SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
I’m going to change up the format of my Digital Dabblings Posts. From now on I’ll only do a What’s New once a month to cover the previous month’s worth of releases, and I’ll post that during the first week of the next month. So this edition will focus on Slam in the month of August. The Retro-Insert Set Reviews probably won’t come back unless there’s a huge outpouring of support, in which case I’ll continue next time.
What’s New August 2017
New Sets:
-
Victory Wave 3
-
Boom Studios Comic Covers
-
WCW (Marathon)
-
Triptychs (Marathon)
-
Five Star Wave 2
-
Color Surge
-
SummerSlam
Signature Series
-
VIP Only Dolph Ziggler Red
Inserts
-
Sunday Showcase Trish Stratus, Roman Reigns
-
Live Signatures Goldberg, Shinsuke Nakamura
-
Seth Rollins Kingslayer One-Off Insert
New Insert Set – Color Surge (two variations)
-
Samoa Joe
-
Asuka
-
Razor Ramon
-
Big Show
-
Cedric Alexander
-
Naomi
-
Shinsuke Nakamura
Award – Alexa Bliss
New Insert Set – Boom Studios Comic Covers
-
Dean Ambrose
-
Stone Cold Steve Austin
-
Roman Reigns
-
The rock
-
Seth Rollins
-
Undertaker
-
Triple H
New Insert Set – Victory Wave 3 (two variations, regular and VIP)
-
Stone Cold Steve Austin
-
Brie Bella
-
Jake the Snake Roberts
-
Kalisto
-
Mark Henry
-
Nikki Cross
-
No Way Jose
-
Apollo Crews
Award – Shawn Michaels
Base Variants
-
Lime Green Subscription Incentive Seth Rollins
-
Purple Miz, Dean Ambrose, Ember Moon, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Natalya, Lince Dorado
-
Gold Rush Lana, Batista
Marathons
-
WCW #1-3, Award – Wolfpac Sting, Macho Man Randy Savage, Lex Luger, Diamond Dallas Page
-
PPV Logos #3, Award, 4, 5 – Night of Champions, Summerslam 94, Extreme Rules, Roadblock
-
Archives 14,15, Award – Rowdy Roddy Piper, Jake the Snake Roberts, Trish Stratus
-
Triptychs #1-3, Award – Shawn Michaels, Akira Towzawa, Roman Reigns, edge
SummerSlam
-
Key Art Poster
-
SummerSlam Classics set of 7 + Award
-
Rock v. Brock Lesnar Dual Signature
-
Summerslam/NXT Brooklyn III Base Set (5 variations), Sig Set (5), Matchups (9), Predictors, Poster
-
Topps Now
Five Star Wave 2
-
Base Set (5 variations)
-
Signature Set (2 variations)
-
Set of Jericho Part 2 (5 cards)
-
Samoa Joe Insert
August was a huge month for Topps Slam in many ways. I do believe that there was more content released in August than any other month in the apps history. Not only did we get a major tent-pole PPV set (SummerSlam), but we got a huge new insert set in 5 Star.
The first wave of Five Star hit during the opening of August and the second just last week. While the first set of signatures was pretty much “ho-hum” the second was much better with the inclusion of the uber-popular Finn Balor and first sigs of Alexander Wolfe, Jerry the King Lawler, Batista, Big Show and Darren Young. The Finn signature has the possibility of hitting elite level quite quickly as it’s sold for as much as $70, though it’s more commonly sold for between $30 and $50.
The SummerSlam set was massively large and contained something for everyone. In Typical Topps manner, all the best content was only available in diamond packs rather than coin packs, and you can expect this to be the paradigm going forward. If you want the best content you’ll have to buy diamonds. I still say that five full variants on the base and signature set was one too many, though it is nice to see that the highest tier (purple) was a 500cc limited edition for base and 50cc for signatures. The 5 card signature set consisted of three dual WWE cards (Bray/Finn, Jinder/Shinsuke, Naomi/Natalya) and two single NXTers (Bobby Roode & Asuka). The award for all five signatures in a variant was a quad sig of the Universal Championship participants. Purple sigs run $15-25 currently.
The rest of the SummerSlam content included an 8 card Classics set released a day before the main set, a 9 card matchup set, a special one-off/two variant Brock Lesnar/The Rock signature card which sold out in minutes and the gold version is nearing elite level value due to it being 50cc. Two posters were also released, one before and one after the event.
