Every year we approach Bowman Baseball with loads of anticipation. The top prospects and rookies usually have their premier on-card autos sneaking around twitter + instagram…and we build up the excitement as we inch closer to the release. Well, this year it feels like the normal buzz has been injected with steroids. We are a week away from release (as of this article) and the pre-sale prices are near DOUBLE the factory cost (Real-Time Pricing Here). Ohtani and Hoskins have absolutely done their job and most of us are getting ready to overpay for what should be a super exciting Bowman release. 🙂

But…. for the unprepared collector there are a confusing number of options when it comes to buying your 2018 Bowman Baseball. So we’ve taken this burden upon ourselves and want to ensure you are fully educated on how to spend your money.

On the Hobby Side, you have:

• Hobby Box
• HTA Box

On the Retail Side, you have:

• Retail Box
• Blaster Box
• Gravity Feed Retail Box
• Fat Pack + Lots
• Value Packs + Lots

And of course, for each of these you can purchase them by the case. These releases are no different than the previous years, but there are nuances each year that you to be aware of…

But before we dive into what each of these provides, let me first help you understand what you are looking for in Bowman Baseball.

The “important” cards of 2018 Bowman Baseball

#1: Rookie Chrome Autographs (Buy Here)— These are chrome on-card auto’s that will be the premier chase. You’ll find Ohtani, Hoskins, Verdugo, etc… 
#2: Prospect Chrome Autographs (Buy Here) – These are chrome on-card PROSPECT auto’s that will include many of the coveted “1st card” stamps.
#3: Sterling Continuity Autos (Buy Here) – On-Card Sterling variations with big names like Kris Bryant, Frazier, Greene, Pratto, etc. (HOBBY ONLY)
#4: Prospect Paper Autos (Buy Here) – These are non-chrome prospect autos, these are sticker autos.  (RETAIL ONLY)
#5: Dual Bowman Prospect Auto (Buy Here) – A new auto set in 2018, double-sided autos from top prospects. (HOBBY ONLY)
#6: All-American Autos (Buy Here) – Top prospects from high-school All American showcases. Sticker Auto. (HOBBY ONLY)
#7: ROY Favorite Autos (Buy Here) – Top 2018 Rookies w/SSP Autos (HOBBY ONLY) – No Ohtani. Includes: Frazier, Verdugo, Devers, Robles, + few others

So, when you are considering which product to purchase, just understand what you are actually looking for…

With that in mind, let’s look at the options again.

Hobby Box:

(FIND BEST PRICES HERE)

Packs: 24
Cards per Pack: 10
Auto’s per box: 1
What is exclusive: Sterling, All-American, Dual Auto, Book Auto
What you can't get: Green Refractor Auto & Paper Prospect AutoFactory Release Price:
Factory Release Price: $89
Approximate Market Price:  $167 ---> +90%

HTA (Jumbo) Box:

(FIND BEST PRICES HERE)

Packs: 12
Cards per Pack: 32
Auto’s per box: 34
What is exclusive: Sterling, All-American, Dual Auto, Book Auto
What you can't get: Green Refractor Auto & Paper Prospect Auto 
Factory Release Price: $265 
Approximate Market Price: $355 ---> +35%

Retail Box:

(Find BEST Prices HERE)

Packs: 24
Cards per Pack: 10
Auto’s per box: 
What you CAN’T get: Sterling, All-American, Dual Auto, Book Auto
What is exclusive to this box: Green Refractor Auto & Paper Prospect Auto
Factory Release Price: $72
Approximate Market Price: $80 ---> +10%

Blaster Box:

Packs: 8
Cards per Pack: 10
Guaranteed Auto’s per box: 0
What you CAN’T get: Sterling, All-American, Dual Auto, Book Auto
What is exclusive to this box: Green Refractor Auto & Paper Prospect Auto
Factory Release Price: $19.99
Approximate Market Price: $28.00 ---> +40%

Gravity Feed Box:

Packs: 36
Cards per Pack: 10
Guaranteed Auto’s per box: 0
What you CAN’T get: Sterling, All-American, Dual Auto, Book Auto
What is exclusive to this box: Green Refractor Auto & Paper Prospect Auto
Factory Release Price: $360
Approximate Market Price: $380

Fat Pack “Lot”:

Packs: 12
Cards per Pack: 22
Guaranteed Auto’s per box: 0
What you CAN’T get: Sterling, All-American, Dual Auto, Book Auto
What is exclusive to this box: Green Refractor Auto & Paper Prospect Auto
Factory Release Price: $75
Approximate Market Price: $80

Value Pack Lot:

Packs: 12
Cards per Pack: 33
Guaranteed Auto’s per box: 0
What you CAN’T get: Sterling, All-American, Dual Auto, Book Auto
What is exclusive to this box: Green Refractor Auto & Paper Prospect Auto
Factory Release Price: $125
Approximate Market Price: $135

Quick Thoughts:

Now you have an understanding of what your options are. What is the best way to spend your money?

Well, this really comes down to a decision of what you are looking for.

In terms of value, I can say with 100% conviction that Retail IS currently a better buy. You don’t lose the opportunity of hitting Ohtani Base or Chrome auto’s…. and you don’t pay a ridiculous premium for Hobby. This may change as Hobby comes back down to reality.

There is some very nice value in the Sterling, All-American, and Book chase… but is it worth paying 2x more? I don’t think it is, especially without Ohtani in ANY of those Hobby Only subsets.

My recommendation is to stick with Retail … and if you have an appetite for going with Hobby…I’d lean towards HTA Jumbo.

What about the checklist?

Thanks for asking. We will put more of a detailed analysis up in a few days…but here is the quick breakdown on teams:

Here is the overall breakdown (combined Retail/Hobby)

Here is the RETAIL ONLY breakdown.

Here is the breakdown for HOBBY ONLY.

For Retail breaks: Phillies, Rays, Dodgers, Yankees, and White Sox.

For Hobby breaks: Reds, Yankees, Dodgers, Mets, Twins, White Sox

Finally…..

And finally, if you are really interested in the details, here is a more detailed Team + Player breakdown:

18 Bowman Team + Player

WANT TO DISCUSS THIS? Head to forum post RIGHT HERE! 

Here are the 2018 Bowman Baseball BREAKS ending RIGHT NOW.