2025 Topps Series 1 blaster box breaks

Box one

Pack one

#218 Zack Wheeler

#120 Cristian Mena RC

#240 Will Brennan

#58 Dylan Cease

#159 Philadelphia Phillies team card

#136 Lourdes Gurriel Jr. 

#53 Christ Taylor

#225 Tyrone Taylor

#288 Evan Carter - Future Stars

#332 Riley Greene

#15 Mitch Haniger

#SMLB-21 Rafael Devers - Stars of MLB insert

Pack two

#39 San Diego Padres team Card - Spring Training base card parallel exclusive to value boxes

#193 Michael McGreevy

#329 Paul Blackburn

#2 Thairo Estrada

#289 Michael Siani

#280 Ky Bush RC

#200 Mike Trout

#81 Carlos Correa - Checklist

#114 Ryan O'Hearn

#104 Yilber Diaz RC

#299 Yainer Diaz

#T90-100 Shohei Ohtani - 1990 Topps Baseball insert

#SMLB-19 Brooks Lee - Stars of MLB insert

Pack three

#293 Tyler Phillips RC

#182 Brandon Pfaadt

#146 Clayton Kershaw

#306 Sonny Gray

#100 Bobby Witt Jr.

#41 Alec Burleson

#80 Jace Jung RC

#279 Trevor Larnach

#342 Davis Schneider

#298 J.P. Crawford

#184 Aaron Judge / Juan Soto / Alex Verdugo - Checklist; Rainbow Foilboard parallel

#SMLB-5 Julio Rodríguez - Stars of MLB insert

Pack four

#305 Max Schuemann - Spring Training base card parallel exclusive to value boxes

#89 Zach Dezenzo RC

#8 Seth Brown

#57 Nick Gordon

#183 Taj Bradley

#64 Ian Happ

#331 Brandon Nimmo

#151 Tarrik Skubal / José Berríos / Seth Lugo - 2024 American League Wins Leaders

#23 Jorge Soler

#188 Zach Eflin

#310 Jose Miranda

#GH15 Juan Soto - Greatest Hits insert

#SMLB-12 Gunnar Henderson - Stars of MLB insert

Pack five

#99 Cincinnati Reds team card

#21 Nick Lodolo

#147 Bryson Stott

#337 Ben Rice RC

#210 Nolan Schanuel - Future Stars

#295 Elly De La Cruz - Checklist

#224 Reese Olson

#335 Sandy Alcantara

#9 Luis García Jr.

#234 Chris Sale / Zack Wheeler / Shota Imanaga - 2024 National League Wins Leaders

#37 Spencer Steer - Holo Foil parallel

#SMLB-24 Christian Yelich - Stars of MLB insert

Pack six

#330 Jake Burger - Spring Training base card parallel exclusive to value boxes 

#270 Andrés Giménez

#175 Ha-Seong Kim

#161 Bradley Blalock RC

#242 Logan Webb

#246 Sean Reynolds RC

#117 Josh Jung

#60 Chicago Cubs team card

#207 Ronald Acuña Jr.

#93 Rhys Hoskins

#ATT-8 Jarren Duran - 2024 All-Topps Team insert

#T90-40 Tony Gwynn - 1990 Topps Baseball insert

#SMLB-30 Dylan Crews - Stars of MLB insert

Pack seven

#311 Charlie Blackmon

#232 Jake Cronenworth

#249 Brooks Baldwin RC

#44 Brenton Doyle

#301 Cal Quantrill

#215 Manny Machado

#24 Jhonkensy Noel RC

#228 Geraldo Perdomo

#176 Teoscar Hernández

#281 Corey Seager

#39 San Diego Padres team card

#SMLB-15 Corbin Carroll - Stars of MLB insert

Box two 

Pack one

#101 Nolan Arenado - Spring Training base card parallel exclusive to value boxes 

#193 Michael McGreevy

#329 Paul Blackburn

#2 Thairo Estrada

#293 Tyler Phillips RC

#165 Joey Ortiz

#33 José Berrios

#244 Yordan Alvarez

#105 Dylan Moore

#54 Austin Riley

#28 Trevor Megill

#ATT-6 William Contreras - 2024 All-Topps Team insert

#SMLB-22 Juan Soto - Stars of MLB insert

Pack two

#182 Brandon Pfaadt

#146 Clayton Kershaw

#306 Sonny Gray

#89 Zach Dezenzo RC

#96 Seattle Mariners team card

#46 Tanner Houck

#149 Jeff McNeil

#97 Will Warren RC

#261 Mike Tauchman 

#130 Nathan Eovaldi

#123 New York Yankees team card

#SMLB-29 Matt Chapman - Stars of MLB insert

Pack three

#67 Trey Sweeney - Spring Training base card parallel exclusive to value boxes

#8 Seth Brown

#57 Nick Gordon

#183 Taj Bradley

#254 Kyle Finnegan

#184 Aaron Judge / Juan Soto / Alex Verdugo - Checklist

#190 Miguel Vargas

#185 Jazz Chisholm Jr.

