From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there’s a box you’d want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
The box: 2015 Panini Americana trading cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: Shop around online.
Packs per box: 10
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this box: 53
Base set completion:
33 of 73 (45 percent)
Duplicates: 0
Notables on base cards – Al Pacino, Shannon Elizabeth, Molly Ringwald, Sylvester Stallone, Paula Abdul, James Earl Jones, Eliza Dushku, Danica McKellar, Katrina Bowden, John C. McGinley, Vanilla Ice, Kelly Rowland, Nick Cannon
Insert/short-print cards: 15 (gallery below)
Blue parallel (2) – LaToya Jackson, Julie Gonzalo
Screen Legends (2) – Dorothy Lamour, Jimmy Stewart
Screen Legends Co-Stars (2) – Ginger Rogers & Jimmy Stewart, Mickey Rooney & Lana Turner
On The Tube Modern (2) – Daphne Oz, Martin Short
On The Tube Vintage (1) – Ava Gardner
Winner’s Circle (1) – Calvin Borel
Certified Silver Albums (2) – Kelly Rowland, Coolio
Certified Silver Singles (2) – Paula Abdul, Coolio
Freeze Frame (1) – Joan Collins
Autographs/Memorabilia: 5
Americana Autographs (1) – Hope Solo
On The Tube Modern Autographs (2) – Danica McKellar, Laz Alonso
On the Tube Vintage Materials (1) – Ava Gardner
Americana Triple Materials (1) – Joan Collins
What’s Buzz-worthy: Panini America’s most-recent edition of Americana is a fun bargain rip these days at a fraction of its original price ($25 for this box vs. $100 or more upon release) and it over-delivered with the two best autographs mistakenly falling in the same pack. That one included controversial former USA Soccer star Hope Solo and former Wonder Years star Danica McKellar (aka Winnie Cooper). They pay for the rest of the box, which was a bit light on the Blue parallels (others have yielded eight) but delivered pretty well for fun and variety. The checklist has some big ink though the basic set design and its auto parallels aren’t the flashiest look. (The design is modern and clean but a dull gray but stronger than the 2011 release but arguably not as good as earlier ones. The parallels really shine here.) The autograph lineup leans toward today — much more so than previous releases — and the prices on the singles aren’t huge but that makes them all a tad more collectable. Buzz should have bought more than one box but didn’t, figuring they would not deliver as well as this one did. Meanwhile, there is potential here with ink from all of those who were found in these packs — Stallone, Pacino, Abdul, Ringwald, Dushku and many, many more. If you can find hobby boxes cheap like this one was, it’s definitely worth the rip.
Product Grade: A-
Box Grade: A
Fun Grade: A-
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