2013 Topps Retail Blaster Box Results

 

After ripping a hanger box of 2013 Topps and getting a good return in cards I am posting the results of the retail blaster box I also bought.

One thing about the box. Prince is clearly in foul territory so he might as well sit down now.

And make sure you are 6+ years old. Cards are addicting and you need to be mature enough to buy them!

The allure of buying a blaster is that you get an exclusive pack which holds either a commemorative patch relic card or a rookie patch relic card:

If you are lucky you can pull one of these:

And I was lucky enough to pull one of the rookie relics. But they were right, the card was not the one pictured on the box:

I love this idea. Might collect the set.

Glad I didn't get a patch card.

Here's the checklist:

Usually you work up to what is supposed to be the 'hit' of the box but even this card isn't really the best thing you could pull out of these boxes so it doesn't matter where I show it.

Like the last post on the hanger box I am showing the stars, rookies, inserts, and any cool looking base cards.

And away we go!:

Bwyce Hawper! That makes sense if you know who Kripke is from the Big Bang Theory.

Really clean looking card. Too bad Ellsbury broke his pelvis ten seconds after this picture was taken.

 Don't know much about him but he is a big man who is young and can rake.

When your teammates  call you 'Mini Miggy" I guess you have a big pair of shoes to fill.

Most likely Isringhausen's last Topps card.

His Career Chase stat has him at 300 saves with 308 to go to catch Mariano Rivera. Insane.

Justin has been an Indian for a while so I don't know why his hat looks photoshopped.

Got one of these in my hanger box but it's good to have multiples of a potential ace than multiples of Paul Janish. Or any other backup infielder.

The beard with the fire of a thousand suns! The beard Tommy Hanson would like to have if he could grow it like Ian's.

Clean looking card of a player headed toward the Hall if he can put at least two more solid campaigns together. Preferably three.

Normally I don't care what facial scruff anybody has but this is not a good look for him. It might work if he was 6'5". But being 5'10" it makes him look like Gimli.

And the fact he appears to be copying Brian Wilson makes it look worse.

The Cardinals are stacked when it comes to minor league starting prospects.

As a Cubs fan this makes me sad. Then I realize 100 years worth of fans have been sad for a while so I got over it.

This is what it looks like when a grown man releases all his pent up rage.

Just don't say 'Miami' around him.

Hopefully John can rebound from shoulder surgery and return to his past ways as the ace 1a of the Sox.

McCutchen and Marte in the same outfield is ridiculous.

Marte had 19 triples between the minors and majors in 2012.

He doesn't do it all, but what he does he does real well.

A card of the newest Cubs player. Two years, five million seems like a solid risk.

As for the card, that is one weird angle.

It looks like David Wright is positioning a Fathead of Hairston.

Cameraman loves the shot he took but he isn't the one who is going to itch for a week.

Andre Dawson cushioned his blow.

Had a 4.5:1 SO/BB ratio in 2012 minor league play.

The adult in me says Angel ripped the back of his pants while sliding.

The 10 year old me says.....well, you know.

Led the NL in triples.

Seeing how the ball is still two feet from the catcher I'll say Cozart is safe.

Great photo of a once great player. Maybe he gets his groove back this year. With the rest of the senior citizens who now make up the Phillies.

Oooohhh! You see that bro! Ooooohhhh!

Trouts combined minor/major league numbers in 2012:

• .335 average
• 636 at bats
• 150 runs
• 213 hits
• 31 doubles
• 13 triples
• 31 home runs
• 96 rbi's
• 55 stolen bases
• 78 walks
• 155 strikeouts(who cares!)
• Will be 21 years old until August of this year.

First layer of bricks have been added to his pedestal which will hold his bust in 25 years.

I think the catcher knew he was safe so he wanted him to remember this play for a while. Taking one for the team, Matt?

As for inserts I got the following:

Two Emeralds:

Three minis:

I also got a Beltre in the hanger box I posted about so now I have....um...two!

I thought for sure the Reyes would be an SP card with him in a Blue Jays uni.

Got two more of these things which, by the time the site goes live, we will all have 100 of them.

I like the Chasing the Dream inserts but I don't like his mechanics. And neither did the D'Backs.

I like the gold cards this year because for the first time in a long time they aren't just a solid border around the card.


The entire bottom of the card incorporates the gold into the design. The logo really spiffs it up and they even kept the little lines behind the logo.

The gold looks more subdued this year.

Got two Chasing History Silver Foil cards:

The Sabathia card does nothing for me but the Spahn card with the leg kick really pops out. Would love to get the Gold Holofoil card as well.

And lastly I got this card:

An Aroldis Chapman Calling Card insert.

I like the two very different fonts used in his name.

Do you want to know why the Reds are making Chapman a starter this year?

Read the last sentence on the back:

That's disgusting!

They are turning him into a starter so they only have to bear the stench for 30 or so games instead of everyday when he was a reliever.

You can almost smell the card through the screen.

I need to wrap this post up before Aroldis comes around.

Thanks for reading!