A Nice 2018 Topps Chrome Hobby Box Break
After being nearly shut out of Topps Chrome last year (save for one Value Pack at a distant WalMarts), I decided that if I wanted any this year, I needed to jump on a Hobby box right away.
Topps Chrome is fun to open. Period. And since I like the design of 2018 Topps (a whole lot more than 2017 Topps), I really wanted some of this year's Chrome...
Due to it's proximity to where I'm living, I made a return trip to Pal's for my box. They made a post on facebook to announce the arrival of wax and that it was indeed in stock.
I'm not going to Whatever this... Instead, I'll show off the top THREE cards in each FOUR card pack! Which I will then follow up on with some quick thoughts...
Oh, and I'm not Photoshopping any lint or cat hair off the Chrome. I want to get this story done and posted, and putting in that much effort on this set is simply not a priority...
While I didn't expect to see our little Japanese friend so quickly -if at all- in the box, Ohtani's Topps Chrome rookie card was the very FIRST card I saw when opening the first wrapper... No autograph on it though... The 1983 Anniversary cards are definitely nice... I'm a big Nolan Arenado fan, so was happy to get his card right away.... Masahiro Tanaka... Uh... He's a Yankee...
Another 1983 Refractor, this one nicer than the first... Dodger pitcher who arrived with such hype, you'd think Los Angeles promoted a right-handed Kershaw... Verlander still looks strange in not being a Detroit Tiger... His spot in the Top Three was nearly taken by Brinson, as his card had a nicer photo... Though it was too heavy on the orange for my liking... (Not that Verlander's isn't...) To me, I'm let down by Marlins cards that don't feature any Skull-Crushing Teal... Damn you Jeff Loria!
I couldn't be bothered to look up exactly what the Blackfractor is called... Must be fairly common since it's not serial numbered... But it looks much nicer in person, and scarier when scanned... Is he supposed to encased in Carbonite or something? And yes, I like the 1983 Refractor cards, but I don't want one in EVERY pack... And why does Hanley get a card? Boston released his overpriced and underperforming carcass months ago... Though I like how the scan makes it look like he's spitting out Gracie fur... Addison Russelll? Meh...
I wasn't unhappy when the Twins traded Dozier to the Dodgers at the deadline. He was a decent player for nearly six years in Minnesota, but wasn't a long term piece for a team that really needs to figure out what exactly they are... And is Granite a part of that equation? Nicky and Rougned... I really don't care... A two card pack in my mind...
Five packs and three 1983 Refractors (and not one player I collect). So while these obviously aren't going to fall one per pack, I'm starting to tire of them... Flaherty... Contreras... Margot... I really didn't find much to like this pack...
Frazier needs his giant pile of orange Opie hair back in order for me to collect his cards. Something that just isn't going to happen with him on the Yankees... I'm not a big fan of people named Sandy at the moment... Kimbrel? That photo is just a little too Bro for me, Bro... Despite it being a Refractor, Seager should have taken #3...
The Future Stars insert reminds me of a similar looking Topps insert set from a couple years back, but it blends in so much that I can't remember what year it was... I do like the look of it... Fowler's got a nice card, and I'm rooting for the A's to make the playoffs this year... In honor of my friend Rob, I'll even cheer for them.... Last offseason, I was upset that Pham was ranked so highly on MLB Network's list of top Center Fielders, over Byron Buxton, who didn't make the list... This year, Pham has fallen so far that he was dumped on Tampa for an empty sack of nothing at the trade deadline... At least he's still in the majors, unlike Buxton... Yadier? Yup... He's a guy...
I still love the concept of Tampa's throwback uniforms, recalling an era where the team didn't even exist... (But if they did, their uniforms would have been this tacky!) Crawford's black Giants jersey won #2 in this pack only because the insert was another Red Sox pitcher... Who was almost dumped in favor of an Atlanta first baseman... Not much to like in this pack...
I'm a Brian Anderson fan after pulling an autographed jersey card from Donruss retail last year, so he needs to become a star... Then there was yuck(fractor) and ick and I can't stand that guy... The box is starting to lose me...
