Why does Topps use silver stickers instead of clear ones?

Austin · Oct 16, 2009

Year after year, Topps keeps using those ugly silver stickers for autographs.
Upper Deck usually uses clear ones.
Since the silver bandaids make most cards look like crap, why doesn't Topps switch over to clear stickers?
Is it because they don't want to look like they're stealing UD's idea?

Card Magnet · Oct 16, 2009

Topps does use clear stickers in some products, especially football.

$206bowmanchromerefractororange.png$

Austin · Oct 16, 2009

Card Magnet said:
Topps does use clear stickers in some products, especially football.

And they look so much better than silver stickers.
So why even use the silver ones if most collectors hate them?
Of course we'd all prefer no stickers, but clear is the next best thing.

rymflaherty · Oct 16, 2009

I too would rather have the clear stickers, especially when it is integrated well into the design.

It could be worse though....You ever see a lot of the Donruss releases? They moved to the clear stickers and alot are just stuck on the base card/insert design and you can barely see the autographs ::facepalm::

Card Magnet · Oct 16, 2009

rymflaherty said:
I too would rather have the clear stickers, especially when it is integrated well into the design.

It could be worse though....You ever see a lot of the Donruss releases? They moved to the clear stickers and alot are just stuck on the base card/insert design and you can barely see the autographs ::facepalm::

That's why Topps uses silver. If the card doesn't have a designated spot for the auto to show up, they use silver.

Austin · Oct 16, 2009

rymflaherty said:
It could be worse though....You ever see a lot of the Donruss releases? They moved to the clear stickers and alot are just stuck on the base card/insert design and you can barely see the autographs ::facepalm::

I agree.
It's difficult to see the autographs on some of the recent dark Donruss designs like Threads and Elite.
Those cards weren't designed well for autographs.

schmidtfan20 · Oct 16, 2009

It doesn't matter to topps, you are going to buy it anyways right?

Kevin

gregbara · Oct 17, 2009

Because I can go to Staples and get clear labels and fake an auto and slap it on the card. It would take a lot more work to make the Silver stickers.

plainwhitejerseys · Oct 17, 2009

I like the silver stickers. It makes your heart jump that little bit when you see the sticker, and that split second before you recognize the player is one of the most enjoyable things about the hobby. But they have to be incorporated into the design (think 06 Bowman Sterling).

On-card is nice when there's a nice big clear spot for the auto. Otherwise, it just looks like a TTM.

Basically, people focus too much on whether it's a sticker or on-card when the real issue should be whether the autograph is integrated well into the design of the card or not.

plainwhitejerseys · Oct 17, 2009

gregbara said:
Because I can go to Staples and get clear labels and fake an auto and slap it on the card. It would take a lot more work to make the Silver stickers.

Someone on one of the blogs made a video showing how you can use a common solvent to get rid of the ink on an auto sticker (one of the silver ones) and then put it on another card with a new (fake) auto. Or, I guess if you're Albert Pujols, you could just turn a Bowman Scout auto into an actual, real Albert Pujols auto if you wanted to.

hofautos · Oct 17, 2009

they learned from donruss...those silver stickers were signed 5 years ago, and continue to use them on current product...it's cheap...all about money you know :lol:

HawaiianLance · Oct 17, 2009

Austin said:
Year after year, Topps keeps using those ugly silver stickers for autographs. Upper Deck usually uses clear ones. Since the silver bandaids make most cards look like crap, why doesn't Topps switch over to clear stickers? Is it because they don't want to look like they're stealing UD's idea?

Stickers as a rule truly bite.

But I think I'm in the minority when it comes to the type of foil stickers Donruss used between 2001-05. Those - I really liked. I'll offer close to what I would for an on-card for a Donruss sticker from those years. (can you believe it's been nearly five years since their last officially sanctioned issue?)

The current clear ones, if they're done right (on a light colored background), will suffice I suppose. But as someone else noted, when those same clears are put onto a dark background design, like Donruss did with their entertainment cards, man - those were truly and honestly horrible.

The worst ones in my opinion are the ones Topps uses - there's something incredibly tacky and cheap about their look. Can't quite put my finger on what exactly turns my stomach when I see them, but to this very day, I've never bid on a Topps' sticker auto'd card.

predatorkj · Oct 17, 2009

plainwhitejerseys said:
gregbara said:

Because I can go to Staples and get clear labels and fake an auto and slap it on the card. It would take a lot more work to make the Silver stickers.

Click to expand...

Someone on one of the blogs made a video showing how you can use a common solvent to get rid of the ink on an auto sticker (one of the silver ones) and then put it on another card with a new (fake) auto. Or, I guess if you're Albert Pujols, you could just turn a Bowman Scout auto into an actual, real Albert Pujols auto if you wanted to.

Yeah but aren't most of the cards that are actually auto'd and legit noted as so on the back?Most of the ones I see say Congratulations blah blah blah.I know its on almost every upper deck card out there.And some of them will also have the little hologram sticker on the back too.

I personally prefer the silver stickers topps uses.I have a few autos I can't stand because they are on clear stickers.I pulled a Ripken auto from Premier that was numbered /25 and that thing looks mega tacky.

beefycheddar · Oct 17, 2009

hofautos said:
they learned from donruss...those silver stickers were signed 5 years ago, and continue to use them on current product...it's cheap...all about money you know :lol:

The most true post thus far.

schmidtfan20 · Oct 17, 2009

There shouldn't be any cards that you can add a sticker to and make them look like real cards, I can't think
of any certified autograph cards that don't say that on the front or back. I know the problem with bowman
originals and if there are any other issues where a sticker can just be added then I would just avoid those.

and as far as sticker versus on card, its like day or night. One card was held and signed by the player and
the other was applied by a company person from a huge sheet of stickers. Ill take the former. I don't have
one sticker auto in my personal collection. I think in the future there will be a multiplier for on card sigs.

Kevin

jbone17 · Oct 17, 2009

I have a solution to this problem, DO ON CARD AUTOS FOR ONCE TOPPS!

jeff550 · Oct 17, 2009

another thing to add is that even tristar uses clear stickers

ChasHawk · Oct 17, 2009

jbone17 said:
I have a solution to this problem, DO ON CARD AUTOS FOR ONCE TOPPS!

Topps does 1,000's of on-card autos every year, just not when it counts
i.e. - Topps Sterling, Triple Threads, Bowman Sterling

gregbara · Oct 17, 2009

chashawk said:
jbone17 said:

I have a solution to this problem, DO ON CARD AUTOS FOR ONCE TOPPS!

Click to expand...

Topps does 1,000's of on-card autos every year, just not when it counts
i.e. - Topps Sterling, Triple Threads, Bowman Sterling

I do not disagree, let me say that first.

But perhaps Topps thinking is if they send out these "high end" products to players, they will not come back in perfect shape. I can only imagine the phone calls and complaints when you open a $100, 200, 300 pack to get a card that is all dinged up/scratched.

This is just an assumption, but makes a good amount of sense.

ChasHawk · Oct 17, 2009

gregbara said:
chashawk said:

jbone17 said:

I have a solution to this problem, DO ON CARD AUTOS FOR ONCE TOPPS!

Click to expand...

Topps does 1,000's of on-card autos every year, just not when it counts
i.e. - Topps Sterling, Triple Threads, Bowman Sterling

Click to expand...

I do not disagree, let me say that first.

But perhaps Topps thinking is if they send out these "high end" products to players, they will not come back in perfect shape. I can only imagine the phone calls and complaints when you open a $100, 200, 300 pack to get a card that is all dinged up/scratched.

This is just an assumption, but makes a good amount of sense.

That happens anyway :lol:

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