Discount Pass to the Stadium Club

If you know me as a collector, or read this blog, you're probably aware that I don't buy a lot of modern day wax, and when I do it's usually on the cheap in the form of repacks or discounted product that's a couple of years old.  One product I've been tempted by this year though is Topps Stadium Club baseball.  When I learned it was a hobby only release I was out, but on Cyber Monday D & A Card World had hobby boxes on special for $49.95.  That's a reasonable enough price to pique my interest, and yesterday my hobby box arrived!

18 packs inside, so it boiled down to less than $3 per pack at the price I paid for the box.  I think I'd be up for trying this more often if boxes of products I enjoy were in the $50-or-less range.

The format is great for the "pleasure delayer" collector like myself, who often hangs onto packs for months, if not years, before opening them.  Inside the hobby box are three mini-boxes containing six packs each.  You're guaranteed an autograph in each mini box, plus a couple of inserts and a couple of parallels.  Basically each pack has one non-base card.  I know I'm going to pull autographs of guys I've never heard of, that's just my luck, but at the price point it doesn't bother me so much.

Here's a look at a pack; nice, clean design on a foil wrapper.  I'm only opening the first mini box for now, the other two will sit on my pack shelf for a rainy day.  I scanned each and every card from the mini box since it's only 30 total cards, let's tear in...

A winner right out of the gate.  I'm sure most of you have seen this set ten times over by now, but I don't keep up with the new releases very well so many of these are new to me.

As usual, there are some very interesting photographs used for the set.  I for one appreciate these quirkier cards.  Better than a pack full tightly cropped, generic pitching and batting photos if you ask me.

The only Stadium Club I had picked up prior to this was a Red Sox team set on eBay.  Was kind of bummed to pull a double in my first pack, until I realized this is actually an Electric Foil parallel of Pedro.  The parallels in the set don't do much for me, but at least I pulled a new card for my Red Sox collection in the end.

A solid first pack.  Onto pack 2...

Okay not quite so exciting.  I'm an AL guy so I know just a little about these two players, and the photo selection is not particularly interesting.

Rockies hot pack.

Again, I thought I had a double but found I had a parallel instead!  If my research is correct this is a Rainbow parallel of Wade Boggs.  Both of my parallels from my this first box were Red Sox, I'm feeling like this purchase was meant to be.

That Boggs parallel saved and otherwise bland second pack.  Let's see what's inside pack 3...

Not a bad 1-2 pitching duo to start off this pack.

Beam Team insert, I believe these fall at one per hobby box.  I'm willing to trade this to an Orioles fan.

Dodgers hot pack.

Pack 4...

I may be a Red Sox fan, but I do appreciate landing a new Tanaka card.  He looked pretty incredible for large stretches of last season.

Nice looking Stan Musial Legends Die-Cut.  I think the odds on these are one-per-hobby-box as well.

A Dodgers fan would have been happy with this mini-box, that's three base cards already.  Pack 5...

Awesome card.  I like the retired players best (surprise, surprise).

Another nice one.  I'd be satisfied with a five card pack composed of entirely retired players.

Ah, there goes that streak.

Here's another insert, Field Access.  Not the most exciting card, although I have a feeling there are much better cards to be had from this particular insert set.

Finally, pack 6...

McGwire cards in back-to-back packs.

Pretty much called it on the autograph, at least the first of my promised three.  I've heard the name but can't say I know much about the guy, which isn't surprising given that he lasted just a couple of months in the AL East and is now with the Padres.  At least it's on card, and I'm sure I'll be able to find a Yankees (or Padres) fan to take it off my hands.

Stan the Man represents probably my favorite base card from this first mini-box.  What a shot!

Closing it out with a bright, young pitching phenom for your AL Champion Kansas City Royals.

I have to say, that was a lot of fun.  The cards are certainly well done, and it's fun to pick up something relatively new for once.  I don't think I'd pay $60 or more for a hobby box, but at $49 and change I have no buyer's remorse 1/3 of the way through.  Both parallels in my first mini-box were Red Sox, and the Musial die-cut is a keeper, so I'm satisfied.

Have you purchased any 2014 Stadium Club?  If so, what did you think?