During my Target run the other night I could not choose between retail Topps T206 and Blaster Topps T206, so I decided to try a bit of both and run a product comparison. My summary? The cards all look alike! Actually it should also be noted that you get the same odds out of Blasters as Retail boxes. I don't know if they have a wall-hanger product out or not...if so those might have tougher odds.
So here are the highlights of my blaster. Remember that my five packs of retail pulled an Ellsbury NNO and a Strasburg Caramel mini, so that might be a bit tough to match.
Pack #1
Colby Rasmus
Tim Lincecum (with hat!!!)
Gil Meche Polar Bear Mini
Ryan Dempster Bronze
Chris Volstad
Andrew McCutchen
Pack #2Frank Robinson
Yogi Berra
Hanley Ramirez Caramel Mini
Andy Pettitte Bronze
Curtis Granderson
Alex Rios
Pack #3Jayson Werth
Brandon Inge
Jason Heyward Piedmont Mini
Lou Gehrig
David Price Bronze
Justin Upton
Pack #4Ken Griffey Jr
Orlando Cabrera Caramel Mini
Jason Heyward Bronze
Ty Cobb
Adam Jones
Chris Coghlan
Pack #5Jason Bartlett
Willie Keeler
Geovany Soto
Miguel Montero Piedmont mini
Travis Hafner Bronze
Kurt Suzuki
Pack #6
Jorge Posada
Adam Lind
Raul Ibanez
First Jet Engine plane mini
Dexter Fowler Bronze
Vernon Wells
Pack #7
Rafael Furcal
Matt Cain Piedmont mini
Melky Cabrera Bronze
John Danks
Kevin Millwood
Babe Ruth NNO
Alcides Escobar
Placido Polanco
Yunel Escobar
Troy Glaus Bronze
Nolan Ryan
Some Mini Card Currently On The Lamb (last seen hitching a ride down I-5)
Summary: I am a big fan of what Heyward is doing this season, so it is nice to pull a mini, and the Ruth NNO is pretty cool, albeit not necessarily unique. Some of these cards are reasonably nice, and some need to be put out to pasture. I guess that is probably about the same story with any product though. Nolan Ryan sure has pretty teeth, don't he?
Winner? I am going to have to go with the loose, retail box. Pulling a Strasberg Caramel, while no doubt not nearly as exciting as it would have been two months ago, is a nice little historic piece to add to JD's collection. "This is the guy that everybody emptied their pocketbooks to get a card of and made eBay very happy".
This will be a fun product to buy some occasional packs. The mini parallels and reasonably interesting card subjects, should make pack rips pretty exciting. I am uncertain why a continuation product is so vastly different than its predecessor, but I will give Topps this much, at least the set seems free of recycled images, at least from what I have seen in these packs.
Remember, all cards for trade, except for the minis! Speaking of mini's, here they are, except for the one that has gone mysterious missing. I wonder if JD knows anything about that.
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