2014 Topps Series I Trout jumbo pack recap

During a week long sojourn in Arizona, my buddy and I stopped at a Surprise Walmart - when I saw there were 2014 Topps Series I jumbo packs still hanging up at the trading card section, I dug around to see if there was one marked with an exclusive Mike Trout card inside.

I've never heard of a 2014 Topps Mike Trout card available in Topps I Walmart jumbo packs until I read the Angels in Order blog - I was vaguely aware of the particular Trout card, though I thought it was just another base card variation / short print.

I actually spotted one marked pack and started taking the packs off the hanger to grab the 'Trout' pack - I do wonder why the card was only available in Walmart packs and why Topps had to mark the pack the card was actually in?

Maybe it would have been better if the cards were randomly inserted into unmarked packs - so the allure of the hunt remains instead of a certain number of packs being poached while the rest remain unsold on the shelves.

Maybe Topps should have created a more unique bonus card - besides the image, the Trout photo variation card doesn't really feel like it's all that jazzy

I was also thinking that a special Trout card should be one per pack instead of this wild-goose chase - but that would make the cards more 'bargain box' fodder, than something to fish for.

Top section
#35 Trevor Cahill
#182 Carlos Ruiz
#57 Yadier Molina
#123 James Paxton
#301 Shane Victorino
#47 Chris Davis
#218 Matt Dominguez
#61 Nick Markakis
#224 Michael Saunders
#231 J.R. Murphy - Gold parallel serial #'d 1976/2014
#1 Mike Trout
#248 Travis d'Arnaud
#282 Rex Brothers
#8 Coco Crisp
#173 Brandon League
#134 Josh Donaldson
#211 Dioner Navarro
#268 Don Kelly

Bottom section
#252 Kevin Pillar
#288 Julio Teheran
#292 Aaron Hill
#143 2013 National League Runs Batted in Leaders - feat. Paul Goldschmidt, Freddie Freeman and Jay Bruce
#259 David Ortiz
#321 Mariano Rivera - Green parallel
#UC-45 Ryne Sandberg - Upper Class insert
#FN-18 Wil Myers - The Future is Now insert
#RCT-3 Joe Morgan - Topps All Rookie Cup team insert
#1 Mike Trout - Gatorade bath SP
#289 Matt Thornton - Walmart blue parallel
#102 Matt Lindstrom - Walmart blue parallel
#238 Alberto Callaspo
#151 Bruce Chen
#236 Joel Peralta
#256 Abraham Almonte
#75 Brandon Barnes
#209 Carlos Quentin

2014 Topps Series I blaster recap

I was going to pick up a 2014 Topps Opening Day blaster since I've seen a few random breaks and it looks like cheap fun with assorted inserts to be pulled - along with possible autographs and even image variations.

However, the guaranteed lure of a commemorative patch card along with two Target Red parallels per pack steered me towards my first 2014 Topps blaster instead - even though at first I'd actually bought a blaster without the Target red parallels inserted and returned the 'dud' blaster to look for a blaster marked as having the parallels.

It seems like the idea of continuing to pick up 2014 Topps unopened packs / blasters is something I'm still interested in even though I have all the base cards from 2014 Topps Series I - maybe because there might be inserts [or specifically parallels] to still pull that are a little different than just the base cards.

With the right 2014 Topps blaster in-hand and at home, I'm going through a 'detailed' break where I list the contents from the 8-card packs - as I flip through the cards, what I start noticing is most of the cards in middle of the packs all have at least one mashed corner; maybe the cards are packed too tight and 'can't breathe.'

Is pulling a 'bunch' of cards with at least one corner mashed considered merely a bad run [?] - it looks like I have to return most of the Target red borders and other inserts and maybe a few base since they don't look to great.

The best card to come out of the blaster was from the commemorative patch pack - I pulled a 2012 Topps rookie reprint of Yu Darvish [#RCP-16] and the card is nice, even though it looks like the prices for these types of cards have bottomed out on ebay.

I stayed away from 2014 Topps Series I blasters because I thought these reprint cards were redundant, considering these are similar to last year's rookie card patches - unlike last year's version, only the image is reprinted in a 'silk' cloth material, while the actual card design is integrated as part of the border that 'holds' the image.

Maybe I'll look for more of the rookie card reprints since they are not as bulky as last year's rookie card patches and it's not as cumbersome to have in-hand I guess - I still think I should have gone with the 2014 Topps Opening Day blaster.