2016 Topps Series I hobby jumbo pack

After a prolonged hiatus, I decided to drop by my LCS to stave off some boredom - in addition to small stash of loose cards I put together, I was looking to bust some loose packs.

I balked at the single pack prices [maybe $4-$6] for stuff like 2016 Panini Diamond Kings and 2016 Topps Gypsy Queen - though 'old news,' I knew I hadn't picked up my lone jumbo pack of 2016 Topps Series I for my breaking ritual, so I settled for that.

#18 Francisco Rodriguez
#99 Taijuan Walker
#194 Chase Headley
#17 Billy Butler
#300 Buster Posey
#113 Aaron Sanchez
#9 Eric Hosmer
#267 Chris Heston
#298 Ryan Braun
#230 Ryan Vogelsong
#56 Salvador Perez - World Series Highlights
#172 Carter Capps
#142 C.C. Sabathia
#273 New York Mets team card
#166 2015 NL RBI Leaders - feat. Arenado, Goldschmidt and Rizzo
#65 Pittsburgh Pirates team card
#BB-33 Don Mattingly - Berger’s Best insert
#P-11 Kris Bryant - Perspectives insert
#265 Luis Severino - Rainbow Foil parallel
#WRIG-5 Jake Arrieta - 100 Years at Wrigley Field insert
#PIS-4 Michael Cuddyer - Pressed Into Service insert

#TLR-YM Yadier Molina - Topps Laser Relic insert serial #’d 28/99
#39 Mark Trumbo
#106 Jordan Walden
#347 Jason Grilli
#104 Jeremy Hellickson
#173 Jose Abreu
#159 Erick Aybar
#295 Jonathan Schoop
#102 Doug Fister
#312 Curtis Granderson
#149 Chad Bettis
#66 Kyle Schwarber
#40 Jedd Gyorko
#191 Brian Johnson
#83 Starling Marte
#287 Alcides Escobar
#226 Brian Ellington

2015 Topps Series I pack breaks

When it comes to loose packs, I'm more inclined to pick them up at my card shop, since there is peace of mind that the packs haven't been searched - even if the box isn't entirely 'new' and there have been multiple packs pulled already, I'll take my chances as opposed to a gravity feed at Target and/or Walmart.

Results vary, but I cling to the the idea hobby packs gives me a better chance to pull a card of note - regardless of actual value since flagship Topps costs $2 a pack.

Pack one
#184 Melvin Upton
#15 Joey Votto
#320 Shin-Soo Choo
#269 Jordy Mercer
#343 Shane Greene
#H-19 Mike Schmidt - Highlight of the Year insert
#237 Lucas Duda
#89 Michael Choice
#266 Brandon Phillips
#274 Ryan Zimmerman

Pack two
#178 Christian Yelich
#52 Fernando Rodney
#29 Brandon Belt
#190 Zach Britton

#CRH-FF Freddie Freeman - game used memorabilia card
#133 Daisuke Matsuzaka
#95 Junior Lake
#236 Zack Wheeler

Pack three
#37 Arismendy Alcantara
#169 Adam Jones
#197 Glen Perkins
#160 Washington Nationals team card
#288 Chris Parmelee
#50 Yu Darvish

#FP-13 Suzy - First Pitch insert
#100 Clayton Kershaw
#249 Jose Reyes
#157 Ubaldo Jimenez

Pack four
#74 Tyler Skaggs
#53 Nathan Eovaldi
#24 New York Mets team card
#38 Jordan Zimmerman
#48 John Axford
#FP-09 Tom Willis - First Pitch insert
#179 Jason Vargas
#164 Brian Schlitter
#152 Michael Pineda
#172 Didi Gregorius

Pack five
#16 David DeJesus
#252 Travis Wood - it's just a base card, but there is peeling on the upper right hand corner.
#263 Dillon Gee
#25 Jose Bautista
#9 Hunter Pence
#232 Andrew Susac
#H-18 Willie McCovey - Highlight of the Year insert
#39 Salvador Perez
#69 Justin Upton
#293 Zach Duke

2015 Topps Series I jumbo pack recap

In the last couple of years, a collecting ritual is to pick up at least one, loose hobby jumbo pack from Topps / Bowman products - it doesn't mean I won't end up buying any more hobby jumbo packs or even splurging for a jumbo box, but I've got to get that initial, hobby jumbo pack break out of the way.

#178 Christian Yelich
#52 Fernando Rodney
#37 Arismendy Alcantara
#169 Adam Jones
#197 Glen Perkins
#289 Matt Joyce
#255 James Russell
#166 Jenrry Mejia
#134 Brett Lawrie
#344 Manny Parra
#279 Coco Crisp
#1 Derek Jeter
#42 Todd Frazier
#61 Clayton Kershaw / Johnny Cueto / Adam Wainwright - 2014 National League ERA Leaders
#342 San Diego Padres team card - feat. Rymer Liriano?
#319 Derek Jeter
#43 Starlin Castro
#317 Clayton Kershaw
#314 Jackie Bradley Jr.
#298 Rymer Liriano
#215 Alejandro De Aza
#21 Brett Gardner
#38 Jordan Zimmerman
#48 John Axford
#297 Scott Kazmir
#A-15 Mike Piazza - Archetypes insert
#226 Dioner Navarro - Rainbow Foil parallel
Babe Ruth Call Your Shot game card
#FP-14 50 Cent - First Pitch insert
#CRH-DPA Dustin Pedroia - game used memorabilia card
#233 Carlos ruiz
#55 Trevor May
#216 Greg Holland
#99 Yonder Alonso
#335 Matt Barnes
#293 Zach Duke
#11 Jon Jay
#130 Mike Napoli
#27 Kendrys Morales
#198 Alexi Ogando
#47 Anthony Rizzo
#244 Bartolo Colon
#226 Dioner Navarro
#264 Tony Cingrani
#68 Lonnie Chisenhall
#46 Wilson Ramos
#118 Domonic Brown
#H-20 Fergie Jenkins - Highlight of the Year insert

Featured autograph - Matt Reynolds

In the Arizona Fall League this past fall, I got the sense a lot more players were 'one per' and/or basically didn't want to stop and sign all the time - Reynolds was one of those players who picked his spots and I only got him to sign [on a couple of cards in two separate times] in my last AFL trip.

I like how his autograph 'pops' on the Team USA memorabilia card - the soon to be 24-year old New York Mets minor leaguer had a breakout season this past year and maybe ready to contribute at the MLB level in 2015.