2017 Topps Series 1 Cubs

If you asked me to define myself as a card collector I'd be hard pressed to give you an answer.   I own some sets but I'm not a set collector.  I haven't tried to "build" a set since I was a kid.  I have one major player collection (Ron Santo) and a few smaller ones but I'm very casual about them so I wouldn't call myself a player collector.   I love the Cubs and the Blackhawks and I'm a Bulls and Bears fan as well.  If I pull one of their cards from a pack I'm generally happy but I don't have a binder filled with them.

If you've read this blog (not too much to read lately) you'll recall that I had an odd reaction to the World Series.  When it comes to collecting I haven't gone crazy buying World Series memorabilia.  In fact most of what I have was given to me as gifts.  On the other hand it just seems stupid not to celebrate what for now is a once in a lifetime event.  So I bought myself one of the Topps World Series sets and today I received a 20 card team set from the greatly blogged about 2017 Topps Series 1 set.  I know it's getting mixed reviews.  I do like it.  Yes, the bottom part is taken up by "design" but it's otherwise full bleed which I like.  I'm neutral on the backs.  One negative for me was a relatively dull look to the cards.  It's a personal taste thing I'm sure but I like my sports photographs to be bright and saturated.  It's one reason I love Upper Deck's hockey cards.  Don't know if you would have noticed but for this post I used Picassa to enhance the fronts to make them more to my liking.  So that's a long winded way to say that for this moment in time I'm a team collector.  Here are the cards: