I told myself I wouldn't do this (or, a box of 2023 Topps)

In 2023, for the first time in my adult life, I was fully prepared to sit out the once-beloved ritual of buying the first cards of the new collecting year.

Is it possible to be burnt out with a set before it even hits the shelves? Because that's what I was feeling with 2023 Topps. The previews, the promos, the hype - it seemed to never end. There's always gonna be a certain amount of chatter before a new year's cards release, but this year, for whatever reason, seemed to take it to DEFCON 5. I told myself I'd buy whatever singles I needed online, maybe pick up a few packs if I happened to find myself in a Target in the next couple weeks, and that'd be that.

Fast-forward to a couple days ago, when a rather unexpected bit of news shot across the headlines of Dime Boxedonia: a new card shop opened in town, a good five minutes from where I live! I've long dreamed of having an LCS in my tiny little suburb, and somehow that wish came true all these years later. While I wasn't expecting much, my trip to the shop turned out to be a surprisingly fun treat for a few reasons (which I'll cover in a future post) - but I suppose it's no coincidence that I went there this past Wednesday...the day 2023 Topps came out.

Not wanting to get too crazy, I asked the LCS owner if I could purchase a few single packs, and at some point while my hand was descending upon the trove of loose wax, I heard myself say - ah what the heck, I'll just take a box.

Like I said, I told myself I wouldn't do this, and there's a couple reasons why.

First: if you believed Topps's marketing team, the only two guys in this set are Adley Rutschman and Julio Rodriguez. Topps themselves even billed 2023 Topps as "The J-Rod Show." Other sets might be appropriately labeled as such, but to me, Flagship is here to let us appreciate the game as a whole, not just a couple dudes. If nothing else, I hope this post is a reminder that there are 328 other guys to collect in this set.

Second: the cost. Not to sound like an old coot, but I remember (not that long ago) when I could get a nice basic hobby box of Topps Series 1 for $60-65. I paid $100 for this box - sure, there's a little bit of a card shop markup, but either way, that just seems insane to me. (Thankfully my birthday's in a couple days, and I had a little extra cash in my pocket.)

But the fact is, even with all that, I still bought the box - and while I wasn't in the least looking to "offset" the cost of it, I'm pleased to report that I did pull a nifty Rutschman insert at the top of this post (one per case!) that should cover my expenses.

Okay, so you've heard me yammer on about jumping through all the mental hoops of what it took for me to buy this box - but what about the box itself, Nick??

I'll just say it right now: I like 2023 Topps! I was a bit underwhelmed when I first saw the preview a few months ago, but for me the cards pop a lot more in-person. I've gone on record on saying Topps designs have gotten a bit too TV-graphicy in recent years - and while this year's look most certainly continues that trend, they're at least entertaining. Player and team names are still smaller than I'd like them to be, but that's a minor quibble.

It sounds weird to say, but this is the first time in at least a few years where it actually feels like we get a design, and not just a few carefully placed lines and names across a piece of cardboard.

Plus Topps actually honored 1988 Topps as their main Anniversary insert set this year, giving us a much-needed breather from the more "classic" designs they've been shoving down our throats lately (looking at you, 1987).

I haven't bought a Flagship box in a while, so I completely forgot I a bonus four-card Silver Pack with it - definitely a treat since I always want shiny cards.

Those "Aces" inserts are also fantastic, but the rest of this year's inserts are a big bag of nothing.

Also, the gold parallels are seeded one-per-box(!) which is a telling clue of how overproduced this set is - thankfully the one I pulled was a need (send me all your Sonny Gray cards!).

There's quite a few excellent photos scattered throughout 2023 Topps - with a special nod going to that Cubs Field of Dreams throwback.

But what I really like about the design is that it makes even the average cards look at least passable, which isn't something you can say about a lot of sets these days - because after all, not every card is gonna show a guy leaping into the stands with a Rookie Cup at his feet.

Another bonus: the design serves horizontals quite well.

Major points to Topps for giving a couple greats the sunset cards they deserved. 

I don't know that I'm ready to declare a full-blown "City Connect Jersey" mini-collection yet, but I have to admit I had fun picking these out of my box.

I'm certainly not a fan of all these things (yikes, Brewers), but like my throwbacks collection, they're fun to hunt down - and 2023 showed off a cast of debut duds.

I'll admit I had a slight bit of buyer's remorse walking out of the card shop that hallowed afternoon, but after opening the box and introducing myself to 2023 Topps, I can honestly say it was worth the price of admission.

At this point, I can't help but wonder if there's something embedded in my collecting DNA here - because no matter how hard I try to ignore it, or tell myself I shouldn't care, there's just no escaping the thrill of a new year's worth of baseball cards.