With the recent release of Color Surge the player base has been experiencing instant pack sell-outs, something that has plagued other Topps Apps in the past but never really occurred with regularity here. It might have something to do with Alexa Bliss being the award. Alexa’s in-app popularity has reached epic proportions, and her fan-boys will stop at nothing from obtaining her cards. The 1000cc Lime Greens were extremely difficult to pull without multiple pack purchases, and since every pack had a guaranteed Purple (7000cc) variant, the Purple cards were in extreme short supply, with some players having dozens of copies. Trying to trade for these has proven to be somewhat difficult.
Topps Now
This “living set” is an offshoot of Topps popular print on demand program. Ironically the card count in game is usually 5 to 10 times higher than the actual in print cards. Being available for direct purchase (at $9.99 per card originally, and now the equivalent of diamonds) and with long-odds in coin packs, NOW are some of the most popular cards in the game.
The way it works is pretty simple, after each PPV a selection of at least 5 cards commemorating the matches just held are released. Occasionally they will issue one or more cards when something special happens on either of the WWE’s flagship shows Raw and Smackdown Live.
The digital version is slightly different than the in-print version, and several in-print cards have never been issued in the game, sadly the second Finn Balor Now is one of them.
Older Now cards have a much higher value and tradability than the most recent issues. Finn Balor’s only card #2 from SummerSlam 2016 goes for $13-18. Becky Lynch’ #7 from Backlash has gone for as much as $17, while her only other single card #63 from Elimination Chamber maxes at $7. Alexa Bliss has 4 different cards so far with her first from TLC #38 is about $15, her second from Raw #85 goes for $4-9. Her third from Payback #91 is stabilized between $5-6 and her most recent from Extreme Rules #102 is $4-6.
The most expensive cards in the set are obviously the 25cc Mat Relics, with Sasha Banks SummerSlam 25cc topping the charts. This card will be very difficult to obtain as one player has amassed at least a dozen of them already. One sale on eBay for the Sasha went for $125! The other Mat Relics run between $40 and $60, but sales on them are very few and far between.
Recently NOW sets have not been holding their values. SummerSlam/NXT Brooklyn singles are barely commanding $1-2 on the secondary market, while most cards from 2017 are solidly $2-3. 2016 Now are on average $4-6, with the usual caveats. BTW the performer with the most NOW cards? Kevin Owens with EIGHT!
Notice there are several issues with the checklist printed below, notably there is no card #42 and two #40s. The checklist skips from 79 to 85, with 4 printed cards never making it to the game. The NXT cards are also sloppily numbered skipping several numbers and not coming up with a consistent numbering scheme for several sets.
