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 Topps Gallery baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: Initially only at Walmart
Packs per box: 8 (seven standard & Artist Proof pack)
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 33
Base set completion:
24 of 150 (16 percent)
Duplicates: 0
Notables on base cards – Paul Goldschmidt, Luis Severino, Carlos Correa, Kenta Maeda, Andrew McCutchen, Nolan Arenado, Gary Sanchez
Rookie Cards (8) – Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Andrew Benintendi, Amir Garrett, Sean Newcomb, Dinelson Lamet, Mitch Haniger, Antonio Senzatela
Insert/short-print cards: 9 (all inserts in gallery below with some base)
Short-prints (Nos. 151-200) (1) – Andrew Miller
Artist Proof (4) – Mike Trout, Evan Longoria, Hunter Pence, Justin Verlander
Masterpiece (1) – Kris Bryant
Hall of Fame Gallery (2) – George Brett, Cal Ripken Jr.
Featured Artist card (1) – Dan Bergren
Autographs: None
What’s Buzz-worthy: As said yesterday for a collector’s box break, this Walmart-only release was unveiled by Topps just yesterday and is on shelves already, too. This blaster box delivered with three key Rookies — Judge, Bellinger, Benintendi — and the four-card Artist Proof pack (exclusive to blasters) was strong with a Trout and a Verlander appearance in an Astros jersey. It also included a short-print, which is not an easy pull here at one in every 20 packs (every three blasters). … The base cards are all illustrations by Mayumi Seto and, for the most part, this is a set that is among the best art-driven releases I’ve seen. Since these are done by hand and not simply a Photoshop job, a few of them have likenesses that aren’t as sharp as others (seen to a degree more with the rookies) but that’s probably due to the action photos that they were modeled after in some cases. As noted here earlier previously the autograph list here is huge but I’d argue that, while those biggest names will be rare and are solid finds, the biggest draw here are original paintings and sketches. All artwork on the cards seen here is by either Seto (base set) or paintings by Dan Bergen (inserts). … A collector’s box is the way to go with this brand, but if they’re all gone — stores only get two per tray in the initial wave but I’d bet on a reload — the blasters do have autos (one in 10 boxes) and sketches at long odds. Collecting the full set will prove to be a challenge with the 50 SPs found only once per box in collector’s boxes and not in every blaster. That part of the checklist also has some of the biggest names possible here, too. All in all, this feels like a successful return for a brand we haven’t seen in more than a decade for baseball cards.
Product Grade: A
Box Grade: A-
Fun Grade: A
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