#220 Jackson Holliday - Future Stars

#128 Ketel Marte

#1 Shohei Ohtani

#T90-18 Hurston Waldrep - 1990 Topps Baseball insert

#SMLB-2 Aaron Judge - Stars of MLB insert

Pack four

#99 Cincinnati Reds team card

#21 Nick Lodolo

#147 Bryson Stott

#337 Ben Rice RC

#7 Alec Bohm

#320 Drew Thorpe RC

#227 Ty France

#28 Nico Hoerner

#286 Edwin Díaz

#252 Pedro Pagés

#348 Brant Hurter RC

#SMLB-13 Elly De La Cruz - Stars of MLB insert

Pack five

#275 Carlos Correa - Spring Training base card parallel exclusive to value boxes; Spring Training Green Foilboard parallel, serial #'d 11/99

#270 Andrés Giménez

#175 Ha-Seong Kim

#161 Bradley Blalock RC

#311 Charlie Blackmon

#113 Marco Gonzalez

#36 Greg Jones RC

#138 Ceddane Rafaela - Future Stars

#237 Marcell Ozuna - Checklist

#209 Taylor Ward - Pencil bat card

#135 Maikel Garcia

#FP-9 Lauren Alaina - First Pitch insert; Country singer

#SMLB-26 Shota Imanaga - Stars of MLB insert

Pack six

#232 Jake Cronenworth

#249 Brooks Baldwin RC

#44 Brenton Doyle

#350 Francisco Lindor

#139 Jordan Beck

#125 Jackson Merrill

#83 Anthony Rendon

#65 Gunnar Henderson

#40 Joe Ryan

#101 Nolan Arenado

#179 Ryan Pepiot - Rainbow Foilboard parallel

#SMLB-24 Coby Mayo - Stars of MLB insert

Pack seven

#257 Korey Lee

#287 DJ Herz RC

#138 Isaac Paredes

#35 Anthony Volpe

#341 Ronel Blanco

#338 Mitch Garver

#84 Kameron Misner RC

#119 Daulton Varsho

#79 Aaron Judge / Juan Soto / Anthony Santander - 2024 American League Home Run Leaders

#67 Trey Sweeney RC

#257 Korey Lee

#T90-56 Rece Hinds - 1990 Topps Baseball insert

#SMLB-4 Fernando Tatis Jr. - Stars of MLB insert

More small things at the card show

I was digging through some '6 for $5' boxes from a random seller table and these were my keepers - added another 18 cards from the seller's '5 for $1' box and maybe it was kind of odd thing I couldn't push the total to 20 outright.

Maybe my favorite card is the 1986 Donruss Rookies Jose Canseco #22 - it was a card I remember a childhood friend possessing and seeing regularly [along with an autographed 1989 Upper Deck Dante Bichette rookie] whenever I would visit his house.

I really wanted to take a better picture of this 2000 Topps Finest Moments 3000 Hits Tony Gwynn #FM3, where it's hard to see on the first image - but it's usually hard to take photo ops of shinier, chromium cards, so what you see is what you get.

Working on the small things at the card show

In a more quaint card show setting, I actually spied a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 in one particular showcase and did a little window shopping for all sorts of high end prospect cards teasing a top rookie like Corbin Carroll or a top prospect like Jackson Holliday - still I wasn't quite at a big time show in this particular location I was at, where it was teeming with the sellers that had the odds and ends I may indulge in.

These cards were from the value bins of a grandfather and grandson duo I've bought from at other show dates, but have only really seen set up two other times - their 'binned singles' with prices on the back are all jumbled up by sport, so it's kind of a mess to spend time at.

Their lesser [maybe $5 and under] material are sorted by sport, so ideally it's easier to try and go through the monster boxes of toploaded cards row by row - I did as much deep cut picking as I could to flag potential keepers, but wasn't as emotionally invested, where I wanted to spend only so much to get my cheap thrills.