Current Topps Now Checklist
|
Card #
|
Performer
|
CC
|
Event
|
Notes
|
|
1
|
Brock Lesnar
|
604
|
SummerSlam 2016
|
|
|
2
|
Finn Balor
|
675
|
SummerSlam 2016
|
|
|
3
|
Dean Ambrose
|
638
|
SummerSlam 2016
|
|
|
4
|
Charlotte Flair
|
613
|
SummerSlam 2016
|
|
|
5
|
AJ Styles
|
687
|
SummerSlam 2016
|
|
|
6
|
AJ Styles
|
528
|
Backlash
|
|
|
7
|
Becky Lynch
|
499
|
Backlash
|
|
|
8
|
Heath Slater & Rhyno
|
465
|
Backlash
|
|
|
9
|
Kane
|
405
|
Backlash
|
|
|
10
|
The Miz
|
422
|
Backlash
|
|
|
11
|
Kevin Owens
|
390
|
Clash of Champions
|
|
|
12
|
The New Day
|
322
|
Clash of Champions
|
|
|
13
|
Charlotte Flair
|
417
|
Clash of Champions
|
|
|
14
|
Roman Reigns
|
406
|
Clash of Champions
|
|
|
15
|
Chris Jericho
|
328
|
Clash of Champions
|
|
|
16
|
AJ Styles
|
291
|
No Mercy
|
|
|
17
|
Dolph Ziggler
|
271
|
No Mercy
|
|
|
18
|
Naomi
|
277
|
No Mercy
|
|
|
19
|
Nikki Bella
|
290
|
No Mercy
|
|
|
20
|
Heath Slater & Rhyno
|
273
|
No Mercy
|
|
|
21
|
Bray Wyatt
|
296
|
No Mercy
|
|
|
22
|
Goldberg
|
996
|
RAW (One off card)
|
|
|
23
|
Kevin Owens
|
409
|
Hell in a Cell
|
|
|
24
|
Charlotte Flair
|
449
|
Hell in a Cell
|
|
|
25
|
Roman Reigns
|
407
|
Hell in a Cell
|
|
|
26
|
The New Day
|
415
|
Hell in a Cell
|
|
|
27
|
Brian Kendrick
|
347
|
Hell in a Cell
|
|
|
28
|
The Miz
|
346
|
Smackdown Live #900
|
|
|
29
|
Edge
|
319
|
Smackdown Live #900
|
|
|
30
|
Undertaker
|
332
|
Smackdown Live #900
|
|
|
31
|
Goldberg
|
149
|
Survivor Series
|
|
|
32
|
Team SMACKDOWN Men
|
161
|
Survivor Series
|
|
|
33
|
Team RAW Women
|
158
|
Survivor Series
|
|
|
34
|
Team RAW Tag Teams
|
163
|
Survivor Series
|
|
|
35
|
The Brian Kendrick
|
174
|
Survivor Series
|
|
|
36
|
The Miz
|
166
|
Survivor Series
|
|
|
37
|
AJ Styles
|
333
|
TLC
|
|
|
38
|
Alexa Bliss
|
410
|
TLC
|
|
|
39
|
The Miz
|
209
|
TLC
|
|
|
40
|
Nikki Bella
|
257
|
TLC (there are two card #40s and no #42)
|
|
|
40
|
Randy Orton & Bray Wyatt
|
248
|
This should be card #42
|
|
|
41
|
Baron Corbin
|
233
|
TLC
|
|
|
43-A
|
Kevin Owens
|
182
|
Roadblock
|
|
|
44
|
Cesaro & Sheamus
|
178
|
Roadblock
|
|
|
45
|
Sami Zayn
|
173
|
Roadblock
|
|
|
46
|
Seth Rollins
|
195
|
Roadblock
|
|
|
47
|
Rich Swann
|
168
|
Roadblock
|
|
|
48
|
Charlotte Flair
|
236
|
Roadblock
|
|
|
48-B
|
Charlotte Flair
|
25
|
Roadblock
|
Mat relic
|
|
49
|
Naomi, Nikki Bella & Becky Lynch
|
540
|
Royal Rumble
|
|
|
50
|
Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson
|
484
|
Royal Rumble
|
|
|
51
|
Charlotte Flair
|
492
|
Royal Rumble
|
|
|
52
|
Kevin Owens
|
490
|
Royal Rumble
|
|
|
53
|
Neville
|
460
|
Royal Rumble
|
|
|
54-A
|
John Cena
|
482
|
Royal Rumble
|
|
|
54-B
|
John Cena
|
25
|
Royal Rumble
|
Mat relic
|
|
55
|
Goldberg
|
477
|
Royal Rumble
|
|
|
56
|
Randy Orton
|
487
|
Royal Rumble
|
|
|
56-B
|
Randy Orton
|
25
|
Royal Rumble
