Different...or Not...

In case you missed it, starting yesterday, stamp prices in Canada jumped. Rates are up about 7-10 cents depending on the weight/size for regular mail (PWEs I do anyway). I sent out about 15-20 PIF envelopes in advance to move some cards and hopefully bring some smiles.

Last day of packs from the blaster box, so hopefully some smiles for me and odds are looking better for something good since I just keep getting rose gold parallels for my inserts.

Pack 5:

Um...on the good side, I need base cards so we keep the streak of all new to me additions but....no insert. Is it sad that these days, the expectation is you get some type of insert or parallel in every single pack? Remember when it would be rare and amazing to get an insert? I'm not really complaining, but more so noting that the expectation now in opening packs seems so much more than it was before. Before, it was just the assumption growing up that you would just get base cards, but would you get your guy, or someone from your team, or a neat rookie or star - not worrying about which of the 45 parallel colours would you end up with.

Pack 6:

For a second I thought Panarin was a different insert, but it's just that the background colour is different on some of the rose gold parallels. Close I guess. Overall, a pretty flat blaster - no real surprises or "big hits", but at the same time, a successful and positive box with all of the cards being new to me and keepers. The end result - a solid though not overly impressive score, and just ahead of the Walmart box I opened about a week ago. So far in my openings for 2024...