{"id":55545,"date":"2018-02-17T15:24:17","date_gmt":"2018-02-17T21:24:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=55545"},"modified":"2018-02-17T15:36:59","modified_gmt":"2018-02-17T21:36:59","slug":"digital-dabblings-23-january-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2018\/02\/17\/digital-dabblings-23-january-review\/","title":{"rendered":"DIGITAL DABBLINGS #23 \u2013 January Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-2847556164\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><div>\n<div id=\"m_7666716513776088370yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1515654530380_12538\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>Wow, what a month in the Topps Slam app it was. \u00a0Not only did we get a \u201cBig 4\u201d release in Royal Rumble, but a brand new base set, the third of the game, showed up months before anyone suspected it would. \u00a0That plus the new Prize Wheel mechanic threw collectors into a tizzy of trading.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div id=\"m_7666716513776088370yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1515654530380_12538\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>January 2018 New Sets:<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Prize Wheel Power Purple Variant<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Prize Wheel Victory Gold Variant<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Prize Wheel WWE Universe Blue Variant<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Prize Wheel Blueprints<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Infinite Wave 4 (2 variants)<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Boom Comics Wave 8 WWE #12<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Strength in Numbers<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Prize Wheel Charisma Red Variant<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Prize Wheel Color Surge Orange Variant<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Prize Wheel Primal Green Variant<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Boom Comics Wave 9 WWE #6<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Vintage Wave 1 (21 base [3 variations], 5 signatures [2 variations]<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Mixed Match Challenge<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>2018 Base Set (7 Variations)<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>2018 Week 1 Base Variation<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Rob Schamberger Artwork Wave 3<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Raw 25 (2 variants)<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Rivalries Marathon<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Royal Rumble\/NXT Takeover Philadelphia (6 variants)<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Royal Rumble Winners<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>IN-App Royal Rumble<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Stars of the 2000\u2019s Marathon<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>Live Signatures<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Sami Zayn (5 variations)<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Bobby Roode (5 variations)<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-55547 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-1.jpg 673w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-1-213x300.jpg 213w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div>VIP Signatures<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Randy Orton<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>Inserts<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Asuka Kiss\/Signature<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>Base Variants<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 Braun Strowman<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 Cesaro<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 Daniel Bryan<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 Diamond Dallas Page<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 Brie Bella<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 Lita<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 Scott Hall<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 Roderick Strong<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 Goldberg<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 Finn Balor<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 Nia Jax<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 Paige<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 Seth Rollins<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 Sasha Banks<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 AJ Styles<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 Becky Lynch<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 Zack Ryder<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Gold Rush 2017 Shane McMahon<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Smackdown Blue 2018 Shinsuke Nakamura<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Boom Comics Wave 10 &#8211; Royal Rumble Special<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>Marathons<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Fuel #11 &#8211; 14 Natalya, Hideo Itami, Iron Sheik, Edge<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>NXT Series 2 #10 &#8211; 12, Award 3, Overall Award &#8211; \u00a0Mandy Rose, Oney Lorcan, Riddick Moss, Pete Dunne, Drew McIntyre (Set Complete)<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Rivalries #1 &amp;2 Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns, Alexa Bliss vs Mickie James<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Stars of the 2000\u2019s &#8211; #1 Dolph Ziggler<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-55548 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-2.jpg 670w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-2-216x300.jpg 216w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div>New Insert Set Checklists<\/div>\n<div>Prize Wheel Blueprints (1 variant)<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Finn Balor<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Kane<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Becky Lynch<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Shawn Michaels<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Shinsuke Nakamura<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>The Miz<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>AJ Styles<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Award 1 &#8211; Charlotte Flair Blue 1095 cc<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Award 2 &#8211; Charlotte Flair Gold 493 cc<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-55549 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"275\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-3.