2021 Topps Series 1 Blaster Box Break

Baseball season is around the corner, and that means Topps Series 1 is beginning to hit (and hopefully stay on) the shelves.

Last week I randomly logged on to Twitter at about 8:30 AM for absolutely no good reason. I saw two posts announcing that Target had 2021 Series 1 Blasters on their website, and I was lucky to grab a few. I think they were live for about 20-30 minutes before selling out. Considering the state of the card market that's basically an eternity. I don't make a habit out of getting on Twitter early in the morning so I feel lucky to have seen the deal. I've noticed some other collectors have had luck finding some on shelves, so hopefully this is not a product that retail flippers will target. I don't know why they would. 

The package arrived to me yesterday and I busted open a blaster.

Here's the base design. The tiny nameplate is catching a ton of heat and rightfully so. I don't love the diagonal name, and I really don't like the blue graphic coming from the left side of the card. I have no problem with the logo and accompanying banner in the bottom right, but the addition of the nonsense on the left side is totally unnecessary. 

On the plus side, I really like the white border. I'm a BIG border guy. I also like the Topps silver 70th anniversary stamp. 

To conclude my thoughts on this year's design: It's more of the same from Topps. Some good, some bad. 

A quick look at the backs.

Now on to the packs. 7 Packs, 14 cards in each: 

Pack One

The first card I pulled in 2021 is a Pirate! Maybe it's a World Series omen. Highlights in this pack are the Luis Robert Rookie Cup and the Buster Posey 1952 Insert. Based on this box, you're going to find two inserts per pack. 

Pack Two

This pack opened up with yet another Bucco, so this is an undeniable sign that the Pirates will in the World Series this year. Jokes aside, this was a great start to a team set. This was a great pack. The Mattingly 1986 design is a beautiful card. I love the black and white theme. Joey Bart is a bigger-name Rookie, and the Deivi Garcia rookie is a great pull too. 

The Bucco streak ends, but this packed yielded another three rookies, as well as an Acuna Home Run Challenge card. I've never actually submitted one. Maybe this will be the year.

Pack Four

The (former) Buccos return with both a Josh Bell base card and a 1952 insert. I'm sad to see Josh leave Pittsburgh, but I am fully onboard with the rebuild. His best years could have been wasted in Pittsburgh. I will continue to collect him, even in Nats gear.

The other insert is part of the "70 Years of Topps" set. This pack also had a Joey Bart base rookie. 

Pack Five

Pack five contains my favorite insert that I've seen in Topps flagship in quite some time: Chrome 1952 Topps Redux. In terms of blogger-collectors, I think I'm in the minority here - but I love retro designs redone in chrome. Turkey Red Chrome, Allen and Ginter Chrome, give me all of the chrome.

I pulled one 1952 Chrome, and it's Max Scherzer. I don't think my picture does it justice. It's pretty. It has the refractor-shine, but it isn't overdone. 

Pack Six

Another Pirate, Colin Moran makes an appearance. Another 1986 insert with Christian Yelich, and a 1952 insert of Javy Baez. 

Pack Seven

One last (former) Pirate, Chris Archer. I was excited to pull a Rainbow parallel of Rookie Jesus Sanchez. I don't know a ton about him, but I do know that he has been in the Marlins top prospect rankings for a few years. I didn't realize he had debuted in the majors. It looks like he had only 25 ABs last year. Maybe he'll be a bigger part of the Marlins outfield this year. I'll definitely be holding this one in hopes he takes off soon.

Commemorative 70th Anniversary Patch Pack

Each blaster guarantees one of these. There are only 25 in the set. The whole set consists of Hall of Famers and a few soon-to-be HOFers (Kershaw, Trout, Miggy, etc.). I loathe manufactured patch cards for several reasons - the main reason being that they're a pain to store. I don't have any toploaders that fit them naturally and you can't squeeze them into a penny sleeve. I usually just list my patch cards on eBay right after getting them and consider it a $5 rebate on the box. It's always great to see Ken Griffey Jr., but his fate will likely be the same as his predecessors. 

I'll be cataloguing these into TCDB today, and aside from the rookies everything here is for trade. 

Thanks for reading.

 

Hobby Box Break: 2008-09 Topps Basketball (Mamba Tribute)

This is my first basketball-related post since the passing of Kobe Bryant, so let me start by expressing my sadness. Like all basketball fans, Kobe meant a lot to me. Kobe was basketball. I grew up with Jordan, then Kobe, and now LeBron. Rest in peace Kobe, Gianna, and the others that lost their lives on Sunday.

