Keep Building

 On to pack number three from the Parkhurst hockey blaster!

No Leafs, but all new to me which should remain the trend, but let's see the inserts/rookie cards.

Philip was in Nashville until a trade early on in 2024-25 when he went to my second most favouritest team in the entire NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins. He seemed to find his place there through the year.

The Prominent Prospects come every three packs, so on par for getting a first one. Would love to see one with an autograph, but not likely given the odds. The effect looks so dark in scans, but much better in hand. As for Jake, he has almost 80 games from 2021-2024, but not sure if he'll be back up in the NHL this coming season, will have to see.

Backs With Parkhurst

 As we usually do here when opening a blaster, have to at least spend one pack looking at the back of the base cards and critiquing the design because....well, that's what we do!

I would be fine with the design if it wasn't for one thing that stands out - the typical complaints, which really count two items here. First, the stats  as always, full is much preferred. Second - why can't we get a different photo for the back, instead we just get the same shot as the front, just cropped on the face.

A less exciting insert/parallel in this pack with the silver border. These only fall one per four packs in blasters, so still a nice pull, though not the most dramatic of effects.

Tanner spent his time dibbling into the bigs with Philly until he was let go after 2022-23, though Vegas picked him up for a big handful of games in 2024-25.

A solid enough second pack....may that continue tomorrow!

2021-22 Parkhurst Hockey Blaster

 I know the title doesn't leave much to the imagination, but that's okay, hopefully the findings within the box will make up for it. I have two of these blasters which I picked up on clearance at Walmart a couple years ago, so enough to put the set on my list for slow set builds - so I have that going for it. I do already have an unopened pack in my collect, so I will get to open the entirety of the box. I do have a complete Leafs team base set already, but will need more if I am set building. With 280 cards and 50 on top of that which are rookie/short prints, not a huge set, but I may be over 50% when through the two if all goes well.

That is what the box and the pack look like - Crosby heavy which works for me!

First pack up though for today....

Nice to get a Leaf in the first pack! The design reminds me of a less nice looking MVP set - just more white to these. It's okay, but doesn't win any great awards from me on being a great design. Still, nice enough to collect with the clean look so, good start there.

Mattias has remained with Buffalo and played about half of each season with the club, so a solid rookie entry here.

The Parkie inserts look quite 70s inspired with the design. Not my thing, but they do stand out and look much better in hand than scanned. Spencer spent a few years in Florida backing up in net, and this past season with Chicago. THese Parkies fall one every 6 packs, so may get another in the blaster, will have to see.

Not too bad a first pack, let's see how things continue.

Cards From Chris

Hello and welcome back to another trade share, and this one with TCDB member chris_from_md who sent some Jays my way. I know, seems to be a theme, like I collect them or something. 

We have a fantastic start as 2000 Skybox gets to be completed with my 9th and final base set Jay with Vernon Wells. 

Osuna's 2013 Panini Elite Extra Edition card is the second of two Jays for me from that pure base set to knock that one off as well.

Keeping the trend, Jansen is the last of 6 Jays for the 2019 Bowman base set team for me.

Vladdy is the second of two Bowman 2024 Jay base cards....this trade is actually being quite amazing at how many team sets it's getting done for me, and I didn't even realize it when I accepted the trade.

Beltre is the last of four Jays for me for the 2023 Bowman Prospects insert set.

My flagship 2024 Topps Jays base set is now complete.

I still have a bit to go on the Chrome set, but these moved me along.

Definitely wasn't expecting such a successful trade - just always happy to get new Jays, but a big thanks for all the team set completions here - amazing!

Dupli-kite

Second half of the MTG repack from Dollarama, and now to see if we ended better than we started.

A Myr Quadropod keeper and a couple familiar faces from yesterday. No reason there should be dupes in each half of this repack.

I know I have seen Prized Griffen's a handful of times before, and just yesterday we had the Eyekite already.

Shed Weakness we had yesterday as well...

Oh, come on! You aren't even trying anymore with back to back Clays and ANOTHER Eyekite.

Hot Stuff coming through....I mean, Hot Soup....

Another Slime too. I mean, one or two cards, I can see happening, but this is too many dupes for just 100.

Well...the repack ends up about where I expected...near the bottom...

How about a trade share tomorrow as that will have more of what I am looking for.

Like Magic

 Like Magic, these packs at Dollarama could make $4 disappear, leaving little behind. Didn't stop me from buying them and (eventually) opening them, so here we go with another.

They all look the same on the outside, but hopefully not on the inside. Half today and half tomorrow...

Wow - surprised to see a card from Ice Age as that dates back 30 years now. Not a great card, but still a card.

The Custodian dead centre is s keeper for the artifact collection, so a nice start all around.

Sometimes I wish I had a Raptor Companion...

Really nice artwork as always but I especially like War Screecher.

