2015 Topps Gypsy Queen blaster recap

Pack one
#230 Howie Kendrick
#82 Mookie Wilson
#147 Jarrod Parker

#72 Carlos Martinez - Gold mini parallel serial #'d 1/99
#47 Ozzie Smith
#218 Jake Peavy

Pack two
#41 Ivan Rodriguez
#164 Tony Gwynn
#176 Yasiel Puig
#26 Freddie Freeman - mini

#QT-7 Nelson Cruz - The Queen's Throwbacks insert
#209 Sean Doolittle

Pack three
#30 Jose Bautista
#189 Daniel Norris
#24 Joey Votto

#150 Felix Hernandez - mini
#337 Jorge Posada - short print
#74 Julio Teheran

Pack four
#23 Adam Jones
#14 Jose Altuve
#162 Jonathan Lucroy
#62 Kenley Jansen - mini
#259 Mike Foltynewicz 
#163 Willie McCovey

Pack five
#216 Scott Kazmir
#154 Ryan Howard
#270 Mike Minor

#243 Pedro Alvarez - Silver mini serial #'d 069/199
#281 Wade Davis
#290 Jay Bruce

Pack six
#6 David Wright
#72 Carlos Martinez
#264 Alex Rios
#128 Anthony Ranaudo

#332 Fred McGriff - mini
#193 C.C. Sabathia

Pack seven
#84 John Smoltz
#96 Edwin Encarnacion
#115 Chipper Jones
#112 Evan Gattis - mini

#GWO-25 Mookie Wilson - Walk-Off Winners insert
#220 Francisco Liriano

Pack eight
#11 Hanley Ramirez
#102 Johnny Cueto
#251 Ervin Santana
#219 Carlos Carrasco - mini

#GS-9 Alex Gordon - Glove Stories insert
#138 Greg Maddux

2014 Topps Allen and Ginter Value Pack recap

I wanted to tease myself with a blaster box - however the shelves at my Target apparently were not stocked with any blasters so I settled for one $9.49 Value Pack.

Three card mini bonus pack
Adrian Gonzalez
Mike Olt
Carlos Gomez

Pack one
#296 Joey Votto
#57 Carlos Beltran
#333 Stephen Strasburg - SP
#NW-08 Ha Long Bay - Natural Wonder insert
#269 Jose Abreu - mini
#45 Nomar Garciaparra

Pack two
#141 Starlin Castro
#289 Kyle Seager
#PP-YD Yu Darvish - Pastime's Pastimes insert

#243 Helen Keller - mini
#152 Vince Gilligan

#95 Austin Wierschke

Pack three
#115 Dustin Pedroia
#84 Francisco Liriano
#324 Adam Wainwright - SP
#NW-20 Punalu'u Beach - Natural Wonder insert
#125 Glen Waggoner - mini

#164 Jenny Dell 

Featured autograph - Tyler Austin

Austin was pretty accomodating otherwise in the three times I ran into him at the Arizona Fall League - I had this 2013 Topps Heritage Minors insert, which is just a little bigger than a postage stamp and another card signed the final time I saw him.

It's a temptation for me to get oddball sized [either a little larger or maybe a little smaller] trading cards signed, though I try to stick with only standard sized cards for uniformity - I had everything else I brought for Austin signed, so I wanted to see if he'd be able to fit any sort of autograph onto such a tiny card.

After four games and 12 at-bats, Austin was injured and didn't play in any more games at the AFL before going home - he is only 22, but Austin maybe one of those players who may fall short of having long term success [presumably when he reaches the Major Leagues] because of various injuries.

2012 Topps Allen and Ginter's value pack recap

2012 Topps Allen and Ginter's Value Pack [$9.49 each at a Walmart]

Top section

Gold bordered mini parallel pack
#227 Michael Young
#213 Joe Nathan
#172 Chris Perez

First pack
#203 Ian Kinsler
#193 Jackie Joyner-Kersee
#235 Victor Martinez
#NNO Bruce Klugman - Murder in Willow Cove
#222 Yovani Gallardo - mini
#WIN 62 Jered Weaver - What's in a Name? insert

Bottom section

First pack
#97 Max Scherzer
#145 Drew Storen
#36 Kirk Herbstreit
#HTP 14 The Emancipation Proclamation - Historical Turning Points insert
#120 Mariano Rivera - mini
#WIN 47 Jacoby Ellsbury - What's in a Name? insert
Murder in Willow Cove - info card

Second pack
#263 Jason Motte
#137 George Brett
#AGR-CP Carlos Pena - framed relic card
#ML-17 Duke of Marlborough - World's Greatest Military Leaders mini
#305 Wilin Rosario - SP