Card #114: It's Grotesk

I have been posting one of the Topps Project 2020 cards on average once a month.

This is the 3rd card that was released that reimagines the 1955 Roberto Clemente rookie card.

You can see the Mister Cartoon and Naturel versions by clicking their names.

At the top I shared the Naturel version card prices for Project 2020 were at an all time high and I was considering selling the ones I had to purchase an actual 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente.

I have decided to go forward with the set and building the Clemente cards.

This, as previously stated, was the third Clemente to be released.  Since this card was released three more have been produced, with only one of them being in hand as of now.

Grotesk is a Swiss born graphic designer and creative director for a footwear company.  He is one of the many artists that Topps brought in to get the "sneakerheads" interested in card collecting.

Many of his cards in the set thus far have a very similar style and I think would look great as a completed artist set.

His most expensive card in the set to no surprise was his first card, #7 in the set, of Bob Gibson.  That card which sold online at Topps.com for $19.99 on the day of release is now selling for upwards of a thousand dollars.

Card #107: It's only Naturel

Last month I showed off the first of the Project 2020 cards of Roberto Clemente.  It was done by an artist known as Mister Cartoon.  Since that post there have been four more cards produced of Clemente.

However since that late April post the prices on Project 2020 cards have skyrocketed.  That $20 card that was available through Topps.com for 48 hours is now selling in upwards of $500.  The card was one of the earliest cards printed and had a low print run of "only" 1,844 copies. 

I say "only" because in terms of low print runs that is actually kind of high compared to some others on the early releases.  However, the card with the highest print run was just announced.  The Keith Shore artist interpretation of the 1989 Ken Griffey Jr card sold nearly 100,000 copies equating to almost $1.98M in sales for Topps.

Strange things are happening with this card project and I am contemplating about selling my Clemente cards. 

This card is done by the artist Naturel.

I am contemplating the value of these cards long term and doubt that this can be sustainable. 

Would you sell any of your early low print run Project 2020 cards if you had them?

Card #97: Project 2020

Topps has really done a tremendous job in marketing their online exclusive cards in the past few years.  Not only does it cut back on costs, because the card's print runs are literally printed to whatever the demand is, they are also coming up with ideas to stay fresh to the current collecting environments.

Topps Now changed the way Topps began to print exclusive to what fans wanted.  They have continued that success with their Throwback Thursday and Living Set cards.

This year Topps introduced Project 2020.  The idea is unique.  Take 20 of the most iconic Topps cards and 20 unique artists to reimagine those cards.  Each artist will draw the selected 20 cards, giving fans a potential 400 card set.

Roberto Clemente's 1955 rookie card was selected as one of the subjects.

 Legendary tattoo artist, Mister Cartoon, wad the first to put his spin on the card. 

I showed off my framed rookie reprint a few years ago here.

The backs of all the Project 2020 cards feature a brief bio about the artist along with details of the project and the original card.


What have your thoughts been on Project 2020?  Are you collecting any of them?