2021 Panini Absolute Baseball blaster recap

I saw a display of $15 blaster boxes at the monthly card show I went to and was definitely tempted because some was baseball and while it was likely dead stock from a retail flipper's POV - I'll take my chances where I can pick out of a couple of boxes to rip for a little south of $20 each rather of the other way around.

The safe play may have been two blasters of 2021 Topps Stadium Club, but I went with a miscellaneous Panini product and a 2021 Topps Fire blaster - it was an opportunity to grab two blasters I hadn't seen before and regardless of likely outcomes, I wanted something different.

Go figure with the MLB locking out its players, it might be an appropriate time to bust something only licensed by the players association - where you have big league players' cards without any MLB logos and no licensing from Major League Baseball itself.

The break ended up being underwhelming because the cards are pretty bland from base cards to the scattered inserts - nothing that shines and/or pops and the lack of MLB licensing only adds to the certain boring feel.

My per box, on average blaster exclusive autograph or memorabilia card was of a young pitcher who was part of the 2021 World Series champion Atlanta [Braves] - who made one WS start and wasn't very good at all.

Pack one

#74 Lucas Giolito

#31 J.P. Crawford

#88 Fernando Tatis Jr.

#46 Mike Yastrzemski

#74 Lucas Giolito - Green parallel

#SS-1 Joe Jackson - Statistically Speaking insert; Green parallel

#P-10 Bobby Witt Jr. - Prospects insert

#PO-8 Nelson Cruz - Power insert

Pack two

#4 D.J. Lemahieu

#62 Kris Bryant

#20 Xander Bogaerts 

#77 Matt Chapman

#31 J.P. Crawford - Green parallel

#RC-4 Sam Huff - Rookie Class insert

#RC-24 Ryan Mountcastle - Rookie Class insert; Green parallel

#SS-6 Freddie Freeman - Statistically Speaking insert

Pack three

#100 Clayton Kershaw

#58 Willie Adames

#16 Max Scherzer

#TT6S-TD Tucker Davidson - Tools of the Trade 6 Swatch Signatures; retail serial #'d 49/99; blue ink, clear hologram auto

#88 Fernando Tatis Jr. - Green parallel

#No. I-7 Mike Trout - Icons insert; Los Angeles; Green parallel

#UH-3 Frank Chance - Unsung Heroes insert

#No. I-12 Tony Gwynn - Icons insert; San Diego

Pack four

#73 Jose Ramirez

#30 Christian Yelich

#87 Jeff McNeil

#45 Brandon Lowe

#46 Mike Yastrzemski - Green parallel

#ET-4 Trevor Story - Extreme Team insert; Green parallel

#RC-19 Triston McKenzie - Rookie Class insert

#PO-13 Reggie Jackson - Power insert

Pack five

#3 Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

#61 Gil Hodges

#19 Jacob deGrom

#42 Bryce Harper

#4 D.J. Lemahieu - Green parallel

#RC-18 Andres Gimenez - Rookie Class insert; Green parallel

#ET-10 Randy Arozarena - Extreme Team 

#SS-11 Max Scherzer - Statistically Speaking insert

Just to add one last bit here - I found it funny another collector actually tweeted a picture of the very card show display I bought my blasters from, to say there is a lot of excess supply [likely not going anywhere].