Random Wax: 2023 Donruss Racing Hobby Box (Part Deux)

2023 Donruss:  The NASCAR season starts in earnest today with the Daytona 500.  With that we'll take a second look at my 2023 Donruss hobby box I first shared last July.  We'll kick off this look back with two-time champion Joey Logano.  I really like the Retro 1990 design which is a favorite of mine.

These boxes have so many great cards so I had to show off more.  I'll even do a third post at some point.  Youngster Parker Chase doing his best Jack Black?

These are three of the Optic cards which are "parallels" of other cards in the set.  Two McDonalds drivers to bookend recently retired Kevin Harvick.

Nice look at cars on these horizontal cards.

Some of the shiny cards.  Great seeing Jeff Gordon back in sets after he wasn't for quite a while.  I do like the Elite Series and Power Squad.

I do like the Race Kings parallel cards more with the color.  Unfortunately that's not what we got with the base Racing Kings design.  Ryan Blaney, the reigning NASCAR champion.

Under the Lights cards are nice.  I dig 'em.

Race Kings in the aforementioned base design.  The Diamond is part of the design due to NASCAR's 75th Anniversary.  A bit bland but I do like the cars being part of the design.

Plenty of fun variety in this set.  Retired greats make up a big part of it.

Another nice card showcasing the cards.

I do like the Unleashed cards.  Kind of goofy and quirky but I like them.  Metal Masters is lots of color as well and I like those.

One of the two Race Day relics in this box.  This one is a Red Parallel #/250.  These Donruss cards really are fun.  Lots of great drivers, past and present, on some different cool designs.  We'll end it here with The King, Richard Petty.

BREAKDOWN:
192 –Total Cards
60 – 1990 Donruss
34 – Retired Greats
24 – Optic
23 –Race Kings
15 – Silver Parallel
8 – Cars (Basic)
6 – Elite Series
6 – Rated Rookie
4 – Unleashed
4 – Under the Lights
3 – Royalty
3 – Metal Masters
3 – Red Parallel #/299
2 – Revved Up
2 – Power Squad
2 – Race Day Relic
2 – Green Parallel #/99
2 – Navy Blue Parallel #/199
2 – Holographic Parallel #/199
1 – Marvels
1 – Monikers Auto
1 – Red Parallel #/250
1 – Purple Parallel #/49

Random Wax: 2021-2022 Donruss Basketball (3 Packs)

21-22 Donruss: Bam Adebayo is a three-time all-star and been named to the all-defensive team four times in his five years in the league.  It really feels like he's been in the league longer than that.  Miami has also made two NBA Finals appearances during that timeframe.  You can see the masks and faux fans in the stands in the background of this nice photo of Bam.

Can't remember where I picked these up, but I opened three packs with 10 cards in each.  No complaints with my pull.  KAT, George and Harden are all studs in the NBA.

Another Cade Cunningham.  Pulled plenty of him which is good.  Suggs is a solid player in Orlando.  Bought this pack in May, 2022.

I feel Darius Garland is overlooked in Cleveland.  I get that Donovan Mitchell is the star there but Garland has had a really good career.  That Capela is one of the Green and Yellow Laser Parallels.  Derrick White with mad hair game.

Rudy Goebert and the T-Wolves figured it out this year.  I had my doubts, as did everyone else, after the bad year that was last season.  A nice early career Tyrese Maxey appearance.  These packs were so much fun.  Great pull that allowed me to overlook one of the Donruss designs I really don't like.

 BREAKDOWN:
30 – Total Cards
5 – Rated Rookie
2 – Green and Yellow Laser Parallel
1 – The Rookies

Random Wax: 2022 Topps Baseball Update Hanger Box

2022 Update: This box hasn't been posted since I bought it in 2022.  Kick it off with a cool Albert Pujols card. Easy to remember this guy for the gigantor Angels contract he signed but he was a great hitter. It was pretty cool that he was able to come back to the Cardinals for one final year and it worked at well for both sides with a really good season.

Update is always a mixed back with youngsters and vets in new unis.  These three cards highlight some of the cool photos from the box.

Jeremy Pena really worked out well for the Astros.  He was the ALCS and World Series MVP enroute to Houston winning the 2022 World Series title.  Royce Lewis has only played 70 games but he's been really good in that short timeframe.

Nice BoSox checklist card.  I do like the 2022 Topps set overall.

I like the Stars of MLB inserts. Bobby Witt Jr. just signed a massive contract extension with the Royals.

Another youngster on this Generation Now insert.

I like that Villar photo.

