Behind the Scenes at the Topps Triple Threads Rip Party.
Did you ever wonder what really happens at one of those Topps Rip Parties? Tom the Ripper -- who is quickly becoming my favorite video box buster -- was at the Triple Threads RP and shot this exclusive "behind the scenes" video.
Good Lord that's hilarious, albeit in an unintentional way. I mean, look at Joe Collector, fawning over his "White Whale" of Joey Voe-Toe! And who knew The Rip Master used ExtenZe?
BTW, I could watch that last 20 seconds over-and-over again.
If there's anything Joe Collector loves more than busting new, over-priced wax. It's busting new, over-priced wax for free, then posting the whole wax orgy to YouTube.
And yes, if I won $1358 worth of free cards, I'd do the exact same thing.
Video Box Break and Review: 2008 Upper Deck Series Two Blaster
Nope, I still ain't buying Topps.
One Blaster box of 2008 Upper Deck Series Two (paid $19.97 + tax) Ten packs per box, eight cards per pack.
The Pulls
Base Set: 64 of 400 (16.00%)
Inserts 7 Common StarQuest: C. Granderson, P. Martinez, "I", A. Dunn, C. Beltran, P. Konerko, C. Pena 2 Un-Common StarQuest: A. Dunn, D. Jeter 1 Rare StarQuest: Captain Cheeseburger Sabathia 2 Superstar Scrapbook: The World's Fattest Vegetarian, The Big Unit 1 Team USA: D. Espinosa 1 Presidential Predictor: Hillary & McCain
Mirrors 2 Yankee Stadium Legacy: W. Ford, Y. Berra
Baltimore is a great place to pick up dance moves, I find.
It's also a great place to have a baseball card show. Tuff Stuff is reporting that the National Sports Collectors Convention might be coming to the Charm City in 2010.
Yes, Baltimore is the Cleveland of the Northeast; but it's only two-hours drive from me, and that's all that matters.
Vacation's over, and nothing in The Hobby has changed in my absence. The big story is (I suppose) Topps and Upper Deck suing each other (again), over something-a-ruther.
And Topps' website still lists card #645 as Kosuke Fukudome. (And yes, the boycott continues.)
So I'm back now. Not quite tanned, not quite rested, and not quite ready.
And just for the hell of it, here's an old Public Image Limited video from the 80s. Enjoy.
By the time Blogger (hopefully) gets around to posting this, I'll be on a jet plane. Vacation, baby! Ten days of drunkenness and debauchery with my two little brothers in Ireland!
Come to think of it, this is the first real vacation I've had since that 120-day tour of Saudi Arabia back in '97.
Needless to say, the output of this blog will be noticeably reduced for the next few weeks. I'm bringing my laptop, so I should be able to keep up with what's going on in The Hobby. And if Topps of Upper Deck do anything stupid, rest assured, I'll chip in my two euros from the other side of The Pond.
Video Box Break and Review: 2008 Upper Deck Series Two
Here's my video box break, courtesy of the one and only Dr. Wax Battle.
One Hobby Box of 2008 Upper Deck Series Two (paid $69 + tax) 16 packs per box, 20 cards per pack
The Details
Base Set: 400 cards (no SPs)
Parallels Gold (numbered to 99)
Inserts 25 USA National Team (1:4) 20 USA Junior National Team (1:4) 12 Presidential Predictors (1:8) Yankee Stadium Legacy Buybacks
Mirrors Yankee Stadium Legacy (1:4)
Autogamers 45 USA Baseball Autographs* (numbered to 375 or less) 45 USA Baseball Jersey Autographs* (numbered to 199 or less) 45 USA Baseball Patch Autographs* (numbered to 99 of less) 10 1997 Game Jersey# 10 1998 Game Jersey# 10 1999 Game Jersey# 70 UD Game Jersey# 10 Throwback 1997 UD Game Jersey Patch Parallel# 10 Throwback 1998 UD Game Jersey Patch Parallel# 10 Throwback 1999 UD Game Jersey Patch Parallel# 70 UD Game Jersey Patch Parallel# 45 USA Baseball Jersey# 45 USA Baseball Patch# Yankee Stadium Legacy Memorabilia Cards#
Inserts 4 USA National Team: B. Wallace, D. Espinosa, J. Smoak, T. Ross 4 USA Junior National Team: J. P. Ramirez, M. Purke, R. Torrez, T. Melville 2 Presidential Predictors: Clinton vs. McCain: Iraq, Obama vs. McCain: Healthcare
Mirrors 4 Yankee Stadium Legacy: #s 6024 (P. O'Neill), 6049 (T. Martinez), 6074 (D. Jeter), 6099 (T. Martinez)
Autogamers 1 USA Baseball Jersey Autographed: T. Hibbs (# to 392) 1 USA Baseball Autographed: K. Skipworth (# to 200) 1 USA Baseball Jersey: T. Medica
The Review
It's the most anticipated rookie card to hit The Hobby in seven years. And thanks to Topps' hubris, 2008 Upper Deck Series Two will have the only Kosuke Fukudome RC on the market for a while.
