2008 Topps Allen & Ginter's World Champions

Set Size: 350 cards

Design Notes: A very simple design, a painted-style image of the card subject fades to a white border. The bottom of the card has the subject's name and the Allen & Ginter logo. Backs carry statistics or a short write-up about the subject. The cards use Victorian-era style fonts and design elements.

Parallels and Similars: The set is inspired by the original Allen & Ginter issue from the 19th century, though there's no doubt when this card was made due to the inclusion of the year on the front. All parallels of this set are in mini form: a regular mini, Allen & Ginter back, black-bordered, no-number, Bazooka back, framed cloth, and wood.

Distribution: Hobby boxes of 24 packs hold 8 cards per pack. Additionally, retail packs and blaster boxes were released.

Thoughts: In its third year, Allen & Ginter seemed uninspired and relied on its gimmicks to survive. Not much changed from the 2006 release. I enjoy art sets, and this set is meant to look like the original painted sets. It doesn't quite deliver on the hand-painted part, but I still put together a yearly set.

2008 Allen & Ginters Mini Pioneers of Aviation

Set size: 5 cards

Front Design: A painting of an aviation invention appears above it's name in a color cloud. The bottom of the card has the 2008 Allen & Ginter logo.

Back Design: The top has the Pioneers in Aviation title graphic followed by the card number in a shield. The remainder of the card back is a list of crazy flying machines and their inventors.

Parallels and Similars: None.

Distribution: This unadvertised insert set was randomly inserted into packs of 2008 Allen & Ginter at a rate of about 1 in 6 boxes.

Thoughts: This would be another fun mini set to collect if it wasn't so rare. While the 2008 design leaves a lot of empty space on the card front, the subjects in this set are much more fun than, say, countries. It's more unique. If only these cards had video of them trying to fly - that would be the icing on the cake.

2008 Allen & Ginter Mini Team Orange

Set size: 10 cards

Front Design: The fronts look the same as the 2008 Allen & Giner set, with a painting of a fictional member of Team Orange, followed by old-timey text of the "player's" name and the Allen & Ginter 2008 logo.

Back Design: "The World Champion"s and "Team Orange" are across the top, followed by the player's name. A paragraph describing the player's abilities follows.

Parallels and Similars: As mentioned, this set is based on the 2008 Allen & Ginter set. It can be distinguished easily by the "Team Orange" text across the top of the back, and the prefix "TO" before the card number.

Distribution: The cards were one of the "rare" inserts in 2008 Allen & Ginter, inserted one card for every six boxes.

Thoughts: Many people don't like the gimmicks and non-sport subjects in Allen & Ginter, and for them there are other throwback sets or just the base set (though that includes plenty of non-baseball subjects). I like fun sets like these, showing a bit of creativity from the Topps design team. Many of the fictional characters portrayed in Topps sets (this set, and Gypsy Queen's Gypsy Queen insert set are good examples) are based on actual Topps employees. See this post for details. I would love to have a full set of Team Orange cards, but given their rarity (and thus premium), it seems to be a bit too much to take on.

2007 Topps Allen & Ginter Mini Flags (Flags of All Nations)

Set size: 50 cards, standard "mini" tobacco size

Front Design: The art for each country has a flag on a fancy pole waving over a background of a world map. An additional map of the nation and its surrounds is shown in a circle beneath the flag, similar to a magnifying glass enlarging the detail on the world map behind it. Topps Allen & Ginter's Flags, Brooklyn, New York is printed beneath the art.

Back Design: The monochromatic backs have an advertisement for the set at the top, followed by a checklist of the entire set.

Parallels and Similars: There are several tobacco-era non-sport mini sets similar to this design , of which several focused on national flags. This set should not be confused with any of those, due to the copyright information at the bottom and several other features which identify it as a modern release.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into packs of 2007 Topps Allen & Ginter.

Thoughts: I enjoy the non-sport mini sets Topps puts in Allen & Ginter, even if I don't always collect the whole set. From an interest standpoint, I'd love having a set of national flags in mini card form. There's only one problem - while the set is called "Flags of All Nations" there are about 154 nations missing from the checklist. I understand there are countries in turmoil and which may not have a flag, but Iraq and Iran are missing. Neither Korea is on the list.Where is Sweden? Topps should have gone full-speed with this set and issued flags for all the countries that have one. When will Transnistria get its due?

2006 Topps Alen & Ginter N43 "The World's Champions"

 Set size: 15 cards

Front Design: A copy of that year's Allen & Ginter mini card design appears on top of background art including leaves, flags, and old-time baseball players relaxing on the grass.

Back Design: The set title and card subject appears at the top beneath the card number, and the entire set checklist commands the majority of the remaining space. The bottom quarter of the card back is filled with logos and legalese.

Parallels and Similars: The Rodriguez and Bonds cards have an autographed parallel (10 copies), while the Pujols and Gibson have 50-copy relic parallels. The N43 set is a minor redesign of the original N43 cards issued in 1888, and is fairly true to the original design and layout.

Distribution: One card was issued in every other hobby box of 2006 Topps Allen & Ginter.

Thoughts: The original set was more varied, including pole vaulters, hammer throwers, club swingers, and pedestrians. Because the originals didn't include a lot of text (just the subject, player, and team), they look more elegant. However, even in its redesigned release here the cards are attractive.

Additional Links: See the Old Cardboard website for additional information on the original N43 set.

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