Topps Living Set

[astrotrevor]

Originally Posted by jaredkelley

I'll add that if Topps ever decides to go back to 3 cards per week, I like to think Angel and I could handle that together, possibly by alternating months wherein one artist completes 2 portraits per week. I don't want to speak for Angel, as I know his plate is full, but I would be willing to juggle 2-per-week every other month if needed.

I was literally just going to post this question regarding workload. While I think a guest artist every now and then would be neat, a dealbreaker for me would be a style that doesn't complement the existing work and/or an artist who is not as engaged in the project (we're spoiled with the signed prints week to week!)

[eldavojohn]

Originally Posted by jaredkelley

This idea isn't bad. Topps clearly believes the "guest artist" approach is worth trying, as evidenced with their guest artists creating Topps Now cards for big moments (Tyson Beck and Chuck Styles, in particular).

Yeah the artists from Project 2020 and Project 70 are a little too ... artsy for this set though. I think maybe Tyson Beck and Chuck Styles and Andrew Thiele could work but most of those artists are just too far out to have a faceless Fucci or a Mikkeler Keith Shore card.

Here's what I would do if I had my druthers to breath new life into this set:
1. Spring Training trades & signings. In addition to the two cards each week during sprint training, you release additional cards that look and funciton exactly like the existing cards with different featured artists from spring training. The reference photos come from traded players' spring training on their new team and artists are brought in for these extra cards. Example for this past spring training additional 3rd card (obviously there will need to be a one week delay for artist painting time): Rhys Hoskin as a Brewer by Daniel Jacob Horine, next week Corbin Burnes as an Oriole by Paul Jennis, next week Trent Grisham as a Yankee by Dick Perez, next week Sonny Gray as a Cardinal by James Fiorentino, next week Aaron Nola as a Phillie by Graig Kreindler and the final masterpiece: Shohei Ohtani as a Dodger by ... Mayumi Seto! She's back and she absolutely murders it again on Ohtani's second card!!! Think how great those cards would look next to each other! Look, I know these are a couple big names taken from Angel & Jared so I've left Juan Soto, Shota Imanaga and a few other good names for them to capitalize on. But this would hopefully pull people back into the cards in time for the season.
2. All-Star Game through the Ages. Same concept as above except during the All Star break, we go back through the ages picking a player we haven't done yet 10 years ago, 25 years ago, 50 years ago and 75 years ago. In 2033, they can start with a fifth card for 100 years ago. So this would be four or five more cards on top of the two cards for the all star week. You could even get the weird logos they started making for the backs of the cards next to the team logo so you know it was an ASG release. They could all be done far in advance by one artist, my dream for this year is Graig Kindler does:
2014 ASG: José Bautista as a Blue Jay (logo ex)
1999 ASG: Jay Bell as a Diamondback ... yes it's controversial he's not a Pirate but you'll have to deal with it (logo ex)
1974 ASG: Dick Allen as a Philly ... yes, I know he was a white sock that year but he can't not go into the set as PHI (logo ex)
1949 ASG: Pee Wee Resse on the Brooklyn Dodgers (reg logo)
You'd have six or seven cards that you could sell as a set for the same price as the five card packs ($5.60/card). I haven't selected players that had a particularly good ASG as that's kind of setting yourself up to run out of players as this laps. You can always dip into the reserves in a year that you've already covered the starters.
3. Black History Month: An African American artist does an extra card of Negro Leagues or person of color of importance in the game for each of the weeks of february so february is all three packs. Example for this coming November: Kehinde Wiley does Pop Lloyd as a New York Lincoln Giant, Willie Wells as a Newark Eagle, Hilton Smith as a Kansas City Monarch and Buck Leonard as a Homestead Gray.

The above ideas add a nominal amount of cards (14 or 15) more per year but I feel like it would generate more interest in this set.

[astroshane]

Originally Posted by jaredkelley

I'm equally as shocked. I would have guessed the Campy card to be at least double that Wang PR. I know most collectors are about the here-and-now and love prospecting on new talent, but do you think the vintage players would do better if released at a different point in the year? Perhaps right after the season ends or right before opening day week? Or timed to drop alongside a hot rookie prospect so that collectors are tempted more to buy the bundle deal and thereby boost the PR for the vintage card slightly?

Jared I think that might be a great strategy for Topps to try out.

[Dukefett]

As a very casual collector, having the two cards be of the same team makes the most sense for me as something to entice people to buy in. That obviously limits things sometimes, but the set is inherently limited.