The rest of the set consists of 300 regular player cards (401-700) arranged alphabetically by team, thirty "Rookie Cards" (701-730), a batch of Season Highlights (731-750), thirty Team Checklists (751-780), and then, yet another score of Season Highlights (781-800). Once again, the Team Checklists -- at least their fronts -- are virtually indistinguishable from the regular player cards.
The main insert -- and timed just in time for the 2008 MLB Draft -- is the return of Team USA. 45 members of last year's National and Junior National teams are represented on inserts and autogamers. This is the first time the Junior National Team has been included in a Major League set, and I have to be honest with you, I'm not sure I'm all that comfortable with cards of high schoolers.
The Bottom Line
This box yielded three-quarters of a full base set with three doubles and all inserts ran as promised. I pulled three Team USA autogamers, and not knowing who the heck these kids (and they are kids) are, I did some research.
I pulled an autographed jersey card (numbered to 392 copies) of Junior National Team pitcher Tyler Hibbs. Hibbs was the Baltimore Sun's All-Metro High School Player of the Year for 2006, and was offered a scholarship by Florida State. Then this past February he was arrested for marijuana possession, and FSU revoked their offer. Hibbs be attending Tallahassee Community College in the fall.
The second autogamer was an autograph (numbered to 200) of Kyle Skipworth, a catcher from Patriot HS in Riverside, CA. Skipworth hit .543 this past year and was named California high school player of the year. Skipworth is expected to be a top-10 pick in this year's draft.
The third and final autogamer is a jersey card of another catcher: Santa Clara University's Tommy Medica. Medica is a sophomore, and as such, is not draft eligible until next year.
I also pulled eight non-gamer USA cards, three of whom (Justin Smoak, Brett Wallace, and Tim Melville) are projected to go in the top-half of the Draft.
Product Rating: 3 1/2 Gumsticks (out of five)
... and another thing.
I think it says something about the state of The Hobby in 2008 that, of the 18 inserts, parallels, mirrors, and autogamers I pulled in this box, only five feature actual Major League players.
Vintage Video Box Break and Review: 1999 Skybox Metal Universe
One retail box of 1999 Skybox Metal Universe (paid $18.95 + shipping from Pittsburgh Sports Wholesale *) 20 packs per box, six cards per pack (MSRP $2.39)
The Details
Base Set: 300 cards
Parallels: NONE (all are Hobby Only)
Inserts: 15 Neophytes (1:10) 15 Boyz with the Wood (1:30) 15 Planet Metal (1:60) 15 Diamond Soul (1:96) 10 Linchpins (1:576)
Autogamers: NONE (all are Hobby Only)
The Pulls
Part One
Part Two
Base Set: 116 of 300 (38.67%)
Inserts: 2 Neophytes: P. Konerko, M. Tejada 1 Boyz with the Wood: M. Piazza 1 Planet Metal: D. Erstad
1999 Skybox Metal Universe was a set that I never got around to collecting. But when I ripped a pack of this in my recent 20-for-$40 gimmick on APAD, I was hooked. I made it my mission to bust a waxbox. Unfortunately, all I could find on Pittsburgh Sports Wholesale was this 20-pack retail box.
Like in previous years, all the base cards have etched-foil fronts and are embossed -- hence, the name. The 1999 Metals have an industrial look and feel, with what look like riveted iron plating. Unfortunately, they only added the embossing to the top-half of the card, which if stacked, causes a noticeable lean.
To wit: These are all the base cards I ripped from this box. I like to call this "The Leaning Tower of 1999 Metal."
Among the subsets, there are 25 "Building Blocks" (prospects and rookies), 25 "M.L.P.D.s" -- which I still have no idea what it stands for -- and 15 "Caught on the Fly's." What makes the subsets great -- but in an unintentionally funny kind of way -- are their backs. The COTF's are "written" in the style of the Sporting News column of the same name. But it's the Building Blocks and M.L.P.D. backs that are notable. Notable in their hilarity.
