Pack Break Week: 2017 Topps Stadium Club

Last night saw the return of Pack Break Week with the opening of a Series 1 pack. Today's pack is fron 2017 Topps Stadium Club.

With an incredible focus on photography and a great checklist that mixes current and legendary players, Stadium Club has been a great success among Topps' catalog of products. It's also one of Topps older premium brands, dating back to 1991. Now, I have no plans on going to try and complete this set, but I do have respect for it and am curious as to what was in this pack that I bought on National Baseball Card Day.

Don't forget later this week, I will be ripping open the Noah Syndergaard Rip Card from A&G.

So what's in this pack of 2017 Topps Stadium Club?

Opening pack now...

Here are the eight cards that were contained inside the above pack:

• #135 Jameson Taillon, P, Pirates
• #193 Jackie Robinson, 2B, Dodgers
• #203 Hernan Perez, 3B, Brewers
• #110 Michael Conforto, OF, Mets
• #216 Odubel Herrera, OF, Phillies
• #SS-CS Chris Sale, P, Red Sox, Scoreless Streak insert
• #297 Curtis Granderson, OF, Mets
• #259 Adrian Beltre, 3B, Rangers

Thoughts: No Cubs, not even a White Sox player (and no, Sale doesn't count) to speak of here. All-Stars? Sure...with Conforto, Herrera, Granderson, and Beltre. The Jackie Robinson card is nice, and the picture selection doesn't disappoint. My only concern new is that with Topps' eponymous designs no longer including borders, and focusing more on photos with minimal but unique design elements, is there even a need for this kind of a set?

Tomorrow's pack will be from 2017 Topps Archives. While I am not expecting much out of Heritage Lite, maybe something good will come from it. Maybe.

Watch this space.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Pack Break: 2017 Topps Allen & Ginter's. 2017 Stadium Club, and 2017 Topps Series 2

Since I bought two packs each of 2017 Allen & Ginter's and 2017 Stadium Club, along with a pack of 2017 Topps Archives and five packs of 2017 Topps Series 2 last weekend during the National Baseball Card Day festivities, I thought I would try and post the result of the pack breaks here. Because I missed out on doing it last year, I am going to save one pack each of A&G, Stadium Club, and the one pack of Archives for Pack Break Week in November (I need something to open, right???) and will open the rest now.

Here are the results.

Let's start with one pack of 2017 Topps Series 2.

• #354 Nick Tropeano, P, Angels
• #628 Domingo Santana, OF, Brewers
• #360 Jon Lester, P, Cubs
• #565 J. D. Martinez, OF, Tigers
• #581 Brock Holt, OF, Red Sox
• #87-193 Addison Russell, SS, Cubs 1987 Tribute All-Star Card
• #541 Dennis Lamp, P, White Sox Rediscovering Topps 1984 Original Topps Card
• #364 Koda Glover, P, Nationals RC
• #421 Santiago Casilla, P, Athletics
• #602 Alex Dickerson, OF, Padres

Hey, I got two Cubs cards in this pack (Lester base and Russell insert) and an original 1984 Topps card of a White Sox player. Not bad. It's my third "Rediscover Topps" card. I'm not sure if I'm honestly liking the idea of putting a foil stamp on an old card, but I guess now it's worth more than the original.

I normally don't buy packs of this product, but in the spirit of the day, I thought, "Why not?" So this is what came out of that pack of 2017 Topps Stadium Club, Topps' ode to great photography:

• #247 Gary Sanchez, C, Yankees
• #285 Orlando Arcia, SS, Brewers RC
• #160 Julio Urias, P, Dodgers
• #189 Justin Upton, OF, Tigers
• #238 Sonny Gray, P, Athletics
• #CS-DM Daniel Murphy, 2B, Nationals Contact Sheet
• #56 Ian Kinsler, 2B, Tigers
• #10 Danny Santana, OF, Twins

Thoughts? Pretty soon, the question would be, "What's the point of this set?" With Topps going with borderless cards in its eponymous product, and the pictures already up-close-and-personal, I honestly don't see the reason to bring this back another year. But I do like the photo choices, especially of Gray in a throwback Athletics' jersey.