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-3-218x300.jpg 218w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<div>Infinite Wave 4 (two variants, red &amp; blue), plus Orange VIP variant<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Sami Zayn<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Rusev<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Rhyno<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Cathy Kelley<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Tyler Bate<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Noam Dar<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>TJP<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Luke Harper<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div>\n<p>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Award Mick Foley (red 2886 cc, blue 432 cc)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>Boom Comics Wave 8 WWE #12 (no award)<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>The Shield<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Lita<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Rikishi<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Jeff Hardy Action Figure<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Royal Rumble (Booker T)<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div>Strength in Numbers<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>The Usos<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>The Iconic Duo<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>The New Day<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>The Revival<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>The Bar<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Breezango<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div>\n<p>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Award &#8211; The Shield 392cc<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>Boom Comics Wave 9 WWE #6 (no award)<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Dean Ambrose<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Finn Balor<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Jake the Snake Roberts<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Royal Rumble<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div>Mixed Match Challenge (no award)<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Big E &amp; Carmella<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Finn Balor &amp; Sasha Banks<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Jimmy Uso &amp; Naomi<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Sami Zayn &amp; Becky Lynch<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Apollo Crews &amp; Nia Jax<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>The Miz &amp; Asuka<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Shinsuke Nakamura &amp; Natalya<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Bobby Roode &amp; Charlotte Flair<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Goldust &amp; Alicia Fox<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Elias &amp; Bayley<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Braun Strowman &amp; Alexa Bliss<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Rusev &amp; Lana<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div>Rob Schamberger Artwork Wave 3 (1 variant)<\/div>\n<div>Level 1.<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Asuka<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Kevin Owens<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Jeff Hardy<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Brock Lesnar<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Ric Flair<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div>Level 2 (paywall)<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Becky Lynch<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Woken Matt Hardy<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Braun Strowman<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Finn Balor<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Undertaker<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div>\n<p>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Award &#8211; The Shield (has yet to be released)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>Raw 25 (2 variants, packs and prize wheel)<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Triple H<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Yokozuna<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Seth Rollins<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Roman Reigns<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Shawn Michaels<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Batista<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Trish Stratus<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Braun Strowman<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Goldberg<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Brock Lesnar<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Finn Balor<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Razor Ramon<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Kane<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Sasha Banks<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Edge<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Undertaker<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div>\n<p>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Award &#8211; Stone Cold Steve Austin (Black 196cc, Gold 862 cc, Red 1724 cc)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>Royal Rumble Winners<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>John Cena<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Yokozuna<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Triple H<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Undertaker<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Shawn Michaels<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Ric Flair<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Randy Orton<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Roman Reigns<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Batista<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>Hacksaw Jim Duggan<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div>\n<p>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Award &#8211; Stone Cold Steve Austin (1485 cc)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>Boom Comics Wave 10 Royal Rumble Special (no award)<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>John Cena<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>\n<p>Brock Lesnar<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1130162758\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div>\n<p>I know it doesn\u2019t look like there was a ton of content released, but trust me, there was a TON of content released in January 2018, most of which came towards the latter half of the month with the third base set being released on <span class=\"aBn\" tabindex=\"0\" data-term=\"goog_1181917759\"><span class=\"aQJ\">Wednesday, January 17<\/span><\/span>. \u00a0To compare, the last base set was released just before Wrestlemania in 2017 (so late March) and the initial base set was available July, 2016.