In the late-90s, Fleer oriented all their Skybox brands to appeal to an "urban" audience. (They even hired Coolio to star in their print ads.) This marketing/pandering even went as far as the language used on backs of the cards.
Before I go any further I should note that in September 2001 I had a job interview at Fleer's headquarters in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. After spending nearly two hours at the Fleer office, I did not notice anyone outside the "middle-aged-white-guy/white-gal" demographic who was employed there. Please take this into consideration before reading the back of Adrian Beltre's Building Blocks card.
"Yo, Adrian, 20 years old, filling in for Bobby Bo' at third for the L.A. Dodgers ... not bad. We know that you almost nabbed the '97 FSL Triple Crown and were Mr. MVP. We can see your glove is phat already. But at 20? I guess that's why Zeile's in Texas and Konerko's in Cincy ... your move, Kid."
See what I mean?
The numbered-to-50 Precious Metal Gems and one-of-one Gem Master parallels were exclusive to Hobby, but all five non-parallel inserts were available in retail as well, albeit at slightly longer odds. Like the subsets, all the inserts are written in "Mount Laurel Ebonics." The fifteen card, 1:10/pack Neophytes are the designated "Hot Rookie" insert that was standard in most late-90s products. The fifteen card, 1:30 Boyz with the Wood (See, it's spelled with a "Z" at the end! It's gangsta!) are an equally formulaic "Power Hitters" insert. If these cards look a lot like those "Flapper" cards in this years Topps Opening Day, they should. The BwtW and the Opening Day Flappers were made by the company.
Planet Metal (1:60) is the standard issue die-cut insert and Diamond Soul (1:96) are lenticular (i.e. Sportflix) cards. In the era before the gamer, just about every Fleer set had one insert that was a genuinely tough pull. In 1999 Skybox Metal Universe, the 1:576/pack Linchpins -- which have a laser-cut cotter pin design in the background -- fit this bill.
The Bottom Line
For such a small box, (only 120 cards) I had some pretty good pulls. I only wish I had found a Hobby box though. I received almost 40% of the base set, two Neophytes inserts, a Mike Piazza Boyz with the Wood, and a one-per-third box Planet Metal of Darin Erstad.
One box of 1995 Select (Purchased from Pittsburgh Sports Wholesale* for $19.95 + shipping) 24 packs per box, 10 cards per pack.
*No endorsement implied.
The Details
Base Set: 250 cards (no short-prints)
Parallels Artist Proof: 250 cards (1:24, limited to 475 copies)
Inserts Can't Miss: 12 cards (1:24, limited to 9900) Big Sticks: 12 cards (1:48, limited to 4950) Sure Shots: 10 cards (1:90, limited to 3168)
Autogamers: NONE
Part One:
Part Two:
The Pulls
Base Set: 237 of 250 (94.80%)
Parallels 1 Artist Proof: Darren Lewis
Inserts 1 Can't Miss!: C. Floyd 1 Big Sticks: C. Ripken, Jr.
The Review
Ah, 1995 Select. The memories....
In the summer of '95 I had just arrived from basic training at my first duty station. I never lived outside the greater Philadelphia area before, so it took some time for me to adjust to my new life. Fortunately for me, there were two Hobby shops within walking distance of the base’s front gate; and about every-other month there was a card show at one of the many casino hotels that lined the Mississippi Gulf Coast. My cardboard addiction would be fully sated.
It was around the time I was first allowed to leave the base when Pinnacle Brands released 1995 Select baseball. The novelty behind Select was that only 4950 24-box cases would be made, and that each individual waxbox would be serial-numbered.
For those of you that have been out of The Hobby for a while, and/or don't remember what The Hobby was like in the mid-90s, the practice of card manufacturers announcing the production figures of specific products was The Hobby’s gimmick of the moment. Topps kicked it all off when it debuted Finest in 1993 with the statement that only 4000 cases would be made. Later that year, Donruss stated that would only make 6250 12-box cases of Leaf Update. Pinnacle got into the act by serial-numbering each one of the 1950 24-box cases of 1993 Select Rookie/Traded. The following year it spread to Donruss (17,500 cases of each series), Leaf Limited and Leaf Limited Rookies (60,000 and 30,000 serial-numbered waxboxes, respectively), and ’94 Select (4950 cases of each series).
So what’s the big deal, you ask? Plenty. Armed with these nuggets of information, as well as other variables like set size and stated insertion ratio, one could figure out exactly how many copies of each individual card (insert, parallel, and base) were in circulation with a simple pocket calculator. So although they were not serial-numbered, it didn't much effort to figure out that only 241 copies of 1993 Finest Refractor were issued. And using the same method, only 475 copies of each one-per-box 1995 Select Artist Proof parallel were printed.
