I will start this by saying that I realize that I have cycled out of both of the major marketing demographics desired by companies that sell products. I am no longer 18-34, nor even 35-50.
I am also aware that there is probably no one my age working at Topps, unless it’s at the highest-level office. I come from a different era — a Gen-Xer who is satisfied fairly easily.
The most interesting changes in cards for me as a youngster and even through my teenage years was that the design changed each year. I also liked seeing players with their new teams. That’s all it took to make me happy … and I was happy with just that for many years.
I didn’t need constant change, which seems to be a staple requirement for many in younger generations. But that’s my personality, too. I have never been “on to the next.” I’d rather collect cards like I did in the ’70s.
This is why I don’t understand Topps’ constant tinkering.
The latest puzzling development showed up in 2025 Topps Update. For some inexplicable reason, some of the inserts are foil — and I’m not talking about one of the parallels. The base inserts are foil. For example, the two 1990 Topps-themed cards up top, both of which I pulled out a box of Update, are shiny foil. There is not a regular non-foil version, as far as I know. So the 1990 inserts from Update are not the same as the 1990 inserts in the regular set. 🙄
Here are two more examples that I received recently from Cards on Cards. We’ve gone over the 1990 insert, but the All-Star Game inserts that have been appearing in Update the last handful of years — not foiled — are now foil! Every Dodger insert from this set that has arrived so far is foil.
Why?
And, also, and perhaps most importantly, do you know how confusing that is?
Nothing annoys me more when looking at new cards than having to go on a fact-finding mission. This was a major issue in 2025 Topps cards with all of their parallels that look identical to each other. As I’ve said on many, many occasions, I HAVE A JOB ALREADY. Here is what I want to have happen when I am filing my cards: look at the front of the card, check the number on the back, find that number on that year’s checklist and check the box. Instead I’m scrolling down the drop down menu on TCDB and then up again, and then down again, and then up again, clicking on what might be the parallel, then clicking back because THAT’S NOT IT and then trying another, and .. oh hell, I need to shovel the driveway before getting to work.
It’s interesting that when I was a kid with plenty of time, cards were simple and now that I’m an adult with no time, cards couldn’t be more complicated.
I know that companies need to advance and progress to continue to stay ahead of competition and grow, I get it. And since I’m not in touch with the breaker crowd, or the rookie mojo crowd there are probably things Topps needs to do — and change — all the time to keep buyers happy.
But I wish everyone would slow the F down. (By the way, not all the ’25 Update inserts are foil. I got a Bleacher Reachers insert the other day and it’s not foil).
Now, the question of course is: why then am I still collecting this modern stuff? I’ve covered this but it’s because I still like the basic part of the hobby — what’s the design going to look like this year? — and I like staying in touch with the current game. Also, it would be extraordinarily sad if I stopped collecting current cards before the Dodgers won back-to-back World Series.
I just wish the tinkering would stop because I’m getting old and old people get confused.
Anyway, here are the other modern Dodgers that Cards on Cards sent:
Some 2025 Archives Dodgers needs — very appreciated because I’m never buying any of this again.
Some Bowman 1sts. Let’s see how long these guys stay in my Dodgers binders because the minute they show they’re not making the majors, they’re getting booted to a box.
Some Bowman Chromeys, too. Along the lines of what I was discussing, when Bowman made its shift into Prospects and Chrome Prospects and Drafts and Draft Chromes that’s when it lost me. It was clicking along at a rate I could follow back in the ’90s and early ’00s.
Heritage Minor Leagues is much more my speed when it comes to prospect sets. None of these guys made a significant impact in the majors, but they’re safe in the binders for now.
And finally a Wicked Curve Kershaw. It’s nice to see that Kershaw is making final tribute showings in Topps this year. It won’t be enough to fill all the missing Topps designs for my Through The Years project but I’ll probably put a post together on what I have and the designs that never featured Kershaw.
Perhaps the smartest thing to do would be simply to ignore the cards that confuse me — put them up on TCDB to trade or even chuck them. That’s a thought. But I’d have to shed my “collect them all” mind-set that I’ve had since 1975. That’s not easy to do.
Anyway, sorry for the old-man-yells-at-cloud post. But, honestly, if you were in my life every day in person, it would be very weird to see a guy my age getting excited about Topps foiling-up inserts for no reason at all.
