Saw these out at my local Target and could not resist picking up two value packs (three exclusive blue border mini per pack) and two blasters.
The big news for retail this year is the following: Odds per pack of having an autograph card: 1:25. And of course, you still get the minis and inserts, so with 8 packs per blaster that is pretty good odds of getting an autograph and in fact both blasters I picked up had autograph cards.
Onto the cards and inserts. Okay, they probably are not as cool as the 2010 Topps Magic Football (my favorite set ever) but these are nice looking cards. A new insert set this year is purple bordered Rookie Enchantment cards - they are pretty cool looking but oversized so in the 1:6 packs where you get one you get one less card. Bummer.
Anyway, the base cards look nice - apparently no more short prints this year according to packaging - you get a good number of rookie cards in this product unlike some. Got base Andrew Luck and RGIII.
Anyway - Here is what I was able to pull insert wise.
Autographs (1:25 according to package):
Veteran Autograph: Eric Decker, WR Denver Broncos. Not bad at all - did you know that in his two full healthy years in the NFL Eric Decker has 21 touchdowns? So i'm happy with this
Rookie Autograph: Daryl Richardson, RB St Louis Rams. A 7th round pick who rushed for 498 yards and had 163 receiving yards. Apparently he's better than Isiah Pead.
'48 Magic Mini (1:12 packs)
These are sepia tone and smaller than the regular minis
Doug Martin
Ryan Tannehill (times 2)
Charismatic Combos (1:12)
Jay Cutler/Brandon Marshall (really good looking card)
Rookie Enchantment (1:6 packs)
Justin Blackmon
Coby Fleener (wrong Colts tight end for me, i have a small collection of Dwayne Allen in the Clemson P.C.)
Morris Claiborne
Luke Kuechly
Trent Richardson
Kendall Wright
Magical Moments (1:6 packs)
I like this insert set - they are nice looking
Cam Newton
Rob Gronkowski
LeSean McCoy
Supernatural Stars (1:4 Packs)
These are honestly kind of boring with a plain black background. Probably my least favorite insert, but at least they are the most common so it shows that apparently Topps knew.
Julio Jones
Jason Pierre-Paul
Alex Smith
Jason Witten
Larry Fitzgerald
Blue Minis (three per value pack):
Bobby Rainey, RB (Rookie)
Brandon Lloyd, WR Patriots
Darren Sproles, RB Saints
Michael Crabtree WR 49ers
Darius Heyward-Bey WR Raiders
Jim Brown RB Browns (only legend card i saw in this group)
Rookie mini cards:
Isiah Pead, RB St Louis Rams (of course)
Trent Richardson RB Browns
Cyrus Gray, RB Chiefs
Ronnie Hillman RB Broncos
Notable veteran minis:
Reggie Wayne, A.J. Green, Roddy White, Matt Shaub
Overall impressions:
Really like this set - easily moves into first place for best 2012 product in my opinion although doesn't beat 2010 Topps Magic Football which is still my pick for all time best product overall. If you liked Topps Magic you will be glad to see it back. The cards look great and in the 22 packs I only got one with no insert card - and one pack had two insert cards including an autograph so hard to complain. Every pack has at least one rookie card as well.
It seems that retail gives pretty decent value. Odds of an autograph from a blaster box are 8/25 - that means that approximately 1:3 blaster boxes will have an autograph of some description. Every pack should also have some sort of insert card and at least one rookie. There are slight odds according to the package to get something really good.
Downside - the autographs are sticker autographs. With the odds, it may be a case of oversaturation (the box lists 1:3200 odds from retail for a dual autograph for example - in 2010 Topps Magic Football odds from retail for a dual autograph were about 1:26,000) of autos from mediocre or bad players. Or perhaps Topps simple isn't manufacturing very many of these. That is about it.
Overall: Topps Magic is nice enough that i may well skip Contenders this year in order to be able to get more than it. i'll definitely get at least one hobby box of Topps Magic and may well skip Contenders to get two depending upon the price. This is easily the best 2012 product in my opinion..
