Buzz Break: 2013 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: 2013 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: 25 (24 standard, one single-card box-topper)
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 145
Base set completion: 
88 of 100 (88 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards: Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, Roy Campanella, Buck Leonard, Frank Robinson, Bob Gibson, Christy Mathewson, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Home Run Baker, Honus Wagner, Cy Young, Cap Anson, Warren Spahn, Stan Musial, Rogers Hornsby, Jimmie Foxx, Yogi Berra, Tris Speaker, Casey Stengel, Whitey Ford, Willie Stargell, George Brett, Mike Schmidt, Nolan Ryan, Robin Yount, Brooks Robinson and plenty more (all base cards are Hall of Famers)

Insert cards: 56 (a sampling of everything below with some base cards)
Short-printed (color photo; Nos. 101-110) (2) – Cal Ripken Jr., Wade Boggs
Red Pennants (1) – Ryne Sandberg
Green Crystal Shard (6) – Satchel Paige, Nap Lajoie, Luis Aparicio, Phil Rizzuto, Tris Speaker, Nellie Fox
Blue Crystal Shard (3) – Johnny Evers, Red Schoendienst, Al Barlick (/499)
Red Crystal Shard (2) – Luke Appling, Goose Goslin (/399)
Yellow Crystal Shard (1) – Cap Anson (/299)
Historic Tickets (4) – see gallery
Induction (4) – Warren Spahn, Paul Molitor, Joe Morgan, Ernie Banks
International Play (2) – Harry Wright, Orlando Cepeda
Museum Pieces (3) – Mickey Mantle, Bob Gibson, George Brett
Numbers Game (2) – Rickey Henderson & Ty Cobb, Nolan Ryan
Lumberjacks (2) – Rube Marquard, Buck Ewing
Colgan's Chips (24) – Jackie Robinson, Mel Ott, Sam Rice, George Wright, Waite Hoyt, Sam Crawford (2), Bob Lemon, Ryne Sandberg, Tom Seaver, Charlie Gehringer (2), Edd Roush, Phil Rizzuto, Pie Traynor, Hack Wilson, Tommy Lasorda, Hoyt Wilhelm, Jim Hunter (OAK), Jim Hunter (NYY), Dizzy Dean, Miller Huggins, Mickey Cochrane, Luis Aparicio

Autographs/Memorabilia: 1
Cooperstown Signatures (1) – Dennis Eckersley (/500)

What's Buzz-worthy: Panini's run of Cooperstown releases focusing solely on the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and its members is one that, in box form, has been vanishing and rising in price at times as it's the home of some big ink (sometimes) and then Hall of Famers who aren't all that pricey at others. This is one of those other times. This second set isn't as strong visually in my mind -- the first is a landmark release for Hall of Fame sets -- but it has a lot of possibilities. The base set is smaller than its predecessor and that's perhaps a good thing as the photo frames feel a lot more overwhelming here and the color palette overall has a bit of a drab feel compared to its less-colorful predecessor. (Go figure.) The card backs aren't perhaps as in-depth with a slightly different approach while the inserts here are a little more varied with some that work well and others that are kind of skippers ... same with the first set. This one is about the ink and the autos here have guys like Eck who signed in volume and then guys who didn't sign a lot ... but are in there. (Eck signed cards that are limited to 500, 400 and 200 copies while Frank Robinson, for example, signed cards limited to 10, 20 and 50 ... big difference.) When you land a big name, you pay for a box or two and that's helped the prices on these rise more of late ... a good auto used to pay for a few boxes of this one. The parallels are an interesting twist but they are all oddly high-numbered and kind of cancel each other out ... some rarity to the colors would help it feel more interesting. I previously only did a Buzz Break of a blaster here (long ago) so that's my original grade and it pretty much stands save for perhaps the extra fuel here for a number of Hall of Famers who have died since this set arrived -- that's one reason people are opening these bargain-priced boxes and the box prices have gone up. Among ink here? Al Kaline, Ernie Banks, Phil Niekro, Robinson, Bob Gibson, Tony Gwynn, Jim Bunning, Lou Brock, Willie McCovey, Don Sutton, Tom Seaver, Tommy Lasorda, Whitey Ford, Whitey Herzog and Yogi Berra. (And plenty of others.) I prefer the first year but the ink here is strong in spots ... and that'll keep me ripping when boxes are cheaper. Other years took things high-end and that made boxes pricier at times so I didn't rip as much ... but they are all worth the look if you're striking out looking for baseball boxes these days.

Product Grade: B (my original grade ... the year before this one is stronger)
Box Grade: B
Fun Grade: B

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