Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Is it a Championship or a basement dweller?

First up, it looks like the Leafs are trying hard to work for a Championship. A number of blue line changes with the start of free agency, so the team will look different in that regard. Of all of it - sad to see Kadri leave. He may not have been the marquee player on the team, but was a solid cog in the machine. Can understand the blue line need though.



For about $10 Canadian, plus tax, these have been available at Walmart. I figured for $10, I couldn't go too wrong wince you do get exactly what they advertise - 3 packs, plus 2 Triple Play. I appreciate the product for not trying to say 5 packs of cards, and even itself, knowing Triple Play is base enough, we need to separately account for it.

Best case, I may get an unopened pack for the collect, worst case, I get a silly SN Beckett promo card, and some duplicate Triple Play cards.

Just for fun, and to see if this stacks up as meh as I expect against other boxes I have opened, let's try this scoring thing....

Base card - 1 point (yes, all cards get a point)
Base card need - 2 points
Base variation card - 20 points
Base card Toronto card - 5 points
Base variation Toronto card - 50 points
Insert Card bonus - points based on odds - if 1 in 4 - worth 4 points, double if a Toronto card

Instead of dragging this one out though, let's just go through it all today.

First up, the promo card...



The centering is so bad, I wish it was just completely misprinted and half/half or something. Was going to keep it anyway, may as well have gone into the error binder, but instead here, we just end up with an SN/insert binder card.

Since you get one per box (5 packs, scoring is easy enough).

1 card, 5 points.

Oh, but honestly the best part...



It came in a snap down single card holder. Full marks for doing this and atleast protecting the card instead of throwing it in loosely in a penny sleeve and having it damaged.

As for the packs...



About what I expected. I don't mind the Honus Bonus stuff yet. At least the cards use actual people pictures instead of kid drawings like Triple Play. Also don't mind the Base Ruth set, and one "real" pack with the 2017 Topps Series 1. No adds to the unopened pack collection though unfortunately.

So - let's open from least interesting to most...

2012 Triple Play



Four base needs, the batter tattoo insert, and a couple dupes. I have 64 of the 300 base cards, all coming out of these types of repacks. Not a set I am after in any way, but as I enjoy these types of repacks, I may get there some day.

1 pack, 8 cards, 17 points.

2013 Triple Play



Well, at least these are all new to me. Honestly, for what these are, the one thing I wouldn't totally mind collecting are the All Star insert cards. Simple design, but works with the cartoony pictures.

2 packs, 15 cards, 39 points

2017 Honus Bonus Fantasy Baseball



Not a bad pack - though I have to say, 500 cards is a big set for something like this. I get it for the fantasy baseball aspect of trying to have most everyone you would want to or need to pick and play with, but that is a solid size set.

A couple nice cards like Ichiro and Abreu, and all needed - well, all new to me at least.

3 packs, 23 cards, 55 points

2016 Leaf Babe Ruth



I like the set. At 80 cards, with two 10 card insert sets, all about the Babe, it is a neat little set. The colouring to fit his era works, and the full card picture sans border does well. Some of the subject material might be a bit of a stretch - I get that it is likely due to a lack of licensing.

4 packs, 28 cards, 64 points

2017 Topps Series 1




I can't find the odds for the rediscover inserts of which the Clemente is one, but since I really like the card, I'm going to give it a generous 10 - also because I don't think that will save this box anyway.

At least it is all new cards for me - though that as a trend is going to probably mean less when I get to dwindling the collection later this year (though as time goes on, that appears like it may head towards being a 2020 thing).

5 packs,  41 cards, 104 points


2019 Box Scores
1) 2016 Topps WWE Then Now Forever Blaster 2 8.0000
2) 2015-16 Upper Deck Champs Box 7.7130
3) 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter Blaster 5.1220
4) 2015-16 Upper Deck Portfolio Box 3.6067
5) 2017 Topps Allen & Ginter Blaster 3.3333
6) 2016 Topps WWE Road To Wrestlemania Blaster 1 3.2222
7) 2017 Topps WWE Blaster 1 3.1905
8) 2017 Topps WWE Blaster 2 3.1389
9) 2015 Topps WWE Heritage Blaster 1 3.1296
10) 2017 Topps Update Baseball Blaster 3.1000
11\) 2016 Topps WWE Blaster 1 3.0952
12) 2016 Topps WWE Then Now Forever Blaster 1 3.0317
13 2016 Topps Series 2 Baseball Blaster 2.9700
14) 2016 Topps WWE Road To Wrestlemania Blaster 2 2.8194
15) 2015 Topps WWE Heritage Blaster 2 2.6923
16) Championship Collection Box 1 2.5366
17) 2016 Topps WWE Blaster 2 2.2917

Wow - it actually beat something. Granted, it was a dupe heavy wrestling blaster, but at least it isn't last - though it was more expensive that that blaster it beat...

3 comments:

  1. The Beckett promo card is cool. Shame it was off-centered. Triple Play and Honus Bonus is this generation's Junk Wax ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't really mind the Beckett promo cards, but would rather have a real "hit". Triple Play - yeah, it is junk, but may be an easy way to get kids involved...maybe...

      Delete
    2. I'm 100% for getting more kids into our hobby... so if it's working... I'm 100% for those two products.

      Delete