A Box of Update - Part 2

Alright, let's get right into the second of three posts on the hobby box of 2015 Topps Update Series I picked up late last week.  Today I'll be showing some highlights from packs 13-24...

Highlights from Pack 13

Right out of the gate we have a couple of inserts that I'll be sending out in future PWEs.  Harmon Killebrew will be off to Brian of HSCA...

...and Jason Johnson here will likely get shipped to either Joe Shlabotnik or Commishbob.

Unfortunately there were two cards in this pack that experienced some type of weird issue during the print run.

Almost looks like something spilled out across the cards that faded the ink.  If you line up the Russell and Soto cards the stain mark on the top of the Russel lines up perfectly with the one on the bottom of the Soto, almost like they were next to each other on the printing sheet.  A shame too, since this is the first Russel Rookie Debut I've pulled that wasn't the photo variation.  Topps really doesn't want me to get my hands on one of these it seems.

Highlights from Pack 14

Pulled this Rainbow Foil Martin Prado.  This is the kind of card that's destined to sit in my trade box forever.  Does anyone actually collect Marlins cards?

This one, on the other hand, will probably have a very short shelf life in the trade box.

Highlights from Pack 15

Pack 15 was kind of rough, pulled a few dupes and the only card of note was this buyback of Jose Baez.  Not nearly as interesting as the buyback I pulled in the first section of the box.  I may end up dealing this one away at some point down the line...

Highlights from Pack 16

My first Mike Fiers card.

Another uninspired insert for the trade box.

Highlights from Pack 17

Ditto.

I'm not necessarily a big fan of the All-Star subset, but I like that this one gives you an up-close look at Keuchel's epic beard.

Highlights from Pack 18

This Gold parallel will be headed to Douglas of Sports Cards from the Dollar Store.  Of course I just got a PWE ready to go for him before pulling it, but at least it's a good start on my next stack for him.

This one is already en route to Tim of I Love the Smell of Cardboard in the Morning.  Hey, even if I'm not pulling a lot of cards I love, at least others will be able to enjoy the box.

Highlights from Pack 19

Trade bait.

Headed off to Dime Box Nick.

Highlights from Pack 20

Also headed off to Dime Box Nick.  Pretty dull pack aside from this one.

Highlights from Pack 21

Trade bait.

I'll have no problem getting rid of this Buddy Carlyle Pride & Perseverance insert given how many Mets collectors I know.

Highlights from Pack 22

As someone who shares the last name Diaz, this is one of my favorite base cards in the set.

My first card featuring Scott Kazmir on the Astros.  I was really rooting for Houston out of the AL once it became clear that the Red Sox were out of it, but it was not meant to be.

Trade bait.

Also trade bait.

Highlights from Pack 23

Once again, trade bait.

Nice, one of the last few Red Sox inserts I'm down to needing at this point.  This is actually the only Red Sox card to come out of these 12 packs, period.

Unfortunately I got two more damaged cards in this one.

I would have needed both for my set too, what a pain.  I can't honestly say I got that upset over it, with everything going on in the world I always feel a little silly getting pessimistic or grouchy over little pieces of cardboard with baseball players printed on them.

Highlights from Pack 24

Only thing of note in the last pack were a couple of inserts, this Randy Johnson which I'll be looking to trade...

...and this Jim Abbott, which is a definite keeper.  I can think of no player more deserving for inclusion in a set dubbed "Pride and Perseverance" than Jim.  I've always considered him one of the most inspiring athletes of all time, in any sport.  I've even considered starting up a collection dedicated to Jim, but at the end of the day I have too many hobby priorities as it is.

If I'm being honest, that wasn't quite as thrilling as the first third of the box.  Still one more round of 12 packs to go though, who knows what surprises await!

Hoyled!

I am long overdue in thanking my friend Mark Hoyle for a great PWE he shipped me a few weeks ago now.  Within just a few "cards", Mark managed some pretty amazing variety!  Like the 1983 Post team card you see above, for example.  Never seen one of these in my life, in fact I had no idea they even existed.