[astroshane]

Originally Posted by jaredkelley

I'll add that if Topps ever decides to go back to 3 cards per week, I like to think Angel and I could handle that together, possibly by alternating months wherein one artist completes 2 portraits per week. I don't want to speak for Angel, as I know his plate is full, but I would be willing to juggle 2-per-week every other month if needed.

Well said again. We definitely do not need a third artist we have the best in Jared and Angel already. Let’s them add in a “ special” three card week once in a while.

[Joliet Jake]

Originally Posted by jaredkelley

I'll add that if Topps ever decides to go back to 3 cards per week, I like to think Angel and I could handle that together, possibly by alternating months wherein one artist completes 2 portraits per week. I don't want to speak for Angel, as I know his plate is full, but I would be willing to juggle 2-per-week every other month if needed.

What about pitching Topps on the idea of alternating one additional card per month, artist's choice? This allows the artists to engage further with the set, and gives them a chance to not only see their favorite players featured, but it's their artistic take on the subjects, too.

This would give collectors an additional 12 cards, while also allowing the artists to manage the additional workload without becoming too much of a burden. The additional card could be released the last Wednesday of every month, making the month-end releases a nice surprise to look forward to.

[Joliet Jake]

Originally Posted by eldavojohn

Yeah the artists from Project 2020 and Project 70 are a little too ... artsy for this set though. I think maybe Tyson Beck and Chuck Styles and Andrew Thiele could work but most of those artists are just too far out to have a faceless Fucci or a Mikkeler Keith Shore card.

Here's what I would do if I had my druthers to breath new life into this set:
1. Spring Training trades & signings. In addition to the two cards each week during sprint training, you release additional cards that look and funciton exactly like the existing cards with different featured artists from spring training. The reference photos come from traded players' spring training on their new team and artists are brought in for these extra cards. Example for this past spring training additional 3rd card (obviously there will need to be a one week delay for artist painting time): Rhys Hoskin as a Brewer by Daniel Jacob Horine, next week Corbin Burnes as an Oriole by Paul Jennis, next week Trent Grisham as a Yankee by Dick Perez, next week Sonny Gray as a Cardinal by James Fiorentino, next week Aaron Nola as a Phillie by Graig Kreindler and the final masterpiece: Shohei Ohtani as a Dodger by ... Mayumi Seto! She's back and she absolutely murders it again on Ohtani's second card!!! Think how great those cards would look next to each other! Look, I know these are a couple big names taken from Angel & Jared so I've left Juan Soto, Shota Imanaga and a few other good names for them to capitalize on. But this would hopefully pull people back into the cards in time for the season.
2. All-Star Game through the Ages. Same concept as above except during the All Star break, we go back through the ages picking a player we haven't done yet 10 years ago, 25 years ago, 50 years ago and 75 years ago. In 2033, they can start with a fifth card for 100 years ago. So this would be four or five more cards on top of the two cards for the all star week. You could even get the weird logos they started making for the backs of the cards next to the team logo so you know it was an ASG release. They could all be done far in advance by one artist, my dream for this year is Graig Kindler does:
2014 ASG: José Bautista as a Blue Jay (logo ex)
1999 ASG: Jay Bell as a Diamondback ... yes it's controversial he's not a Pirate but you'll have to deal with it (logo ex)
1974 ASG: Dick Allen as a Philly ... yes, I know he was a white sock that year but he can't not go into the set as PHI (logo ex)
1949 ASG: Pee Wee Resse on the Brooklyn Dodgers (reg logo)
You'd have six or seven cards that you could sell as a set for the same price as the five card packs ($5.60/card). I haven't selected players that had a particularly good ASG as that's kind of setting yourself up to run out of players as this laps. You can always dip into the reserves in a year that you've already covered the starters.
3. Black History Month: An African American artist does an extra card of Negro Leagues or person of color of importance in the game for each of the weeks of february so february is all three packs. Example for this coming November: Kehinde Wiley does Pop Lloyd as a New York Lincoln Giant, Willie Wells as a Newark Eagle, Hilton Smith as a Kansas City Monarch and Buck Leonard as a Homestead Gray.

The above ideas add a nominal amount of cards (14 or 15) more per year but I feel like it would generate more interest in this set.

These are some fantastic suggestions.

The more we discuss the idea of guest contributors, the more I would like to see Topps take a chance on at least one of these concepts.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by eldavojohn

No disrespect to Chien-Ming Wang or the very amazing art of Jared Kelley (I bought 20 of the card) but:
Topps MLB® Living Set® Card #713 - Roy Campanella - PR: 2,571
Topps MLB® Living Set® Card #715 - Chien-Ming Wang PR: 2,328

Artwork comparisons aside, how could these PRs be so close? I just remain stunned at how low that Campanella PR is.

