Affordable Group Break - 2008 Topps Rookie Progression (Hobby)

** UPDATE 11/05/20 - 50% off all unclaimed teams, prices reflect discount **

 

This break will feature a hobby box of 2008 Topps Rookie Progression football. Box contains 20 packs per box with 5 cards per pack. Notable RCs include Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, DeSean Jackson, Matt Forte, Jordy Nelson, Jamaal Charles among others. The box should also yield (on average) 2 autos, 2 relics and 10 parallels. Prices are listed by each team. All cards ship. Stacking applies so the price does not include shipping. If you have questions on his this works please let me know. We'll break this box live on my YouTube channel (youtube.com/flywheels) on Friday, 11/06/20 at 10 PM eastern.

To claim your team(s) please comment with your request and submit your payment at that time. If you haven't participated in one of my breaks, please email me (flywheels@yahoo.com) your name & mailing address. Please send your payment as Friends & Family - please don't put anything in the comments section: paypal.me/flywheels86

Arizona Cardinals $3 - Josh DenHartog PAID

Atlanta Falcons $3 - Denny Wagner PAID

Baltimore Ravens $2 - John Donovan PAID

Buffalo Bills $2 - John Donovan PAID

Carolina Panthers - Colbey PAID

Chicago Bears $4 - Ben Martin PAID

Cincinnati Bengals $2

Cleveland Browns $1 - Hal Sauceman PAID

Dallas Cowboys $5 - Jennifer Peebles PAID

Denver Broncos $3

Detroit Lions $4 - Ben Morris PAID

Green Bay Packers $5 - Trevor P PAID

Houston Texans $3 - Josh DenHartog PAID

Indianapolis Colts $5 - Trevor P PAID

Jacksonville Jaguars $1

Kansas City Chiefs $2 - John Donovan PAID

Miami Dolphins $2 - Dennis Blay PAID

Minnesota Vikings $2 - Spiegel83

New England Patriots $6 - Ben Morris PAID

New Orleans Saints $5 - Spiegel83 PAID

New York Giants $2 - Dennis Blay PAID

New York Jets $1 - Mike Gutierrez PAID

Oakland Raiders $1 - Josh DenHartog PAID

Philadelphia Eagles $2 - Josh DenHartog PAID

Pittsburgh Steelers $4 - Wade Fisher PAID

San Diego Chargers - Colbey PAID

San Francisco 49ers $5 - Hal Sauceman PAID

Seattle Seahawks $2

St. Louis Rams - Colbey PAID

Tampa Bay Buccaneers $2

Tennessee Titans $4 - Denny Wagner PAID

Washington Redskins $1

Group Break Results - 2002 Fleer Platinum

Last weekend we ripped a hobby box of 2002 Fleer Platinum as part of our Affordable Group Breaks. This set is a throwback to 1987 Fleer, which I've always liked despite me not even collecting cards at that time. I had opened a box of this product years back and thought it was a fun set so when I ran across a box at a decent price I just had to pull the trigger.

The Platinum parallel odds were listed, but serially numbered to just 202 I felt we got lucky to pull one. Troy Glaus may not carry the "hobby weight" that other players do/did, but it's a solid parallel none the less.

The Wheelhouse inserts were the easiest of all the seeded cards at 1:12. These feature an embossed image of both the player and the cogs in the background.

The hobby version of Cornerstones are serially numbered to 2000. There are also game-used versions of these cards, but they are a much tougher pull.

The one promised memorabilia card ended up being this Raul Mondesi Clubhouse Collection. I've always thought this particular memorabilia set to feature a nice design and checklist. I've often been tempted to at least try and build the single memorabilia set as it offers a mixture of jersey and bat samples. The dual memorabilia cards are that much nicer as it mixes in both bases and baseball pieces.

We also had a nice large stack of base cards for each team so no one went home empty handed. Thanks again to everyone that participated. See everyone in the next break!

TwinsJake / Topps Project 2020

A good majority of the card collecting community may be familiar with the handle TwinsJake. Many of you may have purchased a Topps Now card from him when he had a presence on eBay. Some of you may have purchased Topps Project 2020 cards from him earlier in the year? 

If you are familiar with TwinsJake, then you'll know of the associated "issues" with him. I don't want to put words in his mouth, but he basically admitted he bit off more than he could chew and fell massively behind. Toss in the destruction of his neighborhood post office in Minnesota due to riots months earlier and it appears some health issues and he fell further behind. 

