Set Complete: TOPPS 2008 NFL Honor Roll Command Patches

I first became enamored with this insert set when I came across one on an auction website.  That was over a year ago and ever since this has been a side project of mine.  Some collectors are put off by manufactured patches but not me and especially with a set as unique as this.  If you or anyone you know served in the military, then these cards should really hit home (for the record I did not serve).  Friends I know that have served, have enjoyed seeing these cards.  With only 13 cards in the set, I'll show them one at a time.

Starting with this one, the 101st Airborne Division.  The Screaming Eagles were honored for their accomplishments in WWII through the Iraq war.

The Blue Angels patch card honors the Navy's Flight Demonstration Squadron that was formed in 1946.  I've only seen videos of the Blue Angels online, but can only imagine how impressive it would be to see them in person.

This patch card honors the U.S. Army's largest division. 

This card honors the F-16 Jet Fighter, which was the first jet developed to sustain 9-g turns.  It has been deployed around world in various roles in support of the war on terrorism.

The Operation Iraqi Freedom card is one of my favorites and honors Marines who served in the Iraq war.  I don't know anyone who served in Iraq at that time so I'm not sure how accurate this version of the patch is but a quick look online has me thinking Topps got creative.

The Globe and Anchor is the emblem of the Marine Corps.  This is a great card that honors anyone who has served in this branch on the military.

This card honors the 7th Marine Regiment which was formed in 1917 during WWI.

The fourth Marine card in the set honors all Marines with the Spade card.  If I'm interpreting this correctly it symbolizes the first Marine corps squadron.

This patch card honors the 158th Fighter Wing and its participation in Operation Noble Eagle, which was initiated after the 9/11 attacks.

Here we get a card that honors the Navy's intelligence branch.  I love the motto.

This card honors the Navy Seals and there has never been a truer saying.

This was one of the last cards I needed to complete the set and honors the 82nd Airborne Division, which was formed during WWI.

This was one of the last - and hardest - cards to track down.  The Thunderbirds are the equivalent to the Navy's Blue Angels and is the premier demonstration squadron of the U.S. Airforce.

In case you were wondering, this insert set was available in both the regular issue of 2008 Topps Football and in Chrome.  When I first started collecting this set I didn't realize there was also a Chrome version and unwittingly bought 3 of these without realizing the difference.

The back of the card shows a nice detailed writeup.  Yes, you will need a magnifying glass to read this.

This insert set was a bit of a challenge putting together.  First, pricewise, these are not the cheapest cards.  I probably spent close to $1k (spread out over a year) putting this set together.  Second, they are scarce and I've never seen these in the wild.  My first thought was heck, with only 13 cards I should be able to put this together fairly quickly.  Wrong.

  
I couldn't even find any information online about the odds of receiving one in a pack.  Chrome versions are even harder to find.  Will I attempt a Chrome set?  Sure why not?  But I've got to find them.

Another challenge with these is condition.  The cards are thick, so chipping on the edges is common.  In fact I may try to upgrade my card of the 7th Marine Regiment (if I ever find one).

Now I've got to figure out where to store them.  Since they came packed with football cards do I store them with those or should these count as non-sport?  Or maybe this set goes in my goody box.  Either way, that is a good problem to have with a really, really, cool set like this.