2017 Bowman Chrome Mini-Box Break


I have no wacky title for this...

Last week I covered the singles purchased from Pal’s Sports Cards in Andover, MN, while visiting family on vacation. As I mentioned then, that was my first visit to an actual brick and mortar card store in close to a year. and was looking for some hobby packs to throw some variety amongst the nearly exclusive retail card options I normally have.


2017 Bowman Chrome won that day’s contest for my hobby dollar. 

Of course, everything has to be different now, and Bowman Chrome is no longer the set driven set that it once was, twenty or even ten years ago. Back when discretionary income was somewhat plentiful, I used to love ripping apart a 24 pack hobby box or two of Bowman Chrome every year. I never built the sets, but had decent luck in pulling some of the hot autographs each offseason…

In 2017, Bowman Chrome has fallen victim to the marketing of strategy of (Topps) Finest. Another product I rarely buy anymore. The format of a 24 pack hobby box that I have fond memories of is now a 12 pack box, split into two 6-pack mini-boxes...

Half as many cards as you used to get, for slightly more money! 

But you are now guaranteed to get two autographed cards! 

One per each mini-box! 

And the complete base set is only 100 cards!

At least there was an increase in cards per pack in comparison to 2017 Topps Chrome (which I discussed a month or so ago, over here). With Topps Chrome, you got only 4 cards in a pack. (Three of which are Aaron Judge…) But Bowman Chrome boosts that value all the way up to FIVE cards per pack!!!


My mother and I chose to split a 2017 Bowman Chrome Master Box, each of us buying one of the mini boxes of six 5 card packs.

Per pack, you’ll receive four base and one insert and/or parallel cards.

Doing the math, the six packs in each of the two mini boxes, came to roughly $8 per pack.

Five cards each weighs in at a whopping $1.60 per card!

Why do you have to overly complicate things Topps?

Is it any wonder why I’m collecting far fewer cards these days?

Anyways…

Once again going to describe the mini box break, I will reveal my favorite and least favorite card in each pack. But like with Topps Chrome, the insert card almost always won out as my "favorite". So that will remain it's own category once again…


Pack 1

Scott Kingery - Phillies
Mark Zagunis - Cubs
Luis Castillo - Reds - Bowman Top 100 (1:3 packs)
Miguel Cabrera - Tigers
David Ortiz - Red Sox


Most Insertiest - Luis Castillo

I think the Bowman Top 100 set looked better in previous years… This is still nice, but the design doesn’t grab me the way it should. Hopefully Castillo turns out to be a decent pitcher. The Reds need all the help they can get. As do the Marlins, who traded Castillo last offseason…


Most Favorite - David Ortiz

Technically, Ortiz shouldn’t have a card in this set. After all, he retired last year…
Though it’s hard to hate Big Papi…


Least Favorite - Scott Kingery

A boring prospect card that barely beat out slightly less boring Mark Zagunis (and that was only because Zagunis is a catcher) for least favorite. However, I do like the prospect cards more than the veteran cards for one reason… Check out the Phillies team logo, vs the Red Sox logo on the Ortiz card. The shattered mirror effect on the logo just looks so much cooler…

So good job there Bowman.

Pack 2

Torii Hunter Jr - Angels
Yusniel Diaz - Dodgers
Heath Quinn - Giants - Purple Shimmer (1:12 packs)
Mike Trout - Angels
Sonny Gray - Athletics


Most Insertiest - Heath Quinn

I can’t stand the Giants. This is a great looking card that would look so much better with any color other than orange clashing with the purple… Put a blue or black jersey on Mr. Quinn (and trade him to a better team), and you’ve got an awesome card in your hands.


Most Favorite - Sonny Gray

I like Sonny Gray. Not so much as a Yankee… 


Least Favorite - Mike Trout

Nothing against Trout, who is quickly becoming one of the greatest players of this generation. But that photo bores me to tears… Basic swing follow through, goofy look on his face…. Seen it…

Give me a photo of Trout making a ridiculous catch, or making contact with his swing, or in a boat fishing… Come on, at $1.60 a card, I expect more for my superstars!


Oh... Cool! - Torii Hunter Jr.