I'm too young to remember Super Sugar Crisp, but I'm guessing that maybe it was the predecessor to the Golden Crisp cereal that I ate plenty of growing up?

Here's the back, which I guess does about as good a job as you can of summarizing decades of baseball in just a paragraph or two.

How about another oddball from a couple decades earlier?  This miscut and tape-stained '63 Post Lou Clinton is fantastic.  I'm up to a handful of '60s Post Red Sox cards now, and this is not the first one I've received from Mark!

Now we're getting to the meat and potatoes of this latest PWE.  I'm really starting to sound like a broken record saying it, but I like any and all Topps buybacks from the past few years.  Seriously, if you can't stand them, it's no problem, just send them to me!  Mark really hit a home run with this one as obviously I prize Red Sox buybacks above all others.

I had a moment of panic where I thought I maybe already had a copy of this card, it seemed familiar to me as a buyback.  Turns out I did, and I didn't.  I had one from a regular Topps release, and this one is from Topps Heritage which has a different stamp.  Yes, it's gotten to the point where I have two different buybacks of the same card, and I don't mind in the least!

See what I mean about Mark being all over the map?  This is a stamp insert from 1962 Topps.  Not that they're super rare or anything, but I don't think I've ever even seen one of these in person, and I know for a fact this is the first one in my collection.  Very cool stuff, and if I ever end up with another one I can send this to Jeff at 2x3 Heroes since it's a glorious mis-cut.

I'll close out this brief post with what is probably my favorite card from the entire package, a 1960 Fleer Lou Boudreau!  This is a set I would love to put together someday, but as it stands right now I think Lou is only my fourth or fifth card.  The player selection is perfect too, my collection is embarrassingly short of Lou Boudreau cards.  What a great piece of cardboard!

Mark, thanks for another killer batch of cards my friend!  I will see if I can put together a return package of Sox for you in the coming weeks.

A Box of Update - Part 1

I had some store credit lingering on my balance at my local hobby shop, and when I was there last Friday afternoon I decided to use it on a hobby box of 2015 Topps Update.

For whatever reason I'm really, really enjoying the Update Series from Topps this year.  Since I'm going to collect the entire set, and am only about 25% of the way there, it made sense to pick this up.  I've seen a lot of interesting cards come out of others' boxes, and after credit this one set me back just a few dollars, so it was an easy decision.

There are 36 packs in the box, which is a lot to digest all at once, so I'm going to break it out into three posts of 12 packs each.  Since you've probably seen most of the base cards countless times already I'm only going to briefly touch on the highlights of each pack.  Alright, let's tear in!

Highlights from Pack 1

Honestly, the opening pack was a bit of a dud.  I pulled nine base cards (two of which were doubles) and this Ripken insert, which will probably be on its way to Joe Shlabotnik in a future PWE.

My favorite base card from the first pack would have to be this Yoenis Cespedes, since it's unlikely he'll sign with New York and I enjoy cards of "short term stops".

Highlights from Pack 2

The second pack was possibly the best pack from this first third of the box.  My first Gold parallel isn't anything too special, and is already in my trade box.

I did pull my first buyback though, which was exciting.  I've said it a few times before, but you can count me among the select few that actually enjoy these things.  I mean, if I hadn't pulled this card I would have never gone on Wikipedia and learned that Ron's .029 career batting average is the lowest of anyone with 100+ career plate appearances.  This card is made even cooler by collar, the glasses, and the fact that it's one of the more mint copies of a '60s card I've ever seen.  The chance at pulling a few buybacks was one of the things that drew me to this box, and this one is certainly a nice start.

I'm skipping over most of the base cards, but I did want to highlight this one as I love cards that pay tribute to one specific athletic feat or moment in time.  Great job by Topps on dedicating a slot in the checklist to Chris Heston's 2015 no-hitter.

As if the second pack weren't already good enough, it also provided not one...

...but my first two Red Sox cards of the break!  Pack 2 was a winner, indeed.

