The Itch to Rip - Star Wars in 3D!

Around the same time that I grabbed two packs of Super '70s Baseball direct from Topps, they had another limited online offering that really appealed to me.  This one had nothing to do with sports at all, but was a newly-conceived Star Wars 3D set!

As a lifelong fan of the Star Wars saga, and a confessed lover of "lenticular" 3D trading cards, this set was right in my collecting cross-hairs so to speak.  The price point per pack was a little lower than the Super '70s Baseball release but you get fewer cards, as you receive just 8 cards per "pack" in the Star Wars product, for $19.99 (vs 20 cards for $24.99 with the Super '70s Baseball set).  Basically, you're paying $2.50 per card here.  There are an even 100 cards on the checklist, and no short prints, inserts or hits to be had, just plain base cards which is actually kind of nice.

With a little help from my childhood Ewok action figure, you can see that inside the Topps On Demand box is just a single, silver pack containing the eight cards.

As for what I was hoping to pull...I'm not the world's biggest Star Wars nerd by any means.  I have watched the 9 movies from the original saga many times, as well as the Rogue One and Han Solo movies (and the two made-for-TV Ewok movies from the '80s), and am currently plowing my way through The Mandalorian show.  

That being said though, I've never seen the Clone Wars cartoon show, or read any of the many books or comic books.  As a result, in looking at the 100-card checklist, there are certainly quite a few names that simply don't register with me at all.  I'm just hoping at a couple bucks per card that I recognize most of the characters that I pull at least...

Very pleased with the first card, as the original Star Wars trilogy that I grew up on will always be the set of movies that I'm most fond of.  These cards use the design from the 1980 Empire Strikes Back set from Topps, and are absolutely fantastic!  Everything I'd hoped they would be as a fan of lenticular cardboard.  

One card in, and I'm already kicking myself that I purchased only two packs of this stuff.  I will 100% be trying to complete this set, though I hope the cards don't end up being too expensive on the secondary market with the passage of time.  It's been many long years since I completed any non-sport set, and I'm not sure if the non-sport market has gone as berserk as the sports market in the past year, so I guess we'll see.

The backs are relatively plain, though they are at least customized with a write-up for each character.  As a collector, you're not likely buying 3D cards for the backs, anyway.

Not quite as excited about my second card, though I do recognize the character of Jannah, who had a smaller role in the most recent Episode IX film.  Since I'm going to pursue the set, it's one I'd have needed to grab at some point anyway.

Here's one that's much more up my alley!  I always thought Admiral Ackbar was one of the more amusing bit characters from the original trilogy, enough so that I've actually picked up a couple of his Topps High Tek cards on COMC over the years.  I like this one even better than the Chewbacca that led off the pack.  "It's a trap!"

Next up, Bodhi Rook, from the Rogue One film.  Not one of the major characters from that movie, but it's a film that I enjoyed quite a bit.  Definitely more of a gritty/dark/war film feel compared to the other films in the franchise.

Alas, we have a character that I'm completely unfamiliar with.  I'm guessing Grand Admiral Thrawn is from the Clone Wars show, since he seems computer-animated.  I knew I'd pull someone who was unknown to me, but thankfully this was the only card in this pack that fits that criteria.

Definitely can't complain about pulling the protagonist from the beloved original trilogy!  Luke Skywalker in pilot's uniform with blaster pistol is tied with Admiral Ackbar for my favorite card in this pack!  This is one I'm happy to have pulled on my own as I'd expect it to be one of the more sought-after singles from the release.

Here's a photograph of Luke's card, just so you can see how the cards appear in a photograph rather than a scanning bed.  I bought my nephew a big old bag full of miscellaneous Star Wars action figures for Christmas (pretty cool uncle, am I right?), and ended up purchasing two Yodas by mistake, so we have one around the house now.  

It's really hard to do these cards justice in blog format, this is one of those posts that almost makes me consider starting a hobby-related YouTube channel.  Maybe someday...

We'll close things out with a couple of ladies from the Star Wars universe.  First we have Padme Amidala, queen of the Naboo.  I will never complain about adding a new Natalie Portman card (in 3D, no less!) to my collection, hubba hubba.

Finally, General Leia Organa.  Certain characters have multiple cards, most notably Luke, Leia and Han Solo, since they appeared in both the original trilogy and the most recent one.

That's a wrap on this first pack of Star Wars 3D.  These cards certainly aren't for everyone, but if you're a fan of the franchise and you enjoy either 3D cards or cards with a retro design, you really can't go wrong.  These were only sold direct by Topps for one week back in December, so you'll have to hit eBay if you want to grab a pack or some singles at this point.  I'm hoping that in a couple of months when folks have moved onto the latest and greatest thing, singles will be available on COMC for a buck or two.  If so, I'll be waiting to pluck them!

Had you seen or heard of this set before?  If you're a Star Wars fan, what's your opinion of this effort by Topps?  If anyone out there is collecting these I'd love an opportunity to trade for any dupes, so hit me up!

I'll be back to sports-related content tomorrow, but in the meantime thanks as always for stopping by!