Boxed out

 

I've done a fairly good job of avoiding the blaster purchase over the last four or five years.

 

Once a standard pick-up, I gradually pulled away due to  blaster-exclusive "manufactured relics," then general unavailability during the pandemic, then a hike in price and the repeated frustration of pulling Marlins and Diamondbacks.

 

There are really only 3 times out of the year that I respond to the blaster siren call: When the new Topps flagship comes out, when new Heritage comes out, and when I get a gift card for Christmas. (Keep in mind I was regularly buying multiple blasters a week a dozen years ago).

 

The Target Christmas gift card arrives when I'm at my weakest. Typically at the holiday I haven't received any separate cards as gifts and I've also avoided buying cards during the holiday season so I can purchase gifts for others. The gift card gives me permission because I haven't opened packs in soooooooo long.

 

So that lengthy intro was intended to explain the broken-down boxes above. I also purchased a blaster of Archives but that box is on display in my card room as I do with the most recent boxes I buy

 

Overall, all three boxes were absolutely disappointing, which I kind of knew going into it. I mean why am I still buying a blaster of 2025 Heritage when I'm down to the final few SPs? (Answer: the parallels are still fun to me).

 

So let's start with the Heritage blaster:

 

Best aspect: Some more colored parallels of the green border, chrome and pink sparkle kind.

 

Worst aspect:

 

Parallel and insert dupes. I've pulled this chrome card and this '76 Reimagined insert before. There should not be dupes when I haven't even finished 10 percent of each parallel/insert.

 

Best card from the box: I can't show it because it's saved for another collector. Sorry.

 

 

On to the Archives box. I can write a little more about this because it's the first time I've opened it.

 

These are the three selected designs this year -- 1964, 1996 and 2005. Not exciting at all. Topps honestly does not have to revisit the 1996 design ever. Just pretend it never happened. I try to.

 

Archives always tweaks the design used so it doesn't match the original design exactly. I've said before that I don't mind this, but there are times when it really annoys my brain.

 

 

Here is a comparison to show how drastic the difference is. The squished gold foil names on the '05 Archives example at left irritates me instinctively. 

 

Best aspect:

 

The black foil parallels are fun, especially on the 1964 and 2005 designs. This was easily the best one in the box.

 

Worst aspect: I just mentioned it, the 2005 name font.

 

Best card from the box:

 

This Roki Sasaki Boardwalk and Baseball insert (a tribute to the 1987 oddball) is the only Dodger I pulled out of the whole box. Even the back of the card is fun, so bright and so '80s.

 

 

On to the Holiday "Mega box". I didn't buy this with the gift card. This was present from my daughter's boyfriend (he got me an Allen & Ginter blaster last year). It arrived at the same time as the gift card boxes.

 

I've said several times that I didn't enjoy the Holiday design this year. The garland feels like the card is growing weeds. Otherwise it's not just as festive as some of the other Holiday designs.

 

Best aspect: The exclusive silver parallels, I guess? This box was disappointing because I was expecting to pull some "Nice List" diecuts or "Evergreen" diecuts and then I learned that those are exclusive to the advent calendar packages. Even some of the nicer parallels are only for the advent calendar. I suppose you buy the Mega box if you're trying to complete the set, but I'm not trying to do that.

 

Worst aspect:

 

 Two cards in the box appeared in the pack upside down. This Fernando Tatis was one of them. But it's nothing exciting.

 

 

It's a back variation. The team logo is replaced with a holiday cookie and green-and-red colors are used instead of the typical back colors. Other holiday sets have used green-and-red on the back of every single card -- I'm thinking of my beloved 2019 Holiday set -- so this is nothing special.

 

The other worst aspect is the Holiday ornament that comes with each box, you can hang it on your tree. The player on the ornament is about the last person I want to hang on my tree and those ornaments are so damn big this year. I might have disposed of it. 

 

Best card out of the box:

 

This is the only holiday photo variation I pulled. It's a pretty good one. Also I have already sent it to somebody who I hope enjoys it more than me. In the spirit of the season, I guess -- which is not the season anymore.

 

So, while I don't think I'm done buying blaster boxes with gift cards at the holidays, I probably will think extra long about doing it next year or in the years to come. I'm just about all boxed out. I'm not of fan of saving the gift card for other more mundane things, but maybe that's what I need to do.

 

Thanks, Topps for turning me into a grown-up.