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Not hot


Oh, Fairfield, you got me again.

I knew you would get me. I knew it before I even bought the box. I knew it as soon as I saw a series of "Hot Corner Boxes" hanging neatly from a peg from the card supply in the back of Target.

These were new. And so tidy. The boxes are simple, small and to the point. One hobby pack. Two hits. Four total packs. What's not to like?

OK, so there was no sign of a price anywhere. That's not to like. Nothing on the box. No tags on the hooks like with the other display items. "Take a gamble," the box was saying. All of the other packs on the wall were saying the same thing, but this one was screaming to me. "I'm new! I'm simple! I'm Fairfield!"

So I took one. Knowing Fairfield had gotten me.

I walked to the checkout and scanned my items. I scanned the Hot Corner Box. It rang up $14.95.

Yikes. I should take this back right now.

But I didn't. Two hits, you know. And a hobby pack.

I arrived home and opened the box. The two hits fell out of the box unprotected, along with the four packs.



OK, basically what I expect of "hits" from a Fairfield product. The Adam Dunn card is not bad.

Meanwhile, the Robbie Beckett card is not bad in the most wonderfully awful way possible. Beckett has that very 1990s story of a No. 1 draft pick (by the Padres) who could throw 100 mph but couldn't figure out where it was going. He toiled in the minors for awhile before the Marlins took a chance on him (that's where we find him with this card). Then he went to the Rockies, where he made his MLB debut. He pitched in just seven games total PROBABLY BECAUSE HE HAD TO SIGN EIGHT THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY SIGNATURE ROOKIES CARDS.

I know that certainly would kill my interest in a major league career.

All right, let's see the packs. That's the reason why I actually bought the thing (I have to have a reason, don't I?)


This is not too bad, although the fact that the hobby pack is 2008 Bowman Chrome is quite disappointing. I can't even make back my money if I pull a Joba Chamberlain card.

I opened them in order of interest.

2017 Topps Series 2 was first. The cards of most interest to me:


And the most unfortunate card of the pack:


This really underlines the terribleness of the 2017 design. You can't see one-third of the play.

2018 Topps Series 2 came next.


Just two interesting cards. T'was a dull pack all around.



The most unfortunate card is of Travis Wood because I can tell he's photoshopped into a Tigers uniform, which isn't even really that difficult a task since he's wearing a Padres uniform and those two teams practically wear the same colors.

Let's go with the 2018 Stadium Club pack next. All 5 cards of it.


Mike Trout is the most interesting card just because people seem to find him most interesting. I'm not one of those people. Also, this was probably the dullest Stadium Club pack I've ever opened. Matt Chapman. Jimmie Sherfy. This guy?:


Some Yankee fan is probably thinking this is a most charming card and it's not because it's Brett Gardner, and, oh, I need to burn all my Brett Gardner cards immediately.

I ended this pack-opening session with the Bowman pack against my best instincts. But since I threw all my instincts out the window when I bough the box I figured I'd continue the theme. There were no instincts left.


Most interesting card.


Most unfortunate card. For all the Brett Gardner reasons plus many more. There were FOUR CARDS in this pack and one has to be this guy?

The two "first Bowman cards" weren't any better.


Dodger fans, remember Carlos Monasterios?

Yeah, you don't need to tell me I shouldn't have bought this. I knew that before I even bought it. It's probably not a waste of money though as I like the Peter Gammons card a lot and I know I can trade that Adam Dunn card somewhere. And it will prevent me from buying anything Fairfield for a number of months.


Not hot.

Comments

Nick Vossbrink said…
I've always wondered whose job it was to hand-number all those autographs (and there were so many "hand-numbered to the thousands" cards in the 90s)

Also at least this pack had what it was supposed to have inside it.
Jeremya1um said…
Too bad Peter Gammons wasn’t the hit. I was hoping they would’ve at least gave you a few Dodger base cards.
Zvon said…
Enjoyed (at least as much as you did) going through these packs with you. And thanks for sharing this info. I'll steer clear of Fairfield's crap.
Adam said…
I saw that same thing the other day at Target and considered taking the gamble. Thanks to you, I don't have to. I'll stick with my usual schtick from the Fairfield guys ... 100-card repack bricks or the 4-pack, 50-card combo deal.

PS: The Adam Dunn card is nice.
Brett Alan said…
Maybe you can pretend that the Justin a Henry is the kid from Kramer vs. Kramer? B^)
Fuji said…
Overall... I could live with the $14.95 price for two hits and four decent packs. On the other hand, Fairfield should know better than to throw two "hits' into a box unprotected.
Bulldog said…
These things are hard to resist. I get the draw when you find them. Great Yaz card. Hadn't seen that one. Not a good look for Maddux though. Fun post. Wish it had worked out better for you.
JediJeff said…
Well.......you got a cardboard box with a picture of Angels Stadium on it. That's good, right?
Josh D. said…
Fairfield needs to bring back the "Collector's Cache" boxes that they had back in 2013. They had a plastic card box, a bunch of loose cards, some supplies, some Topps coins, 1 "hit", a few packs, and a random Yankees patch....all for $15 at Target. That's the kind of randomness we need!!
Old Cards said…
Cards in a box? Just doesn't sound right. I don't even like cello packs. Wax packs - the only pure way to buy cards!
Laurens said…
Nice Trout, though thanks for jumping on that grenade, so others may not have to.
Jongudmund said…
Never mind uniforms, Greg Maddux's face looks photoshopped there.
Deep Fryed Mind said…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm1haMRYIqo

Mine wasn't that bad at all. Still worth $12, not $15.