As it has since 2010, the factory team set has 17 cards, 16 players and one of Wrigley Field.
The cards are numbered CHC1 - CHC17. Other than the different numbers, the cards are identical to the base set cards.
The 16 player cards can be put into one of three categories: 1) already in series one, 2) new player photoshopped into a Cubs uniform, and 3) will be in series 2.
I'll show the cards by these categories.
1) There were six Cubs in series one and all six are in the factory set with an identical card.
Four of the cards are new guys photoshopped. So how did Topps do?
Not too bad here. In this post from last year, I pointed out that Topps made some errors on Carlos Pena's photoshopped Gypsy Queen card. Among the mistakes were the wrong number font on his jersey and the missing Cubs logo on the pants. I guess Topps reads my blog because they got both of those details right on DeJesus' card. The only glaring mistake is the helmet...the Cubs don't wear that style.
For as good as they were with DeJesus, they were bad with Ian Stewart. This is a Rockies uniform (see all the purple in the dugout) with the grey road pinstripes. The Cubs don't wear pinstripes on the road. Topps needed to make the pants whiter to look like the home uni or get rid of the stripes.
Not a bad job on Maholm. They even got the belt colored blue.
This one is not good. The Cubs logo is way too small and its in the wrong place; its over too far to the left. That leaves Topps 2 out of 4 with the fake cards. As a hitter, 2 out of 4 gets you into the Hall of Fame. In my classroom it gets you an F. Sorry Topps, I'm grading you like a student: you get an F.
The rest of the cards are the player's first with the flagship design, though several were in Heritage. If the format from the past several years holds true, this is the same picture that will be on the series 2 card of these guys.
And there you have the 2012 Factory Team set.
i picked up the dodger factory set a couple of weeks ago. it's a bit better than the cubs' in that there is at least one photo variation among the players in series 1. but the photoshopping is bad. i'll wait until series 2 comes out to do my regular side-by-side comparison.
ReplyDeleteA+ I love Topps photoshopping. Rizzo's card looks great
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Those photoshops are pretty crappy. One of the worst parts of the photoshops are the helmets. Cubs use that distinctive felt "C" logo that is raised. No sign of that look on the shop jobs.
ReplyDeleteProps to Topps on the Reed Johnson with the birds in the photo, though.