Highlights from Pack 3

For the second pack in a row I pulled a Gold parallel (#'d /2015), and for the second pack in a row it's headed to my trade box.

I pulled a photo variation in this pack, and unbelievably it's the one photo variation I already pulled from one of those holiday mega boxes.  At this point I've pulled two copies of the photo variation of this card, but none of the standard version.  Go figure.

Highlights from Pack 4

Sweet!  If I could have chosen any one card to pull a parallel of from my box this one would have been very high on the list, certainly in the top 5.  I am hopeful that Eduardo can be a staple in the Red Sox rotation for many years to come, and I'm excited to see how he performs in his second MLB season next year (his first full season as he didn't debut until a couple months in this year).  A definite keeper, this one even got the penny sleeve and top loader treatment.

My insert was a little less exciting, off to the trade box with Chipper here...

Highlights from Pack 5

There was really only one card of note in the fifth pack, and it was another great Gold parallel, this time featuring Mets rookie Noah Syndergaard.  This one will end up in a PWE to Delaware at some point in time...

Highlights from Pack 6

Pack 6 brought me 8 new base cards towards my set, but the two inserts...

...aren't anything I'm interested in keeping, even though they are both players I like.  The fact that I pulled Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente cards in the same pack, and have no interest in keeping either, just shows you how tired I am of Topps recycling the same retired players for most of their (uninspired) insert sets.

Highlights from Pack 7

This Josh Donaldson Gold parallel will be headed up to Canada in a PWE in the near future.

To me, Josh Gibson is a more interesting subject for an insert card than Jackie Robinson, but at the end of the day these Tape Measure Blasts cards just don't do it for me.  Another one for the trade box.

Highlights from Pack 8

The best thing about pack 8 is that I got 9 new base cards towards my set.  The insert was another one I'm not very interested in, though...

Highlights from Pack 9

This one was a pretty good pack.  Highlights would include this great Brandon Moss photograph, which I don't recall having seen yet...

...as well as this Tulowitzki Gold, which is now trade box fodder.

I really like Hank Aaron.  Truly, I do.  But not even Hammerin' Hank is enough to overcome the snooze-fest that is the Highlight of the Year insert set.  Available for trade.

This pack also contained one of the base cards I was most excited to acquire, the rookie card of "switch pitcher" Pat Venditte!

Highlights from Pack 10

Trade bait.

My third Red Sox card of the break (four if you count the Rodriguez Gold parallel).

Highlights from Pack 11

One of the more interesting photos out of the Gold parallels that I pulled, featuring Stephen Vogt and what I presume is his daughter holding a Stand Up 2 Cancer sign.  This seems like maybe a good random card to send off to Nick at Dime Boxes?

Here's that Sonny Gray card again, this time it's the Rainbow Foil parallel.  I pulled the base, Gold and Rainbox Foil versions of this card all within the first 12 packs here...

Another new Sox card in this pack, or half of one anyway.  I kind of like the combined rookie cards as they are somewhat of a throwback to the earlier days of collecting, but it's gotta be disappointing as a player to finally make the show and then have to share your Topps rookie card with someone else...

Highlights from Pack 12

The final pack of this first third of the box provides yet another Kris Bryant card.  Topps is really beating this guy to death, huh?

Another Gold parallel that I'm not interested in, but with two players depicted I guess there are twice as many team collectors who may be interested in it at least.

The last card I'll show here is another Rainbow Foil parallel, but this one I'll probably be keeping.  I've wanted to keep a single Joey Gallo card in my collection to remind me of his breakout first few games this past summer, and this one will do nicely.  It's a shiny card, and the Gatorade celebration photo is great.  A much better candidate than the Gallo card I plucked out of a quarter box a while back.

Well, that's the first 12 packs for you.  No major scores really, but the Rodriguez Gold and the buyback were nice cards for my collection, I got a sizeable stack of cards towards my set, and plenty of trade bait to go around.  A fun break so far overall, check back later in the week for part two!