Archive for the Box / Pack Break Category

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Putting the “loaded” Topps Value Box theory to the test

Posted in Box / Pack Break with tags , , , on January 28, 2012 by Cardboard Icons

There’s been a fair amount of recent buzz surrounding the Topps Value Boxes, which have been on Target and WalMart shelves for months.  The chatter lately has been about the boxes possibly being loaded.

There have been reports of big name superfractors coming from the Bowman Chrome hobby packs embedded within these boxes.  This news has sent some people to store shelves searching for these packages.

Beckett.com recently had a piece by Chris Olds, who stated in the piece that he purchased 10 of the value boxes and pulled two autographs.

Long before this buzz I purchased a few of these and mine were hit and miss.  Nothing major, but each of my Chrome packs had an insert or parallel.

But the recent talk sent me back into stores to see if there has been a new stock of these supposedly “loaded” boxes.  I found five of them.

I actually recorded my break using my iPhone, but my video was 17 minutes, which is too long to host on YouTube.  So I’ll spare you the time and show you what came from the boxes, specifically the Bowman Chrome packs.  Definitely had some interesting pulls, beating the odds with some refractors.

2011 Bowman Chrome Refractor Nathan Eovaldi /500

2011 Bowman Chrome Blue Refractor Jean Segura /150

2011 Bowman Chrome Orange Refractor Jordan Swagerty /25

None of these is going to get someone to break the bank and make me a rich collector, but there is no arguing when you actually pull some colored refractors from just a few packs.

But do these pulls mean that these Value Boxes are loaded?

Not sure I’d say that.  I mean I definitely beat the odds, but I have opened and seen my fair share of duds.  Surely you have as well.

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Video Break: 2011 Topps Chrome Football Blaster

Posted in Box / Pack Break with tags , , , , , , , , , on October 26, 2011 by Cardboard Icons

Needed a few more things from Walmart so I had to make a quick trip. Lo and behold they got the new 2011 Topps Chrome football blasters in this morning.  This almost never happens here in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Usually we get them a week after they start hitting retail shelves on the east coast. Anyway, I broke my blaster on video. Shiny stuff inside.

Enjoy.

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Video Break: 2011 Topps Update / Bowman Chrome Walmart Value Box

Posted in Box / Pack Break with tags , , , , , , on October 26, 2011 by Cardboard Icons

Had to make a run to Walmart on Tuesday to get my oil change.  While waiting I  ventured over to the card aisle and discovered the return of the Walmart Value Box.  Here we get 5 2011 Topps Update, 1 Bowman Chrome HOBBY pack, a Topps Diamond Giveaway Code and a special Bryce Harper “Bowman Chrome” refractor for $14.99.  I bought one and did something I rarely do … I broke it on video.

Enjoy.

2011 Topps Hope Diamond Rod Barajas /60

The two codes yielded a 1981 Dave Stieb and a 1981 Dave Petry.  Three hours later the Petry was traded on the Diamond Giveaway site for a 1976 Dan Meyer, 1980 Jim Mason, 1983 Fred Lynn and 1983 League Leaders card w/ Lamaar Hoyt and Steve Carlton.

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2011 Bowman Chrome retail results (Bryce Galore)

Posted in Box / Pack Break with tags , , , , , , , , , , on October 19, 2011 by Cardboard Icons

I had the good fortune of getting to a Target on Wednesday just minutes after the vendor stocked the shelves with new items, including 2011 Bowman Chrome baseball.  I tell you, it’s a wonderful feeling to walk through the doors and see from about 100 feet away the sight of new packs.

So I dove in.

I bought a blaster and a few of the Value Pack Rack Packs.

The basics:  The blaster offers eight packs for $19.99 while each Value Pack offers three basic retail packs (same odds as loosies and in blasters) and a single pack of three green xfractors for $8.99.

What’s great about all of these packs is they offer a shot at the same cards that are in hobby packs, save for the superfractors.  This means the basic chrome prospect autos are available in retail packs.  Someone is going to pull a Harper Chrome Auto out of a pack at Target, or WalMart, or Kroger, or whatever. Awesome, right?

One problem:  Autographs fall one in 77 packs. They are one per box (18 packs) in hobby.

