The Topps formula for flagship has been the same since I returned to collecting current cards in 2006. There is a Series 1, a Series 2 and then your update set. This format must work for Topps as it's been going on for at least 10 years. But I often wonder who is buying Series 2. There is natural fanfare and a natural desire for Series 1 and Update. When Series 1 comes out, it's practically a card holiday. Collectors have waited through a long hard winter (although not as long and hard as I remember since you couldn't buy a damn baseball card between October and March when I was a kid). It is a thrill to see collectors open packs of Series 1 on the blogs, or wherever, every year. The same goes with Update. Fans have experienced the full season, they are eager for an update to reflect what they have just seen: players with their new teams, new players who emerged on the scene. But Series 2? What's in it for the collector? For the most part, it's just more ...
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