Topps Replacements for 2014 Five Star Marshawn Lynch Redemptions

I had two outstanding redemptions for 2014 Topps Five Star Marshawn Lynch which have been outstanding for years -- almost three years now.  At this point, it's quite clear that the cards will never be signed.  Panini has the exclusive license to produce NFL cards.  Topps has given up fulfilling outstanding football redemptions as a result.  This isn't something that they've publicly admitted but it's been reported on the Blowout Cards Forums by a few individuals who have spoken with Topps representatives.

I really wish that these cards would be made, so it sucked to finally give up and ask for a replacement.  If I didn't ask for a replacement now, the pool of possible replacement cards would get worse and worse as time went on as more people asked for replacements.

I honestly was not expecting anything good because I've read so many horror stories about Topps replacements since Panini has taken over the NFL licensing rights.

But to my absolute surprise, I got some decent cards!  I got a Matt Jones 2015 Topps rookie autograph, a 2015 Topps Fire Melvin Gordon autograph patch rookie card #/50, a 2014 Topps Finest Brandin Cooks patch autograph gold parallel #/50, a 2014 Topps Finest Jimmy Garoppolo autograph patch rookie card, and a 2015 Topps Chrome Marcus Murphy rookie autograph!

Obviously, the Brandin Cooks and Jimmy Garoppolo cards are the real jewels of this replacement pack.

I can't say that I'm disappointed.  Of course I would have wanted my Marshawn Lynch autographs, but getting two top notch 2014 rookies out of Finest is solid!

I think Topps did me good on these replacements.

2015 Topps High Tek Football Box Break #2

The only card worth noting from this break was the hit itself:

Breshad Perriman base autograph

2015 Topps High Tek Football Hobby Box Break #1

Picked up a box of 2015 Topps High Tek Football from Blowout Cards' Black Friday sale.

Gold Rainbow Autograph: Devon Smith 

 Jameis Winston Circuit Board Variation & Base Rainbow

And the most interesting card from the break is a David Cobb error rookie card (wave design).  David Cobb is a runningback, but on the back of the card the statistics line shows quarterback stats of "COMP ATT YDS TD INT RAT".  Notice that is six different statistical categories, but there are only five numbers listed under those statistical categories.  Those five numbers represent career attempts, career yardage, career average, touchdowns, and career long rush.

2015 Topps Chrome Mini Retail Break

Walmart has been selling rack packs containing three hobby packs of 2015 Topps Chrome Mini for about $12.  It's actually a decent buy at a that price on a per-pack basis.

Here are the results.

I got lucky and hit an autograph of Mike Davis.  Also got a pulsar refractor of Sean Mannion.  It's too bad that Topps no longer has an NFL license.  These cards look nice.

2015 Upper Deck Inscriptions Redemption Replacement

I've had an Antwan Goodley redemption from 2015 Upper Deck Inscriptions pending for the longest time.  I checked the status of the card on Upper Deck's redemption website and it said that the card was never made, and thus I should contact them regarding a replacement.  So I did.

First I called on the phone and was told to send an email to QA@UpperDeck.com with the redemption code and a list of five teams and/or players whom I collect.  I ended up sending Upper Deck a list of nine football players who I collect.  The players ranged from future hall of famers, to retired veterans, starters in the NFL, and a few 2nd string players.  I wasn't expecting to get any of cards of the players I wanted since none of them were in the 2015 Upper Deck Inscriptions set.

About 2 weeks later I got my redemption replacements in the mail.

In all, I don't think I can complain.  I got a red #/75 Jay Ajayi autograph and a red #/75 Ameer Abdullah autograph.  Both are backup runningbacks but they played in their first years, so there is some hope that they might actually become starters and decent players some day.

Overall, my Upper Deck redemption replacement request went very smoothly and quickly.  I'm happy with the results even though I didn't get any of the players I requested in my email.

2015 Panini Prizm Collegiate Draft Picks Boxes 3, 4 & 5

I bought three boxes of 2015 Panini Prizm Collegiate Draft Picks during Blowout's 2016 NFL Draft promotion.  Here are the results!  Just the autographs...

Box #3: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu /99, Ty Montgomery.

Box #4: Dominique Brown, Vic Beasley All-American, Brandon Scherff.

Box #5: Shane Carden Tie-Dye /49, Brett Hundley.

2015 Panini Prizm Collegiate Draft Picks Boxes 1 & 2

I ordered two boxes of 2015 Panini Prizm Collegiate Draft Picks from Blowout last week.  They were only $25 per box which seemed like a good price for two guaranteed autos per box.  Little did I know that just a few days later these same boxes would go on sale for only $15 per box as a part of Blowout's 2016 NFL Draft promotion.  So in the end I ended up overpaying by $10 per hobby box.  

I did get these two really nice camo parallels of Carson Palmer and Aaron Rodgers.  I like the college uniforms.  Two old timers battling it out in the ol' Pac-10.

 

Rookie autographs were a little underwhelming.  I got Blake Bell (TE, 4th Round, 117th Pick, 49ers), Hau'Oli Kikaha (OLB, 2nd Round, 44th Pick, Saints), Stefon Diggs (WR, 5th Round, 146th Pick, Vikings), and Nick Marshall (QB, Auburn, undrafted).

Notable rookie parallels were Malcom Agnew (RB, Southern Illinois, undrafted) and Kenny Bell (WR, 5th Round, 162nd pick, Buccaneers)

2015 Topps Football 60th Anniversary Retired Autograph Pack

I purchased one of the Topps online exclusive 2015 60th Anniversary Retired Autograph packs. These packs sell for $75 on Topps' website.  You get one autograph card per pack.  

While there are a lot of Hall of Fame autographs in the pack, not all packs contain Hall of Famers.  I've seen some people mistakenly call these packs "HOF" packs, and that is inaccurate.  If you look on Topps' website, they describe these packs as:

A continuation of 2015 Topps Football, this product contains (1) 60th Anniversary Retired Autograph Rookie Card! The checklist will feature an NFL Hall of Fame rich mix of subject that will be pictured in their respective original Topps Football Rookie Card designs!

Nowhere in the above description does it say that a Hall of Fame autograph is guaranteed -- it's merely a "NFL Hall of Fame rich mix of subjects."  So don't buy these packs always expecting to get a Hall of Famer.  

I got really lucky and did get a Hall of Fame autograph, though!

This is my first Emmitt Smith autograph so I'm pretty excited about my luck.  The card looks really nice in person.  It is printed on Topps' thinnest and flimsiest card stock, however.  For such an expensive card, it would have been nice if it was on a slightly thicker and more sturdy card stock.  You don't notice this though unless you are handling the card without a sleeve or toploader to protect it.

The back of the cards are underwhelming though.  I would have liked to see a genuine card back with some biography information and statistics for the player featured on the front.  Most people will be looking at the front of the card so I know most people won't care about the back.  I'm one of the few who does.

Overall, I would say that these are decent buys for $75.  I would buy a few more packs if I had the cash to spend.  Oh, and in case you're wondering, the card comes inside of a toploader within the pack itself.  There is no box or base cards.  Just one autograph card.

2015 Topps Heritage Football Box Break #5

Tyler Kroft Autograph

Brett Hundley Refractor

2015 Topps Heritage Football Box Break #4

Alvin Dupree Autograph

Marshawn Lynch Refractor

Base rookie cards not pictured: Kevin White, Rashad Greene, Landon Collins, and Leonard Williams.

2015 Topps Heritage Football Box Break #3

Jamison Crowder Autograph

Rob Gronkowski Refractor

Base rookie cards not pictured: Dres Anderson, Brett Hundley, T.J. Yeldon, Shaq Thompson, and David Cobb.

