Not Going Well

 I guess I shouldn't have complained about duplicates since today fot worse...

In this first pack, at least the top two base cards were new to me...but that's it, and for the bottom pack...

Only the Zegras rookie card is new to me, and yes, it's the rose gold parallel. Wait - scratch the complaining because that's a pretty solid hit. I mean, I like the goal of collecting the base set, but if you are going to get a rookie parallel Zegras is about as good as you are going to get for this product, so pretty sweet consolation prize on these ones.

Two more packs to go, and it's about the same make up as the first box. Maybe we can see something other than a rose gold parallel.

Boo To Dupes

 Two more packs of 2021-22 Upper Deck Artifacts today, and one would have hoped I'd be able to avoid getting base dupes in this box since it's only the second blaster box I'm opening, but I don't always have the best of luck on these things.

Well - if I was an Isles fan, this would be a great pack...but I am not. At least they were new to me base cards as the Suzuki and Tolvanen were duplicates.

A reminder of what the backs of the cards look like, which are fine and well in the grand scheme of things.

Unfortunately, a repeat of the first pack, top two are base needs, new for me rose gold parallel, and the bottom two cards are dupes I didn't need.

Not to complain too much I guess though as it likely means, I can trade them for other base cards from the same set, but that does mean stamps I wouldn't have to use if I just got what I needed in the packs...ah well....better luck tomorrow I hope.

A Second Box

 As it says, going to share through a second blaster box of the three I have with hopes of at least getting all new base cards and maybe an interesting insert or two...

No need for keeping an unopened pack since I did with the last box, so maybe we get something neat in the bunch, though nothing out of the usual in feeling the unopened packs, but that doesn't mean anything...

Today, first pack and first five cards.

A positive first pack with all new base additions and a new rose gold parallel. Still liking the design, though the price for 35 cards in a box is only manageable because it was on sale when I purchased so I paid less than $15 including tax instead of about $25.

More packs tomorrow and hopefully more new for me!

Dan Is The Man

Well, a great little trade that I initiated over a recent box opening and lack of a certain card with TCDB member Dantheman.

A few Smackdown Live set cards out of 2019 which were just to even up the trade and make it worthwhile overall. It's a set I am working on, but here is one I am now done...

Finally The Rock base card I was missing. This finishes off the 2017 Topps WWE base set - Yay!

Really appreciate Dan making the trade with me - could have saved $25 and done the trade instead of buying that last box, but either way - all done now!

Trade With Mattasmathias

Was able to make a nice trade with about 90 cards going to, and 90 cards coming from Finland in this trade, and all hockey coming here.

Still some early 90s cards I need for the Leaf collection including the French language 1991-92 Parkhurst Manderville.

A number of Leaf sets get completed too including the Topps Premier one with Foligno being my final need there.

A bunch of Special Edition Parkhurst cards, but the Domi is my fave of these nine.

There are a few set helper cards in the bunch, that's why Linden appears here.

All the Leaf favorites here. As it stands, Sundin is the top represented in my collection with 466 cards. Clark, Gilmour and Potvin are the only others over 200 cards, and none are above 300 yet.

Getting into the Pacific years, plenty of help on sets but none quite completed there.

The Gary Robert Bowman looks as dark in person - not a great presentation for the card. Now, Ultra gold parallels - you aren't going to ever miss!

The Score cards are all glossy versions which doesn't come through in the scans, but that's okay.

We end eith a Reilly on a really great trade. I may do less trades in number, but if I can focus on trades like this, they would still be fantastic!

The Trade That wax_house Built

 Another TCDB trade to share, this one with user wax_house. This trade went fine, but for the first time in 10 years, I have had a couple recent trades go awry, but to no fault of myself or the trade partner. I had one envelope from me to the recipient, go missing. I just sent other needs instead and was easily settled. I also had an envelope I sent got mauled by the US mail system. Again, it was easily resolved and the recipient got the mail in one of those US mail "sorry we messed it up" envelopes, so again, not ideal, but resolved. I also had one international package received with a couple bangs, but nothing that ruined the trade or cards, but more beat up than a package really should be.

I am probably going to reduce my trading a little bit to see if this is the new norm and try and just focus on bigger trades where boxes are going each way. It's more economical anyway.

That all said - on to some cards!

