I am not a Heritage collector, but I do collect Heritage cards....does this make sense? In other words, I don't think I would ever consciously go after the set in a given year because it would probably entail buying a case or more and that's not how I roll. (On a deja vu note, I've probably written variations of that sentence at least once each year since 2009). And yet I dabble, maybe that's what blasters should be called, dabbling boxes....they're almost like opening a full box, but don't have quite the same feel.
Did you know that you can get a hobby box now for less price than 3 blasters? The lesson, as always, retail is only good for 2010 Bowman, 2011 Gypsy Queen, and 2011 Topps Value Boxes. Below are the highlights of my first blaster purchase since 2009 Topps series 1 in search of the Target parallels. I prefer rack packs with the bonus pack of three cards rather than the "7 packs with 1 pack bonus!" that isn't a bonus pack, but just states that it's a complete blaster with 8 packs and has no additional bonus (exceptions do exist)
The hypnotized face of a mini sticker of Madison Bumgarner...One thing I appreciate about Heritage the last few years has been the inclusion of one insert set beyond the usual assortment. 2010 had the Ruth/Maris home run chase subset and last year had something else which I'm drawing a blank on...
Domonic Brown as a red-bordered Phillie. These are a semi-useless parallel since there's only 25 of them, but there's 25 for each of the major retail outlets. Regardless, I was happy to pull a Phillie, even if he's an Iron Pig to start the year.
The other interesting part of Heritage is that they really try hard to fit players in their new uniforms....for well-known players at least.
Jose Reyes pretending to like the M on his new jersey.
Aramis Ramirez happy to get away from the talk of curses and to a place where there's a slide in the outfield, and he may not have had to change houses to do so.
Jonathan Papelbon rocking the alternate day cap without knowing he's actually wearing it.
And of course, the most noted change of the offseason. Is there still interest in the SP card from 2012 Topps series 1? As with many things in the hobby, good things come to those who wait, except if you wait too long, in which case, they don't come at all.
Other quirks were picked up from the original set like floating heads. Cliff Lee is certain that Tim Lincecum is laughing at him because of that time when...nothing really happened, it's just weird how stoic every other head is on the card. As the position of power (3rd place in ERA with the red diamond), every other head wants the center spot (I think this is where jet lag is starting to show).
And then there were the normal inserts....
Then N Now starring Killebrew and Bautista, fellow back to back HR champs.
And a baseball flashback showing the retirement of Musial. Did you know he had the same number of hits both home and away for his career (1815 hits apiece)?
So ends my 2012 Heritage sojourn....oddly enough, I'm more amped about the hockey playoffs right now rather than the beginning of baseball season. What does that mean for the course of human events? Only that Roy Halladay got the small screen, while the Flyers got the big screen...epic.
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