Finally, to the 2017 Allen & Ginter's pack. I have complete sets of every A&G set since they first came out in 2006, and as soon as I have money, I will invest in a set on the Bay. But to see what the cards look like, I decided to get two packs. Here is what was inside the pack I opened:

• #265 Kevin Kiermaier, Rays
• #205 Alex Bregman, Astros RC
• #WF-19 Worlds Fair Habitat '67 Motreál
• #72 Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox Mini Card
• #RIP-48 Noah Syndergaard, Mets Rip Card 14/60 (umm...WHAT??!)
• #166 Manny Margot, Padres

Wait...go back a sec. Did I just say RIP CARD??!

Yes...Yes I Did!!!

In all my years of collecting, I've never opened a pack with a RIP card inside it.

Now I'm torn (pun intended). Do I rip it open? Or do I keep it as is?

The back says:

This is a Genuine Allen & Ginter's RIP Card. If you dare...rip this card open...to discover a collectible exclusive mini-card embedded inside!

Inside this card will be:

• A Red Mini Autograph Card, or...
• An Exclusive Mini Parallel, or...
• An Exclusive Mini Wood Parallel, or...
• An Exclusive Mini Metal Parallel, or...
• A One-of-a-Kind Sketch Card.

Rip It or Keep It

What am I going to do? What should I do? I've already posited this question on Twitter (follow me @bdj610) and I've gotten two responses:

• Tony L. (@OffHiatusBBC said: "Rip It. Rip it good."
• Mark Aubrey (@mdaubrey) said: "Wait. Rip it later."

So now what??! Either way, I'm told to rip the card. But should I? Are there people that hold on and have not ripped the RIP cards, opting to keep what's inside and then collecting cards from them later on the Bay? I think I'll put a poll up. Tell me what I should do with it:

• Keep it sealed
• Rip it
• Sell it on eBay unripped
• Sell whatever is inside on eBay

Post in the comments, and vote for the poll at the top. I'll leave it up for a week. Whatever the decision is...I'll take it into consideration before making a decision.

Unless, of course, somebody wants it so badly that they're willing to buy it or trade for it...

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Pack Break Week 4: 2015 Topps Stadium Club

Just realized that I had this ready to go and for some reason it did not publish. I apologize for the delay.

Before we run out to celebrate my sister's birthday (she was born on New Year's Eve), I better get this post for Pack Break Week going. I'm kind of excited by this.

Stadium Club is a product that focuses primarily on photography. It was Topps' first real attempt at unbordered cards, which meant other than a little spot on the card for a design element, you were getting full bleed photographs on little pieces of cardboard. The pictures were sharp, really bringing you close to the action of the ballgame.

After a long run, Topps ended the series, much to the dismay of many collectors who loved the product. Topps did bring it back, but the way it was presented and distributed was a disappointment. After a year hiatus, it came back, and needless to say, it looks like it's here to stay. For how long? Who knows.

This year's edition of Stadium Club not only features the usual sharp photography, but a number of shots that feature some of the lighter side of baseball. To wit, there is a card of HOF pitcher Dennis Eckersley with his racing mascot with the Oakland A's. Also in a tribute to Hobby bloggers everywhere, Bip Roberts was added to the set, wearing a sombrero. I am actually hoping right now that I get either one of these cards in this pack. Of course, getting a SP Kris Bryant card would be great as well.

So what did come out of this pack of 2015 Topps Stadium Club? Here goes:

• #49 Kurt Suzuki, C, Twins
• #244 Daniel Norris, P, Blue Jays
• #214 Brandon Crawford, 2B, Giants
• #98 Jim Rice, OF, Red Sox
• #80 Andrew Heaney, P, Angels

In a word...disappointment.

So much for a good pack. Don't get me wrong, the pictures are nice. Love the shot of Crawford in mid-air. But no Cubs, no Bip? Not the greatest pack in the world. Too bad they only put 5 cards in this pack. There should have been more cards. A 5 card pack in today's world should only be sold at a dollar store. I think this pack should have been sold at a dollar store...for less than a penny.

Maybe tomorrow's pack, the 2015 Topps Allen & Ginter's, will be better.

To everyone who is still here reading this humble, little blog, I wish you a very Happy New Year.

So let's get to it:

Goodbye 2015!!!

Hello 2016!!!

Goodbye 2015 Topps Design!!!

Hello 2016 Topps Design!!!

May all your collections grow to new heights. Let's hope Topps makes it a bit easier on us insane set collectors (they probably won't but it's nice to dream.) Thank you for letting me into your computers this past year. I hope to be able to share more of my collection with you in 2016!!!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama