There was no bigger card subset this year than the 1/1 Bat Knob cards from 2012 Topps Tier One. It seems as though since that release, Topps has been trying to recreate the success by including bat knob cards in every high end release so far this year. They made an appearance in Allen & Ginter, as well as 2012 Topps Triple Threads, which makes me wonder – are bat knob cards the new ultra premium card that every player collector must have?

Here are some recent sales that reflect my above statement:

2012 Triple Threads Carl Yastrzemski Bat Knob Booklet 1/1

2012 Triple Threads Albert Pujols Bat Knob Booklet 1/1

The crazy thing is, until Tier One was released, the buzz about bat knobs was minimal, as they had been included in many products prior to this year – including 2011 Triple Threads, oddly enough. I am curious to see why the tide has turned on these cards, as I do believe they are cool, but I fail to see the ultra collectability that has now been tied to them.

Personally, the Bat nameplate swatch has always seemed to be more attractive to me, and that is only when the card also contains an autograph as well. There are just so many bats a player will go through in a season, that it just doesnt seem like these swatches are all really that special. Even back in the post war era of the game, the bats were collectable, which means that the titans of the game like Ruth, Mantle, and company all have a lot that were saved instead of destroyed.

That hasnt stopped many of the collectors out there from chasing these cards like they would a logoman 1/1, and that is what is so nuts. Then again, in a time where nothing is special anymore, we instead look to see how to break the monotony with re-imagined examples of the familiar.