GotGibson?
Bench Warmer
So often in the sports card hobby the most promising products in the preview stage morph into mundane disappointments by the time release day rolls around, unable – for any number of reasons – to meet lofty expectations.
2009 Topps Mayo Football is not one of those products.
What it is, instead, is a breath of fresh air in a been-there,done-that world; a rare gem likely to exceed even the most ambitious pre-release projections.
Am I gushing? Yeah, I guess I am . . . but for good reason. From the way it looks to the way it feels to the way the box is oddly heavier than you’d expect, 2009 Topps Mayo is not so much a football card product as it is a football card experience.
And it’s an experience unlike anything football has seen in quite some time.
From the first pack you’ll notice a lot to like in the product that’s as close as the gridiron will get to Allen & Ginter, including:
-- The striking white-bordered design that lends an air of elegance to the overall aesthetic
-- The ornate (but severely chip-sensitive) silver and gold card backs
-- The incomparable Ginter-like presentation of the autograph and Relic cards
-- The vibrantly colored, original-art base images
-- The sense-of-importance box-topper and the delightful minis that haven’t been overdone quite yet in football
-- The quirky checklist that includes politicians, civil rights activists, inventors and animal mascots alongside rookies, Pro Bowlers and Super Bowl MVPs
-- How you can still thoroughly savor the break even though your best card is a sticker autograph from an offensive lineman . . .
2009 Topps Mayo Football is not one of those products.
What it is, instead, is a breath of fresh air in a been-there,done-that world; a rare gem likely to exceed even the most ambitious pre-release projections.
Am I gushing? Yeah, I guess I am . . . but for good reason. From the way it looks to the way it feels to the way the box is oddly heavier than you’d expect, 2009 Topps Mayo is not so much a football card product as it is a football card experience.
And it’s an experience unlike anything football has seen in quite some time.
From the first pack you’ll notice a lot to like in the product that’s as close as the gridiron will get to Allen & Ginter, including:
-- The striking white-bordered design that lends an air of elegance to the overall aesthetic
-- The ornate (but severely chip-sensitive) silver and gold card backs
-- The incomparable Ginter-like presentation of the autograph and Relic cards
-- The vibrantly colored, original-art base images
-- The sense-of-importance box-topper and the delightful minis that haven’t been overdone quite yet in football
-- The quirky checklist that includes politicians, civil rights activists, inventors and animal mascots alongside rookies, Pro Bowlers and Super Bowl MVPs
-- How you can still thoroughly savor the break even though your best card is a sticker autograph from an offensive lineman . . .
