There has been an awakening. Can you feel it?

Well maybe not Star Wars level, but one that should make Panini a little nervous in the ability to sell their basketball products when the new class takes the reigns from Karl Anthony-Towns and crew. Upper Deck decided it was time to make some serious waves in the sport where they are STILL the top brand in the game, despite being without a license to produce any real NBA licensed cards.

Recently, they announced an exclusive autograph deal with top pick and hobby whiz kid Ben Simmons, who is slated to be one of the top prospects in a number of years for the NBA. His cards have been selling for crazy amounts:

2016 Goodwin Champions Ben Simmons Sport Royalty Auto

2016 Goodwin Champions Ben Simmons RC SSP

2016 Goodwin Champions Ben Simmons Auto Sport Royalty w/ BIN

2016 Goodwin Champions Ben Simmons Goodwin Champions RC w/ BIN

Panini may have had the exclusive for a number of years now, but collectors have been flocking to the the Upper Deck sets of old to get their fix more and more. If UD were ever to get a license again, all those strides Panini has made would clearly be lost when the loyalists jump ship to rejoin the mother ship. Exquisite remains the top brand in the hobby, and its clear that UD wants that to remain clear.

The signing of an exclusive deal with Simmons is a step in a direction that is quite interesting. Even though UD cant produce licensed cards, the fact that there is nothing else available for him should make waves. It cant make Panini very happy, and that’s just an added benefit all together. I really dont like exclusive agreements in any sense of the word, and this is a huge middle finger right in the face of the people that seem to be taking over all the ones they can get.

Although Im sure that isnt why UD did this, it still has to feel good. The question remains, if UD doesnt have a license to support Simmons, what is the play they are trying to make? I hope they find ways to ensure that Simmons is utilized in a way that keeps collectors interested, and I think that is where sets from companies like Leaf may provide some wonderful inspiration. Leaf has found ways to make extremely attractive unlicensed cards, and it becomes an exercise in retouching photos to make the designs pop.

Overall, Simmons is probably one of the biggest gets in a while for a company like UD. Not only is he ESSENTIAL to reaching potential of products released by the competition, but it opens the door for added coverage of a calendar of products that Upper Deck is ready to release.

This is going to be pretty interesting over the next few months, hopefully it ends up being a positive thing for Upper Deck, a company I have identified with as long as I have been involved in the Hobby.

Tribute needed a big year this year, and I was very interested to see how the 2016 edition turned out. Looking back to last year’s fiasco with the signature quality on the cards, a lot of people who are huge Tribute fans really had issue continuing to collect the set. After seeing this year, I think they are in for a nice treat.

Check out these cards:

2016 Topps Tribute Hank Aaron / Mike Trout Dual Auto Booklet

2016 Topps Tribute Ichiro Suzuki Red Refractor Auto /5

2016 Topps Tribute Kris Bryant Acetate Relic Auto /5

2016 Topps Tribute Cal Ripken Jr Die Cut Auto

2016 Topps Tribute Corey Seager Auto Green RC

My favorite part about Tribute has always been the on card autographs on the Chrome stock. The thing about this type of set is that it not only looks good, but also can carry some of the value that collectors have associated with Chrome into the product. Being that Tribute has always been a super premium setup, bringing in the superfractors and chrome parallel structure is a plus for sure.

As for the card design, things are as good as they have been in previous years, with the legend based sets looking more attractive than ever. As we have seen with previous tribute sets, the designs always have a really nice use of the technology, even going as far as encasing each major hit.

The thing is, with Topps finally figuring out how to make the super premium brands in baseball work well, Im curious how well collectors will continue to see a novel approach in something like Tribute. Chrome is really the selling point, but with so many nice sets that Topps now does, plus stuff like the Mint coming out, what does that mean for something like Tribute, which doesnt have the same level of content?

Dont get me wrong, I love what this set is about, and the cards do look tremendous. Hopefully Topps can continually find ways to keep it fresh, and not let it get stale like we have seen with sets like Bowman Sterling and other box per pack setups.