Combo cards feature either rookie combos or veteran combos.

I could have easily led off with this cool Griffey Jr. 1987 Topps Baseball insert.  Nice photo and card.

BREAKDOWN:
67 – Total Cards
22 – RC
8 – Rookie Debut
5 – Rookie or Veteran Combo
4 – Stars of the Game
1 – Checklist
1 – Generation Now
1 – 1987 Topps Baseball

 

Random Wax: 2020 Illusions Football

2020 Illusions:  Super Bowl Sunday!  Should be a good game.  I'm happy for Christian McCaffrey.  He's my favorite player in the league today and it'd be fun to see him win a championship.  He did have a great year rushing for over 1400 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards per carry.

Only 20 cards in a pack but I had a great pull.  I know Dak has his haters but man so many teams dream about having a QB like him under center.  2020 would be Drew Brees' last season but wow what a career it was.  Purchased this pack in December, 2020 but just now getting around to posting it.

Can't wait to see Joe Burrow have another fully healthy season.  Cole Kmet had the best season of his career with 73 receptions.

A couple of great wideouts with Tyreek Hill a top three receiver in the league.  

That Minshew is one of the orange parallels in the pack.  We also get a nice Jerry Rice who knows a thing or three about championships.  Go Niners!

BREAKDOWN:

20 – Total Cards

6 – RC

2 –Orange Parallel

1 – Clear Shots

1 – Retired Great

Super Bowl LVIII: San Francisco at Kansas City

SB LVIII:  Great Super Bowl to look forward to this year.  I'll be rooting for Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers.  I really want McCaffrey, my favorite player in the league today, to get a ring.  Hard betting against Mahomes though.  He seems to burn you when you do that.  That said the Chiefs offense has struggled at times this year including doing nothing in the second half of the AFC Championship.  That said, the Ravens D is excellent against the pass where the 49ers D can struggle against the pass.  The 49ers just feel more even across the board.  This could end up being a slugfest.  The fun is we won't know until tomorrow night.  I'm rooting for the 49ers and I'll take them to win it.  Maybe 23-20.

 

2023-2024 Prizm Basketball Blaster

23-24 Prizm:  I'm not a Prizm guy but thought I'd try a box when I saw them hit the shelves locally.  Jalen Brunson will make his first all-star appearance in the 18 February All-Star game in Indy.  I was so wrong on this guy.  I thought Dallas did the right thing letting him go to the Knicks.  What do I know right?  He's averaging 27 points and 6 assists per game this season.

I like this design even if I'm not a shiny card guy.  They look good in hand and they weren't as bowed as much as some shiny cards tend to be.

Some rookie love.  Sasser is the tops amongst this group averaging 7+ points a game.

Neither of these two have made a mark on the NBA this season but they are young.  I like the Instant Impact cards.

The Christian Wood card is one of my Ice Prizm Parallels while Kevin Love is a Green Parallel.  We have a MarJon Beauchamp appearance?  Hmmm.  My pull didn't wow me.  No offense to Brunson, Kyrie or Carmelo.  Just didn't stick the landing for me.  I know better than to expect a Wembanyama in every blaster but it still felt a little flat.

I really like the Dominance cards, front and back.  Kyrie shows off the front while that Zion is a Dominance back.  Love the big logo.  Kind of psychedelic.  Carmelo was my retired great.  The backs on the base cards is okay but a different photo would have been nice.

BREAKDOWN:
24 – Total Cards
7 – RC
3 – Ice Prizm Parallel
2 – Dominance
2 – Green Parallel
1 – Emergent
1 – Retired Great
1 – Instant Impact

Random Wax: 2021 Topps Series 2

2021 Topps:  Spring Training starts in two weeks.  This pack is from July, 2021 and never been shared.  Fernando Tatis Jr. had a good year but still has a ways to go to get back to pre-PED suspension form.

Jose Berrios is now a Blue Jay while Kenley Jansen is still bringing but now with the Boston Red Sox.  Always liked Eric Hosmer who was very good in his prime and won a championship with the 2015 Royals.

I feel for Giancarlo.  He just can't stay healthy.  Way too many guys like that in major league baseball.

The great Nick Markakis.  2388 hits batting .288 over 15 seasons. Wasn't a power guy but he could hit and get on base.  

Love photos like this.  Not to mention the fun throwback unis.  Nice 1965 Topps Redux Lindor.  Small pack but still fun.

BREAKDOWN:

16 – Total Cards

1 – Checklist

1 – 1965 Topps Redux

1 – Significant Statistics

1 – Topps Rookie Cup/RC