Retail Reveal: 2012 Bowman Football
By Andrew Tolentino | Beckett Football Editor
Topps‘ recently trumpeted 2012 Bowman Signatures brand left many football collectors asking one simple, reasonable question. Where the heck is basic Bowman?
Today, the manufacturer clarified, noting that the beloved brand will land around the same time — in retail form.
This year’s Bowman is scheduled to hit shelves on May 21 with eight to 24 packs per box, depending on what the retailer carries. Blaster boxes will contain eight packs, each offering five veteran base cards and three base Rookie Cards, while 24-pack boxes have the same pack formula and might make for better odds on pulling the most coveted cards in the product.
Autographs in 2012 Bowman mirror some of the sets in 2012 Bowman Signatures (Chrome Refractor Rookie autographs, Inside the Numbers, Dual and Triple autographs), but there are two retail exclusives to chase here. All-American Autographs feature hard-signed signatures from up to 20 top rookies, and Accolades will showcase on-card autographs from 10 elite newcomers.
The same retail-exclusive approach goes for Relics, inserts, and parallels throughout the set. Like Signatures, 2012 Bowman will also feature Autographed Relics, Inside the Numbers, and Combine Competition cards, but the basic brand will also include Inside the Numbers Relics and Accolades inserts. Rookie Cards in 2012 Bowman come are paralleled in silver (numbered to 99), green (numbered to 25), and retail-exclusive gold and purple parallels (numbering remains unknown at the moment).
Stay tuned to Beckett.com for more details, preview images, and who knows — maybe even a Venn diagram to further illustrate the differences and similarities between 2012 Bowman and Bowman Signatures.
At least Topps is telling you up front hey we need you money and we will create as many same looking high ends products as long as you buy.
We are really looking at the new face of the Hobby from the companies point of view.
One we give you high end early after the draft and sprinkle in the middle of road stuff.
They have to they know box breakers will bust a ton and that ensures the bottom line.
What this does is undervale the other products vale to the base consumer/collector.
drive more sale because we all want that Andrew Luck #’d to 5 event used patch/logo.
Question should be are high end products ruining the Hobby or is it helping the Hobby.
Just my opinion.
I wonder how many cards will come out of the packs NOT damaged. My guess is not very many. Wait til the end of the year and stores will start discounting them.
I’m not a fan of Luck’s sig. Of course that’ll change if I pull one but the 5 loops doesn’t do much for me. It’s amazing how picky I’ve become about these signatures. Maybe it has something to do with the price of packs nowadays.
Newton’s sig on the other hand is simple, yet unique and as of now I’d prefer his over Luck’s
I agree with Tom Waldron, high end products are ruining the hobby. You may call it jealousy or bitterness, but every year I take less joy from the hobby because Topps has monopolized EVERYTHING and now is getting lazy in quality and design because you have no other choice if you want to collect. Now I am not someone who can spend the rediculous prices they want on hobby boxes, so if I want to buy cards, I have to buy retail only, so I get NO GOOD PULLS, while I see the hobby box collectors pulling the good rookie cards, the autographs and patch cards. Not being able to buy hobby means I HAVE NO CHANCE!!!
Justin: The NFL has two full licensees, Panini America and Topps.
I recommend PressPass. So does Beckett!
Ive been collecting for about 30 years, and i love collecting the bowman product, but I would like to say that this years bowman base card is garabage, it’s reminiscent of the old proset cards from the early 90’s. It’s boring, and lacks creativity, plus the price per pack just went up a bit. Now I don’t care to much about price, but when quality goes down and prices go up that’s a problem.
Now yes I understand that prices go up, and always will, but once collectors accept this as a norm, then that’s where the bar for quality will be placed.
I just think bowman needs continue to put quality first.
Thank you
no hobby?
This is a good set building product. That is why i buy it in retail, since its a high end set and building a base set from hobby would cost too much. Plus i like the look of the cards.