Buzz Break: 2013 TRISTAR Impact Wrestling Live (hobby box)

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 TRISTAR Impact Wrestling Live (hobby box)
The price: Can vary if you can find ... click here for newer WWE boxes

Get a full breakdown of this one after the jump.

Packs per box: 20
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 119
Base set completion: 
100 of 100 (100 percent) (99 base cards and one un-numbered checklist)
Duplicates: Yes

Notables on base cards: A.J. Styles, Hulk Hogan, Brooke Hogan, Sting, Bully Ray, Devon, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Hector Guerrero, Tara, Christy Hemme, Jeff Hardy, Gail Kim, ODB, Mickie James, Miss Tessmacher, Earl Hebner, Rob Van Dam, Kurt Angle, Al Snow, Taz, Aces & Eights

Impact Debut Cards: Joey Ryan, Taryn Terrell, Doc, Taeler Hendrix, Christian York, King Mo, Sam Shaw, Kenny King, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Wes Brisco

Insert/short-print cards: 3 (all in gallery below with some base)
Original Art of Sam Shaw (SP) (1) – Bully Ray
Gold parallel (1) – Robbie E (/50)
Red parallel (1) – Chavo Guerrero Jr. (/10)

Autographs/Memorabilia: 4
Green autographs (1) – Hernandez (/50) (inscribed)
Blue autographs (1) – Chavo Guerrero Jr. (/25) (inscribed)
Gold dual autographs (1) – Matt Morgan & Joey Ryan (/99)
Event-worn clothing memorabilia (1) – Gail Kim, Mickie James, Velvet Sky, Miss Tessmacher

What's Buzz-worthy: I grabbed this box months ago with plans for it being an oddball inclusion in this year's BuzzMania breaks day but with the entire wrestling world (and the big event) down-sized this year, I punted this oddball (non-WWE) box for some weekend fill-in duty -- though it's better than a jobber kind of box. First off, can you believe we haven't seen any TNA wrestling cards in seven years? This was the next-to-last one as part of the TRISTAR run, which was heavy on autographs and memorabilia cards with some strong variety of inclusions and memorabilia-card types. They literally did things that no wrestling sets have ever done before. Why did it end? Well, TNA's profile has continuously shrunken and evolved since that time ... roster, TV deals, ownership ... so it makes sense that card demand likely waned. But the roster also was strong at the end of the cardboard run. I present this one with a simple question that could apply to today's wrestling landscape, though. ... AEW? (It could be tine after the COVID chaos ends.) A lot of the names you see here are now on TV during the week now with WWE or AEW and you can find a number of names here who were big at times in the past beyond TNA. (You'll also find some who are unique on the indy scene ... looking at you, Joey Ryan.) These boxes are relatively limited -- they are serial-numbered to only 2,400 -- and asking prices can be on the crazier side (I wouldn't buy for some of the prices asked but this one was more modestly priced when I found it) but there are some interesting combos to be found on most of the TRISTAR releases save for the very first one. (It's simpler.) There are other TNA boxes I'd like to revisit but they're not always the easiest things to find in hobby form.

Product Grade: A-
Box Grade: A (rare ink and the quad mem card is a win here)
Fun Grade: B

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