Twenty Packs Plus a Hit - Part 11 of 11

There it is.  Right there in the middle.  The meat in a Donruss bread sandwich.


Maybe I'll get lucky and it'll be a cool card of the most legendary player in MLB history...

That'll do.  Sure, it's not an auto or relic, but I'll take a  Babe Ruth Commemorative Ring out of that kind of box.

It's just an added bonus that it's a Sox card instead of a Yankees card.

Considering I landed this card in addition to a Stargell Archives relic, I'd say this repack box was a major success.

Ok, now I'm really, really ready for Allen & Ginter.  Speaking of A&G, if you have a blog and plan to open a box, enter Gint-a-Cuffs.  It's free.

Twenty Packs Plus a Hit - Part 10 of 11

Feel free to skip this post.  The next post is the hit.  Just come back tomorrow.

This is the update version of the first edition version of the 2008 Upper Deck set.  It shouldn't exist.  First Edition does everything wrong that Opening Day does right.

Upper Deck without foil is worse than Topps Flagship with foil.

One insert set.  And it blows.  So pointless it hurts.

That's it.  That's all there was.  Like I said, you should have skipped this post.

Twenty Packs Plus a Hit - Part 9 of 11

Opening Day is so much better than flagship.  It's really not even close.

Easily better than their foil counterparts.

Absolutely better than anything in flagship.

Blue rules.

This should be a flagship insert.

Opening Day Stars is easily the best insert set in all of the Topps OD, Flagship, Update series. every single year.

I don't understand Topps' philosophy at all with separating OD and flagship.  Outside of base cards, the things that made Topps card enjoyable back in the day were All-Stars, League Leaders, Record Breakers, Turn Back the Clock, etc.  Topps' didn't grow to success with reusing old designs and making them minis.  It wasn't on generic named inserts.  Topps' success came from a solid base set with subsets (or inserts) that were fun to get.

OD is a happier, funner set.  Not just for kids.  For all people.

Twenty Packs Plus a Hit - Part 8 of 11

So many words.

A proper repack box would be nothing without garbage vintage.

My guess is that he's chopping wood.  I guess we'll never know.  Who can afford to complete such an expensive puzzle set?

Ballplayers just aren't what they used to be.

Three Girardis in two packs.  Just what I wanted.

Second time I've pulled this card recently.  The other one was mint-er...allegedly.

Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame.

Twenty Packs Plus a Hit - Part 7 of 13 I Mean 11

Good news: I'm an idiot and started this multi-part series thinking I had 13 things to post.  Turns out I scanned 2013 Topps S1, S2, and Update packs together.  So, we're down to just 11 things.

Oh thank heaven for 7 of 11.

The running-out-of-the-dugout picture always looks great.  Anything with that part of the stadium shown is nice.  The same could be said about the Jay card as well.

Two years and two teams ago...

Spoiler alert...I didn't win $1,000,000.

Nothing to see here...just another Topps insert with potential that was ruined by foil.

Minis

 Yay, my red cards are from teams that look terrible on red cards. 

That's like putting Mayweather on a Topps of the Class card.

Twenty Packs Plus a Hit - Part 6 of 13

It wouldn't be a proper repack box without some flagship Topps.  In this box, there were three Mr. Halladays.

I didn't scan any of the vertical base cards because the horizontal ones blow them out of the water.

Unfortunately, the horizontal inserts are a pile of turdy poopoo.

And these look like they're being peed on.

Twenty Packs Plus a Hit - Part 5 of 13

2012 Archives retail.  The only thing better than the original is the remake with new players where the cardboard isn't the same and it's not actually better, or good in general.

Does that say "Butt" on his butt?

MMMmmm.  Who doesn't love strawberries?  Sprinkle on a little cocaine and you'll easily burn those calories.

So red.

Does Drimothy Mouse live in Trumbo's hat?  That's a complex joke right there.

These cards are wonderful.  I want them all.  Not really.  I don't want them all.  But they are wonderful.

Only one more card in this 8-card pack because it's thick.

Love that helmet so much.  Signature pretty sweet, too.  Gotta love picking up a bonus relic in a repack box from a retail pack!

I think I had these packs listed from most exciting to least exciting (before opening, of course).  That doesn't bode well for the next week.  At least the guaranteed Hit is at the end.

Twenty Packs Plus a Hit - Part 4 of 13

You are the Gypsy Queen, young and sweet, only seventeen 

Gypsy Queen, feel the beat from the tambourine 

You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life 

See that girl, watch that scene, digging the Gypsy Queen

Yeah, not really digging the Gypsy Queen.

I hate when a player's first initial + last name make a word, and Topps doesn't take advantage of it.  Ok, so maybe I don't hate it.  REally, this is the first time I've thought about it.  It would be funny if the card just said Chart.  Still not as funny as Apujols.

Weird pitcher face.

Weirder pitcher face.

Moustache pitcher face.  Winner winner chicken dinner where some of the chicken and probably some mashed potatoes get stuck in your moustache.

This card gets way better if you pretend he's dancing instead of pitching.

The dictionary definition of "underwhelming card":
 A card featuring a Tampa Bay Devil Ray in 2003.  See also 2012 Gypsy Queen Vance Worley Mini.


How can a base set be so bad while the inserts are so good?

Twenty Packs Plus a Hit - Part 3 of 13

2006 Upper Deck Ovation fills the Day 3 spot.

You gotta love these cards.  They spoon.

The Podfather's last game was on my 28th birthday.

In Vernon Wells' last game, he went 0-6.

Sweeney's last game was on my 26th birthday.

Bartolo Colon is still playing.  Like a boss.

David Wright's last game was on April 14.  I hope he gets back soon.

Now that I hit this card, I can consider the entire box a success.  I hit 1 PC card that I already had, but it is a success.

You might say I give this box an ovation.




Oh yeah, Happy July 4th.

Twenty Packs Plus a Hit - Part 2 of 13

Day 2 of my 20 Packs Plus a Hit box...

2013 Topps Archives Rack Pack.

Archives is always sometimes fun.

Top 3 cards in the first half...Yount, Perez, Killebrew.

Top 3 cards in the second half...Ripken, Gossage, Boggs.

Takeaway for Topps: Put old players on old cards and put new players on new cards.

Naturally, I took a break from Nolan Ryan and my Shoebox Cards, and ended up with a Nolan Ryan.  Fantastic card.

8+8+1=17.  Pack says 18.  I don't know if I was shorted, or forgot to scan, or just didn't care about the 18th card.  It was too long ago.

"No it wasn't... It was just a moment ago..." said Adele Invergordon