|
Mat relic
|
|
57
|
Nia Jax
|
439
|
Royal Rumble
|
|
|
58
|
Bray Wyatt
|
499
|
Elimination Chamber
|
|
|
59
|
Naomi
|
492
|
Elimination Chamber
|
|
|
60
|
Randy Orton
|
498
|
Elimination Chamber
|
|
|
61
|
Nikki Bella & Natalya
|
504
|
Elimination Chamber
|
|
|
62
|
American Alpha
|
455
|
Elimination Chamber
|
|
|
63
|
Becky Lynch
|
477
|
Elimination Chamber
|
|
|
64
|
Bayley
|
518
|
Raw (One off card)
|
|
|
65
|
Goldberg
|
519
|
Fastlane
|
|
|
66
|
Bayley
|
553
|
Fastlane
|
|
|
67
|
Roman Reigns
|
504
|
Fastlane
|
|
|
68
|
Neville
|
484
|
Fastlane
|
|
|
69
|
Sasha Banks
|
560
|
Fastlane
|
|
|
70
|
Gallows & Anderson
|
487
|
Fastlane
|
|
|
71
|
Samoa Joe
|
514
|
Fastlane
|
|
|
72
|
Undertaker
|
805
|
Wrestlemania
|
|
|
72-A
|
Undertaker
|
25
|
Wrestlemania
|
Mat relic
|
|
73
|
Naomi
|
678
|
Wrestlemania
|
|
|
74
|
Goldberg
|
661
|
Wrestlemania
|
|
|
74-A
|
Goldberg
|
25
|
Wrestlemania
|
Mat relic
|
|
75
|
Randy Orton
|
673
|
Wrestlemania
|
|
|
75-A
|
Randy Orton
|
25
|
Wrestlemania
|
Mat relic
|
|
76
|
John Cena
|
711
|
Wrestlemania
|
|
|
76-A
|
John Cena
|
25
|
Wrestlemania
|
Mat relic
|
|
77
|
Hardy Boyz
|
862
|
Wrestlemania
|
First Card
|
|
78
|
Bayley
|
682
|
Wrestlemania
|
|
|
79
|
Kevin Owens
|
682
|
Wrestlemania
|
|
|
84
|
Dean Ambrose
|
873
|
RAW
|
|
|
85
|
Alexa Bliss
|
963
|
RAW
|
|
|
86
|
Kevin Owens
|
854
|
Smackdown Live
|
|
|
87
|
Charlotte Flair
|
828
|
Smackdown Live
|
|
|
88
|
Braun Strowman
|
692
|
Payback
|
|
|
89
|
Bray Wyatt
|
671
|
Payback
|
|
|
90
|
Seth Rollins
|
755
|
Payback
|
|
|
91
|
Alexa Bliss
|
907
|
Payback
|
|
|
92
|
Hardy Boyz
|
715
|
Payback
|
|
|
93
|
Chris Jericho
|
648
|
Payback
|
|
|
94
|
Shinsuke Nakamura
|
472
|
Backlash
|
|
|
95
|
The Usos
|
445
|
Backlash
|
|
|
96
|
Sami Zayn
|
452
|
Backlash
|
|
|
97
|
Nataya, Carmella & Tamina
|
426
|
Backlash
|
|
|
98
|
Kevin Owens
|
417
|
Backlash
|
|
|
99
|
Jinder Mahal
|
465
|
Backlash
|
|
|
100
|
The Miz
|
934
|
Extreme Rules
|
|
|
101
|
Sasha Banks & Rich Swann
|
922
|
Extreme Rules
|
|
|
102
|
Alexa Bliss
|
1,143
|
Extreme Rules
|
|
|
103
|
Cesaro & Sheamus
|
908
|
Extreme Rules
|
|
|
104
|
Neville
|
910
|
Extreme Rules
|
|
|
105
|
Samoa Joe
|
949
|
Extreme Rules
|
|
|
106
|
Carmella
|
1,015
|
Money in the Bank
|
|
|
107
|
The Usos
|
924
|
Money in the Bank
|
|
|
108
|
Naomi
|
971
|
Money in the Bank
|
|
|
109
|
Jinder Mahal
|
942
|
Money in the Bank
|
|
|
110
|
Baron Corbin
|
992
|
Money in the Bank
|
|
|
111
|
Brock Lesnar
|
669
|
Great Balls of Fire
|
|
|
112
|
Braun Strowman
|
665
|
Great Balls of Fire
|
|
|
113
|
The Miz
|
603
|
Great Balls of Fire
|
|
|
114
|
Sasha Banks
|
797
|
Great Balls of Fire
|
|
|
115
|
Cesaro & Sheamus
|
613
|
Great Balls of Fire
|
|
|
116
|
Big Cass
|
569
|
Great Balls of Fire
|
|
|
117
|
Bray Wyatt
|
612
|
Great Balls of Fire
|
|
|
118
|
Neville
|
662
|
Great Balls of Fire
|
|
|
119
|
Jinder Mahal
|
628
|
Battleground
|
|
|
120
|
The New Day
|
629
|
