2 Blasters of 2007 Topps Turkey Red

I came across some discounted 2007 Topps Turkey Red blasters at K-Mart.  After carrying one around for a while, I had to go back and grab another.  Looking at the odds, Chrome parallels were 1:15 packs, so two blasters of 8 packs each should get me one.  I hadn't ever seen a chrome Turkey Red for some reason, so I really wanted to get one. 

Here's the breakdown of what I got. 

Base cards: 107/186 (including 3 SPs) (58%) (Non-SP base: 104/151 or 69%) (that's a lot of parenthesis)

The SPs:


Outside of the Mantle SP, the Pence RC SP is probably the best card to pull.


Some of the notable rookies:


Daisuke hasn't exactly panned out, but those other two would make the base for a pretty damn good team.


Checklists: 7/11

I love these checklists.  I like that they're a part of the set but feature unique situations. 
It doesn't hurt that they are all horizontal, either.

Mickey Mantles: 4/7 (didn't get the Mantle SP)

2007 was the pinnacle of Topps' Mantlemania.  These cards are pretty sharp, though.

As for players I collect, I got all four from the set:

I already had all these, but I like them anyway.

I also got one Ad Back SP:

I could have done without the Ad Back SPs.  The 35 regular SPs were bad enough to begin with.

I beat the odds (1:24) for an A-Rod Road to 500 card. 

Really Topps? A-Rod? Of all the people to choose who have gotten to 500, you choose A-Rod?  Ok, so he's maybe a better choice than Rafael Palmeiro...but that's about it.  I would have been happier with another Mike Cameron base card than this thing.  Of course, once A-Rod hits 600, we have to do it again, right?  Oh wait, that already happened? What gives, Topps? Where's the commemorative 600-hr set that would be impossible to complete?  What happens when he hits 700? Do we get a bonus set where for $9.99, two Triple Threads wrappers, a Topps Tribute UPC, a stick of petrified bubble gum and $15.99 S&H we can get the next 198 cards? Why 198? Because #600 and #700 are super short printed, of course. Yay, I got lucky #308, a first inning homerun with no one on off a no name pitcher.  Let's commemorate that bad boy with an insert card that has a very oddly selected color change for the ones digit and the UEZ of his last name. But hey, I beat the odds, right?

I also got a President as expected (1:12)

I'm a little out of breath from that last caption.  I like the presidents set.

The saving grace of the box...I got a chrome card. AND IT'S A REFRACTOR!!!

#413/999.  1:32 Packs

Mmmrhubarb, it's yours if you want it.  It's got a slight mark on the mound to the left of his shoes (it looks almost like a crack in the chrome, if that makes any sense).  Other than that, it is an awesome card.  The rainbow refraction makes it almost look 3-D.  

All in all, I'm pretty happy with those two discounted blasters.  I briefly considered chasing the set, but then I remembered that it has 35 SPs that are numbered sporadically in the base set.  Not happening.  Everything is for trade.