The big news for retail this year is the following: Odds per pack of having an autograph card: 1:25. And of course, you still get the minis and inserts, so with 8 packs per blaster that is pretty good odds of getting an autograph and in fact both blasters I picked up had autograph cards.
Onto the cards and inserts. Okay, they probably are not as cool as the 2010 Topps Magic Football (my favorite set ever) but these are nice looking cards. A new insert set this year is purple bordered Rookie Enchantment cards - they are pretty cool looking but oversized so in the 1:6 packs where you get one you get one less card. Bummer.
Anyway, the base cards look nice - apparently no more short prints this year according to packaging - you get a good number of rookie cards in this product unlike some. Got base Andrew Luck and RGIII.
Anyway - Here is what I was able to pull insert wise.
Autographs (1:25 according to package):
Veteran Autograph: Eric Decker, WR Denver Broncos. Not bad at all - did you know that in his two full healthy years in the NFL Eric Decker has 21 touchdowns? So i'm happy with this
Rookie Autograph: Daryl Richardson, RB St Louis Rams. A 7th round pick who rushed for 498 yards and had 163 receiving yards. Apparently he's better than Isiah Pead.
'48 Magic Mini (1:12 packs)
These are sepia tone and smaller than the regular minis
Doug Martin
Ryan Tannehill (times 2)
Charismatic Combos (1:12)
Jay Cutler/Brandon Marshall (really good looking card)
Rookie Enchantment (1:6 packs)
Justin Blackmon
Coby Fleener (wrong Colts tight end for me, i have a small collection of Dwayne Allen in the Clemson P.C.)
Morris Claiborne
Luke Kuechly
Trent Richardson
Kendall Wright
Magical Moments (1:6 packs)
I like this insert set - they are nice looking
Cam Newton
Rob Gronkowski
LeSean McCoy
Supernatural Stars (1:4 Packs)
These are honestly kind of boring with a plain black background. Probably my least favorite insert, but at least they are the most common so it shows that apparently Topps knew.
Julio Jones
Jason Pierre-Paul
Alex Smith
Jason Witten
Larry Fitzgerald
Blue Minis (three per value pack):
Bobby Rainey, RB (Rookie)
Brandon Lloyd, WR Patriots
Darren Sproles, RB Saints
Michael Crabtree WR 49ers
Darius Heyward-Bey WR Raiders
Jim Brown RB Browns (only legend card i saw in this group)
Rookie mini cards:
Isiah Pead, RB St Louis Rams (of course)
Trent Richardson RB Browns
Cyrus Gray, RB Chiefs
Ronnie Hillman RB Broncos
Notable veteran minis:
Reggie Wayne, A.J. Green, Roddy White, Matt Shaub
Overall impressions:
Really like this set - easily moves into first place for best 2012 product in my opinion although doesn't beat 2010 Topps Magic Football which is still my pick for all time best product overall. If you liked Topps Magic you will be glad to see it back. The cards look great and in the 22 packs I only got one with no insert card - and one pack had two insert cards including an autograph so hard to complain. Every pack has at least one rookie card as well.
It seems that retail gives pretty decent value. Odds of an autograph from a blaster box are 8/25 - that means that approximately 1:3 blaster boxes will have an autograph of some description. Every pack should also have some sort of insert card and at least one rookie. There are slight odds according to the package to get something really good.
Downside - the autographs are sticker autographs. With the odds, it may be a case of oversaturation (the box lists 1:3200 odds from retail for a dual autograph for example - in 2010 Topps Magic Football odds from retail for a dual autograph were about 1:26,000) of autos from mediocre or bad players. Or perhaps Topps simple isn't manufacturing very many of these. That is about it.
Overall: Topps Magic is nice enough that i may well skip Contenders this year in order to be able to get more than it. i'll definitely get at least one hobby box of Topps Magic and may well skip Contenders to get two depending upon the price. This is easily the best 2012 product in my opinion..