1995 Pinnacle Museum Collection Tim Salmon #391 - who would have thought that out of sheer randomness, I can find a card that just hits the spot, as a cheap but unique parallel of a local team star I've collected for just over 30 years.

1994 Upper Deck Collector's Choice Silver Signature Barry Bonds #610 and 1995 Pinnacle Trevor Hoffman Museum Collection #85 - I profess to collect Bonds, where I think he should be in the Hall of Fame already, but the iffy factor maybe too much where he is not particularly well liked.

While Hoffman is a Hall of Fame closer, he's not a guy whose cards I'd look for, so maybe I can appreciate a parallel - where it's a little different from much of the basic cards that represent Hoffman in my binder / decade stars collection.

1985 Topps Pete Rose #106 - though it was not a vintage card, maybe the first card I actually set aside, because it presumably shows an image from Rose's collision with Ray Fosse [R.I.P.] in the 1970 All-Star game.

The back of the Rose card partially pictures his 1970 Topps Super card - the card I picked up is part of a subset that makes up a puzzle in the Pete Rose set.

Maybe at some point, these shiny inserts were fillers to skip over when looking for bigger hits - but these types of cards end up being ideal binder material, where they don't cost much and at times really pop.

I liked Mike Piazza as one of the biggest superstars of his era, but what does it do to pick up cards of his in 2023 [?] - I almost skipped past this 2006 Topps Hit Parade #HR9, but for the countless cards a notable player may have printed, the ones showing them in unfamiliar uniforms might be the ones worth taking a flyer on.

Unearthing a small sample of shiny finds

I’m kind of surprised when there are other collectors makin’ whoopee at the bulk boxes at a card show - I tend to assume the low end bins are my space, where most won’t bother, but there are guys digging around just the same, occasionally pulling cards for each other [like on one occasion], building up stacks on their own.

Maybe it's more fun and games, but it doesn't make me feel as lonely doing my thing - where I do my damage, looking for cards for my assorted interests.

For collectors now of a certain age, yet didn't grow up in the middle ages - cards that pop seem to be a lure, where the aesthetics of a parallel or insert make them no brainer keepers, especially out of the glut of cards taking space that end up looking kind of the same.

2023 Series 1 Topps Super Box recap

I didn't know what this was and it maybe the last thing I needed, but I was influenced by a TikTok clip to pick up a couple - it was still in stock at Target.com when I browsed around three weeks ago and I figured I might rip one and save one so I have this unopened baseball card display package in hand to look at.

The warehouse randoms that pack out the trading card packages for Target always does a shoddy job and more than likely, there will always be at least one box [when usually buying a couple] with noticeable blemishes or even dents - I quickly looked over the two boxes I got and it made it easier where to justify ripping through the box with the cardboard display that was crushed and less presentable.

The 10 packs [two sets of five] were bundled together with adhesive sticky dots and may have stuck to the Julio Rodriguez header / cover card - but if there wasn’t the cover, there might be damage to the oversized card, which was Aaron Judge.

I was kind of bummed the oversize was not Shohei Ohtani - Judge maybe the top card to get at the moment though, so there is that.

I checked the little ziplock baggie that had the enamel trading card pin insert - thankfully, it was Ohtani for the win.

I found the normal types of base cards and inserts out of the 16-card packs - I pulled a Home Run Challenge code card of Austin Riley, which I scratched off and entered; go figure it was a winning card for me as Riley hit a home run on 4/17 against the San Diego Padres.

Making myself at home at the card show

I was digging through a sellers discount box trying to figure out how many cards I'm going to stack in my keeper pile and maybe the seller's grandson was annoyed - "are you going to buy any of those cards?"

While it's kind of a do-or-die decision for me to come up with the cards I'm picking up - maybe I've been a little idle at the seller's table and I'm probably going to seem a little off, standing directly infront of a bored teenager [behind the table] for about 30-40 minutes.

It probably didn't help the teen didn't know any better and his grandfather was telling him about random people who might show interest in certain cards and kick the tires for a little bit - only to disappear for good.

In the end, I found my 'sweet spot' of finds - that end up not being worth more than what I paid in most cases, but fun to go through after the fact.

The shiny cards from the UV era of the mid 1990s onward tend to be nice to look at in-hand - but a chore to get a good picture of.

A hard to photograph, but shinyManny Ramirez insert - Manny ends up being an 'iffy' guy for me, where do I wonder about continuing to pick up his stray cards?