I have had enough from these repacks, I don't need any more Primal Clay and that may be my 10th Queen of Ice. At least it's not an Eyekite

Well, guess I had that coming to me.

Well, a good end with another artifact keeper, but a pretty flat first half to the package.

Ending With An Opening Day

 Can't complain about a blaster which includes 22 packs I guess. These days anything more than a handful seems like a full blaster. Opening Day is a "low end" product in the grand scheme of things, but definitely doesn't feel like it, it's really just a lack of big "hits" which makes it that way.

Another mid-card mascot as far as I am concerned - there are a few low end, high end stars for mascots and plenty in the middle as "the rest". 

Fitting the ending pack closes out with an Opening Day insert. A nice angle of getting out into the field and the crowd/scene ahead.

The real question now is, where did the blaster get me....base set about 60% done, a number of Jays base and insert cards, scoring below fees about right too.

Definitely highlighted by the Opening Day parallel Bichette card, but plenty of good about it and one of the better openings this year.

Keep Coming

 A not so hard, hard decision comes with the first pack of 3022 Topps Opening Day baseball today...

As I already have a Jays Triple Play card in my collection, should I break this one up? I know I can't - just not going to happen. It's like cards with the protective film. Unless the film is a disaster for some reason, I wouldn't be the one to remove it. I mean, it would have to be as dirty as Acuna's uniform above to even do that.

The rest of the base today get me to the half way point on the base set - real question for later will be how much overlap I have when opening the second blaster I have, down the road.

Blue Number Two

 Opening Day's Opening Day parallel we have seen once already in this blaster with that great Bichette card, and we get a second today.

May not be as nice but getting two in the blaster is a great get given they are every 19 packs, so I should just have the one.

Add in another Bomb Squad insert and it's a winner of a pack.

Another Jay card with Manoah and I wouldn't be surprised if I get all the base Jays in this blaster the way it's going which is pretty neat.

Fish For Monsters

 Getting down to the last handful of packs or so after today with the 2022 Topps Opening Day baseball blaster. Including the cards below, the base set stands at 91 of 220 - so getting close to that 50% mark, but let's see what else we lure in with these packs...

Burger trying to slide away, but we fish another Bomb Squad card with Mike Trouot - can't go wrong with that. Seeing more "normal" packs here, I think the hits have been heavy to the earlier packs, just the way things fall out with luck being what it is.

Wally is a great named mascot. Boston of course known for the green monster wall in left field, how can you choose any other name for the mascot than Wally? Some things are just easy to do! It doesn't always work though I guess given the Jays mascot has changed over the years - we no longer have BJ Birdy....BJ obviously being short for Blue Jay, but I guess it doesn't necessarily go well for marketing purposes.

Why Does That Count?

 Let's do it - another two packs of 2022 Topps Opening Day baseball cards...

Well - A-Rod is definitely a polarizing figure. Regardless, the Bomb Squad is fitting, but how he did it and whether you agree with it, that's another matter. Appreciate the add to the insert collection though, even if I am not one of those that really likes the guy.

I much prefer Betts as far as Bomb Squad cards go, but my real question is the Topps Home Run advertisement card.

I don't mind these being inserted in packs, and I guess I will count it as an "insert", but I don't like that it actually counts as a card in this pack. I mean, it's more advertisement than card - why not treat it as an extra? Never been a fan of replacing actual card slots with ads like this, and feel a bit cheated by it, but that's not going to change anything unfortunately.

Ohtani Hot Pack(s)

 Well, I didn't get both of the Ohtani cards in the same pack, but having two packs, each with an Ohtani card, makes for a solid day I think.

First pack provides me with the Bomb Squad insert. Natural as he is one of the big hitters in baseball today, so definitely fits into the theme. We get the benefit of another Jays base care with Jose here, so a solid pick up there too.

Second pack provides the base card Ohtani - card number 1 in the set as I mentioned yesterday. Always nice to get him out of the way rather than trying to have to trade for him - there are plenty of cards but plenty of Ohtani collectors too.

We end with one of the scariest looking mascots in baseball. The Friar looks like an oversized Lord Farquaad from Shrek - and not in a good way. Actually, I'm not sure if there is a "good way". Still - mascots are fun, even if nightmare fuel.....like clowns.

Continued Goodness

 This blaster of 2022 Topps Opening Day baseball has been solid so far, especially being a Jays fan, and I get to knock off another Jays base dupe need today, along with a bunch of other new for me cards.

Well, if you are going to get a Triple Play insert card, the Yankees are about as good a team to get as you can. Now, how many people go the route of actually separating these into three different cards? No way I am doing it, but I would say that for my own Jays collection, I'd love to have both - one not separated, and a set of the three cards separated.