As someone who has lived in San Antonio for the last 6 years, there is nothing bigger than the Spurs. Its one of the only major cities that has a huge population among the top 10, but only one sports team in the major sports. Its clear that while the Spurs have won title after title during the last 15 years, one player has been so vital to their success that he is the biggest celebrity in the city. Today Tim Duncan announced his retirement. His cards are infrequent, but the big ones are now more in demand than they have been in the last few years.

Check out some of the prices his cards with the recent announcement:

1997 Topps Chrome Tim Duncan RC Refractor BGS 9.5

2001 Topps Stadium Club Tim Duncan / Shaquille Oneal Dual Auto

2004-05 Luxury Box Tim Duncan Auto

1997-98 Fleer Metal PMG Red Tim Duncan BGS 9.5

This is pretty significant for the NBA, because he might be the best power forward in the history of the game. Not only that, but he has also rarely participated in autographing trading cards for the card companies, something that is almost unheard of in today’s “everyone has a signature card x100000” environment. The best part about Duncan is not just that he was such a dominating force on the court, but also because his cards are so under appreciated for his level of production.

His Chrome RC goes for a ton, as does his Fleer Metal stuff, but in a time where cards were over produced, a top RC like his might be undervalued. You cant get a 9.5 for a bargain rate, especially with how much attention his retirement is getting. Outside of that, the cards just dont have the traction because they arent signed.

For someone as good as Tim Duncan was, you would think his cards should be among the top cards in the game. Some of them highly sought after, but without supply, the examples of 10k card sales just arent there the way they are for Lebron and others. I met Tim a few years ago at a work event, and he was probably the nicest guy I have met in sports. He also made it very clear that he wasnt around for the accolades and the personal achievement. He was there to be a part of the winning culture that the Spurs had built. Personally, I dont buy into “the guy is just a winner” bullshit, as intangibles rarely make a difference unless talent is already in play. Its just something nice a commentator can say to make themselves seem like they are worthy of trust from the viewers.

Duncan was a winner, not because of his intangibles, but because of his results. Results that no other NBA power forward has had in decades. Coupling that with his year over performance should get him more credibility than it does with collectors. People like the razzle dazzle, and they like big personalities. Duncan was never someone who subscribed to any of that, so its no surprise he really never got in big with any of the card companies. Someone with his resume has likely been on everyone’s radar for years, but Tim’s personality must not lend itself to a big deal like that.

I dont follow the NBA very much, but I will say that the Spurs have made me into a fan. Duncan was my guy, and I am sad he has decided to retire. That being said, there is still a pretty bright future in San Antonio, and though I have since moved back to Minnesota, I will forever be a fan.

There might not have been a better year for baseball rookies than 2015, a situation that was so good, the hobby flourished for the first time in years. Now that we are coming up on the all star break for 2016, there have been more flame outs than expected, even if that isnt the final endpoint for many of these guys.

Kris Bryant – 2015 ROY

Of all the guys in the class, Bryant is still at the top and deserves it. Although Correa looked like as good a bet last year, Bryant has since shown everyone that he deserves the top billing. The Cubs are one of the best teams in the league, and Bryant might be well on his way to leading them to the promised land. His 25 HR is just a crazy total for someone his age, and I would say that its a good thing for the hobby he is holding strong.

Check out his cards right now:

2013 Bowman Chrome Kris Bryant Auto RC BGS 9.5

2016 Stadium Club Kris Bryant Beam Team Auto /5

2015 Heritage Kris Bryant Auto RC SSP

Carlos Correa – 2015 ROY

Unlike 2015, where you literally could not get him out, this year has been rough for both him and the Astros. Their cinderella story last year didnt translate to a fast start to the year, and Correa’s batting stats didnt get him a nod to the all star roster. Although that is FAR from the definitive measure of a player, its telling that he hasnt quite matched his potential from last year. He isnt playing anywhere close to bad, but he isnt the superstar player he was last year, either.

Here are his cards right now:

2013 Bowman Chrome Carlos Correa Auto BGS 9.5

2013 Bowman Inception Carlos Correa Auto RC

Kyle Schwarber

He stormed onto the scene last year, and played exceptionally well through the whole season. This year’s campaign was cut short early on, and these types of injuries are never great. However, with the way people have been able to recover, Schwarber could come back good as new. We will have to wait and see for 2017, and that hurts hobby value a bit.

