Having a (Platinum) Blaster

 

Something new on the shelves at Wally World. This contains 8 packs of 4 cards each. With Update pushed back a couple weeks, might as well pick one of these up for busting!

Pack 1:

This is the typical configuration of the packs. Two base cards (Robert & Gimenez), a prospect (the Pena) and either an insert or parallel. In this case, the parallel is an ice foil, of which 4 are advertised per box. As with a lot of 2021 releases, I really like when the cardboard fans appear in the background, as on the Robert.

Pack 2:

I'm only hitting the highlights the rest of the way home. Here's my first insert - coming from the Precious Elements set. With a name like that, it is appropriate that it has a Periodic Table feel to it. I'm not sure how many other players on the list match-up with actual elements, but Arias' initials mean Galium.

Pack 3:

I guess this is a White Sox hot blaster for ice foil parallels.

Pack 4:

Hey! An auto! If the box odds can be believed, these fall at a rate of 1 in every 6 blasters. As is the usual for me this year, this baseball box yielded a card that would be better appreciated in Ann Arbor, as Henry is a Wolverines alum. Naturally, I just sent a package in that direction a couple days ago, which contained the linked auto.

Pack 5:

I guess a foil-y set deserves to have a bright insert  set like this. But since Gore has been in sets since 2017 and has yet to pitch in the majors, I'm not sure if his moves through the minors counts as meteoric. He's still just 22, though. Injuries and no 2020 season have also been a factor.

Pack 6:

Marlins cards always seem to have a meh quality to them. I guess I'm  just waiting for them to hit it big after being traded. 

Pack 7:

Another Wolverines alum makes an appearance on the final ice parallel. Again with the (im)perfect timing.

Pack 8:

And it took until the final card in the final pack, but I finally hit a card for one of my team collections with this Vladdy Jr. There's also the final insert of the box, with a Renowned Rookies. Although it is a standard insert that falls at a ratio of about 1-per-blaster, it really gives the vibe of card you'd find in a higher end set like Museum. 

Even though I won't be keeping it, nice to land an unexpected hit! 

Some of This, Some of That

 And it all adds up to some new cards in the 2/14 collection.

This one had been on my wantlist for a bit, before finally dropping down to a level where I felt comfortable shelling out the COMC credit to add it to my collection. The card comes from the one-and-done 1977 Mexican Topps NFL release, and it looks like Dolphins is one of the name that translated well into Spanish. Bills? 49ers? Not as translatable. Its addition also completes the NFL portion of the Larry Seiple card history, and I only need a post-career NCAA issue commemorating his time in Kentucky.

Does a Garbage Pail Kid card featuring their version of a 2/14 baby qualify? Most certainly! While Torn Teller does count, its variation, Painful Penn, won't. My binders. My rules.

Joining that Seiple is another international variant of a Topps release, this time a 1979 Larry Milbourne from O-Pee-Chee. OPC wasn't doing the 00s=Superstar thing, as Milbourne was assigned to card #100 in this set. In contrast, Topps had Tom Seaver.

With all the Elite Extra Edition content I had previously acquired of Diaz, I might as  well add one of his Contenders cards as well. He's also in Bowman 2021, but I'm still without any licensed content of his. 

Acetateness! 

While any time is a  great time for me to post a Bills card, coming off a nationally-televised victory is an even better time. That's Terrific Bass! He had a perfectly fine game, nailing all his kicks going 5 for 5 in extra points, and a field goal in the win. 

6 new 2/14s! There you have it!

Lost Translation

 

No, I didn't forget to add the word 'in' to this title.

I mean the translation was lost.

Sharp Dressed Man

Every girl's crazy 'bout one!
 

2021 Adventures in Repacks Part 41.4 - Week of 20+1s - Basketball

 

Let's bring it home! A Raptors card (albeit a traded one) is a perfect start!

That's a strange photo choice on the Donyell Marshall card - he looks like he's Spud Webb level short. The Stoudamire is an insert from 1998 Ovation. Coach card! The SP Rookie Edition card of Corey Brewer just seems like a far higher end set in appearance than it really is.

The name power really picks up with this grouping. Paul Pierce and Shaq! Plus a guy (nick)named Moochie! And there's a more direct of a Raptors card than the opener.

And the hit! Chalmers only played one season in the NBA, and never played a game for his listed Timberwolves. But he did have a lengthy overseas career, and is now an assistant coach in Orlando.

That Derrick Coleman card is pure mid 90s cheesiness. 1996 Hoops is responsible for this one. 

And here's the finale! A 2015 Hoops starter and opener.

Pretty basic repack, but that Shaq card does a good job elevating it. 

2021 Adventures in Repacks Part 41.3 - Week of 20+1s - Football

 

Football today! And first up is a card bound for Ann Arbor.

While Logan Thomas is a QB here, he is still in the NFL as a Tight End with Washington. He spent some time in Buffalo, and since he never got any cards as a Bill, I'm totally counting this as a Bills card. But that Fan Favourite card of Grier is easily the best in this group, and it is probably going to be the best in this repack.

