Topps Pristine?
Jack Flaherty?
The last time I opened a pack of Topps Pristine cards, I was trying to chase down some So Taguchi and Jason Simontacchi rookie cards. I do not think either of those players have appeared in a game during the past decade. Although, I still enjoy looking at their baseball cards.
Here is my copy of the one of the Topps Pristine Simontacchi card.
Whatever your opinion of short-lived long-relievers who get the occasional spot start, Topps Pristine were nice cards. They had a nice design, although the checklist was a little gimmicky, and the packs came with encased cards in separate packs inside the regular pack. If you could get past some of the packaging oddities, I am not really sure why Topps decided to stop making these cards.
I am also not sure why Topps decided to bring back this product line after a 15 year hiatus. I was intrigued when I saw other people talking about it, so I went and checked out some of the different Cardinals and former Durham Bulls players who had cards in the set. There were the usual selection of Nolan Arenado, Goldschmidt, Yadier Molina, and Wander Franco cards.
They were are a little more than what I wanted to spend for a card that was as much brand nostalgia as it was trying to purchase a card of a player that I collected. I was about to move on when I saw a really cheap copy of a Jack Flaherty autograph.
Topps Pristine disappeared for a long time, just like Jack Flaherty has seemingly disappeared from the baseball diamond. It seemed like a perfect pairing.
This Flaherty Topps Pristine autograph is one of the encased cards.
The back design has the usual, boring congratulations letter about pulling an autograph from a pack of cards. I am not sure what is happening with the big red blob here. Is Congress being launched into the sun or is this some sort of psychological tests given to the person who pulled this $10 autograph from a $500 box of cards?
I've watched a few Pristine boxes opened on YouTube. I like the whole pack within a pack idea. If I was rich, I'd probably waste my money on it just for the entertainment value... then hit up eBay and buy the autographs I really want.
ReplyDeleteYes, if I were rich I would do the same thing as well. It's a fun product, it's just that I would be sleeping on my porch after I ordered a $500 box of cards.
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DeleteI quite like the old Pristine cards. The old gold refractors rock!
ReplyDeleteYes, especially the Gold Refractors in the original 2002 set.
DeleteI have a couple of the Pristine basketball cards, which aren't bad looking (the scalloped edges were near neat), but I like the design on the baseball ones better.
ReplyDeleteI actually have a die-cut card of Kareem Rush from a Pristine basketball card set. I really like the look of the card and wish Topps had thrown something like that into the baseball card sets.
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