Bowman Chrome auto print run changes for profit?

[HOFAutoRookies]

I know I know, crazy title. This may have been talked about before, but I've noticed something over the years with prints runs on bowman chrome prospect autographs.

The norm was:

Base: 1,000 copies or so

Base Refractor: 500

XFractor: 250

Blue refractor: 150

Gold refractor: 50

Orange refractor: 25

Red refractor: 5

And the Superfractor: 1

Now, I am not really into the shiny stuff as my PC doesn't require them, but I collect guys I love. I acquired a lot of Stroman and noticed on the back of the "Base Refractor" that it is not stamped with a serial number. I also noticed that they completely eliminated the XFractor signed chromes too (I saw fball had some, but I know nothing about those sets).

I personally loved the base refractors with serial numbers, made it seem more like a short print than without the serial numbers.

Now, they give those the axe and add a parallel to a parallel (if that makes sense). They come out with black, pink, camo, carbon fiber, wave refractors, purple, green, and so on.

Why do I call them a parallel of a parallel? Because they don't command nowhere near the same prices as the norm blue, gold, red and supers. Not even close. You can get a blue wave out of 50 and will sell in the range of a blue out of 150 or even less. Purples out of 10 will sell for orange to gold prices (25/50).

Why? Did Topps get a lot of complaints about refractor stamping and the XFractor signed line? Eliminate those products and introduce new types of refractors to sell more boxes? I don't know, but I do miss the stamping on the base refractors and I do miss the XFractor autos (though I can see why it's gone because it's so buy it takes away from the auto).

Maybe I am way off, any ideas why they are gone? Why these new refractor lines ($$$?)? Why the huge price difference (different release dates?)?

Sorry if this makes no sense or has been talked about.

[T3sT]

Purples out of 10 will sell for orange to gold prices (25/50).

Is this true? i saw purple mostly sold above orange, if i can get purples for gold prices i should looking for purples only now.

Why? Did Topps get a lot of complaints about refractor stamping and the XFractor signed line? Eliminate those products and introduce new types of refractors to sell more boxes?

yes, they create more parallel in order to increase more case production.

I don't know, but I do miss the stamping on the base refractors

they are still stamping base refractor autos /500 bowman and bowman chrome, only in bowman draft they didn't stamping base autos since 2012 or 2013. That's because base refractors autos in bowman draft could be more than 500 (aaron nola base ref is 600 if i remember correctly).

[exitmusicblue]

Is this true? i saw purple mostly sold above orange


Correct, I've always seen purple sell above orange. Not sure what OP was referencing. Purple autos were intro'd in 2011 and thus have had more time to get established than the waves.

[awz50]

Waves are just dumb and ugly..

[zac949]

Waves are just dumb and ugly..

I'd have to disagree. I actually prefer the Blue Wave /50 over the Blue /150 and Black Wave /50 over the Black /99. Not just because of print run, the card looks much nicer IMHO.

http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac27/zacnagy/NFT%20NFS/Jose%20Abreu/IMG_6090_zpsmyue3d4q.jpg (http://s882.photobucket.com/user/zacnagy/media/NFT%20NFS/Jose%20Abreu/IMG_6090_zpsmyue3d4q.jpg.html)

http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac27/zacnagy/NFT%20NFS/Jose%20Abreu/IMG_6094_zpsbtllmogl.jpg (http://s882.photobucket.com/user/zacnagy/media/NFT%20NFS/Jose%20Abreu/IMG_6094_zpsbtllmogl.jpg.html)

http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac27/zacnagy/NFT%20NFS/Jose%20Abreu/IMG_6098_zpsh7ramlsl.jpg (http://s882.photobucket.com/user/zacnagy/media/NFT%20NFS/Jose%20Abreu/IMG_6098_zpsh7ramlsl.jpg.html)

http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac27/zacnagy/NFT%20NFS/Jose%20Abreu/IMG_6096_zpszanurxy4.jpg (http://s882.photobucket.com/user/zacnagy/media/NFT%20NFS/Jose%20Abreu/IMG_6096_zpszanurxy4.jpg.html)

[awz50]

Those waves do look really good slabbed..

[DSizzle31]

This topic has been discussed many times. The base autos are somewhere around 2,000 now. Refractors aren't numbered anymore because there is clearly more than 500. All the new color is because of higher production.

[Bob Loblaw]

This topic has been discussed many times. The base autos are somewhere around 2,000 now. Refractors aren't numbered anymore because there is clearly more than 500. All the new color is because of higher production.

As per Topps' Dropbox document, Aaron Nola signed 2,360 Chrome Draft Autos (and I have over 1% of the entire print run! whoo hoo!) and 525 refractor autos (ditto!).

[Axe]

I will agree, the black wave really looks a lot better then the plain black, however the blue wave is just Fugly, LOL. To each their own though.



I'd have to disagree. I actually prefer the Blue Wave /50 over the Blue /150 and Black Wave /50 over the Black /99. Not just because of print run, the card looks much nicer IMHO.

http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac27/zacnagy/NFT%20NFS/Jose%20Abreu/IMG_6090_zpsmyue3d4q.jpg (http://s882.photobucket.com/user/zacnagy/media/NFT%20NFS/Jose%20Abreu/IMG_6090_zpsmyue3d4q.jpg.html)

http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac27/zacnagy/NFT%20NFS/Jose%20Abreu/IMG_6094_zpsbtllmogl.jpg (http://s882.photobucket.com/user/zacnagy/media/NFT%20NFS/Jose%20Abreu/IMG_6094_zpsbtllmogl.jpg.html)

http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac27/zacnagy/NFT%20NFS/Jose%20Abreu/IMG_6098_zpsh7ramlsl.jpg (http://s882.photobucket.com/user/zacnagy/media/NFT%20NFS/Jose%20Abreu/IMG_6098_zpsh7ramlsl.jpg.html)

http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac27/zacnagy/NFT%20NFS/Jose%20Abreu/IMG_6096_zpszanurxy4.jpg (http://s882.photobucket.com/user/zacnagy/media/NFT%20NFS/Jose%20Abreu/IMG_6096_zpszanurxy4.jpg.html)

[GreatAlbert]

I will agree, the black wave really looks a lot better then the plain black, however the blue wave is just Fugly, LOL. To each their own though.