Ok, I can handle this... I think the Nido is what Topps is calling this year's edition of the Gold Refractor. And in person, it's a stunning card... I don't like the Mets, I don't hate the Mets, I almost pity the Mets... Their ownership is so messed up that stories of the Mets are beginning to remind me of stories of the Montreal Expos (now as a big market team)... Love this card though... And Pujols, always been a fan... Bird? Suarez? Well, every sets' gotta have commons...
And right back to a buncha crap from teams I don't like... I guess the Williams card is okay... But Jones, Ramirez and Schoop don't interest me at all... I'm starting to think I should have grabbed a different box from the stack at Pal's...
My second autograph in the box is a Giant? Really? Now I know I wished I would have grabbed a different box... Between the Dodger (at least with an interesting photo) and the Astro (not worthy of a scan), the mildly indifferent pumped-up Blue Jay was the better choice for #3... But I'm having a hard time not feeling let down at the half-way point of 2018 Topps Chrome...
I really did like the Cespedes card... While the scan doesn't, the actual card shines a great deal of color under light... The contrast between the grayscale and color photos make this a very attractive piece of (heavily coated) cardboard... Faria could end up being a decent pitcher, or he could be swallowed up in the bloated AL East... And that photo on the Billy Hamilton is awesome... And there are fewer players in baseball I like less than Chris Davis... You simply have to do more than just hit home runs... Which he doesn't even do anymore... For like $25 million a year...
Not sure what this flavor of Refractor is called, but it's more colorful than the basic Refractor, and also not serial numbered... Despite Quintana being a Cub, it ranked higher than a Red Sock, Brave or Philly... Not hard to do... This box has some serious catching up to do to impress me...
Hey! There's Dozier again! As I was making my mind up to buy this box, I found team checklists online, saying which players for each team are in the set... Joe Mauer is not featured in 2018 Topps Chrome... That took me by surprise... Of all the players that made the cut, that overpaid "superstar" was left out... His lack of inclusion did not sway me either direction in deciding to buy this box... That Bryant is a very nice looking card... And I like Joey Votto, even though he plays for the Reds... I'm thinking that it's because he's Canadian... And I like Canada... Much more than Cleveland...
Since I no longer read The Becketts, I don't know... Are people still interested in Hoskins? After his August 2017 rookie splash, where he momentary got people to shut up about Aaron Judge, I haven't heard much about him... And I don't see Joe Jimenez ever becoming a star (maybe a set-up man), but that "Mr. I" patch is definitely a star in my eyes... Then YET ANOTHER Red Sock and Indian...
Ervin is nice as it fills a Twins need... I think Goldschmidt was the only D-Bags card I got in the box... (Which is totally okay... I don't need any more...) Springer was a decent card and I'm really sick of Chris Sale's snarling stick body...
Davis is lucky that this Refractory card looks as cool as it does, because I don't need more pictures of him striking out... I'm not an Orioles fan (in fact I've hated this team with the exception of all things Ripken -that guy RULED- for decades) but if you could boil Baltimore's problems down to one card... It would be Chris Davis... A non-Refractory version... Astro... Brewer... Brewer... Come on Topps...
Oh wow, a second Rockies card! 2018 Topps Chrome was making me forget they still existed! Along with every other team that is not the Boston Red Sox... This box is really bringing out my Red Sox hate...
At least this pack provided a break from all things Boston... Though the scan doesn't show it, that Conforto is really colorful, and probably my favorite base refractor in the box... The Royals catcher is fine and I really just like the name Odubel... But it's getting to be too late to save this box...
I liked 3/4 of this pack... That Barreto is great, Matt Olson is for Rob's sake and those throwback 1980's colors on the current Mariners uniforms is a great gimmick for Seattle... Plus there is that sweet 40th anniversary Mariners patch on Diaz' arm... But I still hate Craig Kimbrel... NO MORE RED SOX!!! I've gotten enough!!!
That Billy Hamilton is a contender for favorite card of the box... Same great photo, now with seizure-inducing Refractoriness... Was this the first National in the box? The first one in color maybe... And there's old man Beltre, looking all reflective at Target Field... (Now Chromed out so you can't tell where he is...)
