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2010 Opening Day: Because I can


Yes, collectors, the long wait is over. Opening Day has returned to the card aisle. It's back and better ... uh, well ... the same as ever.

In fact, I purchased a pack of 2010 Opening Day today. And I'm going to show the contents right here.

Hello? Anybody still reading? Was it something I said?

OK, for the very few of you left, you know the details. Opening Day is a cheaper version of the 2010 base set. It looks the same except for one or two minor details. In 2006, the foil was blue. In 2007, the borders were white. In 2008, the borders were crimson-blood-red-oh-my-god-they-sacrificed-a-goat-and-dried-its-life-source-on-cardboard!!!!!!!!!!

After that bit of ugliness, Opening Day went on hiatus for 2009. The economy was the official reason. But we all know it was about the goat blood.

Now it's back, and pretty blah, I must say. I wonder how Ryan Howard feels getting stuck on the Opening Day wrapper while Albert Pujols graces the main set.

Anyway, let's see what's in the pack.


Well, this is an interesting start. It's Curtis Granderson photo-shopped into a Yankee uniform. You're all aware, I'm sure, of the short-print Yankee Granderson in the base set. That particular card is horizontal.

Here is the regular base Granderson for comparison:


Notice that Topps didn't bother to re-paint the color of Granderson's "Live Strong" bracelet, or whatever it is, when they photoshopped him into a Yankee uniform. It's still Tiger orange (Yes, Grand Cards, I do think of orange when I think of the Tigers).


OK, onto the basic differences between the Opening Day set and the base set. Of course, there is the Opening Day logo that appears on every Opening Day card. The other difference is the names are actually readable in the OD set. There is no foil. The names are simply outlined in gray. The card backs, as usual, are identical to the base set.


Jorge. I don't have anything nice to say. So let's move on.


A shiny Topps Attax-like card of Dan Haren. I'm guessing this is some sort of parallel of what will appear in Topps Attax. The card back is your basic advertisement:



Well, I've pulled this card enough in the base set. I might as well own an OD Kazmir, too.


Excellent. My third Yankee in the seven-card pack. The family will be warm tonight because I'll be firing up the furnace.


A Ranger phenom closes it out.

Although I'm all for no foil on cards, Opening Day is just not interesting enough for me to buy again, even at a buck a pack. It's too similar to the base set. If they made the borders green or black or something, that might appeal to me a little more.

But there you are: Opening Day is back, restoring the world order. Without killing goats.

Oh, I also bought six packs of base Topps. I didn't get a single Million Giveaway code card. Apparently the word is out that I redeem nothing but crap from these, and Topps has stopped supplying my Target with code cards for fear I'll ruin the whole promotion.

Can't say I blame them.

Comments

BASEBALL DAD said…
You scooped me Night Owl!! I was just about to start a post on these.I got a blue-border Dice-K I'll post for you.Also a Russell Martin will be in the mail!
You scooped me too! I hate opening day (the cards) but I bought a pack and scanned them all, but you are always ahead of the game mister owl... Topps gave Aki the Granderson treatment by painting him into a Pirate in the base set. He is still a Ray in the parallels. Weird.
Nachos Grande said…
Pssh. My Target still doesn't have anything except an empty 2010 Topps gravity box.

Good thing I have no restraint and have now ordered two jumbo boxes online and busted 'em. Otherwise I might not have been able to get my hands on 2010 Topps until 2011 when they get shoved in all those repack boxes.
John Bateman said…
The red bordered 2008 opening day set is one of the all time underrated sets.

The love the Granderson variation. It is like a variation without being a variation
gritz76 said…
If they can sell these at a $1 a pack, why is the other set sell for twice as much? I know it can't be because of the Wade Davis auto or the Aaron Hill bat card I pulled. If it is I could do with out those to save a buck a pack.
dayf said…
Opening Day is Leno to Topps Total's Conan. Life is not fair.

John: 2008 OD gave me glaucoma.

At least the Johnny Damon as a Yankee card gave me a good chuckle. Suck it, Boras
Jeffrey Wolfe said…
I think it's nice that Topps still makes "cheap" cards for kids. Now only if they could lose the foil and gloss on the base set. *sigh*
dayf said…
These cards aren't cheap though. For two dollars you can either get one pack of Topps with 12 cards or two packs of OD with 14 cards. The Topps looks better and has nicer inserts. PLUS for five bucks you can get a Topps rack pack with 36 cards or 5 OD packs with 35 cards. This is a contractually obligated cash grab that Topps always mails in instead of putting out something someone would actually want to collect. Topps Attax is a better dollar product anyway, at least you can DO something with that!

BRING BACK TOTAL

PUT MASCOTS AND POKEMONS IN IT IF YOU MUST BUT PLEASE BRING BACK TOTAL
night owl said…
Right, dayf. I meant to mention the 7 cards vs. 12 cards and less inserts vs. more inserts in the post. Thanks for pointing it out.

But I don't want any pokemons in my Topps Total.
Captain Canuck said…
is it wrong to like OD better than the regular base? They look a lot better. Not that I've seen any '10 in person... they should be arriving in Canada... oh... in 6 months or so.

How many cards in OD? Maybe I'll collect that instead of nothing...
madding said…
I liked the 2008 OD set because the Cardinals looked good in it, but most teams' cards probably didn't get the same effect.

I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't do a lot to separate the design from the base set.
MarieBay said…
Clearly I am terrible at keeping up on my reading. I saw people on Twitter saying they had sightings so I ran out to check it out before class.

Honestly, for a buck for kids to get cards, this works. For me, it was a one time binge. I'm over it, especially since I pulled a Pujols insert.
Eggrocket said…
Yes...bring back Topps Total.