I was surprised to pull the rookie card of longtime Twins and Angels outfielder Torii Hunter. I knew that Hunter Jr. was playing college football, but didn’t know he signed with the Angels.


From the looks of it, he doesn’t appear to be a standout baseball prospect, but time will tell… His father took time to develop into a great center fielder.

Pack 3

Nick Gordon- Twins
Leody Taveras - Ranger
Sixto Sanchez - Phillies - Prospect Autograph (1:11 packs)
Brian Dozier - Twins
Corey Seager - Dodgers

Most Twinsiest (tie) - Brian Dozier & Nick Gordon


I like both of these cards, even casting aside the Minnesota bias. Dozier appears to be legging out a Target Field triple, in his already dusty uniform, against the Royals.


Nick Gordon is making a throw to first in a Spring Training game, meaning they didn’t have to Photoshop a Twins uniform on one of our top prospects. Gordon is quickly developing into Minnesota's shortstop of the future. But I wonder if he'll hit enough, especially considering how Jorge Polanco finished the 2017 season...


Most Insertiest - Sixto Sanchez - Prospect Autograph

The guaranteed autograph in my mini-box came in pack #3. I’ve never heard of Sixto Sanchez before.


Flipping the card over reveals an athlete that could develop into something better than the 28 year old A-ball relief pitcher that I usually get for my Bowman autograph…

Born in 1998… Wow, I’m old…

In case you were wondering, the guaranteed autograph in the second mini-box that my mom purchased, was also Sixto Sanchez. But hers was a numbered Refractor parallel of some color. Much cooler than the autograph I got, but I found it lame that both autographs in the Master box were the from the same guy…


Most Favorite - Corey Seager

Seager is not my most favorite. That would have to go to one of the other three cards I already mentioned. So my card ranking system is flawed. Oh well…


Least Favorite - Leody Taveras

Taveras is also not my least favorite. I have nothing against him other than I hate Texas. Flipping that card over, it tells him that Leody is the cousin of 2007 Colorado Rockies center fielder Willy Taveras. So bonus points then…

Pack 4

Domingo Acevedo - Yankees
Bobby Bradley - Indians
Alex Reyes - Cardinals - Short Print Photo Variation (1:119 packs)
Jordan Montgomery - Yankees
Robert Gsellman - Mets


Most Insertiest - Alex Reyes SP

When I pulled this card, I didn’t realize it was a short print until later. The rookie short prints fall at a rate of roughly 1:10 boxes, making the Reyes a near case hit. That’s pretty cool, but photo variations are a bit too gimmicky for my tastes. A card this “rare” should also look far more special…


Most Favorite - Domingo Acevedo

I don’t know much about Acevedo, but this card struck me out of the pack. It’s a classic pitching pose, and the dark colors of the card just look good to me. Even the Topps patented “action face” isn’t too obnoxious, though I wish they’d pull the camera back a bit on some shots…


Least Favorite - Robert Gsellman

Conversely, the Gsellman card just bothered me on multiple stupid levels. Mainly, I think it’s the hat… Bright orange with the skipping Mr. Met logo just doesn’t work.

Then there’s the big mess of whatever that is going on around his neck… I understand wearing the beard and long hair, it’s a look I still rock due to apathy and laziness, but there is just a bit too much going on facially for me to be on fully board with.

And that off-white glove is off-putting…

Nothing personal...

Pack 5

Joshua Lowe - Rays
David Lindsay - Mets
Joe Jimenez - Tigers - Bowman Top 100 (1:3)
Yoan Moncada - White Sox
Jharel Cotton - Athletics


Most Insertiest - Joe Jimenez - Bowman Top 100

This packed bored me… Joe Jimenez bores me… The Detroit Tigers bore me…


Most Favorite - Yoan Moncada

A couple of months ago, I predicted that Moncada would have a better career than Aaron Judge when all is said and done. As I stated then, I base that on nothing but my own opinion. Since making that bold statement, I’ve decided that I should solidify my stance and collect Moncada cards. I’m putting very little effort into that idea, but I am doing it…

This card brings my Moncada collection up to 4, I think…


Least Favorite - Jharel Cotton

Cotton made the least favorite because I didn’t like his Topps action face. Lowe and Lindsay’s Topps action faces were more subdued, so Cotton takes the non-honor… But unlike Lowe and Lindsay, Cotton is a major leaguer… So who really is the least?

