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

Fleshing out some card projects with my loose card finds

I've got piles of cards from purchases I've sat on after giving them a quick look and/or trying to list them out somewhere so at least there is a record I can look at - one of the things I'm trying to do at the moment is sort my decade stars / binder material cards.

I have a cheat sheet [a quick reference guide] leaderboard collection to tally up the most cards I have for players through a single decade - rather than just trying to sort out loose cards 'as is,' by decade and by player, it's a game to see which guys I've ended up overcollecting or undercollecting.

It's hard to keep track of exact cards from my random purchases - but I've been weeding out my decade stars / binder material from the 1980s / 1990s debut guys like from this pile of card show finds [25 dollar cards I was charged $15 for].

For the 1980s debut players whose cards I've shown, it looks like I have the following totals tallied up before further updates - Tony Gwynn - 44 cards, Barry Bonds - 38 cards, Wade Boggs - 21 cards and Sammy Sosa - eight cards.

When think about it, the totals for each player end up changing as I constantly find more scattered cards - at the moment, the leader for my 1980s leaderboards ends up being Will Clark at 68 cards and counting, while Ken Griffey Jr. clocks in at second place with 59 cards and counting.

These are pick ups for 1990s debut guys and before any further updates, it looks like I have the following totals tallied up - Vladimir Guerrero Sr. - 69 cards [current leader for the '90s], Derek Jeter - 45 cards, Manny Ramirez - 29 cards, Ivan Rodriguez - 16 cards and Trevor Hoffman - 11 cards.

At the moment Carlos Beltran is the only player whose card is pictured as one of my finds, but isn't currently on my leaderboards collection - a case where I don't have enough cards piled up to make a page.

At some point, the plan at some point is to take action and put the cards into plastic pages - even when there are more cards out there in the wild.

As it goes, my trigger number for a players' cards to be added for my leaderboards is about seven cards - where I can make a page of nine using the loose cards I've gathered and probably a few more miscellaneous cards stored double sided in a plastic sheet.

I don't know if it is going to take a few more days, a week or even a couple before I move off sorting cards for the 1980s/1990s - I have a leaderboard collection for the 2000s debuts guys and it's going to be more of the same, where there is a race to figure the most or the least cards I might have for certain players.

My last tally was listed as April 2022 and before any further updates, it looks like I have the following totals tallied up - Ichiro [Suzuki] - 23 cards, Albert Pujols - 22 cards and Joe Mauer - 13 cards.

I picked up rookie cards of Kazuhiro Sasaki and Mark Buehrle - Sasaki isn't a decade stars guy for me, so the card might in my nations collection or random team box collection.

Buehrle might be a decade stars guy in my book - but I don't think I've gone out of my way to make his cards keepers.

I'll tease the project here and there, but something I want to do through this year is compile an all-time Top 100 cheap-zz keepers collection - inspired by other collectors who have showcased similar projects, my current collection consists of certain quirky, funny, ironic or personal cards, but I might be on the hunt for unique cards worthy of consideration.

An off-shoot idea would be to have a regional / Angels collection of an all-time Top 100 cheap-zz keepers collection - where I might be looking out of random cards that flesh out this collection; maybe the Pujols refractor doesn't quite make the cut, but I might be able to use a 1993 Topps Gold Jim Edmonds rookie year card.

Through 2023, maybe there has been a nudge towards picking up random cards of more miscellaneous, notable subjects as I come across their cards - despite wanting it where it's mostly baseball cards I'm curating for a collection, maybe the plan is to fill out my Top 100 collection with a select number of non-baseball guys, just to mix things up and add some odd depth to a compilation of cards.

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.

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