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>The third iteration of the base set is a welcome change from the boring 2017 cards we\u2019ve been collecting for almost 10 months, however it\u2019s pretty clear there will be many updates or a series 2, since there are notable cards missing from the base set, including Ms. Money in the Bank Carmella, Lana and Titus O\u2019Neill amongst others. \u00a0Also very very few of the latest roster additions were added (No Liv Morgan or Sarah Logan). \u00a0The set is also significantly smaller than past base sets. \u00a0Since I initially wrote this paragraph Topps has indeed announced there will be updates to the 2018 base set.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Topps also decided to add another variant to the already crowded rainbow of base variants, this time it\u2019s Platinum, and they\u2019re a paywall or prize wheel feature. \u00a0Black base, which used to be the highest \u201cstandard\u201d variant are now available readily in non-paywall packs, so basically Platinum is the new Black. \u00a0Except there\u2019s more 2018 platinum than there are 2017 black base.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Speaking of the Prize Wheel, that\u2019s a new feature that has added some excitement to the app. \u00a0Of course it\u2019s rollout was not without problems as the wheel was pretty glitchy in the beginning. \u00a0They\u2019ve since added the Prize Wheel to a few of their other apps. \u00a0About half of the standard prize wheel cards are exclusive to the wheel, with sets like Power, Charisma, Victory, Color Surge and Primal all getting new variants. \u00a0The only brand new set that is exclusive to the wheel is Blueprints which was well received, though the CC ran up pretty high on singles. \u00a0Prize Wheel exclusive base are being rolled out over the next few weeks with a batch of several at a time being placed on the wheel. \u00a0Supposedly just before Wrestlemania Topps will issue a bunch of awards for completed base sets.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-04.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-55550 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-04.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-04.jpg 678w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-04-213x300.jpg 213w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Lest we forget the Week 1 \u201cBronze\u201d base variant returned, this time with a whopping 93 cards in packs, and 7 freebies. \u00a0Awards were issued for both sets. \u00a0Gold Rush base and a new lightning Smackdown Blue base variants also were issued for a couple of cards, though the new Gold Rush didn\u2019t make it until February. \u00a0There\u2019s also new Purple \u201cchallenge\u201d base variants that hit in February as well.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Asuka\u2019s Kiss\/Signature card was released and sold out in record time. \u00a0It\u2019s trading pretty much even up for the Alexa Bliss version, or about $30 in cash. \u00a0Yikes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>The second annual Royal Rumble set appeared the week before the event, with it\u2019s clean design and multiple variants, it was all the rage until the awards were released. \u00a0The first ever 5cc set of signatures happened and upset a lot of player collectors who don\u2019t have the funds or cards to shoot for them. \u00a0I understand that one player owns 3 of the the Asuka Purple 5cc cards, and that the other 2 are accounted for as well and aren\u2019t moving, which makes the online auctions for those cards very suspect (and in fact have been proven to be a scam). \u00a0The overall award for owning all variants of all the signature cards ended up at 2cc.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>One of the variants of the Rumble\/NXT set was exclusive to the Prize Wheel as well, and putting together THAT set proved to be royal pain. \u00a0The Blue 500cc variant didn\u2019t sell out as quickly as one would think, but that\u2019s due to the 80 card checklist. Topps kept the ancillary sets to a minimum for the Rumble, this year only offering a 10 card past winners set.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3304740167\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>One again Topps ran an \u201cin-app\u201d Rumble where they issued rumble variant cards over the course of an hour in and then sold them out as they were \u201celiminated\u201d. \u00a0Entry #2 Finn Balor won the \u201cRumble\u201d and players who collected all 30 entrants got a special gold variant of him. \u00a0Having participated in both year\u2019s in-app Rumble, I can say this year\u2019s was much easier to play and collect, while last-year\u2019s was harder and the lower CC cards carried much higher secondary value and the award was better. \u00a0They will likely do this again for Wrestlemania so long as the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal continues.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-05.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-55551 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-05.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"274\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-05.jpg 679w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-05-219x300.jpg 219w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Allen &amp; Ginter, err&#8230;I mean&#8230;Vintage made its first appearance in Slam. \u00a0Wait a second, that\u2019s not right, there was a Vintage set released in 2016. \u00a0But this isn\u2019t that. \u00a0This really is basically their Tobacco-esque product, not sure why they didn\u2019t call it A&amp;G. \u00a0Anyway, it confused the heck out of most players since the variants were all different colors, certain performers had the wrong name on cards, and the set was mostly lackluster. \u00a0Wave 2 just came out as I\u2019m writing this.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Infinite hit Wave 4 and everyone yawned. \u00a0Topps issued three waves of Boom Comics covers which remain popular but have no awards, so cards retain their value of about a buck apiece. \u00a0The week before the Rumble WWE\u2019s flagship TV show celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a special show that emanated from both the Barclays Center and the Manhattan Center in New York. \u00a0The set, like the show, was a disappointment. \u00a0Red variants were available in packs, while the \u201cblack\u201d version were on the Prize Wheel. \u00a0Trading was vigorous to a point just prior to the Stone Cold award. \u00a0But then Topps accidentally issued two red award cards to everyone who completed the red set on time, so to rectify that they gave those same folks a gold version of the card.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Another set commemorating current events is the Mixed-Match Challenge set which had no award. \u00a0These did turn out nicely and seem to be fairly popular in singles. \u00a0No award makes it a little easier to collect these after their sell-out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Strength in Numbers was a daily set that was released with much ballyhoo around the middle of the month, and was yet another set that was entirely behind the paywall, costing 50 diamonds for a <span class=\"aBn\" tabindex=\"0\" data-term=\"goog_1181917760\"><span class=\"aQJ\">1:20<\/span><\/span> chance or 200 diamonds for a 1:3 chance. \u00a0Full sets have sold for between $10 and $15, including the award, while the singles run $3-5 apiece with the Iconic Duo being both the highest CC card and the most valuable of the run.