My recent Tony Gwynn pull made me wonder if that was the best card hit I ever
pulled from a pack. I've pulled some great cards in my time, but could
anything top a relic card of a Hall of Famer, especially if it was limited to
only 25 copies? I decided to look through my collection and find out. Then I decided, why not try and make this a blog bat-around? I'd love to see what other bloggers have pulled!
Fortunately for me, the TCDB has a feature that lets me see lists of all my
autographs, relics, and serial numbered cards. I just had to go through each
one and try to remember which ones came from pack pulls!
After much contemplation and re-ordering. I present to you the 5 best hits I
have ever pulled from a pack of cards:
#5
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2019 Topps Gypsy Queen - Red #288 Jose Abreu (SN10) |
The lowest serial numbered card I have ever pulled, this one is serial number 10/10 - not too shabby for a former MVP and ROY winner!
#4
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2019 Topps Holiday - Relics #WHR-FT Fernando Tatis Jr. (MEM) |
If Tatis continues to play the game the right way, he has a chance to earn
redemption for the poor choices he made early in his career. With his talent, that redemption could place him among the
all-time greats. A relic of his from his "RC" designation year could be a
big score 10-15 years from now.
I was tempted to make this my top choice based purely on speculation. Ichiro will
be a first ballot Hall of Famer. Ohtani will someday join him if he can
stay out of trouble (I "bet" he will!). Best case scenario is a low
serial numbered card of two Hall of Famers. Worse case scenario, it's
arguably two of the greatest players to ever come from Japan. If only
the picture was better and both players were facing forward.
#3
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1991 Score - Mickey Mantle #5 Speed and Grace (PR5500) |
I consider this the first real "hit" I ever pulled. According to Baseballcardpedia, the
chances of pulling one of these in a pack was 1 in 1,942. Until I pulled this card, I wasn't even aware the insert set existed.
#2
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2018 Topps Update - Memorial Day Camo #US153 Japan's Finest (VC, SN25) |
#1
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2024 Topps - 1989 Topps Baseball 35th Anniversary Relics Red #89BR-TG Tony Gwynn (MEM, SN25) |
Recency bias probably is a factor in my choice to make this the best card I ever pulled. However, it's such a great card! It has almost
everything you can want out of a hit - big name, low serial number, history in
the form of a relic, and that classic 1989 design.
Alright, fellow bloggers, the challenge has been put forth: What are the best cards you ever pulled from a pack?
Tough to beat a Gwynn bat relic.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking about doing this. TCDB won't help though, I've received too many relics/autos from others and I won't be able to sift out my own pulls (also I've traded away some of my biggest pulls).
ReplyDeleteThis would be hard for me to compile but I may try it
ReplyDeleteIn June 2020, 3 months into the Covid disaster, my son and I went to our LCS. He had some birthday money so bought six packs of WWE Road to Wrestlemania and he got the 6 person autograph book that was limited to 10 and the product hit. I actually git it on video somehow and his reaction was priceless.
ReplyDeleteNice!
DeleteHmmmm...
ReplyDelete1. Mark McGwire auto /25
2. Nolan Ryan relic
3. Aaron Nola rookie auto
4. Henry Davis Draft Picks auto
I don't really have a good one to round out the top 5, unless I count the Pete Alonso auto /50 I got from one of Nachos' group breaks, but obviously I didn't pull that from a pack myself. If that doesn't count, a Ryan Mountcastle relic, I guess. Hey, I've got a 2023 Series One blaster to open, maybe there's something in there!
Great idea for a BBA. I'll have to try and think of what my top 5 would be. I know two of them are long gone though, but they're hockey cards so no one would care anyway :D
ReplyDeleteHey, hey, hey... I care about hockey cards ;-)
DeleteYeah, me too! There's not enough hockey card content!
DeleteGreat list, and great idea for a bat-around. Going to start thinking about what cards would be on my top-5.
ReplyDeleteI'm down... but will definitely be late to the party. I think the other issue I'll face is my memory sucks. But that's what I like about this BBA. It gives me an opportunity to sit down and think about cards.
ReplyDeleteLate to the party... but here's my post:
Deletehttps://sanjosefuji.blogspot.com/2024/04/bba-5-best-pack-pulled-hits.html
I'm the rare collector who doesn't open packs and doesn't particularly care to. I opened new product twice since 1993 - once in 2007 and once in 2010. I did get an autograph in the 2007 box but it was a Met which dampened my enthusiasm.
ReplyDeleteSeveral blogs have posted their lists which is cool to see. I don't have a blog myself, but the best pull for me was a 2018 Topps Big League Frank Thomas Red Foil 1/1:
ReplyDeletehttps://apacktobenamedlater.blogspot.com/search/label/2018%20Topps%20Big%20League%20Rack%20Pack
That Ichiro and Ohtani card is very nice, there's no rookie logo but it being from Ichiro's penultimate season and Ohtani's first certainly helps the coolness factor.
ReplyDeleteI thought about trying this challenge but unfortunately best in the subjective sense is tough and in the objective sense I no longer have them but off the top of my head/memory.
2011 Bowman Chrome Ryan Pressly Superfractor 1/1
2011 Topps Marquee Troy Tulowitzki Red 1/1
2012 Topps Chrome Will Middlebrooks Printing Plate 1/1
2012 Bowman Draft Christian Yelich Futures Game Jumbo Relic /25
2012 Bowman Sterling Yu Darvish Japanfractor Autograph /75 (sold the redemption)
Honorable mentions:
2013 Bowman Draft Aaron Blanton Printing Plate 1/1
2016 BBM Homecoming Hiroki Kuroda patch 16/30
I stopped buying boxes/packs around 2014 so 2011/12 is when I really peaked.
Can't beat the Gwynn bat relic. Awesome card!
ReplyDeleteI really like the Mantle. Going old school with that one!
ReplyDelete