like to have a chance at the code. Too often by the time I’ve seen a box there has already been a case or two broken. I did manage to crack the first year, but way too late. And the later years, forget it.

Rip cards are cool, but not a ton of variants. Variants kill value.
Redemption cards are things to be avoided whenever possible.

am finished buying any of the Big 3′s products until they learn something about customer service and telling the truth, excuses from companies about why they “can’t control how cards are packed out” is a load of crap ,topps did just fine with heritage minors this year and then we were duped in with bowman chrome and i won’t mention sterling with “sticker auto’s” isn’t that the Bowman top tier product? stickers really? going to buy some NASCAR cards instead !

I like it–the boarder is understated, yet intricate and unique. I’ll be anxious to see what kind of insert sets we’ll get this year. It is hard not to like A&G because it has something for everyone. Take notes, Panini.

Is this the same Steve O that moderated all the topps message boards for years?

Don’t think so.

I wish all the sets that mimic tobacco card styles would use the “mini” as the basic card size instead of the larger new standard size.

Agreed!

For me, the backs of the cards are just as important as the front. Especially in a product like A&G where it traditionally has career stats, historical blurb etc. If the back of the Clemente just has info about the relic, then Im not really all that impressed. If it has certification, career stats/blurb then Im pretty excited about it. Just my two cents as the first place I go when a card is in my hand is to the back to look at stats.

I am afraid I will have zero money after next years ginter comes out. I want both the Grif auto and Clem bat…I want it ALL OF IT!!!!! Just those two items has made Ginter better than every year but 2006. I am Jazzed!!!

So, it the Clemente “relic” going to be a piece of the bat, or will it be a generic
“relic” that we are to take on faith that he had some connection with, however
distant?

The COA has turned from certificate of authenticity to cover our a**es and guarantee
little or nothing.

Richard: Perhaps they will use bat and jersey pieces this year like they did on several players’ cards in 2011? Rather than change the printing plates (added cost), they just said “memorabilia.”

It’s not always a conspiracy.

If you want to do that for a common player of today, go ahead.
For players like Clemente as well as other significant players who have relatively
little in the way of certified materials on the market, one would hope they would
make the effort. The cost is not high enough to excuse this.

Other brands have taken the effort to show a picture of the original item as well as
some information about the item, like the date the game happened. People want to
know if its a bat piece or a piece of the stadium wall and they will also pay a different
price. In my case, I’ve stopped buying most memorabilia cards altogether when the
statement feels vague. If you use lawyer language that translates to nothing is
guaranteed it should not surprise you when the level of trust drops accordingly.

When you’re designing across the board on a product, minimizing the small costs is very, very important. Why? Because small costs will add up fast.

Do you have specific dated examples of that from the last couple of years? Few — if any — do them because, yep, it’s all added time and cost.

The black border looks great, that was my favorite part of gypsy queen!

The Clemente is awesome! Just what I asked for on my earlier post! More retired players (especially legends)! I cant wait to see what surprises are in store for this year’s set.

I like the look of the cards, I just hope they don’t have all the redicules insert cards that they had last year.

I do love the look of the frame for the autos and mems. Much better then any year past. As for the design, its nice but its no better then any of the other years. They are all fairly similar.

I usually like the design of the base cards, relics, autos, etc. and don’t mind parallel cards. However, I do hate getting cards of Pluto and the Eiffel Tower when I’d much much much rather have a card of a basbeall player instead.

Just hope Topps put more baseball items in this than last year. Its been getting more and more non baseball every year. Non sports is fine, but when more than 1/2 the product is non sports, especially the mini inserts, it feels its not a baseball card set anymore and make busting a box or case a waste…80% baseball 20% non baseball would better!

I like this set every year. Off-beat autos are cool (I got the spelling bee champ a few years ago). The weird inserts and minis are interesting year after year. I’ll probably bust a few boxes and hopefully get something interesting.

I like this set alot (probably even more than any other). The only thing I do not like is the inclusion of redemption autos. I am still waiting on two from last years product. What is worse is that out of the four boxes I bought, these were my only two autos. On top of that I got two relics of two different a players.

Can’t wait. Totally sweet. Great auto mix of baseball players. Best design since 2009. I really am looking forward to this, thanks for sharing, Olds.

Wow, A&G looks amazing. Great insert sets too. Well done, Topps.

I dont buy boxes anymore (just not cost effective…..for my collecting fun !!), but still keep tabs on the hobby and here is my two-cents worth…….From what I see here is a pretty good bang for the buck and just to compare to an item that use to be considered “top shelf”…..here we have Allen & Ginters and on the other side we have Bowman Sterling, I think that Ginters wins hands down & ya know why ?? CUZ FOR $200+ ON THE BOWMAN STERLING PRODUCT- YOU GET ALL THEM STICKER AUTO’s……ID BE P***** OFF, IF ID BOUGHT A BOX OF THAT !! Here at least…..seems a better deal

Steve-O: Bowman Sterling has had sticker autographs since its first year, 2004. Nothing has changed there. Ginter has had on-card sigs since 2006, too, but doesn’t deliver an auto in every box — just three chances at one. There’s also an immense SRP difference — Sterling is $300 a box, while Ginter is $100ish.

I HAVE to have that Clemente Relic!

Chris, in 2004 Bowman sterling base autos were on card.

The ones with materials had sticker.
2005 and later were all sticker.

Correct. But there were stickers since Day 1! (I stopped after pulling a David Wright Refractor Relic in my first — and only — retail pack.)

I think this box needs more baseball less non baseballcards.Who wants 40% of their cards to be a historical dissapointment!

i been a fan of allen ginter from the start, and can’t wait for new stuff but topps has to work on the redemptions. been waiting ten months for three of them and one is hope solo.. i think i will cut back on amount of boxes this year.

I have opened over 60 packs and have not received any special signed or relic card at all!