QUARTER BOX CHRONICLES - PART 3

THE THIRD OF THREE POSTS WHERE I SHOW OFF THE DESIGNS OF THE QUARTER BOX CHRONICLES SHINIES. ALL THESE I GOT MULTIPLE CARDS FOR EACH DESIGN AND MY FAVORITE DESIGN OF THE BUNCH IS HERE!

REMINDER ON THE GIMMICK FOR THESE POSTS. FOR EACH DESIGN I WILL ANSWER THESE THREE QUESTIONS: 

• 1) HAVE I EVER HEARD OF THIS PRODUCT?
• 2) WHAT ORIGINAL SET IS THIS RIPPING OFF?
• 3) IS THIS DESIGN WORTH A DAMN OR NOT?

MAGNITUDE DESIGN

1) I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PRODUCT IN MY LIFE

2) IT'S ACETATE, BUT SINCE THIS ONE HAS NO HOLOFOIL IT DOESN'T REMIND ME OF TEK. IT REMINDS ME OF ODDBALL INSERT SETS IN EARLY 90S DRAFT PICK SETS. ALSO A LITTLE BIT OF SPORTSCLIX, REMEMBER THAT STUFF?

3) GONNA BE COMPLETELY HONEST WITH THIS ONE, I'VE NEVER SEEN AN ACETATE CARD I DIDN'T LIKE BUT THE COMBINATION OF A REALLY CLEAN DESIGN WITH A RANDOM CLUMP OF DIRT AS A DESIGN ELEMENT BREAKS MY BRAIN. THIS ISN'T EVEN A PITCHER'S MOUND, IT'S JUST A DIRT PELLET, LIKE THE ONES YOU CAN BUY IN THE GARDENING SECTION TO GERMINATE SEEDS IN BEFORE SPRING PLANTING. IT'S UNIQUE FOR SURE, WHICH COUNTS FOR A LOT

THE BACK ISN'T QUITE AS BAD AS THE OTHER CLEAR CARD BUT IT'S STILL PRETTY COMICAL. WE STILL HAVE A FEW ROOKIE CARDS TO GO IN THIS PILE. I HADN'T HEARD OF NATE PEARSON UNTIL NOW BUT APPARENTLY HE WAS A TOP-10 PROSPECT A COUPLE YEARS AGO? THE BLOOM HAS FADED BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THE JAYS MIGHT MOVE HIM TO THE BULLPEN. GOOD LUCK NATE, THROW THAT BALL VIOLENTLY

THE OTHER CLEAR ROOK IS EVAN WHITE. EVAN WAS THE MARINERS' FIRST ROUNDER IN 2017, GOT A DECENT SIZED CONTRACT, THEN GOT HURT AND GOT HIS JOB STOLEN BY TY FRANCE. BOTH CLEAR DIRT CHUNK CARDS ARE LOOKING FOR A COMEBACK IN '23. I'M ROOTIN FOR YA EVAN, BOP SOME DINGERS

CRUSADE DESIGN

1) HELL YEAH! CRUSADE! ONE OF THE BEST INSERT SETS OF THE 90S! COMPLETELY ICONIC

2) THIS UUUUH DOESN'T REALLY LOOK LIKE THE 90S INSERTS. IT LOOKS MORE LIKE SOMETHING FROM THE 90S COLLECTOR'S EDGE FOOTBALL CARDS THAT HAD AN ARTHURIAN THEME FOR SOME REASON

3) I LIKE THE IDEA OF CRUSADE BUT WITHOUT HOLOFOIL AND BRIGHT COLORS THIS VERSION OF CRUSADE JUST LOOKS LIKE A THROWAWAY OPTIC INSERT SET

CONTINUING WITH THE AL ROOKIE CARD OF PLAYERS I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH WE HAVE GARRETT CROCHET. GARRETT IS A LEFTY RELIEVER WHO WAS LIGHTS OUT IN 2021 AND MISSED 2022 WITH TOMMY JOHN SURGERY. BEGINNING TO THINK I SOMEHOW PREEMPTIVELY CURSED ALL THESE GUYS MONTHS BEFORE I EVEN BOUGHT THE CARDS

AAAAY! A BARVE! I KNOW WHO CRISTIAN PACHE IS, HE'S THE CENTERFIELDER OF THE FUTURE AS LONG AS DREW WATERS DOESN'T STEAL THE JOB FROM HIM. THEY ARE BOTH GONE NOW BUT THE BRAVES HAVE MONEY MIKE AND MATT OLSEN SO THINGS ARE ALL GOOD IN THE ATL. NOT SO GOOD IN OAKLAND AS CRISTIAN STILL HASN'T HIT ANYTHING

IT REALLY IS WILD THAT BASBALL CARDS MINED A SERIES OF WARS FROM THE 11TH TO 13TH CENTURY TO CREATE A POPULAR CARD DESIGN. CROWNS AND CROSSES AND BANNERS AND SHIELDS AND IT WORKS SOMEHOW

