To get back in the swing of things collecting-wise, I snagged a couple retail packs from the bargain bin of brands I really don't collect or necessarily have any experience with.
The first pack is 2008 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects (or as better named "how to include a third series of chrome prospects in a set with similar numbering so that it becomes impossible to sort the cards without consulting the original checklists". However, that would be a mouthful and very difficult to market.)
I've noticed that hobby boxes for this product have increased to $145 apiece. Is that worth it to have a 1:38 chance at a Buster Posey auto chrome rookie? There are some other decent to great auto pulls in the checklist though; Longoria, Kershaw, Stanton, Davis, and Drabek to name a few. Even so, there seems to be a disconnect between the sudden price rise and hype. If there is a such thing as underground hype, this product three years later has managed to have it in spades.
Here are the scanned card images ready to pop through the computer monitor.
BDPP56 Anthony Capra gold, designated as draft pick, current status: AA affiliate of Oakland2009 SP Authentic was the last incarnation of a brand that began with a Derek Jeter foil rookie in 1993. Its biggest contribution in 2009 was the Faces of the Game subset and autographed manufactured patch rookies. I did not get any of these, but I did get two retired players, an injured player, a Japanese player, and a the reigning 2010 NL ERA champ. Behold the images....
As always, you can't get too much wrong for $1 per pack.
