Buzz Break: 2012 BenchWarmer Vault trading cards

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: 2012 BenchWarmer Vault trading cards
Where to buy: Will take some looking to find ... See newer BenchWarmer boxes here

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of everything in this box.

Packs per box: One Vault hits pack and one past BenchWarmer box (above) ... so 25 packs this time
Cards per pack: 7 in hits pack, 5 per 2006 BenchWarmer Series 2 box
Cards in this box: 128
Set completion: 72 of 72 (100 percent)
Duplicates: 32

Notables on base cards – Candice Michelle, Trishelle Cannatella, Michelle Baena, Bridget Marquardt, Mary Riley, Colleen Shannon, Tina Jordan, Holly Madison, Chanel Ryan

Inserts/short-prints: 3 (all in gallery below with the set and hits)

From the hits pack ...
Promo cards (1) – Jennifer Walcott 2011 BenchWarmer Bubble Gum

From the 2006 box ... 
Lingerie Bowl (SP) (3) – Trishelle Cannatella, Jamie Walsh, Jessie Camacho
Boot Camp (SP) (2) – Chanel Ryan, Holly Huddleston
Leykettes (SP) (1) – Katherine Thom
Lingerie Foil FX (3) – Tina Jordan, Mary Riley, Presley Rose
Bettie Page Foil Classic Pinups (1) – Bettie Page
Jumbo box-topper (1) – Kristi Ballentine

Autographs/Memorabilia: 9
From the hits pack ...
2012 BenchWarmer Vault autographs (2) – Tiffany Selby, Amie Nicole
2012 BenchWarmer Vault autographs Pink parallel (1) – Devin DeVasquez (/25)
2012 BenchWarmer Vault Kiss Cards (1) – Catherine Kluthe
2011 BenchWarmer Bubble Gum Autographs (1) – Mary Riley
2008 BenchWarmer Halloween autographs (1) – Lindsey Roeper

From the 2006 box ...
2006 BenchWarmer Series 2 Autographs (2) – Heather Schirra, Brandy Grace
School Girls Autographs (1) – Amie Decker

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What's Buzz-worthy:  It's been more than two years since I opened one of these and, well, this one rewarded me a little bit with both the box inside as well as the names among the topper pack. What are these? Vault boxes include a past box (from before 2012) as well as a pack of bonus hits and a promo card -- a revisiting of past releases all in one spot. In some cases, these can really over-deliver on the autograph front more than one might expect (but not always), while the bonus hits also can have some big names in play. (I've opened a few of these as Buzz Breaks and you'll know some names in others.) Hits in these boxes, really all boxes of BW, can vary ... some can pay for a box or a good chunk of it while others are just a buck or two. But, the overall hit volume for these boxes is pretty good so one can build an autograph collection of something a little different in the big picture without paying a boatload for a box. The inner box here was a pricier one that would typically cost around the same price as the Vault box and the inner box is a release that includes rare autos from Bettie Page, which would be big (but odds are high). Instead, the box included an extra auto and a decent selection of names in the inserts, which is good because the base set is a little lean that year vs. some others. One signer in this one, Amie Harwick, appeared on cards with two names between the box and the pack and, unfortunately, was killed three years ago and her alleged murderer is on trial right now. (Very unusual ... and I only realized this doing a name check just today.)  The autos in the bonus pack included a trio of better names or parallels so I have seen worse ... but also better. For the price here, I don't mind the potential here in both the surprise of the box inside or the hits pack. The only bummer is how a lot of these older BW boxes -- boxes that delivered a lot more ink than now -- have dried up. On the flip side, newer boxes have a lot of lower-volume more premium-style inclusions where it doesn't take ink on cards to land a good box. Given overall prices and volumes, they're worth the look if you're a collector or a flipper.

Product Grade: A-
Box Grade: A (inner box had an extra auto, while Vault box had good names)
Fun Grade: A- (inner box typically costs just as much as this Vault box did ... so that's a win)

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