Buzz Break: 2012 Panini Cooperstown baseball cards

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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 Panini Cooperstown baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available) -- see other baseball boxes here

Keep reading to see what can be found here and a gallery of highlights.

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this box: 120
Base set completion: 
76 of 150 (51 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards: Christy Mathewson, Connie Mack, Frank Robinson, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, Bob Gibson, Tony Gwynn, Rogers Hornsby, George Brett, Willie McCovey, Ernie Banks, Wade Boggs, Brooks Robinson, Tom Seaver, Stan Musial, Mel Ott, Harmon Killebrew, Honus Wagner and plenty more (all base cards are Hall of Famers)

Insert cards: 43 (a sampling of everything below with some base cards)
Short-printed color photo (2) – Cy Young, Oscar Charleston
Crystal Collection parallel (3) – Jimmie Foxx, Roberto Alomar, Bill Mazeroski (/299)
Ballparks (3) – Polo Grounds, Exposition Park, Shibe Park
Bronze History (5) – Wilbert Robinson (2), Joe Tinker, Ed Barrow, Bowie Kuhn (/599)
Credentials (3) – Frank Robinson, Gaylord Perry, Ernie Banks
Famous Moments (5) – Mel Ott (2), Willie Mays, Cy Young, Bill Mazeroski
Field Generals (5) – Yogi Berra, Rick Ferrell, Johnny Bench, Ray Schalk, Roy Campanella
Hall History (1) – Tom Seaver
High Praise (2) – Brooks Robinson, Al Kaline
Induction (2) – Lou Brock, Harmon Killebrew
Induction Year (1) – Reggie Jackson (wood card)
Museum Pieces (2) – Ty Cobb, Mel Ott
The Village (2) – Cooperstown Sidewalk, Otsego Lake
Voices of Summer (3) – Vin Scully, Harry Kalas, Joe Garagiola
With Honors (4) – Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Johnny Mize, Bobby Doerr

Autographs/Memorabilia: 1
Cooperstown Signatures (1) – Eddie Murray (/100)

What's Buzz-worthy: One of my cheaper go-to boxes is a little bit risk-reward break-wise at this point as you get one Hall of Famer autograph here -- and it could be Whitey Herzog ... or it could be Frank Robinson. This box delivered one of the rarer autos -- a good thing -- in the form of an Eddie Murray auto and it was an oddity of sorts as it delivered 10 more insert cards than the last time I ripped into one of these. These boxes can deliver some solid autos -- some are quite rare and are more on the case level or harder from a 100-card checklist -- and quite a few of the signers are no longer alive since its release, too. While it's not an MLB-licensed set it's still a loaded one with the autograph checklist alone and the other inclusions are varied and interesting ... some educational stuff you don't often find all in one place for a typical baseball card set. ... As said before, this was the first Panini America Hall of Fame set and it's perhaps the best in terms of a comprehensive look at the game as seen in Cooperstown. The base cards carry pretty extensive bios and stat totals, while an array of inserts (gallery of some possibilities are below) takes you there to see artifacts and explore other facets of the game, too. There is one Hall of Famer autograph per box and in some boxes you'll land two autos. The lineup here is legendary and it's one that also includes legendary broadcasters. The Vin Scully autograph limited to 100 copies is still a $1,000 card on eBay, while rarer on-card autos will surprise you. From a collecting standpoint, this brand holds up as one of the best ever made when focusing on the Hall in all aspects -- info, design, inclusions, autographs. It's a Cooperstown-worthy release.

Product Grade: A
Box Grade: A
Fun Grade: A

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