In one swoop, I get 6 of the 7 Leaf cards from 1996-97 Playoff One on One Challenge set. The couple Topps cards in the bottom row have the nice text showing why these are Leaf cards, and THomas brings another team set to a single need remaining. I should really do a hunt for some of these "one card left" Leaf base sets, but I am not there yet.

As you can see, the bulk of the trade helped on a set build with 2001-02 Upper Deck Victory which is now down to about 32 cards left on the 440 card set - not too shabby and most of the way from that first box of cards I picked up for this set.

Big thanks again to wax_house, as well as everyone else I have been able to trade with over the years...where ever they are in the world (hint - overseas trade share tomorrow).

A Trade With nsgarcia32

Just like it says, today is a share of a trade I made with TCDB member nsgarcia32 which included a few Bruins cards I won't share, and some amazing Leaf cards which left me feeling it was quite one sided in my favour. 

A lot to unpack here, but I love the Marner patch as he's one of my top guys all time with the Leafs. The couple YoungGuns cards are great as I may actually get to completing the Leaf base card team set having these now. The Allure magenta looks flashy with the design, and the first "singles Day Winter" card I have seen, let alone have with Tavares.

All great cards, but still...a couple team set completions...

Sure, they are small with the one and done and only two Leaf cards in the 2023-24 UD National Hockey Card Day base set, but I'll take them! Nice enough designs, and Auston and Doug make for a great two card Leaf set!

Another trade or two for sharing the next couple days, but if the rest are anything like this, that would be amazing!

A Solid Ending

Last pack and a solid ending - I might consider buying another box if the price is decent. 

The retro frames are such a great insert set for the artifacts, and to get a rare and foil artifact in the last pack, couldn't really complain on make up of the pack, but let's see how the box did as a whole...

I fully support that outcome. There may not have been a massive big dollar card, but there were so many keepers, that it for sure was a highlight opening for me so far this year. As I say, might need to pick up another to see if I can continue to fill some holes, or maybe check some of the singles to fill in some more.

Back to Back

 With these gift box packs, I don't think there is as much planned packaging as there is in sports products these days.

With sports, you can get no dupes in a 90 card blaster with say 9 packs, with MTG, there are dupes, especially in the commons but since you can play 4 of any card in your deck, that may be the reason why.

The Mateix card above came in the pack yesterday, but all good, and it brought friends!

Another art card keepers and dupe Mask, makes for another well rounded, for me, pack.

Continuing The Roll

 As I have said, for collecting artifact cards, this Brothers' War Gift Box has been great, and continues to be.

The art card is another showing an artifact, so is a keeper, but is also the gold signature parallel. Now, if these were actually signed instead of using a fascimilie signature, they would be pretty darn amazing, but here, it's like an MVP hockey script like card, not a big deal really, just slightly different.

So does the Coastal wall...I mean "defender". 

Another three artifact keepers, and even a land one too as Blast Zone provides colorless mana, which I count and collect as well. The one modification I would have made to Blast Zone is instead of being only cards os equal mana value destroyed, making it equal or lesser than.

Still a pretty good card, and another great pack.

It's Like Multiple Hits Per Pack

 With all of the artifact cards in these packs, it's like getting multiple hits every time - hopefully that continues.

May be a twenty five cent common, but that's one artifact...and a shiny mountain is a nice change from the basic ones that have been showing up so far.

Wow - maybe no $30 cards, but we get a retro frame uncommon artifact, retro frame schematic artwork rare, and the foil card is another artifact rare card too. Plus another different back Powerstone token card. This keeps up, and this will definitely be one of the top openings of the year for me.

Continuing Success

 I have to say, this gift box/bundle may be one of the better Magic purchases I have made as the Artifact cards continue to roll in...

With there just being 12 cards in a pack, well, plus two others with the token slot and an art card), getting four keeper cards in a pack is amazing!

I have talked about the retro frame artifacts before, but I do really love those and they look so great. Not sure how much use I would have of any of these cards in a deck, but that isn't really the point.

I remember when pulling a Planeswalker card was extremely rare and they were top end cards, now there are so many, they have their place but many are only a buck or two like this one here.

I do like the art card here, but it's from a white card and not an artifact, so not a keeper. Similarly, nice foil card, but not one for my collection.

The last card is for purposes of having the Magic normal back of the card visible in case you have a double sided card, so it doesn't stick out when using clear card protectors with your deck. Would think it's still a problem if you keep it in the sleeve at the same time since it would double the size of that "card" and be more obvious, but I don't play to be able to advise if that really happens or matters.

