Buzz Break: 2008 Topps Heroes trading cards (hobby box)

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 box: 2008 Topps Heroes trading cards (hobby)
Where to buy: Click here (when available)

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 166
Base set completion: 
90 of 90 (100 percent)
Duplicates: 67

Notables on base cards – Zachary Quinto, Hayden Panettiere, Ali Larter, Milo Ventimiglia, Masi Oka, Greg Grunberg, Adrian Pasdar, George Takei, Malcolm McDowell, Eric Roberts, James Kyson, Missy Peregrym, Jayma Mays

Inserts: 8 (all inserts and some base in gallery below)
Foil cards (8) – Claire Bennet, Niki Sanders, Hiro Nakamura, Peter Petrelli, Nathan Petrelli, Isaac Mendez, Molinder Suresh, Matt Parkman

Autographs/Memorabilia: 1
Artist Sketch Card (1) – Niki Sanders sketch by Edward Mize (1/1)

What's Buzz-worthy: I stumbled upon this throwback hobby box from way back in 2008 -- and it's one that is not super-pricey nor impossible to find -- and that was a little surprising as there are autographs, Relics and sketch cards in play here. The odds don't guarantee anything per box statistically (one in 135 for autos, one in 86 for sketches and one in 44 for Relics), but having busted a case of this about a decade ago it's very possible to get more than one hit per box and I think you do get one of something every time.  (Or the dud boxes are an exception per case, not the norm ... yet beyond the hit this one is also as bare-bones as it gets. See the Fun Grade.) ... The basic set here includes character cards, episode cards, art cards from Tim Sale, which were part of the story in the show, some Special FX cards and other basics to round out the set. The only inserts in hobby boxes are 10 foil cards, which I nearly got all of in this box. The auto set includes Zachary Quinto, Hayden Panettiere, Milo Ventimiglia, Masi Oka, Greg Grunberg and Adrian Pasdar among others, while the Relic lineup includes just five cards and four subjects -- Claire, Hiro, Isaac and Matt -- with her card having two different versions. Some of the sketch cards can be quite stunning in this one and, while the show may not be as popular now as it was then just like these boxes, they're still impressive if you can pull them from a box when it's this cheap. One other fun piece of trivia? Cubs prospect and former first-round pick Pete Crow-Armstrong's parents were both in this show -- his dad was Ted Sprague (see gallery) and he's got cards but his mom, who played the cheerleader's mom, doesn't appear to be in this set unless I missed something doing a quick flip-through. Both appear in later releases and even have certified autos, though. The gloss on these may not be aging well and the stock here is skinny and all that black ink also makes this one a funky opening now -- though nothing is bricking here, which is good. All in all, this one was a nice find -- and I might do it again as the autos have some potential and there are some really nice sketches to be found with some artists doing some really low known overall volumes.

Product Grade: A
Box Grade: A (landing 1/1 sketch is strong box ... perhaps only topped by some autos here)
Fun Grade: C (super-simple lineup ... pretty much all boxes will look like this save for the hit)

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