2016, Baseball, Blaster Box, Topps Archives

2016 Topps Archives 65th Anniversary Edition Box Break

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This is a little bit different kind of release. It features one reprint from every year of Topps to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the card releases. At times the checklist is a little bit puzzling to me (1975 Randy Jones?). And while it is a small set, it still seems a bit strange that more teams are not represented in it. The retail “blaster box” contains one pack of sixteen cards, including one autograph. Despite it being a single pack, there apparently is no guarantee you won’t get duplicate cards in it, though.

This box contained:

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2016, Box Break, Hobby Box, Topps, Wrestling

2016 Topps WWE Then Now Forever Hobby Box Break

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This is a new release for Topps WWE. While it is labeled Topps WWE Then Now Forever, it is essentially a second series of the flagship release. It continues after the base set numbering with 101-200, as well as a few of the insert sets that began in other WWE releases during the year. The exception to that is the NXT Prospects set, numbering beginning at 1 again, and the various autographs and relics which are not numbered to begin with. The set features many of the same stars as the original release, but it has a mix of new superstars recently called up and others who were not in the company in time for the original release.

This box advertises 24 packs with 7 cards in each pack, including two hits. With the various parallels and inserts, you might get very close to a set, but not necessarily the whole way there.

This box contained:

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2016-17, Hobby Box, Hockey, O-Pee-Chee

2016-17 O-Pee-Chee Hobby Box Break

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This Upper Deck hockey release is definitely geared toward set builders. It is one of the largest single series sets currently being produced with 550 base cards and 110 short prints on top of that. It can be a challenging set to finish, but it is doable.

The cards have a vintage feel to them with a thicker cardboard stock, similar to Topps Heritage. They do have a new design, but they still seem to emulate design choices from the past. Also included are a few different parallels, including a retro design parallel.

The box advertises 32 packs of 8 cards, with four “cards” printed on the bottom of the box. This box contained:

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2016, Baseball, Box Break, Jumbo Hobby Box, Topps

2016 Topps Update Jumbo Hobby Box Break

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This release marks the end of the regular season, and features players changing teams, All Stars, and a number of rookies making their debut. It follows the normal pattern, so there aren’t really a lot of surprises. You see some manufactured relics, some All Star relics, and various autographs. There are also the usual number of parallels. The biggest surprise to me is the size of the set. After years of a 330 card set, Topps started changing it the last few years. This year, the set has shrunk to a total of 300 base cards.

The jumbo box contains 10 packs of 50 cards each, while advertising 1 Autograph and 2 Relic cards per box.

This box contained:

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2016, Hobby Box, Non-Sport, Star Wars, Topps

2016 Topps Star Wars Rogue One: Mission Briefing Hobby Box Break

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When Disney purchased the Star Wars franchise, there was a lot of uncertainty over what that would mean. Yes, they had done amazing things with the Marvel properties, but Star Wars always felt different. After 2015’s The Force Awakens, a lot of the fears seem put to rest. Now, a new stand alone movie is on the horizon, Rogue One, and the marketing machine is being cranked up again.

This release us a lot like the Journey to The Force Awakens from 2015. It acts as a bit of a teaser for the movie, a few months ahead of time. It contains a base set with a heritage feel and the design of the 1983 Return of the Jedi Series 1 cards, while combining many of the A New Hope era properties, including the Rebels cartoon. You also get many insert sets matching the previous release, although they are not a continuation of those sets. It’s a nice set, but it’s not really focused on Rogue One, like future releases will be.

The Hobby Box advertises 24 packs of 8 cards, including 2 hits per box. You also see quite a few parallels, including a blue which makes the base set look like Return of the Jedi Series 2. You see a lot of familiar faces, with just a few new ones mixed in.

This box contains:

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