Like many collectors, I began to sort through my collection, looking for Kobe cards that to remember him by. It also reminded that there's one Kobe card that has been on my mental wantlist for some time: Kobe Bryant, #24 from 2008-09 Topps Basketball. Prices for this particular card skyrocketed, of course - but I still felt like there was no better time to honor Kobe and try to add this card to my collection. 

I did some research and learned that 2008-09 Topps Hobby boxes are actually somewhat affordable. They contain 36 packs of 10 cards - so the odds were in my favor to pull the exact card I wanted. I jumped on the DaCardWorld and they had just one box in stock, so it seemed meant to be.

There are some really awesome cards in this box - dig in for a minute and enjoy the ride with me.

Upon opening the box, I was greeted with the sticker below. On the back of the sticker, it says to stick it your set once it's complete. That's a cool little touch that definitely became lost in collecting sometime between then and now.

To showcase the base design, I'll use my favorite Knicks pull out of the box. I'm a huge fan of this design, which will look familiar if you collected Topps baseball in 2008. When Topps had the basketball license, they would use the same design for both basketball and baseball flagship. I think the design works a little better for basketball.

Check out the text on the names above. It's hard to see, but the text is gold foil. I pulled about 32 of these, so they fall just about one per pack. Duncan and Carter are two of the best that I pulled. How about the photo of Vince Carter!

Possibly the most prized rookie in the class, Russell Westbrook. 

This could possibly be the greatest LeBron James base card ever printed. I mean, wow. What a beauty. Capturing what is likely the most iconic pregame ritual in sports. I was hoping to pull this card, so I was over the moon to see this show up.

There aren't a ton of inserts in this set which I really like. I'm a big fan of parallels but overloading inserts can be a real turnoff for me. I think these are technically variations, not inserts. I recognize this design as Topps 1958-59 which has shown up recently as a throwback design in Topps baseball products.

I pulled four gold parallels - which, in typical Topps fashion are numbered to the year of the set, so in this case #/2008. They commemorate 51 years of collecting across the top of the picture. These are the better of two of the four gold pulls. 

Each box guarantees one autograph or memorabilia card, and here's my hit. When you're promised either a relic OR an autograph, you can basically bet the house that you're getting a jersey card. I was almost entirely certain that I'd be taking away a Martell Webster jersey patch or something similar. To pull an autograph from a proven vet is a BIG win. Nowadays, Agent Zero is more familiar to me as an outrageous yet hilarious social media personality (if you've haven't checked him out yet, do it), but not long ago he was prolific scorer in the league.

The mojo keeps coming! How about this guy? Kenynon Martin magenta printing plate. 1/1. You never expect to pull something this rare and I'll certainly take it. 

I really liked K-Mart back in his New Jersey Nets days with Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, Vince Carter, Kerry Kittles, and so on. I'm not exactly sure what to do with his card aside from stash it away as a really unique piece of my basketball collection.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I came across this guy. A classic "rip" card. I didn't know this set had rip cards until coming across this, so I dove in and did some research. Because this set is over 10 years old there's really not a lot of information out there. I learned that the rip cards are case hits, and I was able to find a couple YouTube videos that show actual rips. From what I can tell, the miniature cards inside are just like an Allen & Ginter mini. It doesn't appear that they're ever autographed or serial numbered, so the play might be keep it unripped. But, what's the fun in that. You might say I'm pretty "torn" on what do with it...

And for the grand finale: The reason I bought the box in the first place. I was lucky to pull this card in my first few packs, so the rest of the box was house money for me.

 Card #24, for number 24. This card... it speaks for itself. This card is about more than just Kobe. The imagery and symbolism is outstanding. 

How's this for symbolism: The year is 2008. In the picture, the basketball represents the best player in the NBA. Kobe is stretching to keep that title from LeBron, and LeBron is reaching for it. It's just out of reach. Someday LeBron might take that ball from Kobe. But not today.

If the perfect sports card exists, this is it.

Mamba forever.

2019 Topps Update: Ripping (4) Hobby Packs

This weekend I was able to slip away to the LCS and suppress my burning desire to grab some Update. They had some hobby packs in stock for $4/pack, so I was happy to walk away with four packs. 

It poses an interesting question: Would you rather buy a blaster, or five hobby packs for the same price?

There's no right answer. I'll typically go the Hobby pack route for a chance at an auto. I also prefer to support local business when possible. 

