After missing the boat big-time on Bartolo Colon's Topps Now card featuring the big man's first career homer, I decided I would never make the same mistake again.
So, when my favorite current Met -- big right-hander Noah Syndergaard -- decided to belt a pair of homers at Dodger Stadium the week after Bartolo's blast, I knew I had to act when Topps created a Now card to commemorate the feat.
In regards to the Colon card, my calculated gamble went bust when I thumbed my nose at the Topps website's 24-hour buying window and decided to wait and acquire the card via eBay, thereby saving a few bucks. Well, I guess I waited too long [Ed. Note: It was only a day or so, actually] and, well, the rest is history. Go ahead and search it on eBay and check the prices.
With the Noah, I still went through eBay to get the card and saved a few bucks, but I did so while the official buying window was still open, to safeguard myself. Of course, tons of eBay sellers gobbled up large quantities of this card and you can still get them on eBay today for cheap. There's an economics lesson in there somewhere, but I'll leave it alone since it was never my strongest subject.
Hey, whatever. I was just happy to secure a copy of this great card for below MSRP.
I'm not going to drain my limited hobby funds trying to acquire all the Mets from Topps Now lineage -- there are just too many. However, I'd like to acquire those that are most meaningful.
This one certainly qualifies.
The card itself is very impressive in person. I wasn't sure what to expect when I finally had it in hand, but the coating is very Stadium Club-esque. An attractive presentation overall.
I give Topps credit for cashing in the the weakness and/or greed of collectors and resale barons. While the price isn't nice for just one card, it does make for a unique collectible.
Given my limited will power, I'm sure this won't be the last Topps Now card to show up in my mailbox...
MK
P.S. Not to be a Donny Downer, but how many of the photos from these Topps Now cards will be recycled in future flagship, Heritage, GQ, A&G, Archives or Stadium Club releases? And, if they are, are we at liberty to feel duped?
I wasn't aware of these.So Topps sells them via their website?Is this kind of like eTopps?
ReplyDeleteKind sorta. I was out of the collecting loop when eTopps was a thing, so I can't speak to the specifics of that fad. But, yeah, available straight from the Topps website for 9.99 a pop. They usually release a card or two a three per day.
DeleteYou better believe the Colon photo will appear over and over again. One of several reasons why I'm not biting on these cards. One day, months from now, I'll see how they're doing on the secondary market sites, but I'm not paying 10 dollars for a card they just made.
ReplyDeleteYou, sir, are a wise owl. And I suspect your are 100% right about that Colon card.
DeleteI know it's not the wisest move to be picking these up at $10 a pop, but I've been hooked. Though I don't agree with the price, I LOVE this concept from Topps. Over the years some of my favorite cards have been those that are tied to a specific moment in time, and this just takes that concept to a whole new level. I've bought more than a few already, hoping to get them posted soon. This one is nice, great addition to your Thor collection Mark!
ReplyDeleteBetween Colon and Noah, all these cards of Mets pitchers at the plate are tempting me to pull the trigger on Topps Now.
ReplyDelete