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Yes, the 2013 rookie class is slightly weaker for baseball products, but that doesn’t mean there are no great products to be had. Enter 2013 Bowman Platinum. The 200-card base set is always a change of pace from the other Bowman products throughout the year. These shiny cards are always a fun break and a really easy set to put together. This year’s partnership with the Arizona Fall League and Baseball America will provide a few new inserts to add to the mix.
Not just for prospectors, these cards break up the set down the middle with half featuring prospects and the rest being current players. All with plenty of parallels to chase. Also, all Bowman products will feature the Blue Sapphire refractors that will continue to feature the top players ever featured on a Bowman card. The special autographed versions will be numbered to only five copies.
Each box will feature two autographed prospect refractors and one auto’d refractor relic card. The number of hits is definitely ideal, but we’ll see if there are vast improvements to the redemption headaches that were in last year’s edition.
The auto’d prospect cards will continue to be signed on card and feature parallels in color Green (#/399), Blue (#/199), Gold (#/50), Red (#/25) and the hobby-0nly Atomic (#/5), Super (1/1) and printing plates also one of one. There will also be a new autographed card named Purely Platinum. They will be on simulated metal and all 1/1. Only place to find these will be from hobby packs.
Additional autograph card breakdown:
- Auto/Relics- Star prospects and current players featured. Will contain relics from Arizona Fall League Rising Stars game.
- Autographed Jumbo Relics- Same as above but with enlarged relic piece.
- Dual Auto- Dual prospect subjects numbered to 25.
- Triple Auto- Mix of prospects and veteran/rookie stars numbered to 10.
- Hexagraph Book Card- Vets, rookies and prospects on a book card. Numbered to five and hobby only.
- Bowman Black- Hobby only and numbered to 25. Featuring subjects 76-100 continuing from previous Bowman sets.
Bowman products will continue to keep collectors interested, and with Platinum there needed to be something more than just a basic swatch. Jumbo patches will feature star players and the relic piece looks to take up a lot of the card. Bat plates are also featured and they are both hobby only additions. These will definitely add value to this product that has been an autograph-majority product. Which is fine, but remember what was mentioned about redemptions?
And speaking of redemptions; Bowman Platinum will feature two kinds of redemptions that collectors don’t mind pulling. The Arizona Fall League redemption program will allow collectors to pull cards redeemable for autographed baseballs, game-used caps, bases and baseballs. Additionally, there will be Arizona Fall League cards that will give collectors a chance to win a behind-the-scenes experience at the 2013 Rising Stars game.
This mid-summer release is definitely a fun break. If you can pick up hobby product- you will definitely get more variety in your packs with the hobby-only inclusions. Its a perfect blend of stars and prospects, but doesn’t overwhelm.
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