Here's what I needed up with:

Pack One

Alberto Hanser #30
Lane Thomas RC #227
Alex Colome #76
Braden Bishop RC #125
Miguel Castro #163
Adam Ottavino #236
Ken Griffey Jr. "Est. 1869" Reds Insert #EST-13

A.J. Pollock #70
Brad Boxberger #191
Zack Britton #214
J.T. Realmuto ASG #58
J.D. Hammer RD #27
J.D. Martinez #134
Joe Biagini #292

Pack Two

Cal Quantrill #23
Mike Zunino #239
Cole Tucker RC #197

Adam Jones #242
Walker Buehler ASG/All-Star Rookie #8
Kyle Bird RC #80
Michael Brantley 35th Anniversary #84-46

Wilmer Flores #203
Pedro Avila RC #115
Jose Abreau ASG #160
Matt Chapman #157
Ty France #129
Tommy Kahnle #161
Luis Alvarez RC #247

Pack Three

Nathan Evoldi #282
Michael Chavis RC #170
Marwin Gonzalez # 110
Skye Bolt RC #211
Sergio Romo #164
Kevin Plawecki #225
Hunter Pence #86
Carter Kieboom 35th Anniversary RC #84-14

Gary Sanchez ASG #4
Melky Cabrera #21
Curtis Granderson #187
Carter Kieboom RC #109
Yasiel Puig #106
Josh Donaldson #257

Pack Four

Mitch Keller RC #218

Junior Guerra #64
Tommy Edman RC #84
Avisail Garcia #188
Matt Wotherspoon/Braden Kline Rookie Combos #264
Hyun-Jin Ryu #297
Soaring in the Six #241
Sandy Koufax "Inconic Card Reprints" Insert #ICR-13

Jake Odorizzi #36
Mike Moustakas ASG #49
Mike Trout ASG #146
Xander Bogaerts ASG #144
James McCann ASG #15
Chris Paddack RC #207

Recap:

Two Pirates rookies! Considering I only purchased four packs, I'll certainly take that. I'm still hunting for Bryan Reynolds. There were some other good rookies in here, with Tommy Edman, Chris Paddock, and Carter Keiboom (2x) showing up. I also gave myself a shot a an autograph, which always adds a layer of fun. 

Aside from the Pirates, everything here is available for trade.

Curious to hear from others: Did you rip any Update yet? Do you have any desire to? 

Retail Review: 2013-14 Panini Titanium Box

When I heard about this product, I must admit that it intrigued me. I love to collect basketball cards, but I rarely buy retail. My retail budget is usually allotted for baseball. However, the guarantee of two rookie relics is a very compelling sell. When I stumbled across this box at Target over the weekend, I couldn't resist.

One problem that I have with this product is the lack of cards. If I'm paying 20 bucks, I'd like some base cards- Even if it gets me two relics. Above is the wimpy 5-card pack. On to the cards:

Here are the first two base cards. I like the design, particularly the fact the player's name dominates the text-portion of the card. Panini has a habit of enlarging their own logos and diminishing the players name....

As such. I really dislike when Panini does this. Next card:

I know very little about this man. The back of the card says he's 7'0 and went to Kansas, which can be said for what seems like a dozen NBA players. He was a second rounder, so I've got to assume he's over in Lithuania or some other Euro league by now. This card happens to be numbered 001/149, which means its AN EBAY 1/1!!!! This should fetch me millions!

I was excited to see some orange and blue in the pack, knowing it probably THJ. As a New Yorker, I'm subjected to constant coverage and meaningless banter regarding the Knickerbockers. Couple that with the fact that Knicks fans are terribly obnoxious, and you've got a recipe for maximum annoyance. 

So yeah, I'm not a huge Knicks fan. With that said, Tim Hardaway Jr. is one of the very few Knicks I can tolerate. If there's a young player that can ignite some hustle and head the Knicks in a direction where it's not just all about Melo, it might be this guy. I wish him the best. I'll be stashing this away with my PC cards.

Lastly, my second memorabilia card. I remember when Antetokounmpo was drafted, and the Bucks took some serious criticism for the pick. The "Greek Freak" as he is sometimes called was considered to be incredibly raw but equally athletic.

He's beginning to quiet the critics. Giannis had a very impressive rookie year, putting up solid numbers for the NBA's worst team. He's young, talented, and from what I've heard, a fan favorite. For these reasons, his cards have become pretty desirable among NBA collectors. It's numbered to only 85 which gives it a very limited print run, so there's a good chance I'll try to use it to refund my purchase. 