Pack 6

Gleyber Torres - Yankees
Jonathan Arauz - Astros
Carson Kelly - Cardinals - Arizona Fall League (1:6)
Jacob deGrom - Mets
Ryan Schimpf - Padres


Most Insertiest - Carson Kelly - Cardinals - Arizona Fall League

One of 2017 Bowman Chrome’s selling points in early summer promotional material was the Arizona Fall League insert set, falling 1 per mini-box. It’s an ok design, and bonus points are awarded for Topps using an actual AFL game photo for the card.


But the back… Is asking for a AFL season stat line out of line? I see that Topps can tell me what Kelly’s OPS was for playing for Glendale, but nothing more than that? You’ve got all that wasted space on the card back, give me some CONTENT!


Most Favorite - Gleyber Torres

Torres being the top prospect the Cubs traded to the Yankees for Aroldis Chapman and a World Series victory aside, I think this is a really nice photo.


Least Favorite - Ryan Schimpf

While I understand the Padres have few options for showcasing their top Major Legue players for card sets like this, because they have precious few actual major leaguers to promote. Schimpf was a head scratcher for his inclusion in the set. If you look really closely, you can see the opposing dugout behind Schimpf looking bored by his presence.

I almost feel bad for him…

******

Overall impressions of 2017 Bowman Chrome?

They are not terrible! 

They are also not worth paying $1.60 per card for either! 

In fact, other than the Sixto autograph, I don’t think there was a single card from this mini-box that I would pay $1.60 for…

So if that is the best you can get for hobby shop exclusive packs these days, I’m okay with dining on almost exclusively retail. We may not get the shiniest and spectacularist investment options, but when you strike out, it’s not as painful as $48 for nearly zero return.

But that’s what you pay to play the Bowman Chrome lotto… 

******

One more thing before I get to writing Four Baggers post #50…


I saw on the MLB Network that New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom recently cut off all his hair. He said that he believed the lack of hair would add a mile per hour or two to his fastball. Now there’s an interesting theory that I doubt has any merit. But if deGrom wants to believe that, I’m not going to tell him different…

I'll miss seeing that glorious mane on cards and video recaps in the future...

******

Even yet one more thing before I get to writing Four Baggers post #50…

2017 Bowman Chrome marks the 20th anniversary of the first Bowman Chrome set that came out in 1997.


Maybe I missed something, but I was disappointed to see no references to the awesomeness that was 1997 Bowman Chrome…


With as big as Topps is on beating you over the head with nostalgia for it’s own products, how could they miss the boat on a complete no brainer?

I did find the new set configuration has cut back dramatically on the amount of base Refractor parallels that you used to get in a box. While they haven't typically seen a major increase in value, they were often just plain great looking cards. Not getting as many is a notable change that greatly affects my final verdict.

Either way, these are nice...

Just not nice enough to see me spending any more money on packs or mini boxes or master boxes of 2017 Bowman Chrome… 

There are a few singles I am interested in purchasing at some point in the future.

I may even choose to spend more than $1.60 on some of them...

******

Coming soon!

Post #50!

Even though I've already revealed the subject on facebook. As a teaser for the blog, I'm just going to say it's another entry in the Abandoned Gas series...


Comments

Post a Comment

Someone else liked these...

Abandoned Movie - Kitty's South (The Webber Theater) - Denver, CO

Image
When I first started this blog, with the intent of writing stories about abandoned buildings I’d photographed, Kitty’s South was one of the stories I most wanted to write. For whatever reasons, it took me nearly seven years to get around to it. Looking back at my early stuff from 2017 and 2018, I’m glad I let this story marinate for an additional six and half years. Kitty's South - March 22, 2015. Located at 119 S Broadway, Denver, Colorado. I drove past that building hundreds of times in my near 20 years of living around Denver. Any time I drove home from downtown, I had to pass by Kitty's. So it was rather shocking in the summer of 2016, when Kitty's stopped looking like Kitty's.  The Webber Theater - April 29, 2018. After a year and a half of work, inside and out, Kitty's South was brought back to a similar look of its days as The Webber Theater. The interior of the former theater was opened up with some of the space used by the Archetype Distillery. Archetype cl
Read some more »

