*ALL CARDS FOR TRADE, MINUS THE MINIS
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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdXdc9rRqDDpMuSbn8ZfGzbz5ecQiYuD-WtYUIFxqDk8hSbRTrbC07ZL6VkFAfyrJjMkcZSpAS6Nyzs72v4tp2eYM3D92OYg-sy61AmIiYxCPTew29E2itawhjWNO4s-82EgY0DdbjwYb/s400/scan0060.jpg)
Pack #1
Colby
RasmusTim Lincecum (with hat!!!)Gil
Meche Polar Bear Mini
Ryan
Dempster Bronze
Chris
VolstadAndrew
McCutchen![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCezqLfnZx8rGDTyzOs4phQMahyphenhyphen1Hl6jYNsGbOa6NZfqJB5dZp2g6AO6ofjaL6mqwUAtb2tDxwn88xvVlqzWd0z5BiXjSLL9Yh56r_ByFYAy7gGkYUrbCn10ai-D3SHNMMf0hlUK3oU0Ru/s400/scan0061.jpg)
Pack #2
Frank RobinsonYogi Berra
Hanley Ramirez Caramel Mini
Andy
Pettitte Bronze
Curtis
GrandersonAlex Rios
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8nkjSCdVIYjSsgkAUwvzf2LsLXhyphenhyphenTeuF8Vtlwyfwa_wAj0UZBSqIOck69nuo6V1TB9Rg3NwF3pfbugr8b_kuKZ4KndW7BfZhy0R4uiycgbaxh4N2_-ZEWzW929TlbKpeVn4uNXF5OOvb/s400/scan0062.jpg)
Pack #3
Jayson
WerthBrandon Inge
Jason Heyward Piedmont MiniLou Gehrig
David Price Bronze
Justin Upton
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFzXwbsbtJh-YBqDIfQk1PFrdGF24WDMacJLGpfI9dKHlX6Ra6dubO2FCPkvs2k96ErtV0OyrmElZfzflzdNwIVhWjupI346YLnviWdi0F6GRyYIVuJ-AbDVdfh_9oMhiXCEP4hnpjvxY/s400/scan0063.jpg)
Pack #4
Ken Griffey JrOrlando Cabrera Caramel Mini
Jason
Heyward Bronze
Ty Cobb
Adam Jones
Chris
Coghlan![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcet0tN9e_lCS5pO1NTeQ5uT0NRm-hwCfUF5PT-R7UTbWPVVQ1Pg9PinB2I3rIUN3smYoTM4325fghWwJ5sZUqp4z47sjoyxC-USKTDaaaGz5QG8w_RnV1gEaweFPt4XeT-HObK1mYMaO_/s400/scan0064.jpg)
Pack #5
Jason Bartlett
Willie KeelerGeovany Soto
Miguel
Montero Piedmont mini
Travis
Hafner Bronze
Kurt Suzuki
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajNKQeipGjhfmyolFfChyNbM0KN3f65M-odIdqWPXP47fSUo2vPS8fsgZIPnBBYga9OBD22LrkRq5ZEhma5KcnJU08ohsgEt3nK25RqHyRIuqTK4BHsPYcPPGgzUiJXOmW43NHWrABYp-/s400/scan0065.jpg)
Pack #6
Jorge
PosadaAdam Lind
Raul
IbanezFirst Jet Engine plane miniDexter Fowler Bronze
Vernon Wells
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCcFiTTH4VEfZlJWUNKqhKlkvhqZyl6nJAQwhu2uMSKkvlx6IfIrJNdu4Ey41bS7AyL7E3Qhcc1hVNZ39UgMTHE73xYSxFlhKN2gJzJd-yyn08zfH67SF8su47Qdwu90Ze695Vm-oyYVL/s400/scan0066.jpg)
Pack #7
Rafael
FurcalMatt Cain Piedmont mini
Melky Cabrera Bronze
John
DanksKevin
MillwoodBabe Ruth NNO
Alcides EscobarPlacido PolancoYunel EscobarTroy
Glaus Bronze
Nolan RyanSome 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.