2008 Finest
Description
2008 Finest is a 166-card set released by Topps on April 1st, 2008. The last 16 cards in the set are autographed.
Each Hobby box consists of three smaller six-pack "mini boxes." Each mini box promises four Refractor parallels, three inserts, and an autograph.
Distribution
Three, six-pack mini boxes per box (MSRP: $50/mini box), five cards per pack. Eight boxes per case.
Reviews
TV Autographs Review: http://sanjosefuji.blogspot.com/2012/08/chronicles-of-cardfoolery-4-rip-master.html
Insertion Ratios
| Cards | Total Cards | Numbered To | Hobby Odds (per mini box) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | 165 | - | ? |
| short set | 150 | - | ? |
| Rookie Autographs | 16 | ? | one-per mini box |
| Refractor short set | 150 | - | three-per mini box |
| Refractor Rookie Autographs | 16 | 499 | 1:7 |
| Blue Refractor short set | 150 | 299 | 1:2 |
| Blue Refractor Rookie Autographs | 16 | 399 | 1:8 |
| Green Refractor short set | 150 | 199 | 1:2 |
| Green Refractor Rookie Autographs | 16 | 199 | 1:16 |
| Black Refractor short set | 150 | 99 | 1:4 |
| Black Refractor Rookie Autographs | 16 | 99 | 1:32 |
| Gold Refractor short set | 150 | 50 | 1:7 |
| Gold Refractor Rookie Autographs | 150 | 50 | 1:64 |
| Red Refractor short set | 150 | 25 | 1:14 |
| Red Refractor Rookie Autographs | 16 | 25 | 1:128 |
| Framed Gold X-Fractor short set | 150 | 25 | 1:14 |
| Framed Gold X-Fractor Rookie Autographs | 16 | 25 | 1:128 |
| Framed White X-Fractor short set | 150 | one-of-one | 1:327 |
| Framed White X-Fractor Rookie Autographs | 16 | one-of-one | 1:2036 |
| Framed Printing Plates short set | 150 | four for each | 1:82 |
| Framed Printing Plates Rookie Autographs | 16 | four for each | 1:775 |
| Moments | 50 | - | one-per-mini box |
| Moments Refractor | 50 | - | ? |
| Moments Blue Refractor | 50 | 399 | 1:4 |
| Moments Green Refractor | 50 | 199 | 1:5 |
| Moments Black Refractor | 50 | 99 | 1:10 |
| Moments Gold Refractor | 50 | 50 | 1:20 |
| Moments Red Refractor | 50 | 25 | 1:39 |
| Moments Framed Gold X-Fractor | 50 | 25 | 1:39 |
| Moments Framed White X-Fractor | 50 | one-of-one | 1:982 |
| Moments Printing Plates | 50 | four for each | 1:245 |
| Team Favorites | 8 | - | one-per mini box |
| Team Favorites Refractors | 8 | - | 1:4 |
| Team Favorites Dual | 4 | - | ? |
| Team Favorites Dual Refractors | 4 | - | ? |
| Rookie Redemption | 10 | - | 1:3 |
| Moments Autographs | 25 | - | 1:5 |
| Moments Autographs Red Refractor | 25 | 25 | 1:79 |
| Moments Autographs Framed White X-Fractor | 25 | one-of-one | 1:3260 |
| Team Favorites Autographs | 8 | 100 | ? |
| Team Favorites Autographs Red Refractor | 8 | 25 | 1:164 |
| Team Favorites Autographs Framed White X-Fractor | 8 | one-of-one | 1:4092 |
| Team Favorites Dual Autographs | 4 | 74 | 1:166 |
| Team Favorites Dual Autographs Refractor | 4 | 25 | 1:164 |
| Team Favorites Dual Autographs Framed White X-Fractor | 4 | one-of-one | 1:4092 |
| Team Favorites Dual Autographs Cuts | 5 | one-of-one | 1:9821 |
| Topps TV Autographs | 5 | - | 1:11 |
| Topps TV Autograph Refractor | 5 | 25 | 1:392 |
| Topps TV Autographs Red Ink | 5 | 10 | ? |
| Topps TV Autographs Framed White X-Fractor | 5 | one-of-one | ? |
Checklist
Base Set
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 2008) AND (setname = 'Finest') AND (num < 151); </sql2wiki>
Autographed Rookies
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 2008) AND (setname = 'Finest') AND (num > 150); </sql2wiki>
Parallels
All 150 non-autographed base cards are available in the following Refractor parallels.