People on Twitter were ready to grab their torches and pitchforks and storm the gates. Yes, the lnch mob was ready. I tried to remain neutral, even though I had several Project 2020 orders that just didn't seem to be moving. I understand that while someone's social media appearance may be just fine, you never know what is going on once you start to peel back that layer. I tried to keep my cool and at times would even defend TwinsJake online in places such as Twitter. 

In July I tried placing an order for some Braves Topps Now cards and after 4 unsuccessful orders I gave up. Later I noticed my PayPal account was hit for all 4 charges. I reached out both through TwinsJake's website as well as through Twitter and nothing. The radio silence went on for a few months. Shortly there after, out of the blue it seems, I was emailed some tracking numbers in early September. Yes! My orders were finally going to ship.

Then nothing. The tracking numbers showed zero movement. I messaged again through the website and Twitter and at first nothing. Then I got a reply. He offered to toss in some free stuff and I told him I just wanted those PayPal transactions refunded and wanted the cards I paid for. A few days later I got a new tracking number along with a picture of my outgoing package. Then I got a message from PayPal that refunds had been processed. Last week my order finally arrived.

While I still think these cards are beautiful, I'm done with Project 2020. I was excited earlier in the year for this project...as you can tell from my purchases, but through nobody's particular fault, I've moved on. I'm glad to finally have these in my hands, especially the Jackie Robinson cards (in retrospect, I just should have stuck with his cards and ignored everyone else).

Thank you TwinsJake for making at least my situation right. I still don't know what happened behind the scenes and I don't really care to know. As frustrating as things can be when communication slows down or drops between two parties, just remember that none of us have he shoe on the other foot...meaning we don't know what is going on in the life of the other party. More communication on the behalf of TwinsJake would have been nice, but I'm not going to criticize or judge. I'm thankful he finally responded to my messages and made things right. If you happen to be waiting on orders from him, continue to keep pushing with emails, Tweets and DMs and eventually he'll get back to you. I don't think for one second that he ever set out to swindle anyone. When he eluded to getting in over his head, I believe him. The early stages of Project 2020 were crazy. I'm glad I got off that rollercoaster.

Be good everyone...

Affordable Group Break - 2010 Topps Attax

** UPDATE 10/29/20 ** Break is full!

 

This break will feature 2010 Topps Attax. 36 packs / 6 cards per pack. Prices listed beside each team. All cards ship. Stacking applies so the price does not include shipping. If you have questions on how this works please let me know. We'll break this box Live on my YouTube channel on Friday, 10/30/20 at 10 PM eastern. 

To claim your team(s) please comment with your request and submit your payment at that time. If you haven't participated in one of my breaks, please email me (flywheels@yahoo.com) your name & mailing address. Please send your payment as Friends & Family: http://paypal.me/flywheels86

Arizona Diamondbacks $1 - John Donovan PAID

Atlanta Braves - Colbey PAID
Baltimore Orioles $1 - John Donovan PAID
Boston Red Sox $2 - Ben Morris PAID
Chicago Cubs $2 - Ben Martin PAID
Chicago White Sox $1 - John Donovan PAID
Cincinnati Reds $1 - John Donovan PAID
Cleveland Indians $1 - John Donovan PAID
Colorado Rockies $2 - John Donovan PAID
Detroit Tigers $2 - Ben Morris PAID
Florida Marlins $1 - John Donovan PAID
Houston Astros $1 - John Donovan PAID
Kansas City Royals $1 - John Donovan PAID

Los Angeles Angels - Colbey PAID

Los Angeles Dodgers $1 - John Donovan PAID
Milwaukee Brewers $1 - John Donovan PAID
Minnesota Twins $1 - John Donovan PAID

Montreal Expos $2 - Jennifer Peebles PAID

New York Mets $2 - Wade Fisher PAID
New York Yankees $3 - @Lost_Collector PAID
Oakland Athletics $1 - John Donovan PAID
Philadelphia Phillies $1 - Dan Horton PAID
Pittsburgh Pirates $1 - Wade Fisher PAID
San Diego Padres $1 - John Donovan PAID

San Francisco Giants $1 - John Donovan PAID
Seattle Mariners $3 - John Donovan PAID
St. Louis Cardinals $2 - Kerry Biggs PAID

Tampa Bay Rays $1 - John Donovan PAID
Texas Rangers $1 - John Donovan PAID
Toronto Blue Jays $1 - John Donovan PAID

Affordable Group Break - 1997 Pinnacle Mint

** UPDATE 10/27/20 ** All slots have been sold, however I made an error with the total number of slots. I've reached out to the last few participates that signed up to offer a 50% discount. For those of you who signed up first, your slot will still be a two team slot. The unclaimed teams have been assigned and trading is open. Please propose and confirm all trades in the comments.

