In 2009, Topps released the first batch of Platinum to mixed reviews, including some very negative ones from me. I really didnt like the design or the theme of the set at all. Since that time, the brand has been retooled a bit, and with each change has gained a loyal following among collectors. As a hobby and retail program, Platinum has already hit shelves in some of the big box stores that mistakenly put it out early. As a result, we are getting some early previews of what the product has to offer.

My biggest gripe last year was the base cards, as I felt the design wasnt conducive to all the things that need to happen with the design. This year, Topps looks to have put a lot of thought into the visual appeal of the base, refractor parallels, and the autographs, as the cards look really nice. They also instituted a lot of die cut and special cards to pull out of a box break, similar to last year, which I think is a great way to add value to a product that wont deliver Luck or Griffin autos ad nauseum.

Here are some of the nicer ones up so far:

2012 Platinum Matt Kalil Base Auto RC – My favorite Vikings auto of the year so far, great looking card

2012 Platinum Robert Griffin III Orange Refractor

2012 Platinum Robert Griffin III Jersey Relic RC – Looks to be a special retail card

2012 Platinum Andrew Luck Die Cut RC

2012 Platinum Andrew Luck XFractor RC

We have yet to see a good look at the patch auto design yet, but a horrible picture on one of the auctions does show that they are high numbered on the lower tier guys again. Im perfectly fine with this, as it makes the nice pulls more valuable, but there will be a lot of complaining about this fact from the people who dont really like this element. I would say that Topps should just leave them unnumbered in the future. Either way, im glad they changed the shape of the swatch window, as I think this is MUUUUCH better than the baseball diamond shaped one they have needed in the past. Thank you to Nike for switching the shape of the chest logo.

2012 Topps Platinum Chris Givens RC Patch Auto /1058

UPDATE: With a better scan, these cards look MUCH better than they were shown on the sell sheet. Simple styling and photo concept makes these like a chrome SP Authentic in terms of layout – even with stickers. Even though they are high numbered, they still look great.

Here is another one from the set that just popped up:

2012 Topps Platinum Ronnie Hillman Patch Auto /1058

I wasnt really sold on Platinum when the solicitation came out, but I am getting closer and closer to wanting to buy in. These do look really good.