Battleground
|
|
|
121
|
John Cena
|
659
|
Battleground
|
|
|
122
|
Kevin Owens
|
603
|
Battleground
|
|
|
123
|
Natalya
|
659
|
Battleground
|
|
|
124
|
Baron Corbin
|
614
|
Battleground
|
|
|
125
|
Triple H & Stephanie McMahon
|
1,275
|
Summerslam 2017
|
Connor’s Cure
|
|
126
|
Natalya
|
1,331
|
Summerslam 2017
|
|
|
127
|
Sasha Banks
|
1,443
|
Summerslam 2017
|
|
|
127-B
|
Sasha Banks
|
1
|
Summerslam 2017
|
Gold Mat Relic
|
|
127-R
|
Sasha Banks
|
25
|
Summerslam 2017
|
Mat Relic
|
|
128
|
Dean Ambrose & Seth Rolllins
|
1,370
|
Summerslam 2017
|
|
|
128-B
|
Dean Ambrose & Seth Rolllins
|
1
|
Summerslam 2017
|
Gold Mat Relic
|
|
128-R
|
Dean Ambrose & Seth Rolllins
|
25
|
Summerslam 2017
|
Mat Relic
|
|
129
|
AJ Styles
|
1,341
|
Summerslam 2017
|
|
|
130
|
Jinder Mahal
|
1,315
|
Summerslam 2017
|
|
|
131
|
Brock Lesnar
|
1,311
|
Summerslam 2017
|
|
|
131-B
|
Brock Lesnar
|
1
|
Summerslam 2017
|
Gold Mat Relic
|
|
131-R
|
Brock Lesnar
|
25
|
Summerslam 2017
|
Mat Relic
|
|
NXT-01
|
Samoa Joe
|
231
|
Takeover Toronto
|
|
|
NXT-02
|
Asuka
|
276
|
Takeover Toronto
|
|
|
NXT-03
|
#DIY
|
217
|
Takeover Toronto
|
|
|
NXT-04
|
Authors of Pain
|
232
|
Takeover Toronto
|
|
|
NXT-05
|
Bobby Roode
|
244
|
Takeover Toronto
|
|
|
7
|
Eric Young
|
312
|
Takeover San Antonio
|
|
|
8
|
Roderick Strong
|
324
|
Takeover San Antonio
|
|
|
9
|
Authors of Pain
|
309
|
Takeover San Antonio
|
|
|
10
|
Asuka
|
366
|
Takeover San Antonio
|
|
|
11
|
Bobby Roode
|
328
|
Takeover San Antonio
|
|
|
12
|
Seth Rollins
|
337
|
Takeover San Antonio
|
|
|
4-B
|
Asuka
|
25
|
Takeover San Antonio
|
Mat relic
|
|
5-C
|
Bobby Roode
|
25
|
Takeover San Antonio
|
Mat relic
|
|
7
|
Bobby Roode
|
715
|
Takeover Orlando
|
|
|
8
|
Asuka
|
697
|
Takeover Orlando
|
|
|
14
|
Roderick Strong
|
261
|
Takeover Chicago
|
|
|
15
|
Asuka
|
325
|
Takeover Chicago
|
|
|
16
|
Bobby Roode
|
291
|
Takeover Chicago
|
|
|
17
|
Authors of Pain
|
271
|
Takeover Chicago
|
|
|
18
|
Tommaso Ciampa
|
292
|
Takeover Chicago
|
|
|
20
|
Sanity
|
1,346
|
Takeover Brooklyn III
|
|
|
21
|
Asuka
|
1,370
|
Takeover Brooklyn III
|
|
|
22
|
Drew McIntyre
|
1,239
|
Takeover Brooklyn III
|
|
|
23
|
Adam Cole
|
1,287
|
Takeover Brooklyn III
|
First Card
|
|
81
|
Finn Balor
|
0
|
RAW
|
Does not exist in App, Print Only
|
|
83
|
Shinsuke Nakamura
|
0
|
Smackdown Live
|
Does not exist in App, Print Only
|
|
80
|
The Revival
|
0
|
RAW
|
Does not exist in App, Print Only
|
|
82
|
Tye Dillinger
|
0
|
Smackdown Live
|
Does not exist in App, Print Only
|
Don’t forget you can find me in game at GRENDELSEN, and I’m always happy to trade or answer any questions you might have. Leave questions or concerns here and I’ll see you next time. I still need 9 more NXT Orange base.
My Collecting Blog – The Budget Collector
The Daily WiLL – http://willaday.blogspot.com
I made an error in the article, the second SummerSlam Signature care is Jinder/Shinsuke, not Jinder/Randy