FIRST TOPPS PACK SINCE MAYBE 2019

I HAVEN'T OPENED A NEW PACK OF TOPPS FLAGSHIP SINCE AT LEAST 2019 BUT I REALLY REALLY LIKE THE 2023 DESIGN SO I SAVED A GIFT CARD I GOT AT CHRISTMAS SPECIFICALLY TO GET SOME BLASTERS OR SOMETHING. I ENDED UP NEAR THE LCS THIS WEEK SO INSTEAD OF DRIVING AROUND TO EVERY TARGET AND WAL-MART WITHIN 50 MILES I SIMPLY PICKED UP FOUR HOBBY PACKS INSTEAD. WITH THE RETAIL PRICE INCREASES IT ENDED UP COSTING ABOUT AS MUCH AS A HANGER BOX EVEN WITH THE MASSIVE DAY OR RELEASE MARKUP AND HOBBY PACK GAMBLING IS MORE LIKE BUYING A POWERBALL TICKET AS COMPARED TO THE RETAIL SCRATCH-OFFS. ALL I REALLY WANT IS A MONEY MIKE OR VAUGHN GRISSOM ROOKIE, HERE'S THE FIRST PACK AND HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE REST

OFFICIAL FIRST CARD OF 2023 IS THE BRAVES' NEW CATCHER! THAT'S A GREAT START. MY PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING FIRST CARD OUT OF THE PACK IS RIPPING AND CHOOSING THE ONE CLOSEST TO THE FRONT, UNLESS YOU SEE THE BACK OF THE CARD, THEN GOING TO THE ONE ON THE BACK. IN ALL OF THESE PACKS BOTH THE FRONT AND THE BACK SHOWED THE BACK OF THE CARD STRAIGHT OUT OF THE PACK. I TOOK THE FIVE BACKWARDS CARD FROM THE FRONT AND PUT THEM IN THE BACK AND SEAN WAS RIGHT THERE LOOKING AT ME. TOPPS ALWAYS GOTTA MAKE THINGS DIFFICULT BUT IT WORKED OUT GREAT IN THIS CASE

THE FIRST QUESTION EVERYONE HAS THE MOMENT THE NEXT YEAR'S DESIGN IS TEASED IS 'WHAT DOES THE BACK LOOK LIKE'. OR MORE FREQUENTLY AS WE ALL GET OLDER, 'CAN I READ THE GODDAMN CARD NUMBER THIS YEAR'. I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT YES, THIS YEAR WE CAN ACTUALLY READ THE GODDAMN CARD NUMBER. THIS SET IS NOW FIRMLY IN MY TOP FIVE TOPPS DESIGNS OF ALL TIME LIST. I AM CERTAIN THAT EVERYTHING WILL GO TO SHIT ON THE UPDATE SET, BUT IF WE GET A MIRACLE AND FANATICS DUMPS THE UH- PREFIX AND JUST CONTINUES THE NUMBERING 661-990 THIS WILL BE THE BEST DESIGN OF ALL TIME. NO ARGUMENTS, THE BESTEST EVER

NOW AFTER THE INITIAL EXCITEMENT, HERE'S THE REST OF THE CARDS. I DON'T KNOW WHO ANYONE IS ANYMORE SINCE I QUIT RIPPING TONS OF PACKS, QUIT PLAYING IN A FANTASY LEAGUE, AND ONLY PAY ATTENTION TO ONE TEAM. THIS GUY'S A ROOKIE WHICH MEANS THIS CARD WILL BE IN UNPRICED BOXES FOR 8 YEARS AND THEN THROWN INTO A BULK COMMONS BOX. OR THE TRASH

EVERYONE HAS OPINIONS ON THIS DESIGN BUT I LOVE THE LITTLE FLOATING HEAD ON TOP OF A CHEESY TV GRAPHIC MOTIF THING GOING ON. I DON'T MIND THE ANGLES AND LITTLE STARS AND ODD GRAY BAR AT THE BOTTOM FOR NO REASON. IT LOOKS FILE AND I REALLY ENJOY OPENING A PACK AND SEEING A BUNCH OF LITTLE DUDES LOOKING OUT AT ME. MY FAVORITE CARDS ARE PORTRAITS AND SINCE WE ARE IN THE ERA OF ALMOST EVERY CARD HAVING A GENERIC ACTION PHOTO I'LL TAKE MY PORTRAITS WHERE I CAN. SPEAKING OF ACTION PHOTOS, THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST ONE IN THIS PACK. CATCHER THROWING IN FULL GEAR WITH A JACKIE ROBINSON TRIBUTE TAKING UP EVERY BIT OF THE FRAME. LOOKS GREAT