A card limited to 475 copies doesn’t seem to be all that “scarce” – and by the standards of 2008, it’s not. But in the fin-de-siècle Hobby, a card limited to 475 was considered scarce, and the thought being guaranteed of such a card in each box was the main reason why Select flew off the shelves when it was released.
By the summer of ’95 it had been four months since I bought any cards, so I was stoked to rip into a box of Select. The 1994 version was (and still remains) one of my favorite card sets, and the ’95 version – with the exception of the new Artist Proofs, and the elimination of a second series – was virtually unchanged. The problem was for me was that very few of those 4950 cases made their way to Biloxi, Mississippi.
You know those two Hobby stores just outside the base I was talking about? One never bothered to order this product and the other....
I rarely bought any wax from that guy -- just singles. For some reason, regardless of the product, or the cost, most of his waxboxes cost $68 -- and that's what he wanted for a box of '95 Select. And so, I took a pass on 1995 Select.
As I mentioned on APAD, this is a product that I waited 13 years to bust, and I found a box for $19.95 at Pittsburgh Sports Wholesale. Was it worth the wait?
Let me put it this way, if you were to go back in time and speak to A1C Harris, I'm sure he'd be ecstatic with a waxbox that yielded 94.8% of the base set and a $75 Cal Ripken, Jr. insert. (According to the September 1995 issue of Beckett, a Big Sticks insert of a fresh-from-breaking-Lou-Gehrig’s-record Cal Ripken, Jr. booked for $75.) While it only books for $25 now, I’m still satisfied with my purchase.
The base set is 250 cards, and although there are no RCs, (there are two second-year A-Rods) it is a very nice looking, well designed card set. For the second consecutive year, all of the base cards -- with the exception of the "Select Rookie" and "Showtime" subsets -- are oriented horizontally and have two photos. All the usual suspects are here, along with a few players you may have forgotten about. (Where have you gone Jason Jacome?)
Like I mentioned, the hot insert in '95 Select was the one-per-box Artist Proofs. But there are three other inserts to chase after. In addition to the 1:48/pack Big Sticks of Cal Ripken, Jr., I pulled a Cliff Floyd Can’t Miss! Can’t Miss! was the designated one-per-box "super hot prospect" insert that was standard issue in most “premium” level products. While the 12-card checklist had some players who did miss, (i.e. Billy Ashley) what makes Can't Miss! special was the Dufex. I've always been a mark for the Dufex, and if there’s one thing I miss about Pinnacle Brands it’s these cards.
The other insert, which I did not receive a card from, was the 1:90/pack Sure Shots. Sure Shots were another Dufex-based set, this one starring ten of the top picks of the 1994 Draft. Unfortunately, with the exception of Paul Konerko, the draft class of '94 never distinguished itself, and these cards (including the Konerko) can be had cheap.
Product Rating: 3 Gumsticks (out of five)
1995 Select is a Hobby time machine. It’s a throwback to a time in The Hobby when a $2/pack product was considered “premium” and when scarcity was measured in the hundreds and thousands. If you’ve got $20 burning a hole in your pocket, and can’t stand the thought of blowing it on two packs of Topps Co-Signers, pick up a box of 1995 Select.
I know. I haven't updated this site in eight days. I'm not dead, nor have I abandoned my pride and joy. (You can stop e-mailing me now!)
There is a good reason why I haven't updated this in over a week. You see, I recently stumbled across a grab bag of some of the worst waxpacks imaginable, and have been posting the pulls on APAD and YouTube. I like to think of it as an experiment in video baseball card gonzo journalism.
So go check 'em out, and tell me what you think of it. Meanwhile, I've got a few things I've got cooking for this site in the next few days.
Video Box Break and Review: 2008 Topps Heritage (Hobby)
Part one...
Part two...
The Pulls
Paid $69
Chiptopper: 1 J. Pierre, B. Molina, D. Murphy Advertising Panel
Base Set: 154 of 500 (30.8%)
short set: 146 of 425 Short Prints: 8 of 75 (1:3)
Black Backs: 25 (one-per-pack)
Parallels: 3 Chromes: T. Hunter, R. Oswalt, J. Francis (1:8, numbered to 1959) 1 Chrome Refractor: E. Byrnes (1:29, numbered to 559)
Inserts: 2 New Age Performers: D. Wright, J. Peavy (1:15) 2 Then & Now: E. Mathews & A-Rod, D. Drysdale & J. Peavy (1:15) 1 Baseball Flashbacks: O. Cepeda (1:12) 2 News Flashbacks: Dalai Lama, Hawaii (1:12)
Autogamers: 1 Clubhouse Collection: T. Hunter jersey (1:24)
Stale Gum has confirmed that Alan Narz of Topps (a.k.a. "The Rip Master"), Tracy Hackler of Beckett Media, and Bob Brill will all be appearing on tonight's Dr. Wax Battle show to address Beckett-Gate.
