2012 Topps Allen & Ginter - First Look

Now that I've posted all the teams for the 2012 Summer Clearance Trade I can get back to what passes for regular blogging around here. Eventually I'll post some of the cards I got back in the trade but for now, let's look at the recently released Allen & Ginter.  I bought two blasters at Target. I've got a bid on a hobby box on eBay and I'm hoping I'll win that by the time this posts.

2012 Topps Allen & Ginter #269 Mike Schmidt

I'm going to lead with my all-time favorite player. As far as I've been able to tell, this is the first time Schmidt has appeared on an Allen & Ginter card. I think I like the design this year more than last years, although, the old fashioned border reminds me a little too much  of 2012 Topps Gypsy Queen. The back of the card looks pretty much like every other year of A&G.

2012 Topps Allen & Ginter #33 Chipper Jones

As they have done for a few years now, the horizontal cards feature the player in an action shot. This year, the background cut-out appears to be the same shape on every card. I looked at a few horizontal cards from last year and I don't think they used the same cut-out on every card. Unfortunately, the photo of Jones they chose to use ends up with the top of his head and his hand cut out of the picture.

2012 Topps Allen & Ginter #278 Fata1ty

There is the usual bunch of cards featuring "Champions" in other arenas than baseball. This guy is identified on the back as "the first superstar of electronic gaming". Wikipedia says he was inducted into the International Video Game Hall of Fame in 2010. Really, there is such a thing as the International Video Game Hall of Fame?  I've got to get out more.

There is a mini-card in each pack. The parallels of the regular cards look to be the same as last year. I pulled some black-bordered and A&G backs but nothing special.  There are also mini-card inserts. I got one each of these.

2012 Topps Allen & Ginter Mini Culinary Curiosities

Also known as pufferfish, a meal for people like to risk their lives while spending extraordinary amounts of money on a meal. There are 10 of these.

2012 Topps Allen & Ginter Mini Man's Best Friend

Well, you can hardly go wrong with cards featuring doggies. A 20 card insert set.

2012 Topps Allen & Ginter Mini People of the Bible

15 cards, pretty much evenly distributed between the old and new testaments.

2012 Topps Allen & Ginter World's Greatest Military Leaders

Another 20-card set.

Now for the full-sized inserts.

2012 Topps Allen & Ginter Baseball Highlight Sketches

I pulled 2 of this 25-card set.


2012 Topps Allen & Ginter Historic Turning Points

I pulled 2 of this 20-card set. I have no idea what this thing is supposed to be.

2012 Topps Allen & Ginter What's In A Name

I got one of these in every other pack. There are 100 of them and I'm tried of them already. These look like there should be a relic-containing parallel, but apparently not.

2012 Topps Allen & Ginter World's Tallest Buildings

The last time I saw this building, Tom Cruise was hanging off the windows.


2012 Topps Allen & Ginter Code Cards

It wouldn't be Allen & Ginter without some sort of mystery. Did anyone ever solve last year's? This year it looks like a murder mystery. Was Lennie Guttman murdered and is Dan Proot a suspect? Do I care?  I pulled one card per box. I'm guessing I'm not going to solve the puzzle with only two cards and maybe a couple more from the hobby box.