THE RAYS LOGO FITS ABSOLUTELY PERFECTLY ON THIS DESIGN, IT REALLY LOOKS GOOD. I HAVE NO IDEA WHO YANDY DIAZ IS, BUT IT'S NOT A ROOKIE CARD AND HE PLAYS FOR THE RAYS SO I'M GUESSING HE VERY QUIETLY GOT 2-3 WAR LAST YEAR. DANG, 3.5 WAR? YEP, THAT'S THE RAYS

YAY, 88 TOPPS INSERT. BOOO METS. YAAY, I DON'T HAVE MANY PETE ALONSO CARDS. BOOOOOOO METS. THESE LOOK NICE. THANK GOD IT'S NOT 1987. THERE WAS ONE INSERT PER PACK IN THE ONES I GOT AND THE INSERTS ARE PRETTY FEAST OR FAMINE. AND THERE'S A HUNDRED IN THIS SET ALONE SO FORGET TRYING TO BUILD IT. TOPPS HAS BEEN DOING THIS RECYCLING THING FOR A WHILE NOW, MAYBE THERE'S A NEW FRANKENSET IDEA HERE 🤔

TEAM CARD FOR ONE OF MY LEAST FAVORITE TEAMS. TEAM PHOTOS ARE USUALLY PRETTY GOOD, A NICE WAY TO BREAK UP THE MONOTONY

SPLOOSH! SEE, THE PROLES CAN HAVE A FEW FUN PHOTOS AS A TREAT. THE REST OF YOU START RIPPING CASES FOR SSP GOLD CARDS. COUNTING THIS AS AN OHTANI CARD. TROUT'S PROBABLY SOMEWHERE IN THAT MESS AS WELL

FIRST BRAVES CARD OF 2023. I SAW THIS AND THE DESIGN MADE ME MAKE A DOUBLETAKE. I THOUGHT IT WAS AN 80-81 TOPPS BASKETBALL HOMAGE FOR A SEC AND REALLY WANTED TO SEPARATE THE PANELS. IT LOOKS A LITTLE ODD BUT I LIKE IT AND IF I GET DOUBLES I MIGHT GRAB SOME SCISSORS AND GET ME A KYLE WRIGHT MINI CARD

IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, HORIZONTAL CARDS HAVE LOOKED FAIRLY AWKWARD BUT I REALLY LIKE HOW THIS YEAR'S TURNED OUT. IT ESPECIALLY LOOKS GOOD IF THE PHOTO IS CHOSEN WELL LIKE ON THIS CARD. MICHAEL HARRIS II'S ROOKIE CARD IS HORIZONTAL SO I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE HORIZONTAL RUNS IN PACKS NOW. THIS WAS TECHNICALLY THE CARD ON THE BACK OF THE PACK

SUPERSTAR CARD THAT IS NO LONGER A STAR BECAUSE OF SHENANIGANS. I'M NOT FINDING IT IN THE DIME BOX SO I'M GLAD TO HAVE IT HERE

ROOOOOKIE CARD. LOOKIT THAT BIG GRIN, YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT IN ANY OTHER TOPPS SET FROM THE PAST 20 YEARS. WELL, IT MIGHT SHOW UP IN HERITAGE. ACTUALLY THEY WILL PROBABLY USE THAT EXACT PHOTO IN HERITAGE

AND LOOK AT THIS HAPPY GUY! THIS IS A TOP TIER SET. I'M OPENING MORE PACKS, I'M GETTING A BINDER. LOVE THIS DAMN SET. AS MUCH AS THE RAYS LOGO WORKS ON THIS DESIGN, THE BOSTON LOGO DOES NOT. THIS ALSO MAKES ME HAPPY