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>The extremely popular Rob Schamberger artwork set returned for a third go-around, with the same paywall paradigm as last time, a few cards available for coins and the more popular performers behind the paywall. \u00a0While the coin packed cards go for a buck or two, the paywalls of AJ Styles, Finn Balor and Asuka all command up to $5 per. \u00a0The award is The Shield and it still hasn\u2019t been released more than two weeks after the set finished.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-06.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-55552 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-06.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-06-216x300.jpg 216w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>A new Marathon, or \u201cWeekly\u201d set was released in January that once again pushed the boundaries of the technology available to Topps in these digital card apps. \u00a0Rivalries features iconic match-ups between performers, with a twist: if you tilt your device to one side the card changes into a full portrait of one of the two wrestlers, and you\u2019ll find these listed under \u201cTilt\u201d cards. \u00a0Once again this set is entirely behind the paywall with 25 diamonds for a <span class=\"aBn\" tabindex=\"0\" data-term=\"goog_1181917761\"><span class=\"aQJ\">1:20<\/span><\/span> chance or 100 diamonds for a 1:3 chance. \u00a0Personally I\u2019m all in on this set because the overall award is Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels. \u00a0There will also be wave awards after each 3 cards. \u00a0Current singles are going for $2.50 to $4.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-7.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-55553 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-7.jpg 669w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-7-214x300.jpg 214w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-8.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-55554 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"274\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-8.jpg 680w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-8-219x300.jpg 219w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-9.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-55555 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-9.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-9.jpg 678w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-9-216x300.jpg 216w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Stars of the 2000\u2019s is a second new weekly set and is actually not behind the paywall for a change. \u00a05K coin packs give you a <span class=\"aBn\" tabindex=\"0\" data-term=\"goog_1181917762\"><span class=\"aQJ\">1:20<\/span><\/span> chance, while 20K coin packs are 1:3. \u00a0\u00a0Undertaker will be the overall reward for all 15, with additional awards after each wave of 5 are complete. \u00a0Dolph Ziggler was the first card.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>So that\u2019s January 2018 in the books. \u00a0A lot of premium paywall content and not that much for free players besides the prize wheel stuff.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-10.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-55556 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-10.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-10.jpg 677w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/Graphic-10-216x300.jpg 216w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div id=\"m_7666716513776088370yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1515654530380_12538\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p><em>Don\u2019t forget you can find me in game at GRENDELSEN, and I\u2019m always happy to trade or answer any questions you might have.\u00a0 Leave questions or concerns here and I\u2019ll see you next time.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<div id=\"m_7653336482324468032m_-5838044787577144430yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1503197183433_8404\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<div id=\"m_7485006918182513210yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505788699990_5066\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<div id=\"m_840703259626027792yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1508199456840_5158\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<div id=\"m_4710290450738061770yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1513037197127_4998\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<div id=\"m_2136778502949941925yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1514945897609_4586\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>My Collecting Blog \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/budgetscd.blogspot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?hl=en&amp;q=http:\/\/budgetscd.blogspot.com\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1503367275849000&amp;usg=AFQjCNE4sa6AJcNl2_fcQxwy6FlIjbpXmw\">The Budget Collector<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"m_7653336482324468032m_-5838044787577144430yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1503197183433_7901\" class=\"m_7653336482324468032m_-5838044787577144430signature\">\n<div id=\"m_7653336482324468032m_-5838044787577144430yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1503197183433_7932\">The Daily WiLL \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/willaday.blogspot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?hl=en&amp;q=http:\/\/willaday.blogspot.com\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1503367275849000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEU7gP3-e7Ie2-ybA5B8vXvTVbJ_Q\">http:\/\/willaday.blogspot.com\/<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK\u2019S ARTICLE:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2018\/01\/11\/digital-dabblings-special-edition-2-2017-year-review\/\">DIGITAL DABBLINGS \u2013 SPECIAL EDITION #2 \u2013 2017 Year in Review<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-246438826\"><div id=\"pwtor-4132303008\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Wow, what a month in the Topps Slam app it was. \u00a0Not only did we get a \u201cBig 4\u201d release in Royal Rumble, but a brand new base set, the third of the game, showed <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2018\/02\/17\/digital-dabblings-23-january-review\/\" title=\"DIGITAL DABBLINGS #23 \u2013 January Review\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":55546,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,4667,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-digital-dabblings","category-specialists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2018\/02\/DigitalDabblings23.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55545"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55545\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55563,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55545\/revisions\/55563"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}