 

This break will feature 1997 Pinnacle Mint. For this break there will be 10 total two team slots ($5 per slot) - you'll pick one team from the list below. After the slots have been filled, I'll randomize and assign the unclaimed teams in the order of sign ups. All cards (and coins!) ship. Do yourself a favor and check out the checklist online so you are familiar with the set. The box has 16 packs with 3 cards & 2 coins per pack. Stacking applies so the price does not include shipping. If you have questions on how this works please let me know. We'll break this box Live on my YouTube channel on Friday 10/30/20 at 10 PM eastern. 

To claim your team(s) please comment with your request and submit your payment at that time. If you haven't participated in one of my breaks, please email me (flywheels@yahoo.com) your name & mailing address. Please send your payment as Friends & Family: http://paypal.me/flywheels86

Atlanta Braves - Colbey PAID (one team)
Baltimore Orioles / Red Sox - John Donovan PAID
Chicago Cubs / Giants - Ben Martin PAID
Chicago White Sox / Twins (via trade) - Chad Pacey PAID
Cincinnati Reds / Astros - Chris Reed PAID
Colorado Rockies / Indians (via trade) - John Donovan PAID
Los Angeles Dodgers - Joey Nigro PAID (one team)
Montreal Expos - Jennifer Peebles PAID (one team)
New York Yankees / Angels - Andrew Rein PAID
Oakland Athletics - @Chapter37 PAID (one team)

Seattle Mariners / Padres - Chris Reed PAID
St. Louis Cardinals / Marlins - Kerry Biggs PAID
Texas Rangers - Ben Morris PAID (one team)

Affordable Group Break - 2002 Fleer Platinum (Hobby)

** UPDATE 10/22/20 ** Break is full! 

This break will feature 2002 Fleer Platinum (Hobby). 24 packs / 10 cards per pack. Box should yield one memorabilia card (Clubhouse Collection?). Prices listed beside each team. All cards ship. Stacking applies so the price does not include shipping. If you have questions on how this works please let me know. We'll break this box Live on my YouTube channel on Friday, 10/23/20 at 10 PM eastern. 

To claim your team(s) please comment with your request and submit your payment at that time. If you haven't participated in one of my breaks, please email me (flywheels@yahoo.com) your name & mailing address. Please send your payment as Friends & Family: http://paypal.me/flywheels86

Anaheim Angels $2 - John Donovan PAID

Arizona Diamondbacks $4 - Adam McKenzie PAID

Atlanta Braves - Colbey PAID
Baltimore Orioles $4 - Hal Sauceman PAID
Boston Red Sox $4 - Roy Galloway PAID
Chicago Cubs $4 - Matt Pederson PAID
Chicago White Sox $5 - Andrew Rein PAID
Cincinnati Reds $6 - Hal Sauceman PAID
Cleveland Indians $3- John Donovan PAID
Colorado Rockies $4 - John Donovan PAID
Detroit Tigers $4 - Ben Morris PAID
Florida Marlins $2 - John Donovan PAID
Houston Astros $5 - Denny Wagner PAID
Kansas City Royals $2 - John Donovan PAID

Los Angeles Dodgers $5 - Joey Nigro PAID
Milwaukee Brewers $2 - John Donovan PAID
Minnesota Twins $4 - Matt Pederson PAID

Montreal Expos $5 - Jennifer Peebles PAID

New York Mets $4 - @Chapter37 PAID
New York Yankees $8 - @Lost_Collector PAID
Oakland Athletics $4 - Andrew Rein PAID
Philadelphia Phillies $5 - Jordan Schmidt PAID
Pittsburgh Pirates $4 - Wade Fisher PAID
San Diego Padres $2 - John Donovan PAID

San Francisco Giants $5 - Jennifer Peebles PAID
Seattle Mariners $4 - Robert Mitchell PAID
St. Louis Cardinals $5 - Kerry Biggs PAID

Tampa Bay Rays $2 - John Donovan PAID
Texas Rangers $5 - Ben Morris PAID
Toronto Blue Jays $4 - Robert Mitchell PAID

 

Group Break Results - 2020 Topps Chrome Sapphire, 2005 Topps Pack Wars & 2019-20 Panini NBA Stickers & Cards

Last week was a busy week! We kicked off the week with a special mini break that featured a (expensive) box of 2020 Topps Chrome Sapphire. Then in our normal Friday night slot we had a box of 2005 Topps Pack Wars and a box of 2019-20 Panini NBA Stickers & Cards. If you just want to watch the videos of these breaks skip on down to the bottom of the post, otherwise keep reading and I'll share some of the highlights.