- Refractor
- Blue Refractor (serial-numbered to 299 copies)
- Green Refractor (serial-numbered to 199 copies)
- Black Refractor (serial-numbered to 99 copies)
- Gold Refractor (serial-numbered to 50 copies)
- Red Refractor (serial-numbered to 25 copies)
- Framed Gold X-Fractor (serial-numbered to 25 copies)
- Framed White X-Fractor (one-of-one)
- Framed Printing Plates (set of four for each card)
Rookie Autograph Refractors
All 16 Rookie Autographs are available in the following Refractor parallels.
- Refractor (serial-numbered to 499 copies)
- Blue Refractor (serial-numbered to 399 copies)
- Green Refractor (serial-numbered to 199 copies)
- Black Refractor (serial-numbered to 99 copies)
- Gold Refractor (serial-numbered to 50 copies)
- Red Refractor (serial-numbered to 25 copies)
- Framed Gold X-Fractor (serial-numbered to 25 copies)
- Framed White X-Fractor (one-of-one)
- Framed Printing Plates (set of four for each card)
Inserts
Moments
Each Moments insert is also available in the following Refractor parallels.
- Refractor
- Blue Refractor (serial-numbered to 399 copies)
- Green Refractor (serial-numbered to 199 copies)
- Black Refractor (serial-numbered to 99 copies)
- Gold Refractor (serial-numbered to 50 copies)
- Red Refractor (serial-numbered to 25 copies)
- Framed Gold X-Fractor (serial-numbered to 25 copies)
- Framed White X-Fractor (one-of-one)
- Printing Plates (set of four for each)
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 2008) AND (setname = 'Finest Moments'); </sql2wiki>
Team Favorites
All Team Favorites and Team Favorites Dual are also available in a Refractor parallel.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 2008) AND (setname = 'Finest Team Favorites'); </sql2wiki>
Dual
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 2008) AND (setname = 'Finest Team Favorites Dual'); </sql2wiki>
Rookie Redemption
Randomly inserted at the rate of one in three mini-boxes were ten mystery redemption cards. During the 2008 season, as new rookies made an impact in the majors, Topps would announce the player each card was good for. All cards could be redeemed until April 30th, 2009. Cards #2 and #10 are only available autographed.
NOTE: Despite the presence of the "ROOKIE CARD" icon on each redemption card, none of the cards in this set are considered "true" rookies.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 2008) AND (setname = 'Finest Rookie Redemption'); </sql2wiki>
Autographs & Game-Used
Moments Autographs
Each Moments Autograph is also available in the following Refractor parallels.
- Red Refractor (serial-numbered to 25 copies)
- Framed White X-Fractor (one-of-one)
NOTE: Ryan Howard's base autograph is short-printed and seeded at the rate of 1:282 mini boxes.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 2008) AND (setname = 'Finest Moments Autographs'); </sql2wiki>
Team Favorites Autographs
Each Team Favorites Autographs is serial-numbered to 100 copies and available in the following Refractor parallels.
- Red Refractor (serial-numbered to 25 copies)
- Framed White X-Fractor (one-of-one)
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 2008) AND (setname = 'Finest Team Favorites Autographs'); </sql2wiki>
Dual
Each Team Favorites Dual Autographs is serial-numbered to 74 copies and available in the following Refractor parallels.
- Red Refractor (serial-numbered to 25 copies)
- Framed White X-Fractor (one-of-one)
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 2008) AND (setname = 'Finest Team Favorites Dual Autographs'); </sql2wiki>
Dual Cuts
Each Team Favorites Dual Autographs Cuts combines a cut signature of Mickey Mantle with a sticker autograph of a current New York Yankee. Each is a one-of-one.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 2008) AND (setname = 'Finest Team Favorites Dual Autographs Cuts'); </sql2wiki>
TV Autographs
An unannounced gimmick, these autographs were meant to promote Topps's YouTube channel: Topps TV. After the product's release, and these cards began showing up, Topps went to great lengths to assuage collectors that these cards did not take the place of the guaranteed one-per-mini box autograph.
Each autograph is also available in the following parallels.
- Refractor (serial-numbered to 25 copies)
- Red Ink (serial-numbered to ten)
- Framed White X-Fractor (one-of-one)
NOTE: Two Red Ink parallels of card #RGR (one serial-numbered to ten, the other to five) are known to exist.
<sql2wiki database="carddb"> SELECT num,player,info FROM cards WHERE (year = 2008) AND (setname = 'Finest TV Autographs'); </sql2wiki>
| Finest |
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| Finest Flashbacks: |