Miguel Sano

The Twins are fucking terrible, and it sucks that they fell so far after being a few games back of the playoffs last year. Like Houston, they dragged off to a horrid start in April, and Sano really had a lot of reason to do with it. The team’s acquisition of Byung Ho Park pushed Sano out of the DH spot, and for some god forsaken reason, they put him in RF. This led to some pretty hilarious bloopers, of which none are good for his hobby value. Now that he has settled in at 3rd with an injury to Trevor Plouffe, he has shown that it was the team making dumb plays putting him in RF, instead of his own lack of skill. He should end up hitting 30 HR, but because he has signed so much, his cards have never had a huge amount of value.

2016 Museum Collection Miguel Sano Framed Auto

Byron Buxton

Last year was a struggle for Buxton at the plate, but he flourished in the field. His speed is top notch, and he needs to develop more before a final judgement can be made. That being said, his stats are not great, and that’s what collectors like. Since he is still so young, its far from a time to give up on him.

Jung Ho Kang

Before he got injured last year, he was playing very well to the point that he was in the ROY discussion. Since then, he has fallen back to earth, and has been accused of sexual assault. Even if the charges are dropped, the blemish is there. Kang just isnt the guy I am looking to put money into at this point.

Francisco Lindor

Like Bryant, Lindor has reclaimed the magic on a surging Indians team. He has great hitting stats, and has played well in the field. It led to an all star appearance for him, and we could see his value skyrocket in the playoffs if Cleveland continues to play out of their mind. Lindor plays a value position, so its going to be interesting if the hobby reacts. His stuff was relatively cheap last year, and they havent picked up too much this year.

2011 Bowman Chrome Francisco Lindor Auto RC BGS 9.5

Joc Pederson

Like his second half last year, Pederson hasnt really matched his torrid pace to start 2015. He has struggled at the plate to get any real traction, and the Dodgers recently placed him on the DL with a shoulder injury. Not a good way to close out the first half. Going to be interesting if he can grow at the dish, because he really has some great skills.

Again, as said before, baseball prospecting can be as much of a crap shoot as football. I dont think the final verdict is in for most of these guys, but the window might be closing to get any real hobby value built up. Bryant still rules the roost, but a season and a half does not a career make. Keep that in mind.

In terms of brand names in the card industry, there arent many product lines I like better than Inception. When Topps brought the brand to the Bowman line a few years ago, I was ecstatic, if not only because it meant more exposure for the product in other sports. Now that football is gone, save the Panini Origins ripoff, I am glad that the name and theme can be carried on. This year's set plays off of successful examples from previous editions, and that means this is going to be another fun year of this set.

Here are some of the bigger hits up so far:

2016 Bowman Inception Bryce Harper Inceptionized RC Auto

2016 Bowman Inception Kenta Maeda Auto Purple RC

2016 Bowman Inception Yoan Moncada Auto RC

2016 Bowman Inception Dansby Swanson Auto RC

Although the appeal of Inception on the baseball side isnt what it is on the Football side, its more a result of how many rookie cards exist for each player than the brand itself. In football, these were some of the first cards in pro uniforms for the rookies, and hard signed autographs are much more of a treat. That doesnt mean baseball is any less attractive, its just not as novel. It has led to the product being more of an add on than a staple, and that can be sort of a bummer.

That being said, the cards look absolutely tremendous, as they always do. The “Inceptionized” Bowman cards are back again, this time with some veteran firepower, and boy are they as cool as ever. This year’s version of Bowman was great looking, and it transitions exceptionally well to this format. Similarly, the rest of the subset autos look just as good, with a lot of great looking designs that are plays off of the main theme. Silver signatures have always been one of my favorites, and this year is no exception.

Before you go diving head first into boxes, this set is very hit and miss, especially if you dont pull one of the bigger names. 5 autos per box is a good clip to take a shot, but it isnt as much of a sure thing as people think. I do believe its a fun rip if you buy a number of boxes, and usually there will be a bigger name a lot more frequently than in football.

Again, if you are a prospect focused collector, you will not be disappointed at all. Even though Maeda and Bregman are redemptions, there are a lot of nice names on this list to get some big hits.