2014 Gypsy Queen: Finally Moving Forward (Really!)

Gyspy Queen is one of those products that seems to always be there in the background, not really being too popular but still kinda there, without any real purpose. 2011's set was obviously the most well-formed, and well-designed. The quality has gone downhill a bit since then, with the 2012 and 2013 sets being disappointing, not including the consistently-stellar inserts.

2014 marks a new breed of success for Gypsy Queen. After breaking a Target discount "rack pack" of the stuff, I was overall impressed with the base set, design, and selection, as well as the inserts. However, it's nowhere close to where the 2011 set was.

Every 'discount pack' comes with three white-bordered non-numbered cards. You can usually get some nice cards out of this one.

Ozzie Smith, Jered Weaver, and Nick Castellanos were my pulls. The two on the left are impressive, especially the Ozzie. The Castellanos is another attempt by Topps to highlight rookies where they don't need to be highlighted.

Onto what counts, The Base Set...

Here, on the left, is one of this year's base cards. It is of Hall of Famer Greg Maddux, and it's awesome that they included a retired star like him. On the right is a card from 2011 Gypsy Queen. It's more retro-ish, and more faithful to the original. But this year's base set is more contemporary. Its aim seems to be to mix 'old-fashioned' and 'awesome', which is sort of working. The Gypsy Queen logo at the bottom isn't as bad as the ones made for 2012 and 2013 GQ, but it's not as authentic as the 2011 one.

What I'm saying is that it's really good this year, even coming close in border hue and graininess of photo. Also, the photography is pretty nice.

Like, the graininess of the filters really adds to the overall quality of the card. I threw these three in because I liked them the most, but a lot of the cards are really nice, and definitely pop, in terms of color. As someone who works with photoshop daily, I can appreciate colors that pop like that.

If you're still not convinced...

This card is of Peter Bourjos, who was with the Angels last year, and was traded to St. Louis during the offseason. Topps couldn't have photographed Bourjos in that time, making this a definite photoshop. However, as PS jobs go, this one is handled well, isn't too obvious, and isn't sloppily made (like a lot of the ones from the flagship set/Opening Day). In terms of photoshopping, this set is definitely improving from the last few years.

Onto the inserts.

Each pack comes with a mini. Hold your horses, you're NOT counting it wrong. I'll get to the third mini in a bit.

These minis are just truncated versions of the base cards, which isn't bad. I just don't collect them because I don't have any mini pages, so if anybody wants these two, they're up for grabs. One of these days I need to do a Mini Giveaway or something, because I don't really collect them, except for the ones in the Topps Flagship sets.

This is one of the newer inserts, a more authentic, sepia-toned Max Scherzer, fresh off his 2013 season. I really like the old-fashioned look of these cards. However, the real winners in this product are the continued inserts from the last few years. Luckily, I got one of those.

This is a pretty nice one, as you can see the detail put into making the border look really cool. I really enjoy how this card looks, how it seems to really accentuate Yasiel Puig's awesomeness, at least his 2013 awesomeness.

I got two other cards worthy of mentioning, and both are numbered. Let's look at them.

This is a blue-bordered George Brett card, numbered to 499. I let out a nice little gasp when I pulled this. My luck on blue bordered cards has been pretty nice in the past, as I've pulled a Nolan Ryan and a Ken Griffey Jr. This one is just as awesome.

So how do you top a numbered George Brett?

This is a black bordered Eddie Mathews mini. But wait. It gets better.

IT'S NUMBERED TO 199! I got a really low numbered card of a Hall of Famer out of a Target "value pack"

...THAT'S INCREDIBLE!

Overall, I was very impressed with the set, and will likely get some more packs before Archives/Series 2 hits.

The 2011 Sellsheet- What I think

Because it's early, and I'm feeling better, and I gotta post something, I'm going to review every insert on that sellsheet for next year's Topps.

Those Diamond Anniversary Paralells- Not likin em. Sure, they look nice, but there's a snowball's chance in hell that anybody'll ever get one.

Topps 60- Mixed. Wow yet another insert set chronicling the best of current and former players. Sounds a hell of a lot like Peak Performances, eh? But still, looks like a decent idea.

Kimball's Champions- Not liking them. I've never been a fan of minis. So another insert with a bunch of minis, not on my favorie things list.

60th Anniversary Reprints- Mixed. Yeah, this insert set should be retitled "Night of the Living Cards your mother threw out". Seriously, it's the exact same concept, only I think there are different cards (least I hope so).

Diamond Duos- Mixed. Legendary Lineage, Act II. This is like Lineage, only with cool matchups. Looks okay.

The Lost Cards- Liking Them. Seem like a good idea, filling the gaps on the early 50's sets. Just one problem- what about everything else. I'd love to see a 1983 Don Mattingly card, or a 2007 Nomar Garciaparra card (or 08 and 09 in that matter) or maybe all those final tributes us customizers have wanted so much for certain players.

History of Topps- Mixed. History of the game, Act II.

Pre-52 Reproduction Cards- Liking it. Looks like a cool concept, cards from before Topps. That outta please the Babe Ruth fans.

Diamond Giveaway- Liking it (somehow). I know, it's another way for Topps to get rid of all those cards from the Million Dollar Giveaway, but this comes with its added perks- cards with actual diamonds in them, and die cuts that can only be achieved through the site. Sounds like an interesting concept.

The Return of Toppstown- Liking it. Just as long as they bring back the every card opens 10 cyber cards thing from this year.

Overall, looks like a down year for Topps. 2001 had so many interesting inserts, and now Topps is just repeating itself.

The 2010 Topps National Chuckle

I have seen the previews on Beckett

I have seen the negative feedback (Dayf, Sooz, Chris)

Here is my opinion on this years new throwback product, National Chicle:
I think it's okay

I know, all of you out there are thinking "WHAAAAAAT? Jordan, what are you saying. This opinion may cause a sudden eruption from the Beckett offices!" Well, maybe not that. But I think it's an okay product. I mean, for one thing, it's a retro product that actually has a pretty good design in the first place.

For another thing, the thought of putting new players in old uniforms, and old players in new uniforms, isn't the worst one. I've been waiting for a picture of Ichiro in an old uni for years now. I mean, i't s concept that boggles the mind, eh?

Anyway you look at it, whether you love it or hate it, Topps is certainly drawing a lot of attention to their independence. Whether this is the right idea or not may affect their single-ness after all.

Or not.