Category Archives: Box Break

2017 Topps WWE Then Now Forever Hobby Box Break

This release again servers essentially as a second series for the flagship WWE release from earlier in the year. It is a 100 card set continuing after the earlier release as 101-200. We also get to see a familiar insert set in Finishers and Signature Moves, which we just saw in the recent Women’s Division release.

There is one minor complaint I have about the release, and now I

 

wonder if it may not be more common than I had originally thought and I just never noticed. The cover art for the hobby box/packs features John Cena, Finn Balor, and Alexa Bliss. They’re all very high profile names for the WWE, so they make a lot of sense, right? Well, they would, if they were included in the set. None of these have base cards in this release. Yes, Cena and Balor are both included in the common Finishers and Signature Moves insert set, but Alexa Bliss isn’t in that one, either. She is only featured in Kiss Cards, which are 1 in every 913 packs, and roster update cards, which are Walmart exclusives. It just strikes me as odd to put someone on the cover, who is very unlikely to be included in the box.

This box contained:

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2017 Topps Star Wars Journey to The Last Jedi Hobby Box Break

This early fall set leading up to the December Star Wars release has become an annual event.   It also ends up following a familiar format.  The release features cards of all the Stars Wars movies and cartoons, as well as a few preview pics from The Last Jedi.  Once again, the design from the original vintage Star Wars series is used.  It’s starting to feel a bit overused at this point.  It seems multiple years using the same design is going to start getting confusing as years go by.

You also see familiar parallels and insert sets included in this release.  Aside from a handful of cards, it doesn’t really feel that new.  A box advertises 24 packs with 8 cards per pack, including two hits per box.

This box contained:

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2017 Topps Allen & Ginter Hobby Box Break

July means release time for Allen & Ginter. It’s always a fun set which, while clearly a baseball set, also offers a little bit of a change of pace with various off beat inclusions. It includes anything from insert sets focusing on Revolutionary Battles or World’s Dude to regular relics and autographs.

The release is bolstered by Aaron Judge, as are most of the 2017 releases. There is also a mix of sports writers and various other stars, such as Floyd Mayweather and William Shatner. Hot boxes make their first appearances in Allen & Ginter with an entire box filled with Foil Base parallels instead of standard base cards.

This box contained:

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2017 Topps Archives Hobby Box Break

I have a love/hate relationship with Topps Archives. I like the theory of using throwback designs, but it’s much better executed in Heritage. It can be nice to see the more recent vintage designs, without the almost 50 year lag time, though. That shine can be easily lost a bit when recent designs like 1982 get overused. This year’s set features 1960, 1982, and 1992.

One improvement in this year’s release, is the lack of regular short prints as part of the set. There are alternative image short prints, as well as various parallels. In the past, Archives has offered insert sets like cards from the motion picture Major League. This year, their pop culture references involve autographs of people like “Bald Vinny”, who seems to have limited appeal outside of Yankee stadium, and a baseball collector that most are not able to name. I’m not sure I would exactly call that an improvement.

A box advertises 24 packs of 8 cards, including two autographs per box.

This box contained:

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2017 Topps WWE Hobby Box Break

The 2017 edition of Topps WWE follows the recent pattern, using the same design as the flagship baseball set. The set is grouped by teams, if you will, as the wrestlers are separated by Raw, Smackdown, NXT, and Legends. These are all available in various parallels, as well as a handful with alternative images.

There are a few inserts sets included, as well. The main inserts sets all seem to share a similar design, which I’m not particularly a fan of. It’s a shame, as the content of those sets is interesting, just not the layout.

Each box contains 24 packs of 7 cards, and advertises two hits. The hits once again include Mat relics, shirt relics, manufactured championship belts, and autographs. `

This box contained:
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