2016 Topps Series II four count blister

I was shopping at Target and picked up a $8 Topps blister [with four 12-cards packs and a Changing of the Guard bonus card] since Angels superstar Mike Trout was featured on top - the Trout may not be quite a big hit, but it's kind of an oddball to put away.

It might have been cool to keep the packs and the Trout 'as is,' but packaging seemed a little beat up - so I ended up tearing through the blister, busting the packs and putting the Trout in a penny sleeve / toploader.

Pack one
#625 Wil Myers
#652 Collin McHugh
#479 Marcus Stroman
#445 Robbie Ray
#451 Jose Reyes
#418 Yu Darvish
#607 Brandon Drury
#498 Steve Cishek
#550 Dallas Keuchel
#WRIG-30 Mark Prior - 100 Years at Wrigley Field insert
The Show info / code card
#534 Eduardo Nunez
#624 Tommy Milone

Pack two
#555 Franklin Gutierrez
#433 Trevor Brown
#615 Miguel Castro
#381 Bartolo Colon
#639 Rubby De La Rosa
#667 James McCann
#414 Wily Peralta
#BB2-2013 Yasiel Puig - Berger’s Best insert
Bunt info / code card
#606 Miguel Almonte
#399 Kansas City Royals team card
#536 Alex Wood
#671 Tony Cingrani

Pack three
#522 Alex Avila
#653 Chris Iannetta
#364 Keon Broxton
#636 Arodys Vizcaino
#384 Michael Morse
#528 Byron Buxton
#533 Jonathan Villar
#486 Chris Rusin - Gold parallel serial #’d 0030/2016
#BB2-1960 Carl Yastrzemski - Berger’s Best insert
#671 Tony Cingrani
#696 Lorenzo Cain
#428 Gregory Polanco

Pack four
#555 Franklin Gutierrez
#433 Trevor Brown
#600 Madison Bumgarner
#615 Miguel Castro
#381 Bartolo Colon
#639 Rubby De La Rosa
#416 Johnny Cueto
#414 Wily Peralta
#FP-4 Billy Joe Armstrong - First Pitch insert
Info / $0.50 off card
#606 Miguel Almonte
#399 Kansas City Royals team card
#536 Alex Wood

2012 Bowman retail three pack blister recap

2012 Bowman three pack blister [$9.49 each at a Target] - the white borders in this year's Bowman base set make the set look a little less claustrophobic.

The metronomic black borders that was a trademark of Bowman had gotten stale and it's nice to change things up this year - even it's just the borders of the base cards.

Purple border pack
#BP 73 Will Swanner
#BP 107 Joe Ross
#BP 1 Justin Nicolino

Pack one
#8 Paul goldschmidt
#113 Yovani Gallardo
#160 R.A. Dickey
#BCP 31 Nick Maronde - Chrome
#BCP 89 Austin Hedges - Chrome
#145 Brandon Phillips - Gold parallel
#BP 79 Josh Bell
#BP 36 Michael Brady
#33 Chris Young
#176 Ichiro

Pack two
#175 Starlin Castro
#5 Brennan Boesch
#BCP 94 Charlie Tilson - Chrome
#BCP 104 Joc Pederson - Chrome
#172 Bud Norris - Gold parallel
#98 Nyjer Morgan - International parallel
#BP 78 Nick Castellanos
#BP 43 Rookie Davis
#23 Colby Rasmus
#28 Mat Latos

Pack three - first pack I actually opened and looking at the last card to start off the pack, it looked like I got a base Yu Darvish.

#106 Pedro Alvarez
#167 Asdrubal Cabrera
#BCP 17 Tyler Austin - Chrome
#BCP 9 Eddie Rosario - Chrome
#71 Hanley Ramirez - Gold parallel
#BP 24 J.R. Graham
#BP 89 Austin Hedges
#121 Neftali Feliz
#133 Gio Gonzalez
#209 Yu Darvish

2011 Topps Heritage blister recap - my turn at-bat

I was wondering how to deal with the new 2011 Topps Heritage coming out - I'm not going to pick up a hobby box for $75-$80, but like a lemming I wanted to see what the 2011 Topps Heritage cards looked like in-hand.

I don't think I've really loved any particular year of Topps Heritage - maybe 2009 was the last year I really liked how the Heritage cards looked.

I understand they are supposed to mimic Topps' sets from the past, but perhaps I have to be a set-builder to understand the appeal of Heritage - when at times I find the cards dull and boring.

For now, I picked up a 2011 Topps Heritage blaster box and also a three-pack blister [$8.99 each at Target] - the blisters come with '3 exclusive black parallel' cards, which maybe the ideal lure for collectors looking for a non-blaster Heritage purchase.

Black parallel pack
#C30 Clay Buchholz
#C48 Chone Figgins
#C60 Will Venable

Pack one
#208 Rickie Weeks
#68 Travis Snider

#238 Ichiro
#165 Adam Jones
#199 Aroldis Chapman
#156 Hank Conger
#159 Joba Chamberlain
#209 Andrew Romine - is it weird that I imagine being a professional baseball player for the Angels, taking a baseball card picture like Conger and Romine do on their cards?
#153 Marco Scutaro

Pack two
#280 Hiroki Kuroda
#212 Roy Oswalt
#72 Philly's Men Up the Middle - Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley
#320 Jason Heyward
#NAP-14 Felix Hernandez - New Age Performers insert
#167 Wilson Ramos
#414 Jarrod Dyson
#266 Jose Ceda
#155 Brian Wilson - I love this card but everyone has seen it, haven't they? The card is awesome but perhaps Topps should have gone with an image featuring Wilson's trademark beard.

Pack three
#150 Miguel Cabrera
#38 Coco Crisp
#276 Darwin Barney
#65 Robinson Cano
#458 Ian Kennedy - SP
#137 Babe and Mgr. Huggins
#383 Daniel Hudson
#219 Jeremy Hellickson
#191 Ryan Dempster