The reality is that most collectors have forgotten that this set even exists. It was really cool when it first came out, but it's long past it's sell-by date. While the artwork is still incredible, Topps should have stopped at card #500.

The checklist has too many players that nobody really cares about spiced up with the occasional hot rookie or one of the few remaining top-tier HOFers. How many cards this year are going to drawn in collectors....the Ohtani Dodgers card, Yamamoto, the Soto Yankees card, Jackson Holliday, Wyatt Langford, and Jackson Chourio.....that's 5-10 big names out of 104 cards.

I'm sure that there are a handful of hard-core completists out there buying every card, and some EBay re-sellers who buy 50-100 of each card and try and eke out a profit, but the casual collector has by and large forgotten about this set.

I check this thread about once a month now, as opposed to each Wednesday....

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by astroshane

Most of mind have come from contacts I have made with those who do the submitting. There are a few collectors who "bulk grade" . From what I keep hearing there are less and less PSA 10s being given out. If you look at the PSA population reports from card 300 onward the numbers are scarce when it comes to PSA 10s of a particular card.

The other factor is that nobody is bothering to submit these any more....I'd bet it's the total number being submitted that's dropped, not just the PSA 10's.

[Natsfan32]

Originally Posted by mfw13

The reality is that most collectors have forgotten that this set even exists. It was really cool when it first came out, but it's long past it's sell-by date. While the artwork is still incredible, Topps should have stopped at card #500.

I check this thread about once a month now, as opposed to each Wednesday....

Couldn't disagree more. This was always a niche set and was never realistically intended to appeal to the masses. That's part of its appeal. I hope the set continues for a long time - well past card 1000. Those who don't appreciate it have plenty of other (mostly overpriced) options.

[astroshane]

Originally Posted by mfw13

The reality is that most collectors have forgotten that this set even exists. It was really cool when it first came out, but it's long past it's sell-by date. While the artwork is still incredible, Topps should have stopped at card #500.

The checklist has too many players that nobody really cares about spiced up with the occasional hot rookie or one of the few remaining top-tier HOFers. How many cards this year are going to drawn in collectors....the Ohtani Dodgers card, Yamamoto, the Soto Yankees card, Jackson Holliday, Wyatt Langford, and Jackson Chourio.....that's 5-10 big names out of 104 cards.

I'm sure that there are a handful of hard-core completists out there buying every card, and some EBay re-sellers who buy 50-100 of each card and try and eke out a profit, but the casual collector has by and large forgotten about this set.

I check this thread about once a month now, as opposed to each Wednesday....

I think that's the point a lot of collectors are missing. They are gravitating towards the endless /10 /99 rainbow shine parallels, and the higher base print runs, which when the dust settles may be viewed as modern version of junk wax. I'd take the uniqueness and limited run of this set any day. Unlike many cards out there now which are manufactured rarity this is more organic. Traditionally organic holds up long term. However, that's the fun of collecting we all have our own preferences.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by astroshane

I'd take the uniqueness and limited run of this set any day.

The problem is that the print runs aren't actually limited, and the set is not actually all that unique. Topps has used the 1953 design in multiple products (one example is last year's Chrome Platinum Anniversary set).

The cards themselves are not cheap ($5-6 plus shipping each), and because of the rules Topps has placed on the checklist (retired players with only one team), you end up with a lot of names that only the most hard-core collectors really care about.

I pick up cards here and there of retired Giants and big-name HOFers where I like the artwork, but my collection totals only about 20-30 cards.

[jdandns]

I love the set, but it's time they spiced it up by painting the players as "Star Wars" characters, or at least in "Star Trek" costumes. If there are rights issues preventing that, maybe they can do "Lord of the Rings" instead, with all of the Giants players depicted as hobbitses.

[Chihuahuas]

Originally Posted by astroshane

I think that's the point a lot of collectors are missing. They are gravitating towards the endless /10 /99 rainbow shine parallels, and the higher base print runs, which when the dust settles may be viewed as modern version of junk wax. I'd take the uniqueness and limited run of this set any day. Unlike many cards out there now which are manufactured rarity this is more organic. Traditionally organic holds up long term. However, that's the fun of collecting we all have our own preferences.

