Many brands of sports cards are getting makeovers these days, but Topps Trademark Moves Basketball received a major facelift for 2007-08. Hobby boxes now sport an autograph or relic (memorabilia) card in each pack, some of which are triple-swatch or triple-signed cards.
On average, each 12-pack box of Trademark Moves should yield four autographs and eight relic cards. In addition, all autographs and relics are on wooden cards for 2007-08.
Base Cards and Parallels
Along with a new configuration, Trademark Moves also got a new look for its 2007-08 base set. Gone is the busy "eye of the storm" design from last season, replaced by something a lot simpler. Base cards have an action shot of a player against a grayed-out background, with team color basketballs flanking player info on a silver stripe at the bottom.
The write-ups on the card backs emphasize the set's theme, describing what characteristics or go-to moves are most closely identified with each player. It's not a large base set, with 50 veterans or retired stars and 50 rookies (falling one per pack) numbered to 1999.
Parallels include four different colors/levels with numbering ranging from 399 to 10 for veterans and 99 to 1 for rookies. The rookie cards also have a Hardwood level, numbered to 199 and printed on actual wood.
The sample box I opened to review had nice collation, as I found 34 of the 50 commons and an Orange Kirk Hinrich parallel. On the rookie front, I pulled 11 regular rookies (including Yi Jianlian and Acie Law) and a Hardwood Greg Oden.
Just over half of the rookies (30) also appear on Rookie Relic Ink parallels, which take the base rookie design and put it on wood with a player-worn swatch and an autographed sticker. I found two of these in my review box: a Yi Jianlian (#'d to 79) and an Aaron Brooks (#'d to 139).
Autographed Cards
The autograph program is much simplified from the previous season with just two inserts providing the signatures. Trademark Ink cards put signed stickers from 50 NBA players against a basketball-court inspired background, while Triple Trademark Ink cards use a horizontal format to fit in three 'graphs on one card.
Both the single and triple autos have varied numbering as well as four different In the Paint parallel levels. The triple-signed cards are also seeded to fall one per box, which is nice.
The autographed cards in my sample box had a heavy UCLA flavor, with a Trademark Ink Baron Davis numbered to 49 and a Triple Trademark Ink Bill Walton/Baron Davis/Aaron Afflalo numbered to 39.
Relic Cards
Relics weren't a part of last year's set at all, so they are a big reason the 2007-08 set is a lot different - and more expensive. The relic cards follow much the same pattern as the autographs, with Trademark Relics single-swatch cards and Triple Trademark Relics featuring swatches from three different players and seeded two per box.
As with the autos, the relics have four levels of In the Paint parallels. For what it's worth, the material used for the relic cards seems to come mostly from NBA All-Star Weekend, and therefore wasn't worn in regular season games.
I pulled the expected six single and two triple relics, most notably an In the Paint Orange card of Suns teammates Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion.
The Last Word
At a time when many brands are undergoing changes to help feed collectors' appetite for autographs and game-used cards, the modifications to Trademark Moves are largely successful. The relics aren't especially creative, but the guaranteed triple relics are a plus, and along with the one-per-pack rookies they give the product a greater feeling of value even at a higher price.
Add that to a base set that's easier on the eyes than last season and you've got a nice overall package. Trademark Moves has stepped it up for 2007-08 and doesn't seem at all out of place among the "hit in every pack" crowd.
