I recently got my hands on the final card that I needed for my 2012 Topps Allen & Ginter: Guys in Hats set build so I figured now is the perfect time to show off the entire set. Back in 2012, Topps released a themed pair of inserts in Allen & Ginter: Guys in Hats and Fashionable Ladies. Each insert set consisted of ten cards and each set was seeded at a rate of about 1 card per case! Needless to say, both 10 card insert sets are challenging builds!
I'm still working on my Fashionable Ladies set but I did manage to complete the Guys in Hats so let's take a look at the full set!
The full checklist:
- The Bowler
- The Boater
- The Fedora
- The Fez
- The Pith Helmet
- The Top Hat
- The Mortarboard
- The Flat Cap
- The Garrison Cap
- The Bicorne
As the set title suggests, this is a full set of guys wearing various hats. Here's the full set in all its glory:
Yep, lots of dudes with things on their head! I do like the wide variety of hat types included, though the fact that "ball cap" wasn't part of the set seems like an omission for a baseball card release! I also wish a few of the images were a bit crisper (in particular the Fedora and the Bicorne). I think the Pith Helmet takes the cake as my favorite card!
The other downside to the set is this is one of those "lazy" Topps sets where the card backs only have the set checklist and no other information pertaining to the specific card you are holding.
The Bottom Line:
2/10
I think this set is quite a bit below average overall, in part because of the poor photo quality chosen for some of the cards but also because of the lazy card backs. Couple that with the fact that this set is hard-to-find and it doesn't feel as special as a case hit ought to feel! I'm a Allen & Ginter completionist at heart so don't get me wrong; I'm super excited to have the full set of Guys in Hats but I can't say that this particular set is one of my favorite mini sets from the A&G line.
There we go, there's the whole set! ... As always with A&G, I learn something. Had no idea that type of hat was called a "bicorne".
ReplyDeleteBefore today... I had only heard of three of these hats (fez, fedora, and top), but recognize most of the others. I don't usually wear hats... but if I had to pick one of these, I'd go with the flat cap.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on completing this set. Even though this set doesn't feel special like a case hit set ought to... it's still a pretty cool accomplishment and something to be excited about. I honestly wish more modern inserts had tougher odds. Maybe not case hit odds... but 1:72 or 1:96 kind of pack odds like the 90's.