2020 Topps Update Baseball Forum

I know this is a bit late, but I just got my hobby box in yesterday, and was... less than thrilled. We need to talk about the 2020 Update set. What the hell was that? 

I understand the pandemic probably limited the rookies you wanted to include, but gosh darn that set was weak. You couldn't have included anyone else? Sixto Sanchez? Alec Bohm? Anyone?

Next, did you really have to include all of the mainstream "classic" players in your base cards? Did we really need active leaders cards? Look, your normal base set is only 700 cards. Subtracting all the checklist, team cards, and other misc stuff, there are probably only 600 actual player cards, coming out to 20 players per team, leaving 5-6 players at minimum who don't get any love. Update was a perfect opportunity to give some love to lesser known relief pitchers, or other guys that rarely get cards. Instead, we got 68 Miguel Cabrera active leaders cards. Really Topps? I don't buy flagship (or update) Topps for this -- I buy it because it is supposed to represent the game as it stood in 2020, or 2000, or 1952, or whatever year it is. I don't need Derek Jeter All star or insert cards. There are plenty of historical sets out there. 

Next, I thought we learned our lesson about overproduction 30 years ago. Was the appeal of all that sweet sweet money just too much for you again? You may try to hide it, but it is plainly obvious how much this set was overproduced. Your numbered base parallel odds give that away. While in the past you'd typically get 5-6 golds in a box, you're lucky​​ to get two​​​​. Odds for a regular hobby pack are 1/16 packs -- and keep in mind that this is the 14 card per pack format. It used to be 1/6 or 1/5 packs in the 10 card per pack format. That leads me to believe that Topps at least doubled or tripled their production. (At least I was able to get the box for a reasonable price though -- so there is that) Not pleased, Topps. 

Lastly, and most bothersome... what the hell is up with your card backs????????? I have collected Topps for 15 years, and have at least one card from every set since 1952-- it literally has never been a problem (with a few minor exceptions, but those were errors, not intentional) in Topps' 70 years of making cards. The card backs are seemingly rotated in random directions and the horizontal cards are also flipped. WHY??? What is the upside of doing this? How does this help anyone? Hell, this wasn't even a problem with series 1 and series 2 from the same year​​​. There is zero excuse for this. Do you know how difficult it is to sort the cards now? How annoying it is to look at the jumbled card backs in binders? How infuriating it is to pick through the cards in a set box? Who made this decision? I'd be pissed even if they had rotated all the card backs to be upside down, but what they did was worse -- they only did it for half of them! This is easily the most frustrated I have ever been with Topps. All of the other points I made above can be at least somewhat attributed to the pandemic, and I'd be willing to give them a pass, but this one? Nah -- there are zero good excuses. 

Okay, rant over. TL:DR is that Topps, you done messed up. 

Amen.....

All the things I was thinking, but never thought to say it aloud.  I couldn't agree more with your assessment.  The backs was the most iritating.

#thankstopps 

I have a feeling the backs are less of a decision and more of utter lack of quality control. Apparently work from home is not conducive to good cards

Great summation! I've made the decision to quit going with the "flagship" product after this year. Bought a hobby jumbo box of 2020 when it came out and was completely disappointed.

The pandemic and lack of available retail cards has helped me reach the decision to go with a much more focused collection on fun subsets or build historical "mash up" sets like all time home run leaders... 

I hadn't seriously collected flagship since 2014 but for some reason I jumped back in last month and picked up a bunch of update when I saw it on the shelf.  I can't believe I came back for this.  All of the above is true plus I find the general design of 2020 Topps base set is just not very eye friendly.  At least the inserts are plentiful and are good trade material for the older sets I'm chasing.  Hoping 2021 Topps is a better production. 

I am usually all over Update, but this year with bad reviews and just burnt out on going for retail and it just not there, I lost interest by the time Update rolled around. Looking back now, I think I am glad. I buy Hobby but I love ripping so the Retail twice a week is me. I have around 100,000 Cards downstairs purchased from area Collections that were up for sale. I have $400 in them. 2021 may consist of solely on that and no new. Who am I kidding I am ripping some packs. On the $400 spent I already have a Jerry Rice RC in poor condition, 3 Tim Duncan RCs of which 2 are at PSA right now, 4 Kobe Bryant RCs at PSA, 1993 Topps Derek Jeter, 1978 Eddie Murray, and a 1990-91 Fleer Basketball Complete Set. One box had 2-300 Vintage Football. I know this got way off topic and I could start another thread.

If anyone needs some I have the first 100 cards listed for trade. I will be adding the rest once I get home, trades received first then trade offers responded too then that's when I will be adding the rest of the update. 
 

Good thing the hobby has something for everyone then :) Update may not be everyone's product and that's OK. 

As for the production, I'd just suggest for remembering we are all humans that run machines and work 9-5. If an error is made, especially in 2020, things happen. Maybe quality control didn't catch it, obviously. But maybe quality control wasn't there that day, Topps is in New York. Does everyone know what was going on in New York in 2020? 

I can understand frustration when spending money, but it's a printing upside down. Its not cards torn in half... 

Try to be happy and enjoy the hobby :) lifes to short!