Random Wax: 2021 Chronicles Football

2021 Chronicles:  It doesn't feel like Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are dominating this season, but they are still winning and is maybe still the team to beat in the NFC.  Hurts shows up on this Prizm Black card which is pretty nice.

This base design is good as I've said before.  It's not overly exciting but I'm in on it.  A good pull in this small pack and we even get a retired great in Emmitt.

A nice Jordan Love RC with this Omega card.  Chronicles is about youngsters and about variety.  I don't remember ever seeing Omega in another Chronicles set.  I like what they did with this one.

One of my favorite players, Jonathan Taylor, on one of the Luminance cards as an RC.  He's so good his year.  That Dobbins card is a Panini design.

Three rookies on Gridiron Kings.  We're still trying to figure out what Tua is, but Patrick Queen has made two Pro Bowls.  He's now a Pittsburgh Steeler.  We'll end it with my favorite player in the game today, Christian McCaffrey.  He's only 29 but it feels like he's been around much longer.  He's also a 2X All-Pro. 

BREAKDOWN:

15 – Total Cards

9 - RC

3 – Gridiron Kings

2 – Omega

2 – Luminance

1 - Panini

1 – Prizm Black

1 – Retired Great

1 – Gold Parallel

 

Random Wax: 2021 Chronicles NASCAR Blaster

2021 NASCAR:  NASCAR Championship race is today!  Denny Hamlin is amongst the four drivers in contention for the 2025 Championship.  Probably the biggest personality in the sport today, Denny Hamlin recently won his 60th race which puts him 11th all-time and tied with Kevin Harvick.  He's also looking for his 1st NASCAR Championship.  He already has 6 wins this season.  I'm rooting for him.  He deserves a title.

We get more of the top drivers in the sport and masks which were "all the rage" in 2020.  While NASCAR cards don't lend themselves to team logos I would have liked the car numbers on the fronts.  I like the Absolute and Score designs.  We also see a Base Chronicles Ryan Blaney.

Plenty of young drivers in Chronicles.  I like the Crusade design.  Jessie Love is one of the top drivers in the NASCAR Xfinity series this season.  Think minor leagues right below the Cup Series.  I like Contenders as a whole and in this set they get the Optic treatment.

Brittney Zamora is no longer an active driver, but the sport does promote lady drivers.  The most prominent is the NASCAR Truck Series at the moment - Toni Breidinger.

This Tyler Reddick Status Swatches is my insert.  Reddick has finished top 10 in the standings for three straight seasons.

Pedal to the Medal.  This is a nice-looking Green Parallel.

I like the Pinnacle design as well.  XR is fine while Zenith doesn't do much for me.

If you like variety, then Chronicles is for you.  Some shiny offerings here.  I like all three with Obsidian being my favorite.

Probably the best-looking card in this box is that Jeff Gordon Limited card.  The classic DuPont look for one of the greats of the sport.  Gordon retired with 93 career wins good for 3rd all-time.  Let's hope for a good clean race today in Phoenix.

BREAKDOWN
25 – Total Cards
5 – Green Parallels
4 – RC
3 – Contenders Optic
2 – XR
2 – Score
2 – Select
2 - Pinnacle
2 - Phoenix
1 – Titan
1 - Zenith
1 – Limited
1 – Crusade
1 – Absolute
1 – Obsidian
1 – Chronicles
1 – Retired Great
1 – Pedal to the Metal
1 – Status Swatch Relic

Random Wax: 2021 Chronicles Draft Picks Football

2021 Draft Picks:  I really thought Trevor Lawrence was going to be more of a thing in the NFL.  It hasn't worked out so far.  I hope they can get him figured out.  He's only 25.

This set has tons of variety while concentrating on young players.  And a couple more quarterbacks who haven't panned out in the NFL.  Lance is now with the Chargers and Wilson is in Miami.  I really like the look of the Score design.

Bateman has been solid has a Ravens wideout.  Finally getting around to posting this pack.  Fun to let them "age" and see how it went.

At least Justin Fields...wow this wasn't the most exciting pack of rookies.  I purchased it in August of 2021, but it has not aged well.  It looked a lot more exciting back then.  I do like the Illusions look.

BREAKDOWN:
15 – Total Cards
5 – Playbook
2 – Donruss
2 – Prestige
1 – Score
1 – Recon
1 – Illusions
1 – Chronicles
1 – Bronze Prestige Parallel

Random Wax: 2020-2021 Chronicles

 20-21 Chronicles:  Domantas Sabonis is one of my favorite players in the NBA.  He's having a great year averaging 20 points per game and leading the league with over 14 rebounds per game.  He is also the son of basketball legend, Arvydas Sabonis.

LeBron hot pack!  LeBron and the Lakers are still in a good spot and get to move forward with the Luka era.  Everyone can't wait to see what excitement and/or drama this brings.

This brand shows off young players for the most part and this pack aged well.  LaMelo is a star, and thank goodness healthy, while Desmond Bane is a big part of the Grizzlies success.

It feels like Ben Simmons is on his 10th team since joining the league as he was bought out and signed with the Clippers this month.

I've had this pack since January of 2022 and just now showing it off three years later.  And wow.  I didn't know how good a pack this would be back then.  LaMelo, Bane and now Maxey.  And I would have bet Zion would have changed teams before Dame did.  But I would have been wrong.

These are fun.  Lots of variety and are great to look at years later.  KAT and Randle were traded for each other and KAT is killing it in New York.  Luka is a Laker in a trade that almost broke the internet.  Okay it didn't, but still it was the shot heard around the world.

