When Super Rare Meets Your Favorite Team!

Around the same time that I picked up my single rack pack of 2015 Bowman that netted me a Kris Bryant serial-numbered refractor, I tried my hand at one of these "three packs plus three framed parallels" Gypsy Queen packages.  I really loved this set when it debuted in 2011, but found it incredibly boring the following three years and basically avoided it outright. 

Well, Topps did something just different enough with the design this year that it piqued my interest, so just like with Bowman I figured I'd get a small sampling to evaluate for myself.  Boy am I glad that I did!

After opening things I found the design to be solid, definitely my favorite Gypsy Queen release since the first set.  My packs didn't lead to anything too groundbreaking (or so I thought), but I did get a new Nolan Ryan for my collection which is always a win.  Nothing too great as far as my framed parallels either, though I was at least able to send one off in trade already.

When I got around to scanning the cards and adding them to my collection on Zistle last night though, I got quite a surprise...

When I went to go add this David Ortiz to my collection on the site, I noticed that the image another user had already uploaded featured David at bat.  Well, it only took me a few minutes of research to realize that what I was holding was a photo variation.

What's really crazy is just how rare these things are.  While the mini photo variations come 10-per-hobby-box, the full size photo variations like this one are apparently seeded just 1-in-7 hobby boxes!  Considering this came from a retail pack, I'd think those odds would be even more astronomical.  In any event, these are super scarce.  A quick check last night turned up only two examples of this card on eBay, with the sellers asking between $40 and $60.  Turns out this is probably one of the more valuable Red Sox cards I've ever pulled on my own from a pack or box.

I know some people find photo variation cards to be gimmicky, but to me pulling something this rare and having it be my favorite team is pretty spectacular.  Upon making my discovery David was plucked from the stack of common scanned cards and given a crisp, new Ultra Pro one touch magnetic holder.

That's two really good retail pick-ups in a row.  I definitely need to pick up something else in the coming days to see if I can keep this rolling!