2015 Topps Tribute was a high-end product that boasted all on-card autographs. Unfortunately, the UV coating on the cards caused the on-card autographs to run, streak, and bubble. It was so bad that Topps wound up issuing a recall on the product, offering a refund on unopened boxes and replacement cards in exchange for opened product. As I understand it, the recall period ended on 30 JUN 2015, so any remaining cards out there are not eligible for exchange.
A player I collect, Jon Singleton of the Astros, was on the Tribute checklist that year, but you don't see his cards from this set pop up as often as his cards from similar sets like Triple Threads or Supreme. This Gold parallel of his autograph card from the set exhibits the ink problems that got the product recalled, but it's numbered # 14 / 25 and I got it for a couple bucks. I'm not going to be too picky at that price point.
There's not much Singleton news these days. The Astros dropped him from the 40-man roster in November, after he went through all of 2016 without a call-up. He only played in 19 games for the team in 2015, and the backlog at his position 1B/DH means that if he gets a chance again, it will probably be for another team. He's still only 25 years old, but he's running out of time to make good on his power potential. He did get a Spring Training invite, though, so maybe all hope is not lost. I really should be focusing my cardboard collection on some other Astro, like Jose Altuve or Evan Gattis, but I don't take to change very well and I'll probably still chase the odd Singleton here and there. Eventually the card companies will force me to quit, as Singleton doesn't project to show up in many future sets, unless he starts hitting or finds a role on another club.
He looks to have made a very good decision signing that deal a couple years back.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that is really looking like a player-friendly deal. It would be nice from a player collector perspective if he could get a little more run at the MLB level. There are just so many low-average, power-hitting 1B/DH-types out there that you really have to be special and have a clear path on the roster if you want to play.
DeleteI admit to doing the same thing on the Out of the Park computer game. I go through 1B bats like crazy, because there is always another cheap guy sitting in the free agent pool.
I wonder what Topps did with all of the recalled autographs. As for switching Astros... I'd say Altuve is a great choice... but I wouldn't want to get into bidding wars with you on eBay ;)
ReplyDeleteI imagine they probably shredded them, or maybe they put them in the Vault to use as redemption replacements. I got a streaky, messy Bo Jackson autograph redemption from them, so I wouldn't put it past them to turn around and redistribute the cards once the bad press blew over.
DeleteI probably won't pick Jose Altuve. I like him a lot, but he's a little too high-profile for me. I guess I could just focus a little more on my Josh Reddick collection, now that he's an Astro. One of his Bowman Chrome Superfractors just popped up on eBay today. I wish I had the cash to lock it down.