The 1997 Martin is paper-thin, very much like the 1997 Fleer releases. But there's some Hall of Fame content with the Elway.

The hit! It is a rookie photoshoot relic, and it couldn't be game worn since Williams never played a game in the NFL. Still closer to the league than I could ever get.

It is a John Elway hot repack with his second appearance! But that's only half of the appearances of 2018 Donruss. At least one features a somewhat unique photo with Aaron Donald sporting the Colour Rush alternates. But the big card here? Another Fan Favorites! It might not be Rosey Grier, but it is still kinda cool.

And the finale! With the smoky corner, it is a hint of what Topps would use in their flagship the following year. 

For the second post in this repackfest, the most interesting card isn't the actual hit, but a post-career card of a famous name. 

There you have it!

2021 Adventures in Repacks Part 41.2 - Week of 20+1s - Hockey

 

Hockey's next!

You've seen the opener,  here's what next. The Tavares is from one of the National Hockey Card Day promotions. 1994 Donruss remains one of the worst designs in recent memory, with a difficult-to-read silver name on the front, and none on the back. And there's the obligatory 1990 Bowman. 

There may be a hit to come, but I doubt it will be anywhere close to as great as that Herb Carnegie card.  He probably would have broken the NHL's colour barrier if the Rangers had been willing to pay more than his Quebec senior team was. Either way, he's still a pioneer of the game, and the closest thing he'd have to appearing in a major release over his career. This card is great.

In any other repack, that card from the one-and-done Philadelphia Blazers would be the most interesting one in the repack. Not this time.

I really had to work for the hit here, as it was on the other side of the card on the back. As expected, it isn't as great as the Carnegie, but at least it is a colour that one generally doesn't associate with the Sharks, no matter how prominent that grey is in the photo.

And the card on the back. A CHL card, but he's still in the league, which is all you'd ask for from a recent one of these.

Anytime the advertised hit is the second best card in the pack, it is a great repack!

2021 Adventures in Repacks Part 41.1 - Week of 20+1s - Baseball

 I like doing week-long repack weeks here on the blog, and here's another one of 'em! A 4 sport variety of 20 card repacks, with a single hit added into the mix. Baseball's up first!

Visible Stadium Club? That's a keeper!

Let's get a better look at a play that doesn't get a lot of cardboard love - the rundown.

Expos content! A knuckler! And the Wrigley ivy! Heritage! That's definitely a solid start with the regular cards.

Not as interesting for me with this group, but at least there's a Blue Jays card. While 1990 Bowman is all over hockey repacks, not as much so for baseball ones. That's a beauty photo on the Shawn Green as well.

Here's the hit! With Bowman autos, it is always a crapshoot, but at least Gallagher reached the bigs for several seasons. And it is an on-card auto as well! Nice hit!

I guess the Fleer photographer was really busy that day at Wrigley when the Astros came to town. Stadium Club came through with a couple really solid photographs in this repack, with both the intro and this Jefferies.

Is Edman a Future Star? Probably not, but he is a future solid player, I guess. And a perfectly solid way to end the repack.

Photo Variations

I generally don't make much of an effort to acquire the photo variations outside of perhaps a PC guy. There's really no big deal to me of a player just walking in a suit.

But one thing can make me shell out cash (or COMC credit).

Cuteness!

And if you're wondering about the dog, meet Captain (now all growed up)!

I guess Ovechkin being on the card is kinda nice, too.

Bills! Bills! Bills!

 Another Bills post!

There's a little bit of group break in this little post and a little bit of COMC stuff in this post. There will not be a more Buffalo card this release season than Josh Allen sporting a toque on this no-helmet SP variation out of Donruss.

Here's the rest of the more traditional base, with the typical veteran/rookie mix. I'm hoping that I see some Basham autographs this season where he signs them 'Boogie'.

Not a whole lot of parallels coming my way, but at least one of them was numbered. 

Off to the inserts, which provides an opportunity for there to be more Josh Allen content! It is nice that the Bills actually have players worthy of making their way into insert sets this year. QB catching a pass seems super rare in terms of photo content. Moreso than pitcher-at-the-plate, this is pitcher-sliding-into-third level rare.

The 2001 release gets a  salute in the insert set. 

One more piece of shininess before going into the COMC content.

Last season, Tre'Davious White was considered an Unsung Hero. This season, he's Elite.

Shawne Merriman spent most of his career with the Chargers, wrapping up his career with some time with the Bills. He only got a  couple cards to commemorate his late-career work, and this /100 card was the cheapest of the bunch. 

Kolby's only NFL games came with the Bills. Of course, this counts a Bills card.

The last card for this post will be a  relic, but it might be one of the more appropriate ones in terms of the name for the insert post. Goodwin's path to the NFL included time as a track & field athlete, including as an Olympian in 2012. So cross training was definitely a thing for him! Also, in a rarity for the 2013 rookie class, he's still in the league, now with the Bears.

There you have it!