LITERALLY EVERY PLAYER CARD IN THIS PACK HAS HAD A SHARP PHOTO OF THE PLAYER IN FRONT OF AN OUT OF FOCUS BACKGROUND, YET THIS IS THE CARD WHERE MY BRAIN CALLS BULLSHIT. I'M NOT A PHOTOGRAPHY GUY BUT THIS REALLY LOOKS TO ME LIKE THEY PLOPPED A PHOTO OF TOMMY ON TOP OF A FAKE BACKGROUND. THEY'VE DONE LOTS OF PHOTOSHOPPING ON RECENT BASE PHOTOS AND HALF OF HERITAGE SHOTS ARE IN FRONT OF A GREEN SCREEN SO SHENANIGANS IS NOT OUT OF THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY. OF COURSE IN FIVE YEARS ALL CARD PHOTOS WILL PROBABLY BE AI GENERATED SO I SHOULD REALLY COUNT MY BLESSINGS. NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO UNSEE THIS ANY TIME SOON THO

THREE ROOKIES IN THE PACK, NONE ARE BRAVES. BOOOOOO. I REMEMBER BRETT BATY BEING A PAIN IN THE ASS DURING BRAVES-METS SERIES LAST YEAR. WHO WON THE DIVISION THO EH

I'M NOT SHOWING OFF EVERY CARD BUT HERE'S SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM TEH OTHER THREE PACKS:

NOT A BIG FAN OF THE HOME RUN CHALLENGE GIMMICK. DON'T KNOW HOW TO PLAY, DON'T LIKE SCRATCHING CODES OFF CARDS. WOULD HAVE PREFERRED A DIFFERENT INSERT TBH BUT THEM'S THE BREAKS

VAUGHN GRISSOM GREAT VICTORY

STILL GOTTA CHASE MONEY MIKE, BUT I GOT TO SEE VAUGHN WRECK SOME SHIT AT A ROME BRAVES GAME LAST YEAR AND HE'S THE REAL DEAL. REALLY ROOTING FOR HIM TO PULL OFF BEING THE DANSBY REPLACER

LOOKED SIDEWAYS AT THIS INSERT SET ON THE SELL SHEET THINKING IT WAS A 90S-ERA PACIFIC RIPOFF BUT THESE THINGS LOOK FUCKING FANTASTIC IN PERSON. HOLOFOIL, CRAZY DESIGN, ROUNDED CORNERS, I REALLY REALLY LIKE AND WILL GRAB WHEN I SEE IN QUARTER BOXES

NICE LOOKING PURPLE BACK TOO

THESE TWO WERE BOTH IN THE LAST PACK AND AFTER PICKING UP ALMOST NOTHING BUT DIRT COMMON FLAGSHIP CARDS OUT OF RANDOM JUNK BOXES THE PAST TWO YEARS HITTING SOME SUPERDUPERSTARS OUT OF A PACK FELT GREAT

ANOTHER BRAVES CARD IN THE LAST PACK. THE BRAVES LOGO LOOKS GOOD ON THE DESIGN, MAKING THIS TEAM SET COLLECTOR VERY HAPPY. IAN'S FIGHTING FOR A ROTATION SPOT THIS SPRING BUT WE ALL KNOW HOW IT GOES WITH STARTING ROTATIONS THESE DAYS AND HE'LL STILL MOST LIKELY START 20+ GAMES THIS YEAR

THE LAST INSERT WAS A REAL LET DOWN. IF I HAD PULLED ONE OF THE THREE BRAVES CARDS IN THIS SET I WOULD FEEL DIFFERENTLY BUT JUST DO NOT LIKE THIS ONE AT ALL. OH WELL, THAT'S HOW IT GOES WHEN BUYING LOTTERY TICKETS. 

OVERALL I'M VERY HAPPY GETTING TO RIP SOME PACKS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FORVEVER ALTHOUGH I WILL LIKELY BE BUYING RETAIL FAT PACKS FROM NOW ON TO GET MORE BANG FOR MY BUCK IF I CAN EVEN FIND THEM. IT'S NICE TO HAVE A TOPPS DESIGN THAT LOOKS REALLY GOOD AGAIN