Well said - Long Live the Living Set

[ewokpelts]

Originally Posted by Comiskey2001

Love the idea of Steve Stone in the set, as a White Sox. With only two retired Sox players being featured in the set so far (Thomas and Baines), I hope we can get at least one more in 2024. Mark Buehrle seems like the most obvious choice. He has been in a ton of Topps products the last two years.

After Buehrle, Minoso, Konerko, and Luis Aparicio are great picks. Luis being one of the oldest living HOFers, it would be a big deal for autograph collectors.

I am sure Koufax rights are always tough, but he is 88!

Sadly, Luis aparicio is no longer signing cards. It’s been almost ten years since he stopped.

[ewokpelts]

Originally Posted by Joliet Jake

I'm sure the Cubs and White Sox fans in this thread could agree on seeing Steve Stone in the set. I'd like to see him with the White Sox wearing a red cap.

The stone pony would be a great addition. But what uniform does he wear? While he has a large history in the booth with both the Sox and cubs, he did earn that cy young in Baltimore.

[Joliet Jake]

Originally Posted by ewokpelts

The stone pony would be a great addition. But what uniform does he wear? While he has a large history in the booth with both the Sox and cubs, he did earn that cy young in Baltimore.

I have a tendency to default to the team the player appeared in the most games with, however, I can certainly understand the argument for appearing with a team they accomplished the most with (i.e. awards, postseason appearances, memorable feats, etc.). In the case of Stone, you bring up a great point about Baltimore. He had one All-Star appearance and one Cy Young award, both in the 1980 season with the Orioles.

I say all this to say, I'm good with him appearing with either the White Sox or Orioles. As a Cubs fan born in 1982, my primary memories of Stone are of him as a broadcaster.

[Joliet Jake]

With the passing of Ken Holtzman two days ago (4/14), and now Whitey Herzog today, any chance we can get these two gentlemen into the set as soon as possible?

I'd like to see Holtzman with the Cubs...

• 2 No-Hitters (8/19/1969, 6/3/1971)

...or A's

• 3 World Series (1972, 1973, 1974)
• 2 All-Star appearances (1972, 1973)

I'm partial to the Cubs, but the case can be made for either team. He also won a World Series with the Yankees in 1977, but he didn't pitch in the series.

I'd like to see Herzog as a manager with the Cardinals.

• 3 NL Pennants (1982, 1985, 1987)
• 1 World Series (1982)
• Manager of the Year (1985)
• Hall of Fame (2010)

[Joliet Jake]

Topps MLB® Living Set® Card #719 - Dave Parker - PR: 2488
Dave Parker is the Pittsburgh Pirates 21st franchise and team member featured.


Topps MLB® Living Set® Card #720 - Juan Soto - PR: 4833
Juan Soto is the New York Yankees 40th franchise and team member, and 40th duplicate and 45th repeat player featured.

[Joliet Jake]

The Cobra Easter egg looks great on the Parker piece, and I'm glad the team logo didn't completely cover it up on the card. All the more reason to pick up the print.

Soto looks like a photo. I feel Angel continues to improve each week. A little disappointed with the Soto print, though no fault of the artist, but the inclusion of the sleeve ads are atrocious. It looks bad enough on the field, and now they have to sneak into our collections, too.

I'm not sure how much flexibility the artists have with the reference photos, but it would be great to zoom in a bit more if it removes the ad (no matter how small) from the final piece.

I'm curious about what kind of print run we see for Parker, who I think is just the kind of player we've been asking for. Decorated career, but not a Hall of Famer. I'm hoping he'll get a boost from being paired with Soto.

[PedroPapi]

That Dave Parker immediately becomes one of my favorite cards in the entire set. Something about those 70s uniform colors and sideburns and all that. I love when the retired players are depicted in their prime years like Parker was. The Yaz card drove me nuts in that regard. Give me '67 Triple Crown Yaz not old, gray-haired Yaz!

[Joliet Jake]

Originally Posted by PedroPapi

That Dave Parker immediately becomes one of my favorite cards in the entire set. Something about those 70s uniform colors and sideburns and all that. I love when the retired players are depicted in their prime years like Parker was. The Yaz card drove me nuts in that regard. Give me '67 Triple Crown Yaz not old, gray-haired Yaz!

I agree regarding the Parker card.

Something about the facial expressions on the older players just lends so well to this set.

[fulltritty]

I'm loving the Soto card.

[eldavojohn]

Originally Posted by fulltritty

I'm loving the Soto card.

Yeah Angel really captured the "I'm a Yankee" aspects of Juan Soto in that portrait. Reminded me of card #356 from Star Wars living set.

[gmarutiak]

Oh my goodness. That Parker!