2011 Bowman Baseball, An All About Cards Review

Last year “the” baseball card to pull was Stephen Strasburg, this year it is Bryce Harper.  Harper’s Bowman Chrome Red Auto #/5 cards have been selling at auction for between $5,000 and $6,000.  But what if you are a collector just looking for a set of cards to chase.   Are Bowman Baseball cards like an artichoke, a lot of peeling and discarding to get to a small morsel of goodness?  Not really.  For the person who purchases cards and actually plans on holding onto them, Bowman Baseball is more like a Smorgasbord, a buffet of different card types, colors and variations that will keep you coming back for seconds.

This set falls under our classification of trading cards. 2011 Bowman Baseball can be found in a variety of retail configurations and in Hobby Box form, which contain 24 – 10 card packs and features one autographed Bowman Chrome in every box.

We should also point out that last year’s Bowman was the winner of our All About Cards 2010 Sports Card Award for Best Baseball Trading cards

Here is a look at some of the cards we pulled from our hobby box.

From the base sets

 Evan Longoria base card, front and back

 Andrew Romine rookie Card, front and back

 Bryce Harper prospects base, front and back

 Brandon Belt Bowman Chrome, front and back

From the inserts

 Mark Teixeira and Ubaldo Jimenez Bowman's Best

 Michael Pineda and Dee Gordon Bowman's Best Prospects

 Topps of the Class

 Bowman's Brightest

 Finest Futures

Topps 100

The hits from the box

 Ian Kinsler and Yunesky Maya International Backgrounds

 Albert Pujols and Joey Votto Gold

 Adrian Gonzalez Blue #/500

Troy Tulowitzki Orange #/250

 Jurickson Profar International Background

 Bryce Harper and Dee Gordon Bowman Chrome

 Kyle Russell Bowman Chrome #/799

 Lars Anderson Bowman Chrome Auto #/500

Rick Hague Blue Bowman Chrome Auto #/ 150

Overall Look

Bowman has always had a straightforward design.  Chrome cards are sharp and inserts are where most of the design elements come into play.

Quality and Variety of Players and Subsets.

The best of the MLB and a variety of primed prospects and young hopefuls make for a good mix.

Do the hits hold up?

For the most part you are looking for autographs in a rainbow variety of numbered colors.  Hitting a Bryce is like hitting the lottery if you are in the business of flipping your cards.   For collectors with patience, in a few years you might have an as of yet undiscovered gem if you hold onto your cards.

Will you want to collect them all? 

Some might not consider this a set to build, but it is a nice group of cards to chase.

Rating

 4 1/2 out of 5

2011 Bowman Baseball delivers again, working on a bunch of different levels for a wide variety of card collectors.


Review box provided by Topps

The Complete Results for the 2011 NBA Draft, all 60 picks, Round 1 and Round 2

Here is the complete list of players selected Thursday night in the 2011 NBA draft.   You will find the pick number, player name, drafting team, position and college or nationality.

