Buzz Break: 2006 Topps Update baseball cards (hobby)

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The packs: 2006 Topps Update baseball cards (two hobby)
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... BlowoutCards.com for other Retro Rips

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

Cards per pack: 10
Set completion: 18 of 330 (5 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards – David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Lance Berkman, a whole lot of subset cards ... and a whole lot of forgettable.

RC logo cards (4) – Russell Martin, Anibal Sanchez, Adam Loewen, Taylor Buchholz (none are actually RCs)

Insert/short-print cards: 2 (all cards in gallery below)
Mickey Mantle Home Run History (2) – HR Nos. 142, 180

Autographs/Memorabilia: None

What's Buzz-worthy: I bought a boatload of this flagship's first series due to the chase of Alex Gordon's card that wasn't supposed to exist as well as some buybacks that added some cheap thrills in rack packs. The design here is clean but perhaps dull -- better than some, worse than some in its time -- and while this one (flagship and its update as a whole) does have its share of big chases with some exclusive sets showcasing elite names (Mickey Mantle, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez) I'm not sure this one has aged all that well. This year was the first for the Rookie Card logo, too, but many of the players with the new addition on them aren't truly RCs here as they had previous years' Bowman cards. All four of my "RC" cards here are not actual Rookie Cards. There are only six actual rookies in this one with Mike Napoli, Jon Lester and James Shields the leaders of that pack. This particular series is jammed with highlights and subset cards to add names to almost a ridiculous degree and this pair of packs proves it. It's way out of balance. Some are fun, most are forgettable. However, all those key names do have parallels so there could be some hidden value here if you land a good name on one of them as we're coming up on the 20th anniversary of this one. Barry Bonds Home Run History is here -- with ink and Relics -- and Mantle is in there, too, along with All-Star patch cards, Relics and autos for the notables of the year. Ink here includes a small but potent lineup on those but the Rookie Debut autos that you're far more likely to find are weak now. Ian Kinsler,  Lester and Napoli are lone highlights, if that. I did a jumbo box of this more recently and pulled a patch card so ridiculous you'd think it was fake coming from a box like this back then but that's certainly not the norm. This pair of packs is probably the norm -- so grab by the box if the price is modest and works for you if you need the retro rip. Otherwise, chase singles if they present themselves -- for reference, Bonds' ink is one in 42,400 packs.

Product Grade: A (really good stuff can be found here ... if you defy longshot odds)
Lot Grade: C- (a rough pair of packs but nothing physically missing)
Fun Grade: D+

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