Product Review: 2013 Topps Gypsy Queen Hobby Box

Even with the strong following of Allen & Ginter, Gypsy Queen continues to hold it's own and continue to grow with it's own following. The 2013 product provides you a strong 350 card base set with 50 Short Printed cards to hunt down. The design is a silver/grey base background that provides a unique framing around the players picture. Back are the Mini base cards mimicking the 350 base card set with 5 different parallels of Black, Green, Sepia-Tone, Wood and Leather. Of course the photo variations are also in with the mini's and found within the Mini Boxes within the Hobby boxes. Base cards will also have parallels with the Blue Paper Frame returning and newly added Silver framed numbered 1/1.
Inserts are again plenty in this product with 2 returning and 4 new lines to collect. Sliding Stars and Glove Stories are back with the additions of No-Hitters, Dealing Aces, Collisions at the Plate and Gypsy Kings. Now Gypsy Kings were in last years product featuring people within Topps, but this year Topps has put this out to the public and asked why they should be a Gypsy King and Gypsy Queen and could have their picture on a card. Two people will be selected and put into this insert line.
Topps has continued with their value of this product by providing 2 Autographs and 2 Relics per Hobby box. What they have also done is included some hard to find relics and autographs that will keep the collectors hunting for more until they find them. Bat barrels, Mini Button cards and Mini Autographed Relic books join the Gypsy Queen group that will be exciting to see pulled out of the product.
Like all Topps products the Hobby Box is the way to go on this, as you receive the 2 Autographs and 2 Relics plus the Mini 10 card box. The value of the Hobby box out weights the other avenues you can go on this product, and at $100 for a box your in for a treat. Lets see how we did:

Base Cards: 180 (0 doubles)
Base Card Blue Parallel: 1 - Bert Blyleven /499
Base Card Short Print: 6 - Lee, Andrus, Ted Williams, Nolan Ryan, Wilhelm, Gossage
Mini cards Base: 20
Mini cards Base Variation: 1 - Bill Mazeroski
Mini card Green Parallel: 1 - Bob Feller /99
Mini card Black Parallel: 2 - Billy Butler /199, Michael Young /199
No-Hitters: 6 - Feller, Ryan, Abbott, Hernandez, Verlander, Santana
Dueling Aces:6 - Kersahw, Sabathia, Bundy, Bauer, Cain, Wainwright
Sliding Stars: 4 - Braun, Harper, Heyward, Henderson
Collisions at the Plate: 3 - Bench, McCain, Perez
Glove Stories: 4 - Werth, Jeter, Blanco, Harper
Relics: 2 - Dan Uggla Bat, Mark Reynolds Mini Jersey Black Border
Autographs: Jose Bautista (on card), Willie Mays Redemption
Bonus Auto/Relic: Prince Fielder Mini Auto Relic Booklet #'d 4/5

We opened this box live during one of our broadcasts while waiting to see if our box break to fill slots. We didn't write a review on Gypsy Queen this year and was really wanting to open up this product. Well, it sure panned out for us in a big way. Lets start with the card design. Again another great looking product for Gypsy Queen. We absolutely love this product and will try and make this years set again. The pictures in the set are fantastic and provide some really great shots of veteran retired players which we love. The mini's compliment the base set very well and provide that extra incentive to bust open this product. Always a chase to collect the entire Mini set each year and with only 24 found in packs they will hold great value on the secondary market.

The inserts are nice again this year. the Sliding Stars have a very nice Silver design which make them look more than just a insert when you rip open the packs. Glove Stories always have great shots for the story behind the catch. The two Relics of Uggla and Reynolds are not the best of the bunch but the Reynolds Mini Black border relic is very nice looking and out weights the Uggla design. .

Now we move into our Autograph review. Starting off with our Jose Bautista on-card auto which came out of our first pack in the box. Can't say enough about on-card autos. They are so much better than sticker autographs and with the blue sharpie on the Gypsy Queen design it looks great.
To our surprise the Redemption for the Willie Mays Autograph is our best autograph pull of the year thus far. We're sure it will be an on-card autograph and with Willie's signature on-card it should make for a great looking card. Being a HOF collector this is surely a prize you don't get everyday on breaking a box.

We saved our Mini box for last as it was holding the 10 mini card SP's or variations. The only difference noticed was you couldn't hear the ten cards inside with the little movement you normally hear. After opening the top flap of the package standing out was the booklet binding with the words "Mini Auto Relic Book Card". Couldn't believe we had this waiting for us on this box that already provided a top HOF Autograph. The box was tight and noway to pull out the booklet unless opening the other end of the package. So be extra careful if you have this luck happen to you on a mini box. Open the bottom like we did and push up the book. Once out of the package we saw the back of the book card and it was Prince Fielder. Upon opening up the mini booklet we were provided with a White Jersey relic and Sticker autograph of Prince. The serial number is stamped on the top right with 4/5 in gold printing. Unbelievable pull from a mini box and a first for us at The Pack Gambler. Now the tricky thing about booklet cards is how to store them, even more so are the Mini Booklets. For now we have it in a plastic 100 card case with fillers to not damage the booklet until we can find a case for it. Not something you expect to pull so not much else on hand to protect it for now.

Overall we hit an amazing box of Gypsy Queen. Could not have asked for anything more out of this box. From the Base cards to the inserts to the hits we are very pleased with this product. Great designs can go very far in this hobby and Gypsy Queen again doesn't disappoint with 2013.

As always if there are any cards you are looking for or interested in please let us know via e-mail at packgambler@gmail.com. We plan on putting most of the cards on COMC and the two big hits of Mays and Fielder will be on out site to purchase.

We also have a 2 Box Divisional Break of 2013 Gypsy Queen in our online store for $58.00 per slot. A great deal and you will come out with a guaranteed hit. You can find our breaks here: http://www.packgambler.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=62_83

Gambler Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Cost: 5/5
Autographs: 5/5
Memorabilia: 4/5
Parallels: 4/5
Design: 5/5
Fun Aspect: 4/5