Agreed. Maybe just be the way it fits with the sharpie color?

[berkey33]

I'd have to disagree. I actually prefer the Blue Wave /50 over the Blue /150 and Black Wave /50 over the Black /99. Not just because of print run, the card looks much nicer IMHO.


Agree I really like the Blue wave.

[zac949]

I will agree, the black wave really looks a lot better then the plain black, however the blue wave is just Fugly, LOL. To each their own though.

I actually think the Blue Wave looks way better than the other three. To each their own is exactly right though. Have you seen the Blue Waves in person?

Agreed. Maybe just be the way it fits with the sharpie color?

As mentioned above.

Agree I really like the Blue wave.

You must have seen these in person. They look amazing. Not sure why they don't command much more money than the Blue /150.

[HOFAutoRookies]

Depends on the player I guess for prices. I know that I have in the past month picked up two purples that cost the same or less than what I paid for the oranges.

[thescout]

The fact someone just said I like the black wave /50 over the black /99 is a huge problem since most black are /35 and hence why black prices are in a downward spiral

[StraWMyerS]

I don't mind the variety of parallels as much, but I can't stand the non-numbered refractor autos from draft. The first time I bought one not realizing, and was very disappointed and I tend to avoid those now.

I think they are getting a little crazy with the carbon and bubbles (perhaps an ironic name for them) and all that, and if it were up to me I would do it differently and probably even serial # the base just so there is no question as to quantity but obviously it would be harder to maintain the idea of "scarcity" if base were numbered.

Just for fun, I would have it something like this:

Super 1/1
Gold wave 1/1
Red /3
Red wave /5
Orange wave /10
Black wave /50
Green wave /50
Blue wave /50
Orange /25
Gold /50
Blue /100
Green /100
Purple wave /100 (retail only)
Purple /250 (retail only)
Ref /500
Aflac /750
Base /1000-1500

[Bob Loblaw]

Part of the BC problem with parallels right now is the randomness. Depending on the BC product, your blue and black waves are either numbered to 50 or numbered to 10 or 15. The Blues can be /99, or /150, or /250. Blacks are /35 or /99. The lack of consistency is not helping anything with these colors and keeping the "4 consistent" refractors (red, purple, orange, gold) strong.

[StraWMyerS]

Part of the BC problem with parallels right now is the randomness. Depending on the BC product, your blue and black waves are either numbered to 50 or numbered to 10 or 15. The Blues can be /99, or /150, or /250. Blacks are /35 or /99. The lack of consistency is not helping anything with these colors and keeping the "4 consistent" refractors (red, purple, orange, gold) strong.

I agree with this, sometimes I think the black /99 sell higher or the /35 lower then they should for this reason.

It would definitely make more sense to establish a standard for the secondary market and not mess with it so much.

[daeve]

Part of the BC problem with parallels right now is the randomness. Depending on the BC product, your blue and black waves are either numbered to 50 or numbered to 10 or 15. The Blues can be /99, or /150, or /250. Blacks are /35 or /99. The lack of consistency is not helping anything with these colors and keeping the "4 consistent" refractors (red, purple, orange, gold) strong.

bingo. this is why the Waves struggle, because they actually look way better in-person than the regular refractors. I think part of the reason why is the cheaper/thinner cardstock they use now. the newer stuff just looks so 'flat' [best way I can describe it], especially 2014 draft. compare it to 2001 Bowman Chrome and you'll see what I mean, or 2012-13 Select in basketball, nice thick chrome cardstock compared to whatever they did to it in '14

[berkey33]

I'd be up for this

Super /1
Red /5
Purple /10
Orange /25
Gold /50
Blue Wave /75
Black /100
Blue /150
Ref /500
Base

[daeve]

yep^, basically either green or black has to go, and one of the waves needs to go. and no more stupid mini's

[HOFAutoRookies]

yep^, basically either green or black has to go, and one of the waves needs to go. and no more stupid mini's

Hate the mini's

[sheetskout]

yep^, basically either green or black has to go, and one of the waves needs to go. and no more stupid mini's

Green should be the one to go. Haven't bought a green ref, don't plan on it.

[kordell1]

Here is a breakdown of color refractors for 2025 Bowman Products. ;)

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i113/ctfinest16kt/colors.jpg (http://media.photobucket.com/user/ctfinest16kt/media/colors.jpg.html)

[RYBOWSKI97]

i personally like the xfractor...getting a gem grade on those is tough and there are very nice looking cards. the green refs are the ugliest ones...get rid of those, carbon fiber, bubbles. those are just non sense

[speedyjg13]

I'd be up for this

Super /1
Red /5
Purple /10
Orange /25
Gold /50
Blue Wave /75
Black /100
Blue /150
Ref /500
Base

Im OG, lets take it back to

Super /1
Red /5
Orange /25
Gold /50
Blue /150
Xfractor/250
Refractor /500
Base

No printing plates, no waves, no green/black/purple, no other colors.