2015 Topps Heritage Football Break #2

Jerry Rice Refractor

Deontay Greenberry Autograph

And the base rookie cards not pictured: Levi Norwood, Marcus Murphy, Cameron Artis-Payne, Clive Walford, Javorius Allen, and Jameis Winston.

2015 Topps Heritage Football Box Break #1

Sammie Coates Autograph

Sammie Coates Refractor

And the base rookie cards which aren't pictured: Titus Davis, Tyler Kroft, Terrence Magee, Tyler Lockett, Duke Johnson, Leonard Williams, and Bryce Petty.

2015 Upper Deck Inscriptions Football Box Break #7

Decent box.  Got some drafted players!

Devante Parker

1st Round Pick, #14 Overall by the Miami Dolphins

Marcus Murphy

7th Round Pick, #230 Overall by the New Orleans Saints

Terris Jones-Grigsby

Undrafted Free Agent

Cody Riggs

Undrafted Free Agent

2015 Upper Deck Inscriptions Football Box Break #6

Another sub-par box.

Byron Jones

1st Round Pick, #27th Overall by the Dallas Cowboys 

Cameron Artis-Payne

5th Round Pick, #174 Overall by the Carolina Panthers

Jahwan Edwards

Undrafted Free Agent 

Kenny Bell

5th Round Pick, #162 Overall by the Tamp Bay Buccaneers

Malcolm Agnew

Undrafted Free Agent

2015 Topps Platinum Football Redemption List

Here is a list of players who have redemption cards in 2015 Topps Platinum Football.

Redemptions for this product expire on November 30, 2017.

1. Marcus Mariota 

Quite interestingly, Marcus Mariota is the only player who seems to have redemptions in this product.  I cannot find any other redemptions on eBay for any other players.

If you're buying any 2015 Topps Platinum Football after November 30, 2017, and you're hoping to hit a Marcus Mariota, you run the risk of getting an expired redemption that Topps will not fulfill.

2015 Upper Deck Inscriptions Football Box Break #5

Worst. Box. Ever. Got all undrafted free agents and cards I already had.

Bo Wallace

Undrafted Free Agent

Venric Mark

Undrafted Free Agent

Devante Davis

Undrafted FA signed by the Philadelphia Eagles

Kevin Parks

Undrafted FA signed by the Oakland Raiders

Anthony Boone (QB Duke)

Undrafted Free Agent

2015 Topps Finest Football Group Break

Got the N.Y. Jets in a case break of 2015 Topps Finest Football.  Actually did pretty well.  Picked up a path autograph, a low numbered parallel insert, and lots of Devin Smith and Bryce Petty rookie cards.

Bryce Petty 

Die-Cut 

Bryce Petty 

Camo Parallel #10

Bryce Petty

Autographed Patch

2015 Upper Deck Inscriptions Football Box Break #4

Just an okay box,  Nice low numbered Vince Mayle and Garrett Grayson.

Vince Mayle

4th Round Pick, #123 Overall by the Cleveland Browns

Nick Montana

Undrafted Free Agent 

Michael Bennett 

Undrafted Free Agent

Garrett Grayson

3rd Round Pick, #75 Overall by the New Orleans Saints

2015 Upper Deck Inscriptions Football Box Break #3

This was one loaded box -- literally.  It had seven autograph cards in it instead of the usual four!

Kenny Bell

5th Round Pick, #162 Overall by the Tamp Bay Buccaneers

Justin McCay

Undrafted Free Agent

Cameron Artis-Payne

5th Round Pick, #174 Overall by the Carolina Panthers

Cody Riggs

Undrafted Free Agent signed by the Tennessee Titans

David Cobb 

5th Round Pick, #138th Overall by the Tennessee Titans

David Johnson

3rd Round Pick, #86th Overall by the Arizona Cardinals

Vic Beasley

1st Round Pick, #8th Overall by the Atlanta Falcons