May be just Scribner's stumpy leg growing out of his lower back, but there's something about this card that I really like... The Freshman Flash of Hayes is uninspiring... Peters knocked out deGrom, only for the 2017 All Star Game patch -and- the Jose Fernandez tribute patch... An amazing feat considering that I'm a big fan of deGrom... At least I was finally about to go two consecutive packs without Red Sox in them...
They're fine I guess... I've liked Chrome a lot as a product in the past. Usually finding it to be an improvement over base Topps. (2016 being a prime example of that. I couldn't stand 2016 Topps, but 2016 Topps Chrome really clicked with me...) This wasn't the blowaway set that I'd hoped it would be, after nearly being shut out of 2017 Topps Chrome... Coincidentally and thankfully, I didn't not pull ANY Aaron Judge or Cody Bellinger cards... Though I pulled enough Red Sox, Indians and Giants to choke a camel...
I'll likely pick up a few more packs at the retail level if I find them, but 2018 didn't set my world on fire...
Topps Chrome is fun to open. Period. And since I like the design of 2018 Topps (a whole lot more than 2017 Topps), I really wanted some of this year's Chrome...
Due to it's proximity to where I'm living, I made a return trip to Pal's for my box. They made a post on facebook to announce the arrival of wax and that it was indeed in stock.
Giving my the opportunity to snatch a few more Rockies for the collection!
So I took my 4 Rockies, my box-o-Chrome, and headed home to see what I missed out on last year...
And now, let's see what I pulled!
Still seems too ambitious and a bit ridiculous...
Oh, and I'm not Photoshopping any lint or cat hair off the Chrome. I want to get this story done and posted, and putting in that much effort on this set is simply not a priority...
Here we go!
Pack One!
Shohei Ohtani
Nick Williams (1983 Refractor)
Nolan Arenado
-And-
Masahiro Tanaka
While I didn't expect to see our little Japanese friend so quickly -if at all- in the box, Ohtani's Topps Chrome rookie card was the very FIRST card I saw when opening the first wrapper... No autograph on it though... The 1983 Anniversary cards are definitely nice... I'm a big Nolan Arenado fan, so was happy to get his card right away.... Masahiro Tanaka... Uh... He's a Yankee...
Pack Two!
Amed Rosario (1983 Refractor)
Walker Buehler
Justin Verlander
-And-
Lewis Brinson
Another 1983 Refractor, this one nicer than the first... Dodger pitcher who arrived with such hype, you'd think Los Angeles promoted a right-handed Kershaw... Verlander still looks strange in not being a Detroit Tiger... His spot in the Top Three was nearly taken by Brinson, as his card had a nicer photo... Though it was too heavy on the orange for my liking... (Not that Verlander's isn't...) To me, I'm let down by Marlins cards that don't feature any Skull-Crushing Teal... Damn you Jeff Loria!
Pack Three!
Raudy Read (Blackfractor)
Giancarlo Stanton (1983 Refractor)
Hanley Ramirez
-And-
Addison Russell
I couldn't be bothered to look up exactly what the Blackfractor is called... Must be fairly common since it's not serial numbered... But it looks much nicer in person, and scarier when scanned... Is he supposed to encased in Carbonite or something? And yes, I like the 1983 Refractor cards, but I don't want one in EVERY pack... And why does Hanley get a card? Boston released his overpriced and underperforming carcass months ago... Though I like how the scan makes it look like he's spitting out Gracie fur... Addison Russelll? Meh...
Pack Four!
Brian Dozier (Refractor)
Zack Granite
Nicky Delmonico
-And-
Rougned Odor
I wasn't unhappy when the Twins traded Dozier to the Dodgers at the deadline. He was a decent player for nearly six years in Minnesota, but wasn't a long term piece for a team that really needs to figure out what exactly they are... And is Granite a part of that equation? Nicky and Rougned... I really don't care... A two card pack in my mind...
Pack Five!
