Tag Archives: Box Break

Review: 2011 Bowman Comment For a Chance to Win a Box

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Everyone knows about Bryce Harper and the fact that pulling one or more of his Chrome RC’s every box significantly increases your chances at a profit. Everyone also knows that his values have declined quite a bit thanks to the market continually flooding with said Chrome RC’s.

What is working out very well thus far is the rest of the autograph checklist. Despite the fact that there is no shortage of this product being busted even the less popular autographs are holding strong between $4-$6 which most would consider a victory at this point for some of those names. The bigger names like Brandon Belt, Paul Goldschmidt, Jurickson Profar and once upon a time Dee Gordon see their gold or rarer variations go for $300 and up routinely. Red Refractor autographs of guys like Kyle Russell, Allen Webster, Jonathan Villar and Adonis Cardona have all landed in the $200-$400 range boosting the overall value of this product up a couple notches. Jed Gyorko, Jarred Cosart, Wagner Mateo, Garin Cechini, Stetson Allie, Drake Britton, Sean Coyle and Eric Thames have all been known to cover more than the cost of a box should you be lucky enough to pull a Gold Refractor or better as well. That basically leaves Sammy Solis.  Poor Sammy Solis, his stats aren’t even that bad.  However, we’ve only considered the “Chrome Prospect” autograph checklist at this point. Continue reading →

Product Review: 2011 Topps Tribute

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2011 Tribute has been a hot item since it’s release.  No one seems to have it, and those that do are charging an arm and a leg for it.  First off, let me say this about Topps: they took a lot of criticism for this brand over the past two years and it seems like they finally listened.  I am a wax ripper and gambler at heart and the previous Tribute releases rarely made me bat an eye.  I don’t even own a single card from any of the previous releases, even though some of my PC guys have cards in the set.  It just honestly wasn’t on my radar the past two years.

The biggest difference from this year to last in the set are the autographs.  Who wants to rip a product at $250-$300 a box when every auto you hit can be had in a $60-$80 box and at the same quantity? Why are we paying tribute to Rick Porcello in every box? Do I really want a single GU piece of a current non-star player in a $50 pack?  These were the questions that most rippers of the 2009 and 2010 versions of the product asked, and the results really showed in the resale value leaving both rippers and collectors at a loss with this product.  Its kind of a shame that this year’s Tribute finally meets the expectations of a high end set and immediately skyrockets to over $350 per box on the retail market, but that’s how the hobby cookie crumbles.

So, in all honesty, my break was pretty average.  I pulled four autographed cards with the best being a Gary Carter and Doc Gooden Dual Tribute to the Stars auto serial numbered to seventy-four. Also hit Mike Mussina, Jim Rice and Fergie Jenkins autos in the box.  Not the greatest selection available in the product but when it was over I said: where else are you going to find autos of these players in a 2011 set?  Even though the players weren’t necessarily A-list, the singles are holding resale value very well.  The most valuable card in my box was probably the Gold Parallel dual GU of Don Mattingly.  Great player, great card design, great memorabilia pieces; I can see why the secondary market is so strong not only for this card but all of the other GU pieces as well.

I didn’t hit any of the premium patches, legends memorabilia, A-list autos or even a Koufax; but I can still very much recommend the product as a decent rip if you can find a box at the $300 or less price point.  With retail pushing $400 right now it’s really a gamble, but a fun one at that.  All in all, I give the 2011 Version of Topps Tribute an A-. Great Memorabilia, Great Autographs that won’t be available in every product, the Albert Pujols Auto RC chase element and a high end feel across the board put it right on target.  So now that Topps has the Tribute brand figured out, can they repeat their success next year?

Want to win your own box?  Reply here, because one lucky commenter will get some tribute of their own.

Product Review: 2010 Topps Supreme Football

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Today, I will be doing a review of 2010 Topps Supreme Football.  Now as a disclaimer, I don’t bust much football wax.  Sometimes the gambler in me likes to rip the hot new product and I did get into football a little bit with Topps Finest this summer…bottom line is that im a wax ripper and like whatever brings me the best combination of value, design and high quality content.

As far as Supreme is concerned, its no Topps Finest but it does pack a little punch at its price point.  It is currently available at DA Card World for $129.99 a box.  This product is another in a long line of premium one shot one hit releases, and it stays true to the format.  Every box guarantees 2 base cards #/209, 1 Parallel numbered card and one Autograph, Relic, or Autographed Relic card per box.  At this price point, the biggest complaint is that for over $100 theres no guaranteed auto.  That coupled with the price point will definitely drive or scare away the casual ripper.  Now, the plain jersey cards are low numbered and SP’ed and sell well, but I would imagine feeling slighted not pulling an autograph out of such an expensive and premium box.  Our box was very nice, as we hit a Peyton Manning booklet numbered to 3.

The flip side of the coin is that some of the low numbered parallels and RC parallels get decent coin.  A Typical base card will net you $2-3.  If you pull the right RC or parallel like this Sam Bradford #d to 25 you might make half of your box price back before even getting the hit.  Now, speaking of the hit….this is where the casual fan shields their eyes.  Yes, there are some boxes where the only hit is a triple jersey relic of a rookie or vet.  Not really what you want to see or expect out of a $100+ box of cards as your main piece of value.

The real saving grace of this product are the “Supreme” hits.  The patches out of this set are some of the best I’ve ever seen on a Topps football card; well, ever.  Examples like this Tim Tebow patch are what keeps the gambler inside wax rippers coming back.  Another hit I am a huge fan of are the quad rookie signatures like this Bryant/Tate/McCluster/Thomas that is truly eye popping.

To wrap it up, I think this product gets a solid B- in my opinion.  The only thing id change is having plain jerseys as box hits.  No doubt there have been many single box rippers turned off to the product by the potential or actual hit of a single color jersey pieces in a $100 box.  It must be reiterated that this product is not for the wax ripper looking for a safe bet.  This is all about the big hit potential, which it delivers on as well.  If I were buying, the true value in this product lies in case form and buying all 8 boxes in the case assures you a decent spread of eye popping hits.

Thanks again for reading and feel free to let me know how YOU feel about 2010 Topps Supreme Football.  Each commenter on this article will be entered in a random drawing to win a box of this stuff.