Pack Break Week 2013: Topps Series 2 and Topps Chipz

Compared to this past Tuesday when Pack Break Week started, it's rather sunny today. Cold, but bright, the atmosphere seems a bit more lively in the Atrium. Maybe because it's Friday, and people are looking forward to the long weekend. Although it's Veterans' Day on Monday, the company will be open for business as usual. I'm used to that. Fourteen years in the food industry will do that to a guy.

But before I get back to work, let's open a couple of packs of cards, shall we?

Today I will be opening a pack of 2013 Topps Series 2 and as a bonus, a 4-chip pack of 2013 Topps Chipz. Without further ado, here goes.

Enclosed, in order, is what appeared in my 12-card pack of Series 1 Topps:

• #629 Trevor Plouffe, Twins
• #371 Jeremy Affeldt, Giants
• #437 Dayan Viciedo, White Sox
• #611 Drew Storen, Nationals
• #518 Nolan Reimold, Orioles
• #CH-72 Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies Chasing History 20-SB Seasons

• #382 Jackie Bradley Jr., Red Sox RC
• #469 Adam Warren, Yankees RC
• #368 Chris Young, Athletics
• #643 Matt Garza, Cubs
• #607 Chris Carter, Astros
• #339 Nick Swisher, Indians

Finally a Cubs card...even if Garza was traded off to the Rangers. Love the throwback jersey. The rest of the pack, just average. But getting a Cubs card, regardless of whether or not the player is still with the team, is nice. I call it a win.

Now for the bonus...the Chipz pack:

• David Wright, Mets
• Evan Longoria, Rays (the sticker covered the front)
• Craig Kimbrel, Braves
• Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers, Gold Parallel (1:3 packs)
• One Tampa Bay Rays static team sticker (only sticks to the chips)
• One Game Board (with rules on the back)

The game "board" (another paper...poster...kinda thing) is the support of the pack (which if you saw the picture, you could just tear it off at the little notch). Carefully opening it, I was surprised to get something as good as a gold parallel (of Kershaw no less). The sticker only sticks to the chips, not any paper. If you peel it off the chip, you have to either throw it out because it won't stick anywhere, or keep it on the chip itself. It's disappointing that you can't even put the thing onto the board. You could play the games on the back with the four chips you have (you use two chips per player) and you can either slide the discs onto board or spin them. The chips themselves are solid, kinda like poker chips, and while I'd love to get a full basic set of these, I wouldn't know where to store them. So I'll probably just give these to my son.

Tomorrow, I'll open the pack of 2013 Allen & Ginter's. What's waiting for me inside the pack? Stay tuned and we'll find out together.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama