Random Wax: 2019 Archives Baseball

2019 Archives Baseball:  Back to some baseball cards.  This week has been tough with all the talk of cheating.  If anyone can bring back some balance it is Hank Aaron.  Here he is showcased in the Topps 1958 design.  Not necessarily a favorite of mine but this is a good photo of Hank in that classic uni with the sleeve logo.

PC guys Chipper and Ichior really make this pack fun.  Rocket Roger Clemons as a Red Sox is always a good thing.  I know I'm a Red Sox guy but I've never been a natural fan of his but I have been warming up to him as of late.

Eric Hosmer is another PC guy and who wouldn't want Joey Votto on 1st base?  Really nice photo of Bob Gibson.  I didn't know he ever smiled.

That Will Cordero is one of the Montreal Expos 50th Anniversary inserts.  Duke Snider just looks like a classic baseball player in that photo.  This was a fun pack.  I like the Archives brand and there will be more of these in the future.

These Topps Magazine inserts are favorites of mine.  Very glad they are one per pack and I think I'll put this one on my list of insert sets to complete.

BREAKDOWN:

18 – Total Cards

6 – 1975

5 - 1993

5 – 1958

1 – Topps Magazine

1 – Silver Parallel #/99

1 - 50th Anniversary of the Montreal Expos

2919-2020 Absolute Memorabilia Basketball (5 Dollar Tree Packs)

2019-2020 Absolute Basketball:  BlowoutBuzz busted some of these retail packs which are only found at Dollar Tree.  Each comes with one of 25 rookie yellow inserts.  I picked up five packs giving chase of a Zion and bam...there he was in the first pack.  Can't beat that.

I like the design on these.  Simple with a good sized team logo.  I also thought many of the photos were pretty nice.  As late as these came out I did think we might see players in their new unis but no dice.

The backs are only have two colors but I like the simple result.  

Like any other set you'll find rookies and with a base set size of 100 you'll get plenty of stars.  With a good design and plenty of star power at only a buck a pack I'm sure I'll buy more of these.

BACKGROUND:

25 – Total Cards (5 Packs)
7 – RC
5 – Absolute Memorabilia Rookie Yellow Parallel

Random Wax: 2019 Playoff Football Hanger Box

2019 Playoff Football:  This is a brand I like this year and this Drew Brees in a Chargers uni is already a candidate for favorite football card of the year.  I like the uni, though yellow pants would make it even better, and you never get to see Brees on new cardboard as a Charger.  I'm probably more excited about this than most will be but it really made this a fun pack.

  Speaking of Brees I also pulled his base Saints card which made the pack that much better.  Plenty of star power aside from Brees as well.

 

Rookies were well represented and though the inserts are pretty nice there really weren't that many to be found.

 Just a solid design this year.  Definitely one I can get behind and I'll definitely pick up more later.  

Have I ever said how much I love retired greats?  Almost a third of the box was retired greats which was a huge plus to me.  That Favre is the second Playoff of his I've pulled this year.  The first showed him as a Viking.  I'm glad to see Joe Thomas get some love to.  Fun hanger box and set.

BREAKDOWN:

60 – Total Cards
19 – Retired Greats
9 - RC
6 – Goal Line Parallels
2 – Rookie Wave
2 – Star Gazing
1 – Air Command
1 – Thunder & Lightning

2019 Illusions Football

2019 Illusions Football:  I'm not familiar with this brand but it is back.  When I picked up the pack I had an idea I wouldn't like this thinking they'd be a design more in the mode of Panini Status Basketball.  I was wrong and glad I was.  The fronts are a bit shiny with a foil design and a color photo of the player and a different black and white photo in the background.  Jimmy Garoppolo seems like a good start here with him and the 49ers taking on Minnesota this afternoon in the Division playoffs.

I am glad I picked these up.  I'm liking them more and more.

Rookies make up a big part of the packs.

