Here is what we know about Turkey Red:

• Its a set collector’s product in a hit per pack format
• The cards are very similar to the way they were done in previous years, which isnt a bad thing
• The packs sold out faster than a Justin Bieber concert in Japan

So, with that being said, the first results are starting to show up, and the set’s results seem to be structured exactly like we expected. The good autos are really tough pulls, and there are some really BAD autos when you dont hit them. Here are some of the nicer hits:

2012 Turkey Red Andrew Luck RC Auto /5

2012 Turkey Red Alfred Morris Auto /50

2012 Turkey Red Trent Richardson Auto /5

2012 Turkey Red Robert Griffin III Mini Variation

Turkey Red is a set that features really cool looking cards with very challenging odds to get something good in one pack. Breaking a bunch of packs should yeild better results, but the odds are still quite long. In fact, the prices on the packs have started to drop since the breaks have started, and there are some legitimate reasons for that.

The checklist is pretty weak, as it was in Baseball. This is not a product aimed at autograph collectors, but it is oddly packaged as one. That is a huge detriment to the value of the individual unopened packs, and a huge plus for the people that pull one of the Lucks or Griffins in the boxes. The packs were selling considerably above market value at first, due to the fast sale, and that will damage this further.

However, the cards do look very nice, and there are some cool surprises. Base photo variations and minis are included for the people lucky enough to pull them, and I think that if you have the money to spend on the set, its worth a look. I think Topps improved on the way this looks over the last time they did it – putting the sticker over the painting instead of on the border like they did in 2005 and 2006.

Overall, Turkey Red is going to be a blip on the radar for many collectors who are not connected online. Topps obviously invested most of the resources on things OTHER than the autographs, as that wasnt the point of this set. However, when the configuration is what it is, collectors are not going to accept that as a good investment.

Maybe next year we can get a full release with more thought about how packs would perform on a lower end scale. That would be fun, I think.