Our Happy Birfday Fan Zone Fun Time Whatever - St. Cloud MN

Image
At the beginning of last month, Laura and I were trying to figure out a decent, low impact, day trip, just to get away from Crapids for a few hours. This would tie into both of our birthdays, since they are both in March. Maybe see something cool. Maybe eat something different. Hopefully find something to do that doesn't offend either of our mutual interests. How about St. Cloud? It's less than an hour away, we can get Burger Time and look for Justin Morneau cards at Fan Zone? Since that was agreeable to both parties, we made our way northwest, on Saturday March 2, 2024. Fan Zone, St. Cloud MN. But we aren't there yet... Have to leave the general Crapids/Anoka area first.  Leaving this area still remains one of my favorite things to this day! They're building a something, out where the old Anoka Pizza Hut was. The grave of Anoka Perkins next door, remains relatively undisturbed.  But I was saddened to see that another abandoned Burger King has disappeared. This time i
Read some more »

What Happened to Clark's Submarine Sandwich?

Image
Well, they went out of business! Yeah, that's the short answer.  But more importantly, what happened to each individual Clark's Submarine Sandwich store? Once there were 15 of them scattered around the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area, but they were all gone by 1991. Clark's still has a small but loyal following around town, and a reputation built off the bread, thinly sliced onions and most important, the sandwich oil that was it's signature. While the chain is long gone, I want to know just how gone is it?  For example, my hometown had a Clark's Submarine Sandwiches, and that building is still standing. Former Clark's Submarine Sandwich Location: 401 Northdale Blvd. Coon Rapids Back in October 2006, the building had long been sitting empty, but was still in good shape. Shortly after I took the picture of the abandoned Clarks/Cousins building, it was renovated and turned into a Dunn Bros. Coffee. But still standing! Clark&
Read some more »

Dinner Break! - Burger King - St. Cloud, MN

Image
When you want to go nowhere for breakfast... Although, I did go through the drive thru at this St. Cloud for breakfast, once. But I was just a spectator. It was far too early in the day to introduce Burger King to my system, without disastrous consequences. But someone driving needed a Croissanwich... I was sitting in the passenger seat of this white molester van. I wasn't drugged, I was just very tired. That van was owned by one Crazy Carl. Who was running Griffy's Old Town Bar & Grill, in Genola, MN, at the time. We closed the bar and cleaned up the place until 3am, the night before. But we were back at Griffy's to get the bar ready to open, the next day. After pounding a bunch of coffee and cigarettes, we were off on a morning supply run to Sam's Club, in St. Cloud. Wasted Quarter issue #58 - Crime Drama! - March 2006 I'd gone up to Genola a few times during 2004-05. Griffy's Old Town Bar & Grill served as a quick vacation away from Crapids, during th
Read some more »

Abandoned Mall: Villa Italia Mall - Lakewood, CO

Image
Villa Italia Mall in Lakewood, Colorado, opened in March 1967.  It closed for good on July 15th, 2001. I'm not going to get into the biography of the large shopping mall. My experiences there number a grand total of two. Once in June of 2000 (for a baseball card show), and the other in May, 2001, when I took these pictures. Since there was no emotional attachment on my behalf toward the place, I know next to nothing about it. There are a few good sites with real information and more pictures of Villa Italia. Both in it's heyday and in it's depressed run down state. I consulted these for this story. Deadmalls has a basic biography, that is a good starting point.  A link appears at the bottom of the page that takes you to another site with a nice selection of Villa Italia photos. Or you can just click here... So let me add my piece to that total! In May 2001, my mom was in town from Minnesota. She was in Denver visiting my sister (who lived in Lakewood)
Read some more »

Ghosts of Riverdale Past - Coon Rapids, MN

Image
Recently there’s been a lot of chatter amongst the townsfolk about the retail abomination known as Riverdale. Another round of store closures has people talking about what a massive failure this shopping cluster has always been, and why retail is the way it is, and who's to blame and all that kind of stuff. Bottom line being, more stores that people liked shopping at are gone. For whatever reason. Which made me wonder, how many former businesses in Riverdale did I manage to get pictures of over the years? As I started going through the Riverdale picture folder on my external drive, I found far more than I'd expected. This is by no means EVERY former business that didn't survive the ridiculous conditions of shopping in my hometown, but it's an interesting peek into some of what didn't work. I didn't live in Coon Rapids when Riverdale was built. When I moved back in 2003, I was horrified that the western sky now had a brilliant orange glow in the middle of the nig
Read some more »

Grumpies... The Coolest Coon Rapids Has Ever Been!

