(Welcome to the finale of "The Most Defective Sets I Know." Speaking of defects, I was so concerned that Blogger wouldn't advance-publish my posts that I didn't pay attention to the fact that I scheduled two posts to publish within 15 minutes of each other. Tsk, tsk. We stupid humans. And now, here's the No. 1 defect presenting the No. 1 defective set he knows).
There is only one set in this whole wide world, in this whole history of cards, that actually makes me angry.
Yup. It's 2010 Topps Chrome.
Good god, this set pisses me off.
As you might know, I am not one of those collectors who doesn't see the point of chrome sets. I love chrome sets for what they are, beautiful, unnecessary cardboard baubles of inconsequence. Chrome cards' purpose is to be shiny and beautiful. To sit there and look pretty. That's all. That's all they have to be, because when I look at them, like a pretty girl or an awesome sunset, I don't think about how chrome is merely a fancied up version of another card.
When I see a pretty girl or a fantastic sunset, not once do I say, "well that's just a nicer version of that plain girl over there" or "that's just more colorful scenery than what I can see in the same spot at 1 in the afternoon." Instead, as is proper, I stand there in admiration with my mouth open (or closed if I know what's good for me) and appreciate the splendor of it all.
So that is Chrome and why I love it. And that is why 2010 Chrome annoys me so.
In 2010, Topps took something that was perfectly beautiful, a set that it had produced for 15 years with nary an issue, and foisted a hideous mutated version of it onto the public. This time, all of the beautiful Chrome cards were curled in perpetuity. They were bent. Bowed. Curved. Pringled. Right there in the package, before you even opened them, they had curled up for a nap. And there was nothing you could do to wake them.
Place the cards under 100 books. Cram each individual card into the tightest top loader. Hammer them for 20 minutes. Put them under an asphalt paver and fire that baby up. It didn't matter. The cards always returned to their original fetal position.
If there is ever a card set that deserves to be the subject of a class action lawsuit, it is 2010 Topps Chrome. The set was defective out of the box. For many collectors, myself included, this set is 100 percent useless from the point of purchase.
Because I am unable to control myself around chrome, I bought several rack packs and a blaster of Chrome in 2010. I just didn't learn my lesson.
And I still own the majority of those cards -- even though I hate them to their curly core -- because I can't get rid of them. Normally, I am happy to trade off any set that I am not trying to complete. But I could not send 2010 Chrome to anyone without feeling guilty for the rest of time.
So here are the 2010 Chrome cards that I own:
That might not look all that bad to you. But if you collected Chrome in 2010, you probably winced a little bit.
It looks a little more pronounced here:
Each and every card is curled.
If I try to fit them in pages in a binder -- which I have done with my Dodger Chrome cards from that year -- the pages puff out and they make a crinkly sound when you turn the page, much different than when you turn the page of a selection of NON-WARPED cards.
These are the most useless cards that I own, even more useless than those Micro cards. They're also probably the cards that are under the greatest threat of being thrown away.
I don't ever like to throw away cards and the very few times I've done it, I've felt some remorse.
I don't think that would happen if I decided to do that with 2010 Chrome.
And that's all you need to know about why this is The Most Defective Set I Know.
Grrrrrrr.
1. TMDSIK: 2010 TOPPS CHROME
There is only one set in this whole wide world, in this whole history of cards, that actually makes me angry.
Yup. It's 2010 Topps Chrome.
Good god, this set pisses me off.
As you might know, I am not one of those collectors who doesn't see the point of chrome sets. I love chrome sets for what they are, beautiful, unnecessary cardboard baubles of inconsequence. Chrome cards' purpose is to be shiny and beautiful. To sit there and look pretty. That's all. That's all they have to be, because when I look at them, like a pretty girl or an awesome sunset, I don't think about how chrome is merely a fancied up version of another card.
When I see a pretty girl or a fantastic sunset, not once do I say, "well that's just a nicer version of that plain girl over there" or "that's just more colorful scenery than what I can see in the same spot at 1 in the afternoon." Instead, as is proper, I stand there in admiration with my mouth open (or closed if I know what's good for me) and appreciate the splendor of it all.
So that is Chrome and why I love it. And that is why 2010 Chrome annoys me so.
In 2010, Topps took something that was perfectly beautiful, a set that it had produced for 15 years with nary an issue, and foisted a hideous mutated version of it onto the public. This time, all of the beautiful Chrome cards were curled in perpetuity. They were bent. Bowed. Curved. Pringled. Right there in the package, before you even opened them, they had curled up for a nap. And there was nothing you could do to wake them.
Place the cards under 100 books. Cram each individual card into the tightest top loader. Hammer them for 20 minutes. Put them under an asphalt paver and fire that baby up. It didn't matter. The cards always returned to their original fetal position.
If there is ever a card set that deserves to be the subject of a class action lawsuit, it is 2010 Topps Chrome. The set was defective out of the box. For many collectors, myself included, this set is 100 percent useless from the point of purchase.
Because I am unable to control myself around chrome, I bought several rack packs and a blaster of Chrome in 2010. I just didn't learn my lesson.
And I still own the majority of those cards -- even though I hate them to their curly core -- because I can't get rid of them. Normally, I am happy to trade off any set that I am not trying to complete. But I could not send 2010 Chrome to anyone without feeling guilty for the rest of time.
So here are the 2010 Chrome cards that I own:
That might not look all that bad to you. But if you collected Chrome in 2010, you probably winced a little bit.
It looks a little more pronounced here:
Each and every card is curled.
If I try to fit them in pages in a binder -- which I have done with my Dodger Chrome cards from that year -- the pages puff out and they make a crinkly sound when you turn the page, much different than when you turn the page of a selection of NON-WARPED cards.
These are the most useless cards that I own, even more useless than those Micro cards. They're also probably the cards that are under the greatest threat of being thrown away.
I don't ever like to throw away cards and the very few times I've done it, I've felt some remorse.
I don't think that would happen if I decided to do that with 2010 Chrome.
And that's all you need to know about why this is The Most Defective Set I Know.
Grrrrrrr.
Comments
However, If you really think about throwing them out, I still need some Indians and my son would take any others you want to be gone !
Nick J
They had one box of 2010 Chrome thoroughly shrink-wrapped and then placed in a hard plastic box ... only $80 for your card destroying pleasure.
$10 Box of 1989 Bowman too...
2, 7, 15, 21-23, 28, 32, 37, 56, 59, 64, 66, 83, 86, 91, 109, 111, 114, 117, 119, 133, 139, 144, 162, 165, 170-172, 174-175, 177-179, 181-182, 188, 190-191, 193, 195, 197, 202, 204, 209-210, 212, 214, 216, 218
Yes, I'm building '10 Chrome.
Yes, I have problems.
Something this historically bad kinda needs to be owned, though.
(The only other Topps Chrome set I'm anywhere near finishing and actually kinda sorta care about is '11, which I'm half-assedly assembling from whatever I find.)