Anyway, the price points are obviously a lot more palatable than that of the hobby prices, which I imagine are eclipsing the $5 per pack point in some places.

Anyway, here are the better cards I pulled in my packs.  And yes, I actually hit an auto.

Did you know Bryce Harper is in this product?!

Calm down, I said that facetiously.

I got Bryce from the Past:

(And yes, it is dead center on both sides)

2001 Bowman Throwbacks

Bryce from the Present:

2011 Bowman Chrome Prospect

And Bryce from the Future:

2011 Bowman Chrome 2021 Bowman Chrome Future

Always nice at this point to see Bryce Harper in my packs.  Too bad none of them were covered in ink. That said, I did manage to pull this auto:

2011 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autograph Starling Marte

I know I showed off my Bryce Harper 2001 Bowman Chrome throwback above, but I also puled these two:

2011 Bowman Chrome 2001 Throwbacks Brett Lawrie

2011 Bowman Chrome 2001 Bowman Chrome Reprint Ichiro rookie

The Ichiro is the Japanese version.

But perhaps the nicest card of all came from one of my retail exclusive packs:

2011 Bowman Chrome Prospects Green Xfractor Brett Lawrie

Dead center.  No print lines. No scratches. Just beautiful.

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Bowman Chrome and Elite Extra break w/ “Terrific” hit

Posted in Box / Pack Break with tags , , , , , , , on November 4, 2010 by Cardboard Icons

After attending Wednesday’s San Francisco Giants parade, I decided to stop by my local card shop for a few Bowman Chrome packs. What I walked out with was four of those and a pair of Donruss Elite Extra Edition packs. Figured I was having such a good day, maybe the vibe would carry over … and it did.

Out of the two Elite packs, I pulled this sweet “Terrific” Tom Seaver Private Signings ball leather card serial numbered to 10 copies. In a different time, I would keep the card for my collection, but I think I’ll toss it on eBay and put the proceeds toward a few vintage rookies for my collection.

2010 Edlite Extra Edition Private Signings Tom Seaver /10

The base cards were base cards. I pulled nine prospects for my rookie/prospect collection and a Pam Anderson card, which is a nice bonus I suppose. For a long time I was opposed to this product, but I actually kind of like it. This might not be the end of my Elite breaks. Or maybe I’ll just buy a base set.

2010 Donruss Elite Extra Edition pack 1 (missing is the Seaver shown above)

Elite Extra Edition pk 2

 

Like most hobby shops, the Bowman Chrome was slightly overpriced. At $4.95 each pack, I figured I try a few and get the hell out. I didn’t pull a Strasburg auto, but managed to snag a prospect auto of 17-year-old Miguel Sano, who is the fourth best autograph available in the product, according to Freedom Card Board. With resale value anywhere from $25-$60, I think I might toss it on eBay too to see if I can flip it into another long-sought-after vintage rookie. Perhaps a Willie McCovey or Willie Stargell, or both, depending on the end price. The card is mint … my scanner just scanned it really dark and messy.

2010 Bowman Chrome Prospects Auto Miguel Sano

I won’t waste your time with scanning the basic Bowman Chrome veteran cards, even if though there is a Luke Hochevar refractor. But here are the Chrome prospects. As you can see I also pulled a USA card of A.J. Vanegas.

2010 Bowman Chrome

Bowman Chrome is Bowman Chrome, but I do take issue with two of these cards. First off A.J. Vanegas had a Bowman Chrome card in the basic Bowman Set. He was part of the USA Under 18 set. Not entirely sure why they decided to make yet another one here. At least they used a different picture. Point should be made though that the new Vanegas card is NOT his ‘First Bowman Chrome Card” as the logo suggests.

Which of course brings me to the second card I have an issue with: Craig Clark. He, too, had a card in basic Bowman. Hell, they even used the same picture. (see below) The cards from the two series are IDENTICAL except for the actual card number and a white border on the new card. The first one is card No. BCP27. The one from the newly released Bowman Chrome is BCP111. It also should be noted that Craig Clark has a signed version in the first series. Not sure if there is another in the new release.

Top row is new, bottom is old

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