Recently, I've been on a bit of a hot streak when it comes to opening packs. First, there was the Kris Bryant serial-numbered Purple Refractor from 2015 Bowman. Then I checked out 2015 Gypsy Queen and pulled an SSP image variation of David Ortiz. I decided to see if I could keep my luck rolling for a third straight purchase, and picked up one of these 20-packs-for-$20 repacks from Target.
These are probably my favorite retail wax option, period. The variety is pretty good, and at a buck per pack I think there's really good value (or at the very least no buyer's remorse). Usually you come away with a couple hundred new cards anyway. You can typically see a few packs through the window in the front, but generally speaking aren't entirely sure what you'll get. Here's everything from mine all laid out...
At first glance this doesn't seem like a strong start. More than 33% of my packs consist of Triple Play and Opening Day. I like the nice healthy dose of Allen & Ginter though, and 2014 Topps flagship is a set I don't have too much of. The Leaf Pete Rose set is new to me as well.
There's no way I'm going to scan everything for this post, so here are just some of the highlights in no particular order...
The Triple Play packs were nearly a total bust. I don't really like the set much. Sent one or two off in trade packages already. About the only thing that caught my eye is this really odd, psychedelic sticker of a crazy baseball. Moving on...
A couple of interesting photos from 2014 Topps. I'm not hip enough to know what's going on here.
A nice horizontal shot of one of the game's premier sluggers.
This is the first Pink parallel I've ever held in person. I'm not sure what the odds are on pulling one of these but they're not the most easy to find parallels, numbered to just 50 copies in this case. I'd almost consider this purchase a win based on this card alone, I never expect to pull anything this rare from one of these repacks. That being said, I'd be willing to trade this one away potentially.
From Opening Day, I just love this post-game celebration photograph of pitcher Sean Doolittle.
The man who's having a better season than I think nearly anyone would have predicted. Still makes me cringe a little each time I see him leapfrog one of the game's historic legends on an all-time leader board, but I don't despise him as much as I did prior to the season.
Got one of these 3D Opening Day Stars inserts of Carlos Gonzalez. I really need to find a Rockies collector who's got some Red Sox to trade.
Was happy to pull last year's Allen & Ginter card of the man who's been smashing the cover off the ball so far this year. After that gruesome injury last season it's nice to see Stanton bounce right back to form.
I think Sandy Koufax's card is one of the few times where a horizontal Allen & Ginter card actually works quite well.
This Stephen Strasburg is an SP.
Can't complain about getting one of history's greatest painters in my packs.
From the 2013 Allen & Ginter set, this Darwin Barney is an SP as well.
So is this Wacha from 2014. He's been one of the best pitchers in the league so far this season, to me this was a nice pull.
This one made me chuckle, just because I instantly recognized him from all the hours I've spent watching the Ken Burns Baseball documentary over and over.
This one is just plain odd...
Remember this guy? He seems to have become one of the players most tainted by the steroid era.
I thought this Chris Davis Green parallel was a pretty decent pull. 30 HR/90 RBI before the All-Star break is nothing to scoff at, anyway...
I pulled a couple of the bigger names from last year's Topps set, including Matt Harvey...
...and a Yasiel Puig rookie cup.
Couple more of these odd Pete Rose cards...
"Hmm...let's see where my batting average stands this morning..."
A nice Opening Day rookie of one of the more exciting young players to watch in baseball.
Even got a new Red Sox card for my collection, bonus!
In my personal opinion Felix Hernandez has been the best overall pitcher in baseball for a few years running now.
From the very same pack here's the consensus best playoff pitcher in baseball the past few years, and already one of the most successful post-season performers ever.
Short print!
I'm sure most of you have seen this one many times already, but I'm always late to the party when it comes to newer sets. That's exactly why these repacks are so perfect for me. Helps when you pull something like this too:
Yup, one of the 2013 Allen & Ginter packs yielded this hand-numbered red ink autograph. I'm not a Rockies or Rosario collector, so this one's up for trade. Still, I feel like this is a significant card to pull from a repack product like this.
With the Green and Pink parallels, then this autograph, I have to call this repack a win. I think I'm going to leave my hot streak at that, and take a break from ripping wax for a while. Nevertheless, next time you're standing in the card aisle of your local big box store and nothing is really striking your fancy, I'd recommend trying one of these out. At a couple hundred cards for $20 there's bound to be something you'll enjoy...
8 comments:
Yeah, that's some pretty good stuff. I usually avoid those $20 boxes, just because I rarely spend 20 bucks on current cards in one shot anymore (I prefer the rack pack repacks). Plus I'm still scarred from the days when I'd buy them and every unseen pack was 2007 Upper Deck First Edition.
nice pulls, making me wanna grab one of these.
I wish I had your pack busting luck, good sir.
When those first came out you were guaranteed a "hit". Now you just get a bonus, which could be just another card. I've bought quite a few of those, but not lately because I really don't need anymore 2014 Topps.
Dang that was an amazing box. I haven't been to Target in a while, I might have to make a trip. Its close to a card shop I've wanted to visit so it won't be too out of the way. I like the Wacha card, but those Pete Rose cards didn't do much for me. Still seemed like a great deal.
I'm currently off the stuff but you done well.
Those $20 repacks can be pretty nice, but I am often disappointed to see so many 'filler' packs like Triple Play or the 5-card basic Topps packs. That's how they make their money, though, and it's still a better deal than buying loose packs at full retail.
You got some nice cards out of your packs. I am pretty sure that Zenus over at The Prowling Cat collects Wilin Rosario.
We don't have Target in Canada anymore, I miss it only because of their card section which included repacks. I pulled one of the best cards I own from one of these repacks, a 2013 Archives Nolan Ryan autograph numbered 3/5. Bought a lot of repacks after that before Target closed, never got close to anything that good again.
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