That's an orange parallel of Leightton Vander Esch.  The backs are pretty minimal but I like that there is some color, a big logo and I've definitely seen worse write-ups.  These continue to grow on me.  The price point ($5.48) for just 20 cards is a bit tough but I'll definitely pick up more either in packs or individual cards.

BREAKDOWN:

20 – Total Cards
7 – RC
2 – Orange Parallel

2019-2020 Donruss Basketball

2019-2020 Donruss Basketball:  This is my first pack of Donruss basketball.  I like the design.  It isn't spectacular but solid.  This Giannis where he sports a cool alternate jersey leads us off.  I don't think I'd be down with Milwaukee sporting these every night but still a nice change of pace.

  A solid pull in this pack.  This set is smaller (250) than Hoops (300) but is still good size.  I know positions in the NBA are somewhat fluid nowadays but I'd still like to see them on the fronts of these cards.

Not a bad looking Fantasy Stars insert.  Plenty of color and I'm digging it.  That Montrezl Harrell is a Green Holo parallel.  Miles Bridges seemed like an odd choice for a Franchise Features insert but when you looked at the Hornets' roster before the season it was pretty slim pickings.

The backs stink but Panini doesn't put much, if any, effort into them.  Good pack and good design.  This was fun and I'll pick up more as the season progresses.  Maybe I can find a Zion.

BREAKDOWN:

30 - Total Cards

5 - Rated Rookie

1 - Fantasy Stars

1 - Franchise Features

1 - Green Holo Parallel  

Random Wax: 2019-2020 Hoops Basketball with Autograph

2019-2020 Hoops Basketball: Over the years Hoops packs have done me well with autographs though other than a Jayson Tatum auto I don't think many have really turned out to be much.  This one is no different with an auto of Chuma Okeke (shown later in the post) who isn't in the NBA right now.  Still this was a really good pack which starts with this Teal Explosion Anthony Davis.  I also pulled his base card.  And I pulled my first Luka Doncic card of the year.  About time. 

These guys keep the star power going.  The Greek Freak has upped his 3 point game this year after an MVP season last year.  He won't be mistaken for Steph Curry anytime soon but the fact he is making a point to make it that much harder to defend him is scary for the rest of the league.

Rookies are always a big part of the Hoops sets.  I like the design of the Class of 2019 inserts.

I'll be curious if D'Angelo Russell and Kevin Love are traded.  Russell seems a likely candidate as Golden State has nothing to play for with all their injuries and when Curry and Thompson are both healthy next year court time will be hard to come by.  Everyone talks about Love moving but I'm not sure I take on his max contract.  His injury history and age make that a tough sell for me.

The aforementioned autograph.

This Doncic Lights Camera Action is a Holo parallel.  Finally pulled one of his cards and a parallel at that.  Dude is the real deal.  This was a great pack and tons of fun.  There will be more.

BREAKDOWN:

30 - Total Cards

7 - RC

2 - Lights Camera Action (1 - Holo Parallel)

2 - Hoops Tribute

1 - Class of 2019

1 - Teal Explosion Parallel

2019 Absolute Football

2019 Absolute Football:  This is definitely a design I like so it's no surprise we see more of these here.  Russell Wilson will play a huge part of his team's success in the playoffs.  I like Seattle but the NFC is so stacked at the top.  I think they can challenge any of those top teams but it is a tough road ahead.

Nice seeing players in their new unis.  That is a sharp pic of Le'Veon Bell.  That Darius Slayton is a Red Prizm Parallel #/100.

That Antonio Brown card looked much better about 4 months ago.  These Gridiron Force inserts highlight retired greats like Steve Atwater.  Keenan Allen had another great year for the Chargers.

Half of this pack were RC cards.  Not a bad thing but my personal preference would be a few more base cards.

Alvin Kamara had a good year but injuries limited him quite a bit.  He seems healthy going into the playoffs and could be a force to be reckoned with.  Fun pack.  It may not be star packed but I still liked my pull.

BREAKDOWN:

20 – Total Cards
10 – RC
3 – Green Parallel
1 – Red Zone
1 – Gridiron Force
1 – Red Prizm Parallel #/100