ROUND 1

1. Kyrie Irving – Cleveland Cavaliers - Guard - Duke

2. Derrick Williams - Minnesota Timberwolves – Forward - Arizona

3. Enes Kanter - Utah Jazz – Forward - Kentucy

4. Tristan Thomas  - Cleveland Cavaliers – Forward -Texas

5. Jonas Valanciunas -Toronto Raptors – Center - Lithuania

6. Jan Vesely - Washington Wizards – Forward – Czech Republic

7. Bismack Biyombo - Sacramento Kings – Forward - Congo

8. Brandon Knight - Detroit Pistons –Guard - Kentucky

9. Kemba Walker - Charlotte Bobcats – Guard - Connecticut

10. Jimmer Fredette - Milwaukee Bucks – Guard – Brigham Young

11. Klay Thompson - Golden State Warriors – Guard – Washington State

12. Alec Burks - Utah Jazz – Guard - Colorado

13. Markieff Morris - Phoenix Suns – Forward - Kansas

14. Marcus Morris - Houston Rockets – Forward - Kansas

15. Kawhi Leonard - Indiana Pacers – Forward – San Diego State

16. Nikola Vucevic - Philadelphia 76ers – Forward – Southern California

17. Iman Shumpert - New York Knicks – Guard – Georgia Tech

18. Chris Singleton - Washington Wizards – Forward – Florida State

19. Tobias Harris - Charlotte Bobcats – Forward - Tennessee

20. Donatas Motiejunas - Minnesota Timberwolves – Forward - Lithuania

21. Nolan Smith - Portland Trail Blazers – Guard - Duke

22. Kenneth Faried - Denver Nuggets – Forward – Morehead State

23. Nikola Mirotic - Houston Rockets – Forward - Spain

24. Reggie Jackson - Oklahoma City Thunder – Guard – Boston College

25. MarShon Brooks - Boston Celtics – Guard - Providence

26. Jordan Hamilton - Dallas Mavericks – Forward - Texas

27. JaJuan Johnson - New Jersey Nets – Forward - Purdue

28. Norris Cole - Chicago Bulls – Guard – Cleveland State

29. Cory Joseph - San Antonio Spurs – Guard - Texas

30. Jimmy Butler - Chicago Bulls – Forward – Marquette

ROUND 2

31. Bojan Bogdanovic - Miami Heat - Guard - Croatia

32. Justin Harper - Cleveland Cavaliers – Forward – Richmond

33. Kyle Singler - Detroit Pistons – Forward – Duke

34. Shelvin Mack - Washington Wizards - Guard - Butler

35. Tyler Honeycutt - Sacramento Kings – Forward – UCLA

36. Jordan Williams - New Jersey Nets – Forward – Maryland

37. Trey Thompkins - Los Angeles Clippers – Forward – Georgia

38. Chandler Parsons - Houston Rockets – Forward – Florida

39. Jeremy Tyler - Charlotte Bobcats – Center – San Diego High School

40. Jon Leuer - Milwaukee Bucks – Forward – Wisconsin

41. Darius Morris - Los Angeles Lakers - Guard - Michigan

42. Davis Bertans - Indiana Pacers – Forward – Latvia

43. Malcolm Lee - Chicago Bulls – Forward – UCLA

44. Charles Jenkins - Golden State Warriors - Guard - Hofstra

45. Josh Harrellson - New Orleans Hornets – Forward – Kentucky

46. Andrew Goudelock - Los Angeles Lakers - Guard – College of Charleston

47. Travis Leslie - Los Angeles Clippers - Guard - Georgia

48. Keith Benson - Atlanta Hawks – Center - Oakland

49. Josh Selby - Memphis Grizzlies - Guard – Kansas

50. Lavoy Allen - Philadelphia 76ers – Forward – Temple

51. Jon Diebler - Portland Trail Blazers – Forward – Ohio State

52. Vernon Macklin - Detroit Pistons – Forward – Florida

53. DeAndre Liggins - Orlando Magic - Guard - Kentucky

54. Milan Macvan - Cleveland Cavaliers – Forward – Serbia

55. E'Twaun Moore - Boston Celtics - Guard - Purdue

56. Chukwudiebere Maduabum - Los Angeles Lakers – Forward – Nigeria

57. Targuy Ngombo - Dallas Mavericks – Forward – Congo

58. Ater Majok - Los Angeles Lakers – Forward – Australia

59. Adam Hanga - San Antonio Spurs – Forward – Hungary

60. Isaiah Thomas - Sacramento Kings - Guard - Washington

2011 Bowman Baseball, another All About Cards SPEED-break™

In 2010, Bowman Baseball cards won the All About Cards Sports Card Award for Best Baseball Trading Cards.   But that was Strasburg, this is Harper.

Here is out video box break of 2011 Bowman Baseball.   Will Bryce make an appearance?

2011 Topps Pro Debut Baseball. An All About Cards Review

Designing a Minor League Baseball card set is not an easy task.  So many leagues, so many teams, so many players, so much movement.  2011 Topps Pro Debut does a good job of condensing it all down to an attractive set.  They even provide a fold out checklist with short player bios so you can learn as you collect.  It is also where you will find Bryce Harper on his first minor league card, in his Hagerstown Suns uniform.

This set falls under our classification of trading cards.  Hobby Boxes contain 24 – 8 card packs and feature two autograph cards and two relic cards.

Here is a look at some of the cards we pulled from our hobby box.

