This afternoon I received a wonderful package from reader Dan W. with a ton of current Marlins players, including “Hulk” Logan Morrison. Even though he sent some awesome cards (including a Ricky Nolasco autograph), a 2008 Bowman Sterling Refractor of Hulk really caught my eye.
While Bowman was once again the “King” among prospect collectors in 2008, the design itself was a little on the weak side. Of course, it did not stop them from releasing a total of four products, three of them using the same design. The only release that had it’s own design was Bowman Sterling, which was a ultra high-end product many collectors were not pleased with.
We don’t need to read The Sports Card File to know that our hobby is in the dumps. As much as we bashed Upper Deck for unnecessary releases like ‘X’ and ‘Documentary’, where were the collectors who realized that there was just way too much Bowman products last year? Surely we didn’t need four of them, did we? How many are in store for 2009?
What kills me as a collector is how amazing Bowman Sterling looks. Why, you ask? With the $240 dollar per box asking price, it’s just out of reach to 95% of collectors today. Can you imagine if Topps decided to release just two Bowman products this year? All we really need is the flagship brand and one high-end chrome version that is an upgrade over Bowman Chrome. More collectors deserve to bust products like Bowman Sterling.
Sadly, that is never going to happen.
Yeah, I agree 100%. It would be nice to have just Bowman and Bowman Sterling, and maybe they could concentrate more on making quality products like Chrome or a nice reprint set, like Goudey/Allen and Ginter/Heritage/the reprint set Topps did this year as a promom for baseball (I forgor what it was called, lol). I would really like it if you could please check out my blog and give me some feedback, I jst started out. Thanks so much!
-Jesse
I whole-hearted agree with what you said. Bowman Sterling is a definite keeper in terms of design, but as for price, it could be a lot better – either that or the hits sheet needs to be better. I would be completely happy if Topps released only Bowman Chrome and Sterling for that brand and focused on quality over quantity – no more of this regular Bowman, Draft Picks & Prospects bs.
totally agree. the draft picks and prospects should be scrapped. they already insert prospects as inserts in the main product. at most there there should be bowman chrome and sterling. if there is need for another, bring back bowman’s best
Well, they released one less Bowman product in 2008 than 2007 now that Bowman’s Best is gone. My preference would be to combine Bowman and Bowman Chrome into one brand. Bowman DPP still makes sense, as long as they don’t lose so many top draft picks to Razor again. I have nothing against Bowman Sterling – it’s a nice set – but I won’t ever be buying a box of it. I’ll just leave it for richer collectors and then I’ll buy the singles that I want on eBay.
I can’t even get to that point. I ignore Bowman, they killed the real baseball rookie card. There’s a reason people cringe now when their hits are rookies in baseball, when there are a bunch of cards produced including autographs in what is considered a regular product long before these guys sniff the majors.
Agreed. I asked my wife if we could go without electricity and water for a few months, or maybe just not pay the mortgage so I could get a few boxes of Sterling, but she put the kibosh on it. I mean really—who are they producing this stuff for!?!
Just by way of comparison, the Durham Bulls are currently selling game used jerseys from seasons past over at the park for $125 or so. Not one-offs they couldn’t sell, not crappy patches on cards or whatever, but real deal game-used home and away jerseys with players’ names on the back and everything. I’m sure the big names (Longo, Price, etc.) went to the Hot Stove auction last week, but still.
Game used Jonny Gomes jersey, versus the probability of not getting the great pull that’ll get part of my cash back on the ‘bay? (Either way, my wife says NO)
Speaking of game-used jerseys, why do the card manufacturers think that people will find cut-up little bits of them to be valuable or attractive.
I’d be much more likely to buy a product if it had a redemption for an actual entire game-used jersey, than cards with bits and pieces of one.
Anybody else feel this way?
PMW, that’s interesting about Bulls GU jerseys. Do they have any more?
I was bidding on a UNC game used Willie Parker jersey on ebay. It went for under $300. I know lot of Steeler fans that would have loved to have it.