2012 TOPPS ALLEN & GINTER

2012 TOPPS ALLEN AND GINTER

With 2012 ALLEN GINTER set to arrive in mid July, my pre-christmas childhood
giddyness is slowly creeping into my stomach day by day.  Im sure like many others, ALLEN & GINTER has become a summer rite of passage for myself.

My appetite was whetted back in 2007 as I stepped into a LCS looking for product to rip.  I knew nothing about Ginter other than the much publicized DNA cards and Cut Signatures.  As I ripped into the box, I was amazed at the beauty of the base cards, the minis, and the pure oddness of the product.  It seemed that there was so much to feast on, and for me, the guaranteed hits were simply a bonus.  I ended up pulling a DAISUKE rip card, and can remember the immediate rush I had when I had to decide to rip it or put it up for sale on the GIANT (Ebay).

From that moment on, I was hooked on this product, and proceeded to complete every master set from there on out (through 2011).

As a collector first, I love Ginter for the simple fact that there is so much to explore in each and every box, and I love being able to slowly sift through 24 packs looking for that one of a kind find.  We are guaranteed 3 hits, but for this collector it goes beyond that, there is so much to look for:  Box Toppers, Hand numbered minis, printing plates, silk cards, oddballs that differ from year to year, rip cards (1 per case), short prints, printing errors, and micro history lessons in each and every box.  Where else can you bust a box and find a swimming champion, an archery champ, a code buster, or even a card you plant in your front yard (Rhetorical Question Farley!). 

This years version offers a colony in card, canine minis, autos from all over the sports world, military leaders, and historical turning points--to name a few!  And the auto checklist?  Looks to be pretty solid this year, as Topps has incorporated more retired vets, and Hall of Famers, which is a step ahead  in comparison to last years checklist in my eyes.

2012 should be another fun break, whether or not I hit a "big one", I know there will be plenty of fun involved, and much more oddness!!  But for now I must sit and wait, for CHRISTMAS IN JULY!!!