Buzz Break: 2017 Panini Diamond Kings baseball cards (blaster box)

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: 2017 Panini Diamond Kings baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 7
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this box: 35
Base set completion: 
19 of 100 (19 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Francisco Lindor, Josh Donaldson, Jake Arrieta, Chipper Jones, Lloyd Waner, Pee Wee Reese, Ty Cobb, John McGraw, Stan Musial, Joe Jackson

Insert/short-print cards: 16 (all cards in box in gallery below)
Short-printed veterans (Nos. 101-125) (2) – 
Carlos Gonzalez, Chris Sale
Rookies (Nos. 126-175) (2) – Orlando Arcia, Josh Bell
Image variations (3) – Joe DiMaggio, Roberto Clemente, Mookie Betts
The Ted Williams Collection (1) 
 No. 1
Originals (1) – 
Dave Winfield
Heritage Collection (2) – 
Bob Feller, Rod Carew
Aurora (2) – 
Mookie Betts, Miguel Cabrera
Memorable Moment (2) – 
Luke Appling, Nellie Fox
Green Frame parallels (1) – 
Jose Abreu

Autographs/Memorabilia: None

What’s Buzz-worthy: Diamond Kings is back for another run of vibrant and colorful designs spotlighting stars from the past and present. Blaster boxes don’t guarantee any type of hit but that would be welcomed as these packs are tiny — just five cards per pack and just 35 cards per box. Making up for that to a degree are a number of inserts, short-prints and variations (collectively more than two per pack in this box). The variations are easily spotted as they have a round photo frame on the back of the card for non-rookies. Standard ones have rectangular frames. Two of the variations found here carry very solid photos (DiMaggio and Clemente), while a Ted Williams Collection card and a framed parallel are guaranteed in every box. This box felt a tad disappointing overall without a basic hit — to this collector even a slightly more premium brand like this one probably should have something guaranteed in every box. That move does, however, make hobby a bit more obvious choice. Buzz bought two of these blasters and this was the better of the two and for about $26 more (at present price) I could have ripped hobby and had guaranteed hits. If you’re a long-time collector of this brand, you should like it — and there are some big memorabilia cards inside it, too — but this one felt like a bummer compared to what I had expected.

Product Grade: B+
Box Grade:
 B
Fun Grade: B

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

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One thought on “Buzz Break: 2017 Panini Diamond Kings baseball cards (blaster box)

  1. Jonathan April 16, 2017 / 7:41 am

    Confirms my decision to pass on this and every other Panini product

    Like

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