Base Set I actually like these cards--they are nicer looking than the 2009 version. The Prospect Cards are especially nice with their rounded frame. The best way to describe the set is that this is what 2010 Finest should have looked like.
I'm showing you the Gold Refractors (#/50) here because I think that they really pop and I was somehow able to get images of the whole set, which is usually tough to do for a low-numbered parallel set. Of course, there are base cards, and many flavors of refractor including regular (#/199), Gold (#/50), Black (#/25), Purple (#/10), Red (1/1) and four printing plates.
For an All-Rookie checklist it includes the two must-haves (Jackson and Boesch), a solid prospect that Topps has fallen in love with of late (Oliver) and a player who was so bad in his only appearance as a Tiger that was sent down two days later, was cut from the 40-man roster in November and has been invited to join the Braves for Spring Training. He shouldn't be here.
 |  |  |  |
#5 Brennan Boesch | #8 Austin Jackson | #33 Andy Oliver | #37 Jay Sborz |
Not bad, right? Even the regular versions of the cards look pretty nice, a stark contrast from Topps or Bowman Chrome or Finest, where the base cards tend to look dull:
What I don't understand are some of the production decisions. Like, why did they decided to make the purple refractors in reverse?
This is odd and, dare I say, stupid.
Prospects A slightly different design and numbering system for the prospects. There are two--Daniel Fields who is one of the better positional prospects in the Tigers system (and looks like he's put on a little weight since the last time we saw him), and Chance Ruffin, the 2010 supplemental pick out of Texas who looks to have high upside but got roughed up in the AFL this fall. He given the coveted Autograph Prospect card, and doesn't have a non-autographed version.
 |  | ||
#BSP-DF Daniel Fields | #BSP-CR Chance Ruffin |
Other Stuff Ooh, so descriptive. There happens to be a box topper in this set that is a dual relic of Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera. It's pretty sharp--this is the Black Refractor (#/25) version:
For $223 it can all be yours!
Seriously though, if you're anything but a prospect-mad collector, this is absolutely a waste of your time and money. The Tigers checklist is small and decent, but all of these singles can be had for a pittance. I hypothesize that I could put together a full rainbow of the entire team set, prospects and autographs for less than the price of a box. If anyone would like me to test that theory, I'll happily accept donations.