OVERDRIVE DESIGN

1) THIS HAS TO BE A STRAIGHT-UP INSERT SET. NO ONE'S DOING A FULL BLOWN VAPORWAVE SET, THAT WOULD BE RIDICULOUS. BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL, RIDICULOUSNESS

2) NO, REALLY. COMPARE THIS CARD TO WIKIPEDIA'S DEFAULT IMAGE ON THEIR VAPORWAVE PAGE. THIS IS BASICALLY JUST A REMIX. THE DESIGNER WAS ABSOLUTELY LISTENING TO YOUTUBE MIXES WHEN THEY CREATED THIS THING

3) ARE YOU KIDDING? I FUCKING LOVE IT

I ALSO LOVE GETTING A VLADDY JR CARD. STARS FROM THE PAST FIVE YEARS ARE SCARCE AROUND HERE AND I APPRECIATE ALL I CAN GET. THIS CARD IS A LITTLE ODD AS THE LACK OF LOGOS AND THE COLOR PALETTE ON THE CARD MAKES IT LOOK LIKE JR. IS PLAYING FOR THE ANGELS INSTEAD OF THE BLUE JAYS. MAYBE HE'LL FOLLOW IN HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS SOME DAY

SHIIIIIINY VAPORWAAAAVE

HOLY CRAP THIS CARD LOOKS GOOD WITH THE HOLOS AND THE PATTERNS AND ALL THE STUFFS. AND JUAN SOTO TOO! I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THIS GOT INTO A QUARTER BIN. MY GUESS IS SOMEONE RIPPED A BLASTER, TOOK THE HIT AND DUMPED THE REST. SOTO IS ANOTHER GUY I NEED MORE OF IN MY COLLECTION

SERIAL NUMBER'D! APPARENTLY THIS IS A HYPER PARALLEL. IT'S GETTING ME A LITTLE HYPER, THERE'S ONLY 25 CARDS IN THIS SET AND I'M HAVING THOUGHTS OF FILLING THREE PLASTIC SHEETS NOW

PHOENIX DESIGN

1) THIS CARD BAFFLED ME WHEN I FIRST GOT IT BUT SINCE THEN THE FOOTBALL PHOENIX SET WAS RELEASED AND I STARTED SEEING IT EVERYWHERE

2) OTHER THAN THE CONFUSING ABSTRACT BIRD LOGO AND DIAMOND MOTIF, IT'S NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THE MULTITUDE OF GENERIC HOLOFOIL WITH A BUNCHA LOTTA ANGLES SETS EXCEPT IT'S ON PRISM STOCK WITH NO ETCHING OR HIGHLIGHTS

3) IT'S A SET. THEY LOOK BETTER WHEN THE BORDERS ARE A BRIGHT COLOR AND THEY LOOK EVEN BETTER THAN THAT WHEN THEY ARE A HOLO PARALLEL

I DO HAVE A FEW MANNY MACHADO CARDS BUT THEY ARE MOSTLY IN AN ORIOLES UNI. MANNY'S GOING TO BE IN THAT BROWN JERSEY A LONG TIME IT SEEMS. GOOD FOR SAN DIEGO. THE BACK OF THIS CARD IS HILARIOUS, PANINI SEEMS TO BE INSINUATING THAT MANNY STINKS

ANOTHER JO ADELL ROOKIE CARD IN THE PILE. SEE WHAT I MEAN ABOUT THE BRIGHT COLORS ON THE BORDER? EVEN BROWN WOULD'VE LOOKED BETTER ON THE MANNY CARD

AND SEE WHAT I MEAN ABOUT THE HOLO CARDS? GOGGLING AT ANOTHER JUAN SOTO SHINY. EVERY ONE OF THESE SOTOS WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE 'PRICED AS MARKED' $1 AND UP STAR BOX AT THE MAIN LCS, IT'S SO NICE TO BE ABLE TO FIND GOODIES LIKE THIS AT A SMALLER SHOP 

CERTIFIED DESIGN

1) I REMEMBER SELECT CERTIFIED VERY WELL! THIS AIN'T IT. AND IT SURE AIN'T PINNACLE CERTIFIED. NAH, THIS IS SOME LEAF CERTIFIED MATERIALS STUFF RIGHT HERE

2) IT WASN'T DIRECTLY COPYING ANY OF THE BASEBALL SETS SO I LOOKED IT UP AND IT'S A BASEBALL VERSION OF THE 2021 FOOTBALL DESIGN.