I think Manny was a force despite all his misgivings as a big league superstar and if a card is remotely interesting and/or 'pops' in a certain way - I may just have to make them keepers.

The rest of the best including some old-school rookies [Darryl Strawberry, Johnny Damon and Kerry Wood], a Team USA and a relic bat card of Nomar Garciaparra - along with a 1993 Topps Finest Tim Salmon, which isn't really a rookie or a rookie year card, but was in a first-year product during Salmon's rookie year.

2022 Topps Update blaster recaps

Box one

Pack one

#US196 Hanser Alberto

#US268 Joe Kelly

#US57 Jake Lamb

#US158 Robinson Cano

#US228 J.P. Feyereisen

#US282 Alek Thomas - Rookie Debut

#US82 Taylor Hearn

#US234 Joe Perez RC

#US301 Kris Bryant

#US278 Yusei Kikuchi

#US127 Zack Greinke

#US309 Clayton Kershaw - Dodgers All-Time Strikeouts Leader checklist

#ASG-49 William Contreras - 2022 MLB All-Star Game insert

#SMLB-64 Ryan Mountcastle - Stars of MLB insert

Pack two

#US227 Anthony Bass

#US59 Andre Pallante RC

#US16 Sonny Gray

#US314 Cooper Hummel RC 

#US185 Seth Lugo

#US197 Jesus Sanchez

#US224 Bryson Stott RC

#US12 Jace Peterson

#US257 Jorge Soler

#US100 Bobby Witt Jr. RC

#US324 Avisail Garcia

#US198 Garrett Richards - Vintage Stock parallel, serial #'d 24/99

#BG-20 Oneil Cruz - Topps Black Gold insert 

#SMLB-84 Royce Lewis - Stars of MLB insert

Pack three

#US150 Brendan Donovan RC

#US323 Adam Engel

#US137 Eugenio Suarez

#US255 Bryson Stott - Rookie Debut

#US22 Trevor Story

#US229 Jake Odorizzi

#US201 Jorge Alcala

#US284 Michael Pineda

#US269 Ehire Adrianza

#US277 Jhoan Duran RC

#US251 Andrew McCutchen

#US317 Bryan Lavastida RC

#US39 Carlos Correa

#SMLB-73 Alek Thomas - Stars of MLB insert

Pack four

#US263 Matt Beaty

#US35 Brandon Marsh - Rookie Debut

#US219 Ramon Urias

#US133 Austin Nola

#US188 Connor Joe

#US198 Garrett Richards

#US288 Max Scherzer / Jacob deGrom - Aces Up / Veteran Combos

#US60 Adam Frazier

#US248 Gabriel Arias RC

#US203 Yu Chang

#US91 Brad Miller

#BH-JB Javier Baez - Commemorative batting helmet relic

#87TBU-6 Matt Olson - 1987 Topps

#ASB-1 Mike Trout - 2022 MLB All-Star Game insert

#SMLB-72 Julio Urias - Stars of MLB insert

Pack five

#US225 Felix Bautista RC

#US2 Matt Olson

#US315 Garrett Stubbs

#US261 Steven Kwan RC

#US232 Tyler Wade 

#US76 Tommy Romero RC

#US99 Tyrone Taylor

#US41 Gosuke Katoh

#US125 Travis Jankowski

#US238 Javier Baez / Robbie Grossman - Dancing in Detroit / Veteran Combos

#US49 Aaron Civale

#US67 Harold Ramirez

#US290 George Kirby - Rookie Debut

#SMLB-62 Brandon Marsh - Stars of MLB insert

Pack six

#US328 Cristian Pache

#US217 Kevin Smith RC

#US245 Yan Gomes

#US30 Camilo Doval

#US236 Jack Suwinski RC

#US84 Michael Lorenzen

#US121 Eric Thames

#US138 Drew Smyly

#US281 Steven Duggar

#US222 Joe Ryan - Rookie Debut

#US174 Alex Dickerson

#US112 Rhys Hoskins / Bryce Harper - Philly Phenoms / Veteran Combos; Royal Blue parallel