From the base set

Regular Base

 Mike Trout base card, front and back

From his checklist bio - "Oft-cited as top prospect this side of Bryce Harper"

Pro Debut Base

 Debut base card of Byron Aird, front and back

notice the foil logo on the top right indicating his MiLB debut card

From his checklist bio - "Hard-working Australian find who's new to catching"

Blue parallels of the base cards #/309

Gold parallel of the base cards #/50

From the Inserts

Single A All Stars

Double A All Stars

Triple A All Stars

The hits of the box

 Brandon Belt and Dee Gordon Relic Cards

 Solo Signings Autograph Cards of Jesse Biddle in Red #/199 and David Bromberg 

Aaron Hicks Debut Cuts Auto #/95

Overall Look

Same design as 2011 Topps Baseball which works well.  MiLB photography is on par with MLB photography, which is nice to see.   Inserts work nicely and hits are attractively laid out.

Quality and Variety of Players and Subsets.

By condensing Pro Debut down to one release this year, going from over 400 base cards down to 330, this set is a tight mix of quality players and new talent.

Do the hits hold up?

Another tight list of Autographs and Relic cards that will satisfy those who are up on the future stars of “The Show.”

Will you want to collect them all? 

This is very collectable for set builders.   Color parallels are a good chase for players you anticipate with make it to the “Bigs.”   If you have a minor league in your back yard, these cards are great for autograph hunters.

Rating

 4 out of 5

2011 Topps Pro Debut is a great set to collect and hold.


Review box provided by Topps

2011 Press Pass Stealth NASCAR trading cards. An All About Cards review.

They are the cards for those who serve and collect.  2011 Press Pass Stealth a nice tribute to the U S Armed Forces and a great set to chase and own.

We classify 2011 Press Pass Stealth as premium cards.  Each hobby box contains 24 – 5 card packs which include one autograph and one Race-Used memorabilia card.

Here is a look at the cards we pulled from the box.

PLEASE NOTE - Any cards with shiny or mirrored finishes look fantastic in person but are really difficult to scan.  Definitely applies here.

First from the base set

 Sprint Cup Series Drivers

 some come in a set of three cards

 these sets have puzzles on the back of their cards.

Nationwide Series Drivers

Command Center

Cockpit

Strategic Alliance

and Refueling Mission

They also come in numbered parallels.  This Tony Stewart Office Depot Chevy is #/99.

From the inserts

 Carl Edwards, Mark Martin and Danica Patrick In Flight Report cards

Lee Petty is the subject of this release’s Hall of Fame cards

 Kasey Kahne and Marcus Ambrose Supersonic cards

B-52 Stratofortress Flyover card

Our hits were

Joey Coulter Press Pass Signings Autograph card

Danica Patrick Metal of Honor memorabilia card #/50

Overall Look

These are some smart looking cards.  With foil and riveting to give the cards a metalic look, Press Pass has done what we’ve come to expect from them, namely, carrying through on a theme in style.  

Quality and Variety of Drivers and Subsets

The quality is there.  Sprint Cup and Nationwide drivers are represented which makes for a nice checklist.  Inserts work well making this a cohesive set of cards.

Do the Hits satisfy?  Are the cards too base heavy?

While Press Pass Premium concentrates on firesuits, Press Pass Stealth concentrates on sheet metal.  The “Metal of Honor” cards look great and fit right in with the Armed Forces theme.  Pull any of these and you’ll be a happy collector.   Pull any of the premium cards like the 4 Wide, Afterburner, or, if you are lucky, the Premium autographs with either a military inscription or a combo sheet metal/auto and you just might shout HOOAH!

Will you keep coming back for more?

You could easily purchase multiple boxes and definately look for aftermarket acquisitions of you favorite drivers.

Rating

4 1/2 out of 5

2011 Press Pass Stealth should be on your list of NASCAR cards to own this year.

2011 Topps Pro Debut Baseball, another All About Cards SPEED-break™

It’s exclusive, a hobby exclusive, the exclusive national trading card of Minor League Baseball and the exclusive place to find Bryce Harper on his first minor league card, in his Hagerstown Suns uniform. 

Here is our video box break of 2011 Topps Pro Debut Baseball.