If you're not a regular viewer of Dr. Wax Battle's weekly webcast, you don't know what you're missing. With that said, this Wednesday's show is a must-view as it will be dedicated to Beckett-Gate. Dr. Wax has sent out invitations to Beckett and UD, and it would be interesting to see if any of them show up -- especially considering Dr. Wax's previous issues with UD.
Normally, I do not comment about "Lotto Pack" products, but recent events have led me to reconsider. First, take a look at this video of 2007 Upper Deck Exquisite Football.
You get the idea.
Now it would be one thing if it were isolated to just 2007 Upper Deck Exquisite football. Maybe Beckett got lucky, maybe not. But if you look at some of Beckett's other video box breaks, they've seem to be getting "Hit of a Lifetime" cards out of all sorts of UD, Topps, and Donruss-Playoff products in all sports (and non-sports).
All of which leads me to wonder: W.W.J.D. What Would Jim Do? Say what you want about Jim Beckett, but no one (and I mean, NO ONE) ever questioned the man's integrity. Beckett truly was "The Hobby's most reliable and relied upon source," and part of that had to do with the man in charge. But no more.
Don't get me wrong. I have no problem with Beckett (or anybody else in The Hobby media) doing video box breaks and product reviews. Objective consumer reporting is a vital component to any respectable journalism outlet. Nor should Beckett be held to account 100% for this debacle. Topps, UD, Donruss, et al, may very well be sending Beckett loaded boxes. (And it's not just Beckett either, as this video from Dr. Wax Battle shows.) Beckett probably is an unwilling accomplice, and we should give them benefit of the doubt. But Beckett should have never put itself in this position in the first place.
May I make a proposal? From now on, anyone in The Hobby media who reviews product should no longer accept free samples from card manufacturers, and the manufacturers should no longer offer them to the press. If you're going to review wax, and expect your reviews to be taken seriously, then pay for your box like the rest of us.
I'm proud to say that in my 9+ years of reviewing wax, I've never received any free cards from the manufacturers. And I can say to you with full confidence, that every single product I've ever reviewed on this site was paid for out of my own pocket at current market prices. I don't think it's too much to ask of Beckett -- or anyone else who reviews wax -- to do the same. W.W.J.D.?
Video Box Break and Review: 2008 Topps series one. (Part Deux)
NB: The 2008 Topps drinking game was not played during the filming of this box break.
The Pulls
Base Set: 301 of 330 (91.21%)
Variations: NONE
Parallels: 18 Gold Foil 4 Gold: E. Bedard, J. Lackey, K. Youkilis, J. Santana 1 Black: A-Rod
Inserts: 6 Own the Game: A-Rod, C. Pena, L. Berkman, R. Howard, B. Penny, F. Carmona 6 Trading Card History: J. Ellsbury (69T), JOBA!!! (55B), P. Martinez (51B), C-M Wang (75T), Ichiro (50s-era Menko), G. Sizemore (48 Swell Sport Thrills) 2 Mickey Mantle Story 7 All-Rookie Team 50th Anniversary: G. Carter, L. Piniella, H. Ramirez, R. McDowell, R. Oswalt, F. Liriano, M. Ordonez 4 Campaign '08: J. Edwards, RUDY!!! The Huckster, D. Kucinich 1 Kazuo Uzuki Future Star
Mirrors: 6 Year in Review: I-Rod (4/16), D. Young (4/17), M. Buehrle (4/18), A-Rod (4/19), J. Saunders (4/20, (heh-heh 4/20!)), R. Martin (4/21) 4 Mickey Mantle Home Run History: #515, 516, 517 & 518
Autogamers: NONE
Product Rating: 3 Gumsticks (out of five)
...and another thing.
Despite being on the sell sheet, Barry Bonds is nowhere to be found in '08 Topps. (Geez, I wonder why?) Will the last six cards of the Barry Bonds Home Run History mirror set ever be released? Does anybody even care?
However, it should be noted that Roger Clemens, Rick Ankiel, Miguel Tejada, and Paul Byrd are all in the base set.