BREAKDOWN:

30 – Total Cards

18 – RC

5 – Chronicles

4 - Classic

4 – Playbook

3 - Panini

3 – Prestige

3 – Luminance

3 – Green Parallel

3 – Panini Threads

2 - Marquee

1 – XR

1 – Phoenix

1 – Essentials

Random Wax: 2021 Chronicles Football Hanger Pack

2021 Chronicles:  Ja'Marr Chase and the Bengals offense are having a great year.  Great year.   Six games of 33 or more points but they keep falling short.  If their defense ever gets figured out this team could be amazing.

Finally posting this one after picking it up in September, 2022.  It's a fun set with variety and a focus on youngsters.

Here we have Luminance, a base Chronicles card and Panini Football card.  DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle have done really well as receivers in the league.

Here we have Playoff, Legacy and Clear Vision.  The Kyle Trask and Mac Jones are acetate cards.  

A pretty simple Gridiron Kings design but I like it.  I like the focus on the players without helmets.  I'd want to see more of this with veterans on them.

Stars & Stripes.  I like them but I do feel they could be better.  Change up the logo in the bottom left and add a team logo maybe?

Fun pack of cards.  Not all the young players have made a big impact but there are plenty of veteran stars as well.

BREAKDOWN:
30 – Total Cards
9 – RC
4 – Stars & Stripes
4 – Gridiron Kings
3 – Green Parallel2 – Panini
2 - Luminance
1 – Legacy
1 – Clear Vision
1 – Playoff Momentum Rookies

Random Wax: 2021-2022 Chronicles Basketball

21-22 Chronicles:  Dame and the Bucks struggled this past season.  While I hated seeing him leave Portland I do hope him and Giannis figure it out.  Minnesota struggled their first year with Gobert so there is hope year one was just a bump in the road.  Dame also had a slightly better second half of the season which gives Milwaukee fans hope.

Solid pull of veterans in this pack.  Jaylen Brown looks that much better than he already did when I purchased this pack in 2022.  Since then, he's added an NBA Championship and a max contract (5yr/$304M) to his resume.

Plenty of different designs in this set.  That Playbook design is one I like even without a logo.

Cade Cunningham also got a max deal this offseason, albeit a max rookie extension (5yr/$224M).  Feels like if Golden State was truly all in, they'd be fine trading their young talent including Moses Moody.    

Solid Phoenix design on that Davion Mitchell card.  He was recently traded to Toronto.  Bones Hyland is now with the Clippers who need all the help they can get now that Paul George is gone.

Cade Cunningham hot pack?  Atlanta Hawks' management didn't return my calls and Trae Young is still on the team.  We'll see if they can get better, but this offseason didn't show a path that makes that happen.

BREAKDOWN:

30 – Total Cards

23 – RC

6 – Chronicles

4 - Score

4 – Green Parallel

3 – Playoffs

3 – Absolute

3 - Luminance

2 - XR

2 – Threads

2 – Prestige

1 – Crusade

1 – Phoenix

1 – Marquee

1 - Essentials

1 – Red Parallel

1 – Rated Rookie

Random Wax: 2020-2021 Chronicles Basketball

20-21 Chronicles Basketball:  The real basketball playoffs start today.  AD and the Lakers are in the packed Western Conference but you can't count them out from making some noise.  Not sure they can get past the second round but weirder things have happened.

Only 15 cards in this pack including these base Chronicles designs.  I picked this pack up in January, 2022 but both Mike Conley and Kemba Walker looked at a lot differently two to three years ago compared to today.  But to be fair, Conley is still the starting point guard for one of the best teams in the West (Minnesota).

Chronicles keys in on youngsters.  Nesmith average 12 points per game for Indiana while Williams is a solid role player for the Bulls.  

Tyrese Maxey and Tyrese Haliburton are the big hits here.  Both were all-stars this season and are leaders on their teams.  Haliburton is now a Pacer as part of the Sabonis trade.

Memphis did not make the playoffs with Ja Morant hurt as well as other injuries the team had to deal with.

BREAKDOWN:

15 – Total Cards

10 – RC

2 – Score

2 – Marquee

2 – Chronicles

2 – Luminance

1 – Panini

1 – Prestige

1 – Donruss

1 – Playbook

1 – Rated Rookie

1 – Panini Threads

1 – Bronze Parallel

 

Random Wax: 2021-2022 Chronicles Basketball Blaster

21-22 Chronicles:  The play-in tournament, which I really don't like, starts today.  Atlanta will play in Chicago.  The Hawks aren't good but maybe they can beat the Bulls.  Fingers crossed, but I'm not putting money on it.

Great veteran pull in this box.  Tatum and the Celtics are by far the class of the Eastern Conference while Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic are in the top three of the Western Conference.  Chronicles base design here.

Chronicles is really all about the rookies.  Cam Thomas and Jalen Green are really good players in the league.  Cam is averaging 22+ points per game this season.

Plenty of variety as well in this set.  I like this Playbook design.  Cade is another star that came out of this draft.  Just needs to stay healthy.

Big man Alperen Sengun has had a breakout season with the Rockets averaging 21 points per game and almost 10 rebounds per game.

Nice LeBron sighting on this Marquee card which is a design I like.

Davion Mitchell and Scottie Barnes are solid players in the league and I like that Elite design.

More greats from the league.  Absolute is another solid design for me.  Really enjoyed this box of cards.  Great pull and you don't get bored.

BREAKDOWN:
42 – Total Cards
29 – RC
6 - Absolute
6 – Chronicles
5 – Essentials
4 – Playbook
4 - Luminance
4 – Pink Parallel
4 – Rookies & Stars
3 – XR
3 - Prestige
3 – Marquee
2 – Panini Threads
1 – Crusade