What we won't see separated is Vladdy from Toronto. A nice pick up for card number 220 in the base set (Ohtani was number one - go figure). I like how they don't even bother showing a crown for the Marlins Opening Day insert which is likely a reflection on the size of the crowd that showed up for the game that day - unfortunate, but true.

Not too much more I can hope for in this blaster as a Jays fan. Maybe a couple more base cards to round things out, but it's been solid and we are only about half way through.

Horsing Around

 More 2022 Topps Opening Day baseball packs today, and let's take a look at the backs since I haven't shown them off yet, though they are very much standard Topps.

If there is one thing Topps does right on the main sets, it's full stats for players on the backs. Basic info like date of birth, height, etc and full stats. It's not hard but so many sets just don't do it, or don't do it right, so I love this.

Just like I love the mascot card, though he might be looking a little long in the tooth as it were. Not one of my favourite mascots, but passable.

Second pack and we get a bomber for the Bomb Squad with Hammerin' Hank - awesome. Also get another Jay base card dupe which is great and helps the set build for sure. As usual, but cutting the set to just 220 cards instead of 700-800 - you get more stars or rookies in the shortened listing, and it shows. Makes for an exciting pack opening, but not necessarily for a historical look at the full team and year.

Different products for different people though, so I can understand that differing between sets.

Junior Shows

 2022 Topps Opening Day packs continue and the good luck from yesterday continues for the Jays content...

The Bomb Squad inserts fall every three packs and I had traded to get  thus Vladdy card already, but thrilled to pull one here too. A nice Miguel card too doesn't hurt.

Second pack brings another mascot card which is a nice insert and another new to me. I love the name too - very fitting and appropriate.

I'd take Clayton as the star of the bunch but edge to the first pack. Another good two packs though with no dupes.

A Bo-rthday Present

 Today I turn 45....just a number though as I either feel 25 or 65 depending on what I am doing or the time of day. I guess 45 kind of averages it off.

Let's see if the card Gods are kind to me accordingly.

Well, I'd say so. The odds of an Opening Day parallel are one every 19 packs. If you want to take it to a Jays team level, there is a Jays card every 597 packs so pretty sweet pull today and as I said, of my fave Jays base card in the set (odds to pull it specifically would be about one every 4,200 packs.

The second pack didn't really have a chance to be better than the first given the awesome Bo - no offense to Mrs. Met.

I do enjoy the mascot cards though, so hope we can get another handful through the rest of the packs.

2022 Topps Opening Day Baseball Blaster

Before opening this box - it's a 220 card base set. The only cards I have, which are from trades, is the base set of Jays - so that is all of 7 cards, and I will need duplicates to work on the set build, which I plan to do.

\First, a look at the blaster box - I do have a second for later and with two, the math says I might be okay on getting most of this set... 

22 packs jammed in, so even with 7 cards a pack, and let's assume 5 base cards minimum, that's 110 base cards in one blaster. Assuming no collation issues, that's half the base set in one blaster, and assuming fair distribution on another, chance to be about 75% done on a base set in two blasters. Sounds good to me!

As usual with Opening Day products, there are some interest long odd hits, but a few nice and fairly easy insert sets to be had as well. Personal favourite is the mascots, so hope we get a good bunch of them.

As for the packs...

We will shove one aside for the unopened pack collection - overall, that is pack number 915 across all my packs collection, number 273 for just baseball.

All that being shared and said, let's open one pack today to get a taste...

A more timid design than what we saw in the late 2010s, and even a bit down from 2021, but I like it.

A great first pack with a nice Triple Play inset card which fall every 8 packs, and probably my favourite base card Jay from the bunch with a sprawled out Bichette in Canada Day (well, alternate jersey) red.

As for the base, a couple rookie cards and a couple future stars - about as good as a first pack can get. Excited to see what we get through the rest of these.

A Trade With A Parson

 That trade would be with TCDB member RPArsons17 to be exact. He was looking for a few cards including a 2020 Topps Baseball card day Trout and 2019 Ohtani flagship card as well as others, but was very generous with what he sent back my way.

Yeah, it's almost all Troy related, and that's not a bad thing!

First up though is a print run of a mere 20,000 and Olerud from 1993 Pinnacle Home Run Club. I have to say, it's a really good looking card still 30+ years later.

The Perspectives inserts are for both the flagship set and Chrome, and are both single Jays entries, so two team sets out of the way. The Bubble Trouble from Opening Day is the same so that's three Jays team sets as it were, but one more...

2017 Topps Holiday base set is done with that Tulo, and we also get a SN to 199 Marcus and a nice auto as well.

Mason has had a decent start in the majors for the Jays this season so at least it's someone who has cracked the majors - and has a nice looking autograph too.

Very much appreciate the trade as a wide variety of sets and cards, even if not a wide variety in Jays - but that's all good - I went from 40 different Tulo cards to 51 in just this trade!