Allen & Ginter is always one of the sets every year that I look forward to. From my perspective there’s a lot to like about it. I like the design (usually), I like the non-baseball things you can find in it, I like the minis, and I like the off the wall topics for the minis.
The non-baseball stuff comes up every year among collectors. I will admit that even though I like it, sometimes it seems to be a bit more off the wall in recent years. But it’s something that makes Allen & Ginter, well, Allen & Ginter. In the end, if you don’t like it, don’t buy it.
If that’s not your thing you’ll know what sections to skip below as they’ll be pretty obvious. Let’s get a-rippin’!
2019 Topps Allen & Ginter
The design of this year’s cards is one the best I’ve seen. I usually like the design best then the art fades into the borders of the card (or the background kind of fades) rather than some kind of formal border. This designed feels like’s it’s gone even deeper to the borders of the card than I ever remember. I also like the way that the Allen & Ginter and other text parts are in each corner.
Poses are usually what you get out of Allen & Ginter and there’s definitely mostly that in this year’s set. The Turner card is my favorite of these because I love the way the bat fades into the upper border. The only other comment I have for these is that Ramon Laureano looks a bit uncomfortable in that pose.
The Old Timers
There’s always a bunch of old timers in a lot of sets these days and of course Allen & Ginter doesn’t disappoint. The older guys actually seem to even work better with the design in a lot of ways.
I don’t remember getting to see a lot of Reggie in an Angels uniform on cards recently. Usually he’s a Yankee or an Athletic. What’s a little odd is the expression on his face in that card. Eddie Murray always looks bad-ass to me. For some reason I always thought he and Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed could have been brothers. Some bad-ass brothers.
Baseball… NOT!
Here we go with the non-baseball. One thing that I’ve always wanted to do with these cards is to get them out for TTMs. I’ve always had some set aside for that. I just tend to prioritize baseball and football and other stuff over it. Sometimes that be just because I like the sport stuff better for TTMs, but sometimes it’s because these are usually just the one card I have to send out.
My favorite in this box though is Brian Fallon from A Gaslight Anthem below. I’m in a band and I didn’t know much about him or the band. Then one day our bassist suggested a song from them and I love them. I think Fallon is just doing things on his own these days, but A Gaslight Anthem rocks. If you haven’t heard them before I suggest the songs 45, Handwritten, The ’59 Sound, American Slang, and Old White Lincoln. They are from Jersey and you can really hear the Springsteen influence.
Mini Baseball
I like the minis. But I will say that I hate storing them. The Nimmo is an A&G back. I don’t really care for parallels of what are essentially inserts, especially when it’s the back that’s “special” but it’s a think for Allen & Ginter and I like other stuff more than I don’t like this. Also, I’m digging Doc in the Blue Jays gear.
Aww… More Minis
So without my knowing, my daughter worked with Topps to compile these sets of minis. I mean dogs, flowers, and baby animals at the zoo… who else could it have been. Especially with the animals, whenever I open a pack and these come out she in interested in my cards. Well, OK, that card, but still I’ll take it.
The Oddball Inserts
I like other Allen & Ginter inserts, but sometimes they just don’t have the same effect as they do in mini form. The Incredible Equipment subset is my least favorite this year. I just don’t think I get it.
I pretty much love any subset with animals though. And I rode horses from about age 5 to age 20+ so that’s right up my alley. The planes subset is another good one because they change the way the cards are for that. I do like how they pull those off.
Back to Baseball
The last subsets are back to baseball. The Baseball Star Signs and things like it are usually not my favorites. I have like when it’s been more history related or has to do with where they are from. The Ginter Greats are more my thing.
Overall, if you are an A & G fan I think this is a good set this year. If not, don’t buy it (which you probably didn’t anyway). But I like it so I’m sure I will buy some more to open.