Back before the beginning of the season, Topps released Inception to the delight of people like myself. Its combination of hard signed cards and an awesome design was a perfect vehicle for a pre-season product. In fact, it was so well designed that people still believe it is one of the contenders for product of the year. I dont disagree.

Last week, 2011 Topps Precision hit shelves, using much of the same formula that was successful with Inception. Because the players had game photos at this point in the year, Topps’ airbrushing was not as necessary to fulfill the need for the pictures on the cards. The hard signed signatures for Precision were done in a very similar fashion, including the ones mirrored after the incredibly popular silver signature series. The cards are absolutely tremendous in their presentation, so the question remains, who did it better? I would bring the silver rookie patch autos from Gold Standard into this discussion, but it would be like putting a high school quarterback up against the Giants’ defensive line.

Topps Inception Silver Signatures /25

If you have been reading my blog, you know I love the painted filter that is an option when editing pictures in photoshop. However, I know this was used as a way to hide the airbrushing that was necessary to turn college photos into pro photos. Regardless of its usage, the cards look awesome, and this led to HUGE prices on eBay that still remain, even this many months later. Its pretty much unprecedented for pre-season products to hold value this late in the season, but Topps’ ingenuity definitely served them well with inception.

I love the vertical orientation of these cards, especially in the sharp pens that Topps had the players use to sign. The signature POPS off the background, and I think that if you have a target this year, these cards are already in your collection.

As for drawbacks, the chipping was a major problem. Of course, with any card on thick black stock, its going to be impossible to maintain mint status through the signing process and pack out, but people complained none-the-less.

Examples:

Cam Newton Inception Silver Signature /25

Jake Locker Inception Silver Signature /25

Topps Precision Silver Signatures /25

I love the way Topps used the blur of the game photo behind the player to add context to the picture. Its not just a guy on a white or black background, and that adds a dynamic nature to the card. Like Inception, the signature draws the eye right away, and the huge area for the player to sign is a huge plus. Having the actual shots from the field instead of ones from the photo shoot adds a lot of collectability to these cards. Usually we have to wait for a long time to have cards with game action hard signed by the rookies of the class, but companies are understanding how important it is to speed up the process these days.

Drawbacks are that the cards didnt have the artistic appeal that the Inception cards did. It wasnt the nature of the product, but I think it was where Inception was incredibly successful. I am much more likely to display the Inception cards, but the Precision cards are still awesome.

Examples:

Mark Ingram Precision Silver Signature /25

Christian Ponder Precision Silver Signature /25

WINNER: Topps Inception

Although Inception came out on top in this review, it doesnt mean that the Precision cards are not on a level by themselves. I think the way that Topps has used these types of cards is a novel idea that collectors have latched onto. Hopefully we will see major leaps next year with no lockout to hold companies back.