My Review? I'd say that this a a fun product. You're only getting 5 cards which is a bummer, but at least two of them are relics. The relics are all numbered, which is a huge plus for me. It was also great to pull a base card that was numbered. 

The guarantee of two memorabilia cards is an exciting concept. especially for only $20. There is also a hobby version of Titanum, which I know stirred some controversy from collectors who fear that this type of retail product undermines LCS's and hobbyists. I can't argue with that.

Basketball card fans: If you've got an extra $20, there are worse ways to spend it.

Thanks for reading.

Four 2014 Bowman Baseball Hobby Packs, With a Hit!

After seeing some blog posts about 2014 Bowman, I definitely needed to get my hands on some packs. I considered a blaster, but opted to hit my LCS. For $17 and change, I was able to secure myself 40 cards with a reasonable chance some at parallels or a hit. That's a way better deal than a blaster, plus I'm supporting my LCS. Hell yeah.

 The design is pretty sharp. I'm a big fan. I like the design much more than Topps Series 1- I'll never get over that weird border thingy hanging around on the right hand side of those cards.

Here are the highlights:

I'll start with two base cards that stood out to me, for different reasons. The Rendon card hit struck me immediately because I've seen that picture a thousand freaking times. I'm pretty sure it's the only picture of him that Topps owns. As for the Morales card, I found it funny because he's currently unemployed. It's not often that you open a brand new product and find a guy in an outdated jersey.

I was lucky enough hit a Tanaka rookie, one of the more sought after cards thus far in 2014. I was thinking about selling it, but I was able to get some good return from a different card (read on for more), so I think I'm going to hang onto this bad boy. The Lambo card is the only Pirate that I pulled. I've already been showered in Lambo RC's from Topps flagship, but I like this one better. Hopefully this guy can prove to be an effective major leaguer some day soon.

My two parallels, both from the "hometown flags" parallel line. The Castellanos RC was a nice little hit. From what I understand this guy is projected to have a solid career.

Lastly, I beat the odds and hit the one auto in the box. It's actually the first time I've ever hit an auto from an LCS hobby pack. This is a actually a bit of surprise considering how many dozens of packs I've bought- so it was nice to finally get a big hit!

I had never heard of Jesse Winker, so I did some quick research. He's a very young prospect in the Reds system, projected by most prospecting sites as the 4th or 5th best prospect in the Reds' system. This guy won't see be seeing the bigs for several years, if he pans out- the story of every prospect. Chances are, like 95% of prospects, this guy will never make a name for himself. 

Based on that, this card went straight to eBay and served as a perfect refund for my original purchase. It rarely works out like this, so I'm feeling pretty fortunate. If this guy ever hits it huge and becomes the next Mike Trout, please feel to come back to this post a berate me. I deserve it. 

Thanks for reading!

2014 Topps Series 1 Three Hobby Pack Break

Two regular hobby packs, and one jumbo pack to be exact. My LCS had reasonable prices on hobby packs, so I felt that my money was best spent there rather than on more retail. Here are the highlights from the three packs:

This card was right near the top of the stack, and it was a huge surprise to me. In all honesty, I had no idea that the Great Lambino (like it?) had made the checklist. 

Why? Because he only has 30 major league at-bats. I'm not complaining, merely surpirsed. There's a lot of hope in Pittsburgh that Lambo will be able to adequately fill the gaping holes at both first base and in right field. In 2013 between AA and AAA, he amassed 31 dingers, which was tops in Pirates farm system by far. Because of the hype, I picked up a sick auto of him way back in September.

Above is the rest of the inserts and parallels. Nothing to write home about. For a minute, I thought the gold parallel was Kevin MILLAR, which got me really excited that he had made ANOTHER comeback. He did play for the Jays in 2010, so there was a ton of foolery here. Wikipedia even agrees with me!

Moving on:

Lastly is possibly the most interesting pull I've ever had. This came from one of the regular hobby packs, not the jumbo. What I believe we have here is an original Dave Ricketts card from 1970 Topps. The card itself looks old, feels old, and is terribly beat up- there's a complete fold running diagonally through the left side. The stamp on the top left corner is clearly modern, but the back of the card has no indication of it being a reprint. 

Also, I can't see a situation where Topps would make a reprint and then take the time to physically damage the card. Doesn't make sense.

This was really cool to see, mostly because it's a Pirate. Ricketts was a lifetime back-up, amassing a gargantuan ONE career homerun. 

My question to you is, have you seen vintage cards inserted into 2014 S1? Which ones? Is this some type of promotion? I'd love to hear what's out there.

Thanks for reading.