#PP-22 Stephen Strasburg - Paragons of the Postseason insert

#SMLB-88 Seiya Suzuki - Stars of MLB insert

Pack seven

#US79 Spencer Torkelson - Rookie Debut

#US123 Isaac Paredes

#US179 Maikel Franco

#US190 Tyler Anderson

#US212 Alek Thomas RC

#US47 Will Smith

#US266 Nick Castellanos

#US250 Seiya Suzuki RC 

#US243 Roberto Perez

#US153 Rene Pinto RC

#US316 Geraldo Perdomo

#US88 Kyle Schwarber

#ASG-22 Jose Ramirez - 2022 MLB All-Star Game insert

#SMLB-90 MacKenzie Gore - Stars of MLB insert

Box two

Pack one

#US219 Ramon Urias

#US133 Austin Nola

#US225 Felix Baustista RC

#US2 Matt Olson

#US215 Garrett Stubbs

#US63 Jake McGee

#US97 Julio Rodriguez - Rookie Debut

#US129 Rob Refsnyder

#UU69 Jurickson Profar

#US319 Francisco Morales

#US204 A.J. Pollock

#US3 Jesse Winker

#US267 Hunter Greene - Rookie Debut

#SMLB-87 Julio Rodriguez - Stars of MLB insert 

Pack two 

#US261 Steven Kwan RC

#US232 Tyler Wade

#US328 Cristian Pache

#US217 Kevin Smith

#US245 Yan Gomes

#US42 Wander Franco - Rookie Debut

#US180 Josh Rojas

#US80 Tyler Naquin

#US329 Andrew Knizner

#US294 MacKenzie Gore - Rookie Debut

#US306 Jake Walsh - Rainbow Foil parallel

#US266 Nick Castellanos - Orange Foilboard, serial #'d 294/299

#DGDC-22 Eddie Mathews - Diamond Greats Die-Cuts insert

#SMLB-69 Javier Baez - Stars of MLB insert

Pack three

#US30 Camilo Doval

#US79 Spencer Torkelson - Rookie Debut

#US123 Isaac Paredes

#US179 Maikel Franco

#US292 Cole Irvin

#US104 Luke Williams

#US200 Corey Seager

#US145 Miguel Castro

#US301 Kris Bryant

#US278 Yusei Kikuchi

#US309 Clayton Kershaw - Dodgers All-Time Strikeouts Leader checklist

#US127 Zack Greinke

#ASG-43 Tony Gonsolin - 2022 MLB All-Star Game insert

#SMLB-64 Ryan Mountcastle - Stars of MLB insert

Pack four

#US190 Tyler Anderson

#US29 Alex De Goti RC

#US163 Jon Gray

#US52 Bryce Elder RC

#US181 Adam Ottavino

#US110 Elehuris Montero RC

#US326 Luke Maile

#US228 J.P. Feyereisen

#US282 Alek Thomas - Rookie Debut

#US12 Jace Peterson

#US257 Jorge Soler

#US100 Bobby Witt Jr. RC

#BH-OA Ozzie Albies - Commemorative batting helmet relic

#87TBU-41 Heliot Ramos - 1987 Topps 

#SMLB-84 Royce Lewis - Stars of MLB insert

Pack five

#US308 Richie Palacios RC

#US75 Chris Paddack

#US117 Nick Allen RC

#US279 Sergio Alcantara

#US205 Drew Steckenrider

#US82 Taylor Hearn

#US234 Joe Perez RC

#US197 Jesus Sanchez

#US224 Bryson Stott RC

#US324 Avisail Garcia

#US277 Jhoan Duran RC

#US251 Andrew McCutchen

#US317 Bryan Lavastida RC

#SMLB-73 Alek Thomas - Stars of MLB insert

Pack six

#US64 Alex Faedo RC

#US169 Orlando Arcia

#US193 James Norwood

#US85 Diego Castillo RC 

#US229 Jake Odorizzi 

#US201 Jorge Alcala

#US284 Michael Pineda

#US39 Carlos Correa

#US249 Gabriel Arias RC

#US203 Yu Chang

#US91 Brad Miller

#BG-19 Bryce Harper - Topps Black Gold insert

#ASG-9 Jose Altuve - 2022 MLB All-Star Game insert

#SMLB-72 Julio Urias - Stars of MLB insert

Pack seven 

#US199 Austin Meadows

#US194 Nelson Cruz

#US102 Craig Kimbrel

#US285 Nick Tropeano

#US214 Starling Marte

#US269 Ehire Adrianza

#US188 Connor Joe

#US198 Garrett Richards

#US288 Max Scherzer / Jacob deGrom - Aces Up / Veteran Combos

#US238 Javier Baez / Robbie Grossman - Dancing in Detroit / Veteran Combos

#US49 Aaron Civale

#US67 Harold Ramirez

#US290 George Kirby - Rookie Debut

#SMLB-62 Brandon Marsh - Stars of MLB insert