Why I Bought This

Getting into a second pack of Brothers' War from the Gift Bundle I bought a couple years ago, this is why I bought them. With the high level of artifact cards in a pack, the retro inserts, just definitely fun being able to get multiple cards in a pack instead of just one, if I am lucky. We start with the not so keeper ones... 

I am not big into the "lore" and stories behind Magic The Gathering, so do not pretend to know the history or story arcs of the different characters, but I know Urza is an important figure in relation to artifact cards, so a shame it's a blue card here, but so be it.

The rare in this pack, Harbin, isn't a big deal and is a half dollar card now. Actually, the obliterating bolt card goes for $1.50 in this nice foil pattern.

We do have three more keepers, even if combined, they would have only cost about a dollar. Another (different back) Powerstone token, a Sigil of Valor for my second such card, and second Depth-Charge Colossus. I love my big baddie artifact cards and Depth-Charge fits in there just right. I'd still prefer the Colossus of Sardia who is trample but pays 9 to untap since this one doesn't have trample (trample damage can get through even when a creature is blocked, versus non-trample means no damage gets through even if the defense of a blocker is only say 1).

Another win of a pack though - here's hoping for another tomorrow!

Hopefully A War I Can Win

 Today, I finally am going to open the packs I picked up in my 2022 Gift Bundle of The Brothers' War MTG box. I am not going to count the loose cards which came in the bundle because there was a bunch of land and a couple other cards, just going to count the 9 packs when considering how this box went. I am not opening the one collector booster, nor one of the set booster, though will value those when considering how this box was. Left will be opening the 7 set booster packs.

Why I spent the $60 or so dollars on this gift bundle was because the price of the collector booster at the time was about half that, and getting 8 set boosters for about $4 each when there are a number of artifact cards I don't want to spend $15 or more on each to get, I liked the chances of getting something solid to keep/collect. As it stands now, a couple years out, there are about 40 different cards between foil and non-foil artifacts I could get in these packs, which are at or over the $15 price, so really, just hitting any one of those and get a few other keepers would be a solid succuss.

Well, let's start with the first pack...

I am not sure if I should consider the art cards, but I guess if I keep them because they are from Artifact cards, I guess they should count, so boom - one right off the bat. ALso score with the token being a keeper. THe tokens have different backs as well, so this one was actually totally new for me as well.

I already had a Clay Revenant from the slew of singles I purchased, but still another keeper. As for the "hits" in the pack...

The Swiftfoot Boots card would cost me about $3.50 to buy now. The Transformers cards fall in 10% of backs, so this may be the only one I get, and it's okay - goes for about $5, btu not a card I am keeping. The other rare and foil black cards are $1-$2 cards, so nothing too significant, but when you consider the cost for the pack was about $4 - that's a pretty awesome little pack!

Surprise!

 I think these packs are now two iterations ago as the packaging here was after they had cardboard boxes, but before these bags were changed in design, and then changed again to a $3 stamped orange bag, but here we are...

I am sure we may be surprised, but sometimes, it's a surprise of how you didn't get very much for $2.

Not a bad start - I don't mind getting the card holders of any kind as they can get some use eventually. As for the 2010 pack, getting a Leaf card, even a dupe, is a great add from these given there are usually only 10-30 cards depending on the packs inside.

Winner from the 90s cards is actually the earliest of the bunch - the 1989-90 O Pee Chee Malarchuk as I needed that one, but no others.

One keeper here as well as the Helm card was the one I needed for another slow set build.

About par for the expectation with #11 above. These can do well if I get one of the original six packs for the Leafs or other surprises. Still a fun opening, but not a homerun at all.

No Grinch Here

 Today (for my birthday), we have a quick share of a trade. If I get anything card related, I will let you know in the next day or two, but just a trade for share right now.

These came from TCDB user imthegrinch. I will say this is one of a few recent trades that I had mailing issues with in getting their side to them. This one, the US mail destroyed which is the first PWE out of about 500 that I have had that happen to. I have heard a number of recent stories about this becoming a problem, and I am tempted to slow down or stop trading at the moment to see if this eases back a bit, or if it will be come the new "normal".

In my side, we have a Topps Gold baseball card, a couple Jays, some wrestling content and a minor league card for added fun (which I will pass along similarly).

Oh, and a dog tag of Evan Boourne, can't forget that. Have to figure out how I am keeping it, but a neat pick up, and nice all around PWE for sharing today. Many thanks!