Rhys Hoskins (1983 Refractor)
Jack Flaherty
Willson Contreras
-And-
Manny Margot
Five packs and three 1983 Refractors (and not one player I collect). So while these obviously aren't going to fall one per pack, I'm starting to tire of them... Flaherty... Contreras... Margot... I really didn't find much to like this pack...
Pack Six!
Clint Frazier
Sandy Alcantara
Craig Kimbrel (Refractor)
-And-
Kyle Seager
Pack Seven!
Jacob Faria (Future Stars)
Dustin Fowler
Tommy Pham
-And-
Yadier Molina
The Future Stars insert reminds me of a similar looking Topps insert set from a couple years back, but it blends in so much that I can't remember what year it was... I do like the look of it... Fowler's got a nice card, and I'm rooting for the A's to make the playoffs this year... In honor of my friend Rob, I'll even cheer for them.... Last offseason, I was upset that Pham was ranked so highly on MLB Network's list of top Center Fielders, over Byron Buxton, who didn't make the list... This year, Pham has fallen so far that he was dumped on Tampa for an empty sack of nothing at the trade deadline... At least he's still in the majors, unlike Buxton... Yadier? Yup... He's a guy...
Pack Eight!
Chris Archer
Brandon Crawford
Chris Sale (Refractor)
-And-
Freddie Freeman
I still love the concept of Tampa's throwback uniforms, recalling an era where the team didn't even exist... (But if they did, their uniforms would have been this tacky!) Crawford's black Giants jersey won #2 in this pack only because the insert was another Red Sox pitcher... Who was almost dumped in favor of an Atlanta first baseman... Not much to like in this pack...
Pack Nine!
Brian Anderson
Andrew Miller (Refractor)
Miguel Gomez
-And-
Joey Gallo
I'm a Brian Anderson fan after pulling an autographed jersey card from Donruss retail last year, so he needs to become a star... Then there was yuck(fractor) and ick and I can't stand that guy... The box is starting to lose me...
Pack Ten!
Tomas Nido (Autographed Somethingfractor #30/50)
Albert Pujols
Greg Bird
-And-
Eugenio Suarez
Pack Eleven!
Nick Williams (Freshman Flash)
Adam Jones
Jose Ramirez
-And-
Jonathan Schoop
And right back to a buncha crap from teams I don't like... I guess the Williams card is okay... But Jones, Ramirez and Schoop don't interest me at all... I'm starting to think I should have grabbed a different box from the stack at Pal's...
Pack Twelve!
Miguel Gomez (Autograph)
Corey Seager
Kevin Pillar
-And-
Marwin Gonzalez
My second autograph in the box is a Giant? Really? Now I know I wished I would have grabbed a different box... Between the Dodger (at least with an interesting photo) and the Astro (not worthy of a scan), the mildly indifferent pumped-up Blue Jay was the better choice for #3... But I'm having a hard time not feeling let down at the half-way point of 2018 Topps Chrome...
Pack Thirteen!
Yoenis Cespedes (Superstar Sensations)
Jacob Faria
Billy Hamilton
-And-
Chris Davis
I really did like the Cespedes card... While the scan doesn't, the actual card shines a great deal of color under light... The contrast between the grayscale and color photos make this a very attractive piece of (heavily coated) cardboard... Faria could end up being a decent pitcher, or he could be swallowed up in the bloated AL East... And that photo on the Billy Hamilton is awesome... And there are fewer players in baseball I like less than Chris Davis... You simply have to do more than just hit home runs... Which he doesn't even do anymore... For like $25 million a year...
Pack Fourteen!
Jose Quintana (Zig Zaggyfractor)
Rafael Devers
Lucas Sims
-And-
Maikel Franco
Pack Fifteen!
Brian Dozier
Kris Bryant (Zig Zaggyfractor)
Joey Votto
-And-
Andrew Miller
Hey! There's Dozier again! As I was making my mind up to buy this box, I found team checklists online, saying which players for each team are in the set... Joe Mauer is not featured in 2018 Topps Chrome... That took me by surprise... Of all the players that made the cut, that overpaid "superstar" was left out... His lack of inclusion did not sway me either direction in deciding to buy this box... That Bryant is a very nice looking card... And I like Joey Votto, even though he plays for the Reds... I'm thinking that it's because he's Canadian... And I like Canada... Much more than Cleveland...
