After next week, we will have completed the first 10 weeks of the 2015 Bunt season, a timeframe that brought about some furious chases in collecting weekly inserts. In addition to the normal Sigs and Editor’s Choice cards, we had new sets like Fresh Faces and From the Vault. What is different about this year, is that in 2014, there were milestones in the marathon for each of the 10 week intervals. This time around, EC only has a 30 week award, and no mention of a marathon award for some of the other sets.

Although there is a Marathon award for signature series cards at 10 weeks, the lack of a marathon milestone card for each of the other weekly inserts seems to be a hole in the checklist. Its odd, because there is so much more value that can be added to a card knowing that a special insert is just moments away. I digress, as the Sigs remain the most important insert cards of the game. That being said, its going to be a pretty impossible chase unless you have a significant amount of resources.

The other interesting part of this new structure, is that the part of the community that uses Android didnt even have access to the top sig in the whole game. Mike Trout was limited to a MINUSCULE 150 copies, and is without a doubt, the hardest sig to come by. There are a few users who have managed to see the writing on the wall, and made that card their quest for a long time, getting multiple copies of both the base and the variant. It makes it that much more difficult for everyone else who still needs one. I feel for the Android users who are left out in the cold.

Its worth mentioning that I do have all 9 sigs released so far. I knew how low that Mike Trout sig was going to be and I broke the bank to pull one back on week 1. Once I had it, I knew I would need to complete the rest of the set. It has taken time, luck, and lots of money, but I am now one card away from a reward card that should be VERY low in quantity.

The question is, will this be worth the time and resources I have spent to put into it. Like we see with physical trading cards, its rarely about the completed set. Its about the fun of working and putting in the effort to get to that stage. It breeds a sense of accomplishment. When you see that the reward card will NOT be as valuable as the sum of the parts, this situation should be clear. I think that even with the award card in hand, its going to be difficult to find a trading partner for an extra Trout. Too many people want the parts instead of the reward. It should also be mentioned that the parts are still in play for another Marathon milestone for having all 30 sigs.

As mentioned in previous posts, a nice collection of top cards in the game is a status symbol. The equivalent of driving a luxury car, or living in a posh house. Even though the respect is only gleaned when someone pulls up your sheet in a trade offer, the vanity of that awed feeling is worth it to many Bunters. I am among that group, for sure.

All things considered, I sincerely hope the award cards are as cool as they were last year. We saw a Roberto Clemente card that made my jaw drop. This set is so difficult to complete, all that needs to happen again. We need the big guns. We cant have a player who hasnt earned the Superstardom that comes with being a consistent contributor in the league, or a HOF legend from among the game’s titans.

When the award card is eventually revealed, and I get that sense that TOPPSMIKE and TOPPSHANFORD really put a lot of thought and did something that they knew would send waves through the collectors, that’s when Ill have my moment.

I hope you experience the same thing.

Here is the checklist in case you need it:

1. Mike Trout
2. George Springer
3. Robinson Cano
4. Max Scherzer
5. Miguel Cabrera
6. Felix Hernandez
7. Matt Harvey
8. David Ortiz
9. Evan Longoria
10. ???????