Pack Samplers: Fire, Donruss and Upper Deck S2

Just one pack each of some of the newer stuff.

Fire was the oldest pack that I busted, going back about a month or so. The packaging is definitely loud.

As is the content. They definitely take me back to some of the late 90s Fleer Universe designs with the space-y background. The Williams is a flame parallel. I couldn't find any odds about those on the pack, so I guess the glossier versions are 1 per pack. The purple Manning /499 is a 1:13 parallel. And there's a throwback uniform on the Aikman as well. While I would probably be too old to enjoy a box of this, I can tolerate a pack or two of loudness.

The design carries over to the back. At least they keep to the text to the white portion for my ancient eyes.

The other two products came out earlier this week to the LCS. While I've already got a pile of Raptors on my way from a 1/2 case break, I'll still sample a pack of the not too costly product.

Now that is a Houston Rockets hot pack, with 3 base cards in a row. While I don't think I'd enjoy building this set with only 5 base cards per pack in a 200 card set, I really like some of the inserts. Especially the Court Kings, mainly because I think it is nice to see that matte finished cards with the artistic look are available in a lower end set instead of only in the mid-range hit based set of the same name.

If you liked the baseball backs, you'll like the backs here.

And the final pack.

Kinda bland photo choices for this. The OPC update cards fall at a rate of 1:12 packs, with rookies at 1:7 and 1:17 for veterans. The plus side of these is that the numbering scheme has the cards starting with a 'U' as opposed to continuing the numbering from the main OPC set. So that takes away any obsessive compulsive desire to hunt down any of the cards from that set to complete my 14-15 OPC set.

See! This one is U24! Not six hundred something.

Other than the change to Series Two, no difference in the backs from Series 1. The Kitchener Rangers reference for alumni Murphy makes me pick this back to highlight.

I guess the Donruss basketball was the best pack of the bunch with the Court Kings insert, followed by the Fire. Surprisingly, due to generic photography, the Series 2 comes last.