2013 Topps Baseball Series 2 Variations

this list is more for my use than anything... I'm sure everyone has this already, but I can never find it when I need it, so I'm putting it here where I know it will always be.

#1 Bryce Harper
Regular Version: Rookie Cup
Variation: sunglasses

#6 Ryan Howard
Regular Version: fielding
Variation: signing autographs

#10 Adam Jones
Regular Version: diving
Variation: sunglasses

#11 Yu Darvish
Regular Version: red hat
Variation 1: sunglasses
Variation 2: signing autographs

#22 Clayton Kershaw
Regular Version: pitching
Variation: signing autographs

#26 Chase Utley
Regular Version: batting
Variation: signing autographs

#27 Mike Trout
Regular Version: sliding
Variation 1: signing autographs
Variation 2: sunglasses

#28 Prince Fielder
Regular Version: batting
Variation: sunglasses

#34 Felix Hernandez
Regular Version: throwing
Variation: wearing sunglasses

#55 Tim Lincecum
Regular Version: orange jersey
Variation: wearing sunglasses

#78 Dylan Bundy
Regular Version: pitching
Variation: standing at dugout with fans

#110 Justin Upton
Regular Version: batting
Variation: sunglasses

#122 Andrew McCutchen
Regular Version: batting
Variation: sunglasses

#127 Giancarlo Stanton
Regular Version: batting
Variation: sunglasses

#228 Adrian Gonzalez
 Regular Version: batting
Variation: signing autographs

#242 Matt Kemp
Regular Version: running
Variation: wearing sunglasses

#316 Josh Reddick
Regular Version: fielding
Variation: sunglasses (and one amazing beard)

#331 Jose Reyes
Regular Version: running
Variation: signing autographs

#362 Yoenis Cespedes
Regular Version: Rookie Cup
Variation: sunglasses

#456 Pablo Sandoval
Regular Version: batting
Variation: sunglasses

#595 David Ortiz
Regular Version: batting
Variation: giving speech, "Boston Strong"

#660 Miguel Cabrera
Regular Version: sliding
Variation: glove, sunglasses on head, signing autographs

#661 Hyun-jin Ryu
Regular Version: pitching
Variation: sunglasses

SO there you have it... basically, if you find a card with a pic on it that looks like it belongs in Heritage (Huge close up head shot) but he's wearing cool Oakleys, it's a SP variation. If he's signing autographs, it's a SP variation. If he's wearing shades while signing autographs, it's a SP variation.

And if he's giving the Boston Strong speech, it's Topps trying to cash in and make money off of an unspeakable tragedy.

UD series 2 box break

No messing around with glitzy titles or false promises. Steak and potatoes. That's me. Well, actually it's the Olympic Gold medal winning women's bobsleigh team from Canada. Heather Moyse and Kaillie Humphreys are from Calgary and Prince Edward Island. Get it? Steak and potatoes? Alberta and P.E.I??? Ah... forget it. Canadian humour.

Anyways. I busted a box of Upper Deck Series 2 hockey yesterday. 24 packs, 8 cards per... yadda, yadda, yadda. Price? $60 shipped from Montreal.

The base cards are the same as series 1, as well as their baseball and football counterparts.
the backs...

8 cards per pack is a bit misleading... one card in each pack is the series 2 cards for their Victory set. Kinda like the whole updates/highlights/heritage debacle.

in each box they say you'll get two relic cards. (on average) The first one I pulled was from my favourite team!!!

but it's of the one guy I don't like on my favourite team. This one may be destined for ShoeBoxLegends. He'll appreciate it I'm sure.
They brought back the Heroes insert set. this time it's Mark Messier. Yawn. I got two in the box.

The problem with UD is their insistance on inserting 30 million insert sets. In each series. This one is called Playoff Performers. I got this Patrick kane and Marc-Andre Fleury.

a carry over insert set is draft day gems. A waste of cards... I got Lidstrom and Tim Thomas.

A new to series 2 insert is this horrible early '90's Score looking Rookie Debut card.

Bringing back a set from last year, Captain's Calling returns.

A set that I was really excited about was The Champions. I was hoping it was UD's version of the Canadian Heroes set in OPC. My first card was of the U.S. women's hockey team competing in Vancouver. I love it. I'm going to complete this set. Or I was anyways....

until this..... WTF? A card of a figure skating silver medalist??? Maybe if it was an event used relic bat card.... ( poor taste, I know, it's my blog, deal with it)

my second relic card was of potential rookie of the year, John Tavares.

But what really drives the price, are the Young Guns. These are what the kids chase after, before they discover girls, and then again after they marry one....

You get six per hobby box.

even I haven't heard of that guy. Oskars?

cool. A local dude.

my favourite team again...

Young Phil is doing well...

ooh... Tyler is a first round pick. He's played one game. He has one goal. He's on pace for an 80 goal season!!!!!!

And finally, young Jonas Gustavsson. Jonas is still having nightmares of rubber bullets coming at his head. Toronto needs to improve the "D". Acquiring Phaneuf helped.

Still with me?? I ended up with 145/200 base cards. And this is either a pro, or a con, no duplicates. Great collation, but now I have no dupes to trade.... Now I have to find somewhere that sells packs.

Who else is collecting this set???