Pack Sixteen!
Dallas Keuchel
Giancarlo Stanton (Refractor)
Justin Turner
-And-
Jameson Taillon
Astro! Yankee! Dodger! Pirate!
Next...
Pack Seventeen!
Ryhs Hoskins
Joe Jimenez (Future Stars)
Mookie Betts
-And-
Edwin Encarnacion
Since I no longer read The Becketts, I don't know... Are people still interested in Hoskins? After his August 2017 rookie splash, where he momentary got people to shut up about Aaron Judge, I haven't heard much about him... And I don't see Joe Jimenez ever becoming a star (maybe a set-up man), but that "Mr. I" patch is definitely a star in my eyes... Then YET ANOTHER Red Sock and Indian...
It's like I got a SUCK hot box...
Pack Eighteen!
Ervin Santana
Paul Goldschmidt (Refractor)
George Springer
-And-
Chris Sale
Ervin is nice as it fills a Twins need... I think Goldschmidt was the only D-Bags card I got in the box... (Which is totally okay... I don't need any more...) Springer was a decent card and I'm really sick of Chris Sale's snarling stick body...
Pack Nineteen!
Chris Davis (Zig Zaggyfractor)
J.D. Davis
Travis Shaw
-And-
Brandon Woodruff
Davis is lucky that this Refractory card looks as cool as it does, because I don't need more pictures of him striking out... I'm not an Orioles fan (in fact I've hated this team with the exception of all things Ripken -that guy RULED- for decades) but if you could boil Baltimore's problems down to one card... It would be Chris Davis... A non-Refractory version... Astro... Brewer... Brewer... Come on Topps...
Pack Twenty!
Ryan McMahon
Lucas Giolito
Jackie Bradley Jr. (Refractor)
-And-
Josh Bell
Oh wow, a second Rockies card! 2018 Topps Chrome was making me forget they still existed! Along with every other team that is not the Boston Red Sox... This box is really bringing out my Red Sox hate...
Pack Twentyone!
Michael Conforto (Refractor)
Salvador Perez
Odubel Herrera
-And-
Jen-Ho Tseng
At least this pack provided a break from all things Boston... Though the scan doesn't show it, that Conforto is really colorful, and probably my favorite base refractor in the box... The Royals catcher is fine and I really just like the name Odubel... But it's getting to be too late to save this box...
Pack Twentytwo!
Franklin Barreto (Future Stars)
Matt Olson
Edwin Diaz
-And-
Craig Kimbrel
I liked 3/4 of this pack... That Barreto is great, Matt Olson is for Rob's sake and those throwback 1980's colors on the current Mariners uniforms is a great gimmick for Seattle... Plus there is that sweet 40th anniversary Mariners patch on Diaz' arm... But I still hate Craig Kimbrel... NO MORE RED SOX!!! I've gotten enough!!!
Pack Twentythree!
Billy Hamilton (Zig Zaggyfractor)
Erick Fedde
Adrian Beltre
-And-
Kyle Schwarber
Pack Twentyfour!
Troy Scribner
Austin Hayes (Freshman Flash)
Dillon Peters
-And-
Jacob deGrom
May be just Scribner's stumpy leg growing out of his lower back, but there's something about this card that I really like... The Freshman Flash of Hayes is uninspiring... Peters knocked out deGrom, only for the 2017 All Star Game patch -and- the Jose Fernandez tribute patch... An amazing feat considering that I'm a big fan of deGrom... At least I was finally about to go two consecutive packs without Red Sox in them...
So that's that...
24 Hobby packs of 2018 Topps Chrome...
I'll likely pick up a few more packs at the retail level if I find them, but 2018 didn't set my world on fire...
*******
Coming soon from Four Baggers!
Another story from my hometown!
Originally written many years ago for Wasted Quarter, but never before released to the public...
Any guesses?
"Too much" is right. Chrome has steadily gotten worse for me, especially since borders disappeared. Just not worth the cash anymore.
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