The first card out of the first pack was a Kyle Lewis RC! Earlier in the week once I opened trading the owner of the Mariners was trying to trade for his Dodgers. I encouraged him to keep the Mariners just in case this very card was pulled. Needless to say shortly after the break Monday night I was messaged asking for his stack to be shipped! I think the sold auctions search he did for this Kyle Lewis card is what must have prompted his decision to not sit on his stack of cards anymore!

Not to be out done however, we also pulled this RC of Randy Arozarena. At the time I don't think I paid too much attention to this card, but what a mistake that was! 

Another highlight of this box was this beautiful red parallel of Carlos Santana. I wasn't expecting to see that it was serially numbered 4/5 when I flipped the card over.

As the host and Braves fan, I was excited to pull 3 base cards...especially the soon to be announced NL MVP Freddie Freeman.

The Astros got the guaranteed RC auto hit the box promised with this nice on card signature of Urquidy. Also pulled the base card as an added "bonus".

This was a fun box to rip. I was worried about the high price tag and the low number of packs/cards however. While sorting the teams I did my best to include a few cards from my own collection for those who got shut out. I know that's the risk of buying into breaks, but I want everyone to be as happy as possible.

I was really looking forward to this box of 2005 Topps Pack Wars. In another effort to create a baseball trading card game (TCG) Topps upped the ante with Pack Wars. Each box contained just 7 packs, but inside each pack had 3 packs...two 3 card "game cards" (the base cards above) and 1 prize pack. Each prize pack had either an auto, relic, auto relic or cut signature. The checklist across the possible hits was pretty nice.

The base cards are busy, but cool looking. Red was used for offensive players while green was used for pitchers. I have never taken the time to learn how to play any TCG games (though I have plenty of cards from various TCGs), included in each pack was a card w/ instructions on how to play the game.

Also included in each box was a Collector Chip pack. We ended up with the Reds' Frank Robinson.

The very first prize pack we opened contained this 2003 Topps Archives Fan Favorite auto of Boog Powell. Wasn't expecting this, but it was a nice bonus for whomever was randomly awarded the Orioles.

The next 6 prize packs contained bat relics, but if you're going to receive something like this at least the cards look sharp. Printed on holofoil with an overall nice design, I hope the recipients of these will enjoy them.

This was a fun box to rip and I'd love to do another. The vendor I grabbed this box from has one box left (although the price did increase by $10) so I may grab it soon so we can try our luck again...sound good to everyone? Let me know in the comments.

In an effort to try and mix in more current product, I grabbed a box of 50 sticker packets of 2019-20 Panini NBA Stickers & Cards. I'm glad that Panini is now including a card in each sticker pack as it just adds another level of fun to the product. All of the teams for this box were randomly assigned, thanks for the hot rookie crop. As you can see above the owners of the Pelicans and Grizzlies did at least get a base sticker of some of the top rookies.

The cards included in each pack made up their own 100 card set. With 50 packs we stood a good chance of pulling some good RCs and above is a selection of some pulled. Sadly no Zion or Morant.

Foil parallels of the cards could be found, but I'm not sure of the odds. We ended up w/ 4 silver parallels, the first pulled was Kevin Durant. These are not numbered, but not that easy to pull either.

These teal/blue parallels are numbered to just /75. I was hoping we'd pull something like these so I'm glad we got two. 

I had fun opening the sticker packs myself and I hope others will be happy w/ their team's results. I may try this again, though next time with a box of 2020 football. Hopefully if the participants don't already have a sticker album they'll pick one up...something therapeutic about putting stickers in albums...unless you have OCD like me and have to place every sticker perfectly!

As always, thank you to everyone who participated in these three breaks. This next week will feature just one box (baseball) as I'll be traveling for work again and headed to the beach Friday. That said we'll be breaking Thursday night, 10/15/20 to accomodate my schedule. Thanks again everyone!