Sunday, November 21, 2010

Getting Some Strange!

     I had the chance to visit a different Wal-Mart (store #1458) this weekend and purchase retail which my local Wal-Mart (store #2988) has yet to provide.  I was asked to work in the pit side concession stand at Brainerd Optimus Drag Strip on Saturday November 20th.  It was the annual Draggin' for Toys.  Draggin' For Toys is a charity race.  The monetary proceeds will be given to T.C. Thompson’s Children's Hospital and the toys will be given to Providence Ministries to be given to children on Christmas day who may otherwise not have a Christmas.
    Working in the concession stand provided me a chance to make a few extra bucks.  I have been itching to buy something for the past two weeks.  I decided to treat myself to some cards.  I didn't want to blow everything I made at the track, so I just stopped at Wal-Mart (store #1458) by the strip after work.  The aisle number is 23 and is double the size of the aisle at my hometown Wal-Mart.  The aisle was well stocked and had product I had not seen at a retailer as of yet.  I first noticed Bowman Chrome baster boxes and Topps Update racks and blasters.  After some browsing the shelf and making it to the bottom, I found a retail box of '10 Bowman Chrome and '10 Topps Update Series.  The price on both were $71.99 which are a tad bit over-priced considering the price of hobby boxes.  Bowman Chrome Hobby is $42 and Topps Update is $35 this week at Blowoutcards.com.
      I decided I would purchase a rack pack of Topps Update and a blaster of Bowman Chrome.  I scanned the highlights in the Update pack and scan the whole blaster box.  I made three scans for the Update series.  I scanned the notable rookies, All-Star Cards, and inserts.

2010 Topps Update Series Rack Pack 

Rookies



Daniel Nava, Ike Davis, and Jeanmar Gomez 50th Anniversary 1600/2010

All-Stars


Joe Mauer, Chris "1 Homer" Young (HR Derby), and Brian McCann (All-Star MVP)

Inserts


Austin Jackson (Peak Performance), Rogers Hornsby (Topps Turkey), & Chipper Jones (CMTO)

It is hard to judge a set from one rack pack, so I looked over the checklist I could find.  The set has some interesting cards in it.  There are several seek-able rookies.  There are two Stephan Strasburgs.  One is the one from the Factory sets numbered 661 and the other is a Rookie Debut card which is another part of the set that has all the great rookies from this past season like Posey, Heyward, Leake, and many more.  One question about the Strasburg 661 card which was brought up on a different blog is that "are the #661 cards in the Update Series different from the Factory Set?"  I have yet to find out.  I am sure it is something that will be answered before long.

2010 Bowman Chrome Blaster

I bought the blaster not knowing really anything about them.  I got home and started ripping through packs.  The first thing I noticed as three cards.  I didn't read the box before buying it, but the three cards would not have stopped me from buying it; however, three cards seems to be on the short end of the stick.  I went to look at the hobby boxes and they only come with fours per pack.  They could put a couple more cards in both to help improve the value of the boxes.  Another thing I noticed was the texture and the lack of gloss on some of the cards.  I have a friend that's into photography.  I asked her to feel and look at the two different cards. She said that the ones without gloss looked to be printed on a basic mat material and the glossy on the glossy mat material which causes the different textures.  She said it was probably a company error.  I was like you don't say.  Anyway, below are scans of the entire blaster box.

Pack #1



Pack #2

 
Brennan Boescoh RC


Pack #3




Pack #4


 New Brave Dan Uggla refractor and Andy Oliver RC

Pack #5


1st of two USA team cards. John Simms

Pack #6



Pack #7

Anderson Hildalgo Purple Refractor 100/899


Pack #8

Henry Owens USA team cards


Comments are welcome.

I hope everyone has a wonderfulThanksgiving and a great time with family and friends.  Be safe you you get out for Black Friday sales.  I would also like to let everyone know about the Blowoutcards.com Black Friday sale.  The sale will be held in their forum from 7am to 4pm the Friday after Thanksgiving.  I didn't know about the one last year but I have read about it.  They will be having sales throughout the day on many items.  They will list items in a thread when they go on sale.  You will be able to find out about giveaways they are offering in the same thread.  Below are links to the main page and to the forums where the sale information will be.




Phillip

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