The Future Of Collecting?

With Topps experiencing so much success with it's Project 2020 and Project 70 releases where they only produce cards to demand and so many other successful lines in the past like Topps Now and Living Set, could Topps (or other manufacturers) eventually change their production to be only "print on demand" style?

With younger audiences more interested in paying for Fortnite skins than paying for a pack of 9 baseball cards, it is very likely that in 10 years there will be no more cards printed in the traditional way.

Topps has been using the Bunt app since late 2012 to create digital cards.

Some of those digital cards are now selling for a lot of money.  Younger fans may choose to get digital portfolios than having a 9 pocket binder or top loaders to go through and store.

Add to it the current (and confusing to me) NFT (non fungible token) trend there is greater demand for a minimalist digital strategy.

I can't get into it, but if it does happen there could be some cool designs made if everything is digital.

Look at these digital cards I've swiped screenshots from eBay over the years.

Do you think traditional cardboard will ever go away?

A Rare Bunt

Remember when Topps was trying so hard to get fans to join their Bunt app that they produced physical cards with EXTREMELY LIMITED PRINT RUNS to entice fans to get extra Bunt points for their app?

Well, I certainly don't.  Then again I never had any interest in digital cards either.  I like to hold my cards in person.

This is a 2015 Topps Bunt Crossover cards with a print run of only 25 copies. 

Mine is still unscratched.

One is currently for sale on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $250 or best offer. The seller is another McCutchen collector so I think he is aware of how rare it is and is hoping that he can get myself or one of the other Cutch collectors to get into a war of adding this rare card to the collection.

I don't have a need for another one though amd don't play Bunt so I have no desire for that price point.

Prices on these types of cards are all over the place from the $5 DJ LeMahieu to the $291 Dee Gordon.

I must be slipping in my old age...

(NO SPOILERS IN COMMENTS PLEASE!!!!)

Avengers is coming out today and to celebrate one of the most anticipated movies in comic book fandom, I have one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite movies to start things off as we all speculate what may happen in the movie.

To quote Brodie from Mallrats, "I must be slipping at my old age.  How the hell does something like this get by me."

Topps announced that they made an error with the back of their Series 1 Topps Bunt limited series cards.

Topps made an error AND admitted to it?
Whaaaaaaaat?
How did something like this get by me?

The cards are numbered on the front to only 25 copies.

But the backs states 100 copies.

I purchased the card with the code already scratched out.  I didn't check to see if it has already been redeemed.  This Bunt Titans card was randomly inserted in 2016 Series 1 packs.  It is the first and only copy I have seen of it's kimd.

Make a Wish

Andrew McCutchen has done a lot of work with the Make A Wish foundation over the years.

Here is an extremely touching article from 2015.

Something that I wish could happen is Topps using some of their designs and images from the Topps Bunt app to make actual cards.

This is a card that was available in 2015 only through the app.

This is the 2015 regular issue for flagship

In addition to the obvious picture change (Cutch cut his dreads before spring training 2015) another noticeable difference is Centerfield vs Outfield for the position circle.

I kind of wish Topps would put the player's primary outfield position instead of just outfield.  Do cards say infield or do they say 1B, 2B, SS, 3B?  Why should Rightfield be different than 1B?

Another thing I noticed about the Bunt app digital cards is the "relics" always match the jersey being worn by the player on the digital card.  Below are two examples.

I currently don't have the app, but always see these digital cards listed on eBay (which is where I took the images from).

Do any of you have the Topps Bunt app?  If so have you noticed inserts that look better on the app then actual cards?