3) I KINDA LIKE IT, IT'S NICELY SHINY AND CAPTURES THE VIBE OF THE EARLY 00S LEAF SETS AND ACTUALLY DOES IT BETTER THAN SOME OF THEM. IT HELPS THAT SLAMMIN' SAMMY SOSA WAS ACTUALLY IN ALL THOSE SETS

 

PETE ALONSO IS ALSO IN THE SUBSET OF RECENT STARS I AIN'T GOT CARDS OF UNTIL NOW. THIS CARD LOOKS SO MUCH BETTER THAN THAT BORING LEGACY MESS FROM A COUPLE POSTS AGO

SPEAKING OF BORING, THE CARD BACK. AT LEAST THER CERTIFIED LOGO LOOKS NICE. LIKE THE LOGO ON THE FRONT OF AN ECONOMY CAR

JAVY BAEZ, UGH, MOAR METS. OR TIGERS NOW I GUESS. 2016 WAS A LONG TIME AGO, WASN'T IT

ONE LAST PARALLEL CARD OF MARK MCGWIRE. THERE'S NO WAY I CAN DESCRIBE HOW GOOD THIS RED PARALLEL CARD LOOKS  WITH MARK IN HIS CARDS UNI. IT'S A GOOD THING HE AIN'T AN A ON THIS CARD OR IT'D LOOK LIKE CHRISTMAS TIME. JUST FINDING OUT NOW THAT THERE IS A PETE ROSE CERTIFIED CARD, WHICH IS A PRETTY BALLSY MOVE FROM PANINI

OBSIDIAN DESIGN

1) YES. THIS IS YET ANOTHER OF THOSE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FOR A PACK OF A HANDFUL OF CARDS PRODUCTS. I REMEMBER THIS ONE BECAUSE IT IS FUCKING GORGEOUS

2) MOST OF THE OBSIDIAN SETS HAVE A BLACK BACKGROUND WITH AN INTRICATE DESIGN WITH A THOUSAND HOLO FOIL LINES GOING EVERYWHERE. I GUESS THIS IS THE 2021 VERSION, OR AT LEAST THE 2021 CHRONICLES VERSION IF IT DOESN'T COPY THE BIG BOY SPENDYPANTS VERSION

3) THIS IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE PANINI DESIGN, PERIOD. I'VE PICKED UP A COUPLE OTHER SINGLE CARDS OF PLAYERS I LIKE HERE AND THERE WHEN I CAN FIND THEM AND IF THERE'S ANY OF THESE DESIGNS I'D REALLY LIKE TO BUILD THE SET, IT'S THIS ONE. OF COURSE IT'S A SIXTY CARD SET WITH A TON OF STARS IN IT, BUT I GOT 1/15TH OF IT SO FAR! LET'S GOOOOOO

LAST ROOKIE. DANIEL LYNCH. FINALLY, A ROOKIE CARD OF SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T HAVE A DISASTEROUS 2021. HE JUST PLAYED ON THE ROYALS. LEFTIES WILL ALWAYS HAVE A JOB IN THIS LEAGUE, HE'LL PROBABLY STILL BE STARTING SOMEWHERE IN 2036

MOAR BAEZ. I GUESS HE WAS STILL WITH THE CUBS IN '21?? I DUNNO MAN I'M JUST ENJOYING THE HYPNOTIC SHIIIINY

GLEYBER TORRES IS AN INTERESTING ONE. SUPER HOT ROOKIE IN 2018, GOT HIS OWN TARGET EXCLUSIVE INSERT SET IN 2019, BOUNCED BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SECOND BASE AND SHORT, AND NOW MIGHT GET REPLACED BY THE NEW HOTNESS ANTHONY VOLPE. WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING UP THERE IN NEW YORK?

FINAL CARD OF THE BUNCH IS YET ANOTHER JUAN SOTO. AARGH THESE CARDS LOOK SO DAMN GOOD. LIKE JUAN'S PELVIS IS EMINATING A SHOCKWAVE THAT IS ALTERING THE FABRIC OF REALITY. LAST PERSON TO DO THAT WAS ELVIS

BACKS ARE CRUMMY BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER WHEN THE FRONTS ARE SO GOOD. CAN YA BELIEVE SOTO IS ONLY 24 YEARS OLD? HE AND RONALD ARE GOING TO BE WINNING MVPS FOR A WHILE

KINDA SUCKS I FINALLY FIND A PANINI SET I LOVE RIGHT WHEN PANINI BASEBALL DROPS DEAD. THESE QUARTER BOX CARDS MAY HAVE GOTTEN ME TO PICK UP A 2022 PACK. WILL YOU SEE THOSE TOO? HELL YEAH YOU WILL. I'LL PROBABLY BE PICKING THESE OUT OF MORE CHEAPO BOXES TOO IF I FIND THEM. MY FINAL JUDGEMENT UPON THESE SETS:

BOO: LEGACY, PINNACLE, TIMELESS TREASURES

SNORE: ELITE, XR, GOLD STANDARD

AIIGHT: CHRONICLES BASE, CLEAR VISION, PHOENIX

INTERESTING: BLACK, TITANIUM, MAGNITUDE

PRETTY GOOD: TITAN, CRUSADE, CHRONICLES

YAY: ZENITH, OVERDRIVE, OBSIDIAN 

THE CRAZIEST THING ABOUT THIS IS IF I WANTED A TYPE CARD FOR EVERY DESIGN, I STILL NEED EIGHT MORE CARDS! TIME TO HIT SOME MORE QUARTER BOXES I GUESS