Image
"Dood, this is the coolest Coon Rapids has ever been!" I'm most certainly not talking about this place...  Though I am talking about a specific event that took place inside it's walls. Today, the bar known as Willy's has been closed for over 6 months.  After numerous incidents with patron fights and gun violence, the owner called it quits on the bar and closed the doors for good. And the city is much better off for it! But we'll get to that soon enough... My absence in blogging lately is due to returning to my sleepy suburban hometown after a (give or take) 22 year absence. Where I have to deal with a lack of internet connection, and a whole lot less quiet me/writing time... (You can add Laura and I to that population now...) I was born in this town, grew up here and stayed to the age of 21. Then I packed the Vanilla Honksicle (second of three Fort Escorts I've owned) and headed west for Colorado. That was in 1996. Oth
Read some more »

Abandoned Retail - Target - Coon Rapids, MN

Image
Target T-42. The 42nd Target store in the world, was located in Coon Rapids, MN. Until it was replaced by Target T-1144, a mile or so to the north, 26 years later. Coon Rapids Target opened October 19, 1972, and closed October 6, 1998. Living on the north side of town in the 1970’s and 1980’s, big box retailers like Zayre and Kmart were more frequently visited, since they were closer to our house. Target was patronized less often, and usually paired with grocery shopping at Red Owl. Complete with video games while my mom shopped for food. And copies of Mad magazine slipped into the cart when no one was looking. Downtown Center, anchored by Festival Foods, opened in 1987. Sitting at the corner of Round Lake and Bunker Lake, in Andover, that shopping center was now more convenient for weekly groceries. Subsequently, Red Owl's visits started declining, just due to Festival. Riverdale WalMart opened November 14, 1990. For better or worse, that siphoned an even more significant chunk of
Read some more »

Abandoned WalMarts over Apache Plaza

Image
Check out that sweet label scar!  WalMart closed their St. Anthony store on April 8, 2014. Hours later, the new WalMart Superstore in Roseville, less than three miles to the southeast, held their grand opening. WalMart decided they could get a much better deal from the City of Roseville. Less than a decade after opening the St. Anthony location, WalMart left a big empty building for the city to deal with. Breaking a 20 year lease in the process. For what it's worth, this is one of the nicer looking abandoned WalMarts I've seen in person. Originally signed on to anchor the south end of the new Silver Lake Village shopping complex. Which was to be built on the land previously occupied by the Apache Plaza shopping mall (1961-2004). This store opened in 2005, and did good numbers during it's life. Providing easily accessed wares to all the nearby residential neighborhoods, both old and new.  But it's location was also it's undoing... Silver Lake Village is anchored on t
Read some more »

Abandoned Retail - Brookdale Mall, Sears & Perkins!

Image
Visiting Minnesota in September 2011, my dad told me that Brookdale Shopping Mall was being demolished, and we should check it out. Brookdale opened in 1962, as one of the "Dales." A series of suburban metro area shopping malls designed to syphon retail dollars away from the traditional downtowns of major cities. In the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area, Brookdale was in Brooklyn Center, Rosedale was in Roseville, Ridgedale in Minnetonka and Southdale in Edina. Back in the day, needed housewares, "important" clothes for school and other reasons, and whatever other supplies the family had to buy, usually came from the mall. Brookdale was a constant. Rosedale as well, but that mall is currently thriving today, and thus far off my radar. Northtown mall was the closest to us, but it was a second tier mall without the top drawing anchors. Northtown has seen a little hint of a resurgence after losing it's long string of anchors and a series of renovati
Read some more »