Buzz Break: 2012 Panini Golden Age sports 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: 2012 Panini Golden Age sports cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

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

Packs per box: 25 (24 standard plus one box-topper pack)
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 145
Base set completion: 112 of 146 (77 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards: Ted Williams, Tom Seaver, Whitey Ford, Bobby Thomson, Joe Jackson, Pete Rose, Buck Weaver, Harmon Killebrew, Stan Musial, Johnny Bench, Eddie Mathews, Joe Namath, Red Grange, John Heisman, Bill Russell, Meadowlark Lemon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Gordie Howe, Jack Dempsey, Nancy Lopez, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, John F. Kennedy, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Charlie Chaplin, Bobby Fischer, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbara Eden, Ava Gardner, Dawn Wells, Grace Kelly, Larry Fine, Moe Howard, Titanic, Hindenburg, Loch Ness Monster, Secretariat

Inserts: 31 (all in gallery below with some base)
Ferguson Bakery Pennants Blue (1) – Red Grange (box-topper)
White parallel (1) – Joe Torre
Batter Up (2) – Curly Howard, Harmon Killebrew
Newark Evening World Supplement (1) – Steve Cauthen
Headlines (2) – Eddie Arcaro (2)
Broad Leaf Mini (18) – Frank Robinson, Maureen McCormick, Buck Weaver, Ty Cobb, Bill Russell, Bill Walton, Bill Dickey, Mickey Lolich, Red Shoendienst, Steve Garvey, Duke Ellington, Jim Hunter, Sam Snead, Arky Vaughn, Jack Dempsey, Willie McCovey, Grace Kelly, Hal Newhouser
Broad Leaf Blue Mini (1) – Duke Ellington
Candy Crofts Blue Mini (1) – Richard Nixon
Candy Crofts Red Mini (3) – Jerry West, Bob Beamon, Johnny Bench
Ty Cobb Mini (1) – Dawn Wells

Autographs/Memorabilia: 2
Historic Signatures (1) – Ron Blomberg
Museum Age memorabilia (1) – Ken Boyer

What’s Buzz-worthy: Golden Age is a brand that's affordable and includes an autograph and a memorabilia card -- sometimes more -- in every box and it's been a bargain favorite of mine since the run that spanned three years beginning in 2012. This is my second of three breaks -- one for each year -- you'll see here this week. This was the first release and, all that said, this box was a bummer on the hits side with a pair of baseball hits. Blomberg, for those who never pulled a Turn Back The Clock card back in the day, was the first designated hitter in MLB history as a member of the New York Yankees back in 1973. Meanwhile, Boyer was the 1964 National League MVP and a seven-time All-Star with the Cardinals who also then played for a few other teams. They really aren't reasons I'd be ripping into this one, though. The list of stars up top should give you an idea of the possibilities here and the autograph checklist, while baseball heavy, does reflect some of that variety, too. Among the signers here are Don Larsen, Nancy Lopez, Penny Chenery, Barbara Eden, Bill Walton, Nolan Ryan, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, John Dean, Meadowlark Lemon, Mark Spitz, Gordie Howe, Russell Wilson, Dawn Wells and Richard Petty. It's a good mix of standard sports names -- the baseball list has plenty more there -- but the unique ones like Woodward and Bernstein make this one worth the look. The memorabilia set also has some big stuff like a piece of the Titanic and a Secretariat saddle and swatches from Charlie Chaplin, Dizzy Dean, Ted Williams, Nap Lajoie, Thurman Munson and plenty of others from baseball and entertainment. The inserts don't seem to flow as heavily in this one but there's a fun mix of cards that are nods to past releases and three are a few types of box-toppers that also can include memorabilia swatches embedded into multi-person oversized cards. The base set and minis also have parallels with White standard cards a tougher pull (found one here) and then Black base cards and minis that are 1/1 creations. The base set here might be the strongest of the three years this one was made design-wise (simplicity goes a long way) with a number of key names and some variations to hunt for, too.

Product Grade: B+
Box Grade: B- (rough box for hits ... but helped a bit by rarer White parallel)
Fun Grade: B

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com