Friday, March 8, 2019

An Affordable Rip with Added Flair


Each baseball season Topps kicks off the card collecting calendar with their flagship offering of Series 1. The product is designed to unveil the new look of cards for that season, and sets the stage for players in new uniforms, as well as the unveiling of new rookie cards. A few weeks later, Opening Day follows up as a more affordable, and kid friendly product.

With hobby boxes selling for just $29.99, and single packs available at retail stores for a buck, Opening Day is designed to get younger collectors excited about the hobby. It is an easy sell as an impulse product, and while there’s a lot of crossover from Series 1 here, there’s plenty of new inserts to make the set worth checking out. For Twins fans, there’s a couple of specific draws that will make ripping some packs more than worth it.

Base Set

Minnesota has eight cards in the 200-card base set. Jonathan Schoop gets his first flagship style offering in a Twins uniform, and stars like Jose Berrios and Eddie Rosario are present as well. The most notable card here is #153. Willians Astudillo will be presented on his first licensed rookie card in which he does not share the cardboard. In 2019 Topps Heritage, Astudillo has a rookie offering in which both Kohl Stewart and Stephen Gonsalves appear as well. If his personality and alluring image are to be trusted, this should be a card to check out.

Inserts

Attempting to distance itself a bit from the traditional Series 1 set, Opening Day brings its own unique inserts to the table. Staying in the kid-friendly vein, a mascot set is typically one highlight. TC Bear is among the most recognizable figures in the baseball world, and he is one of the 25 entertainers depicted in this set. Max Kepler gets a card in the Rally Time insert offering, and Jose Berrios makes an appearance on the Sock it to Me! checklist. In total, Minnesota has offerings in three of the seven insert sets.

Hits

No matter the year, Opening Day is not a hit driven product. Keeping the autographs and relics to a minimum helps to drive down the price of the product. Although there are patches, autographs, and dirt relics to be had in the product, it’s the mascot avenue in which Minnesota is represented. TC Bear is once again an autograph subject, and he also has a relic offering. Given the short print status of mascot hits in the product, these cards typically command a pretty penny on the secondary market.

Given the cheap entry fee, 2019 Opening Day should once again be a fun rip. Don’t expect anything big out of a pack, but there’s plenty to enjoy here. The highlight for Twins fans is going to be Astudillo’s rookie card, and if you happen to pull a TC relic along the way, it’s all gravy.