Buzz Break: 2014 BenchWarmer Eclectic Collection

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: 2014 BenchWarmer Eclectic Collection
Where to buy: This one's long gone ... but click here for other BW boxes

Keep reading for a breakdown of this one along with a gallery

Packs per box: 61 (60 past packs, one pack of new Eclectic hits and bonus cards)
Cards per pack: varies by year (mixed)

Notables on base cards – Carmen Electra, Crystal Hefner, Brande Roderick, Brooke Burke, Katie Lohmann, Syd Wilder, Michelle Baena, Mary Riley, Tiffany Selby, Kara Monaco, Ryan Shamrock, Jessica Burciaga, Gena Lee Nolin, Maryeve Default, Julie Strain, Cindy Margolis, Candice Michelle, Lisa Dergan, Holly Madison, Kerri Kasem, Charisma Carpenter, Angela Fong, Victoria Fuller, Jamie Bergman, Victoria Silvstadt, Renee & Rosie Tenison

Inserts/promo cards: 21 (all inserts, hits and some base in gallery below)
1992 BenchWarmer Bonus Cards (5) – Traci Bingham, Andrea Wenzel, Shana Sechler, Lora Peterson, The Triple Threat (Brooke Burke, April Gauthier and Peterson)
2014 BenchWarmer Eclectic Carmen Electra (1) – Carmen Electra
2006 BenchWarmer Lingerie Bowl (1) – Jamie Walsh
2012 BenchWarmer Philly Non-Sports Show promo (1) – Crystal Harris
2003 BenchWarmer Gold Hawaii FX promo (1) – Shauna Sand Lamas
2013 BenchWarmer 50 Hot Moms (2) – Flo Jalin, Aubrie Lemon
2013 BenchWarmer All-American (3) – Kristina Carroll, Ryan Shamrock (2)
2013 BenchWarmer Boot Camp (2) – Billie Jo Powers, Kristina Carroll
1994 BenchWarmer Refractive Etch (1) – Brooke Morales
2002 BenchWarmer Chromium (1) – Amy Weber
2005 BenchWarmer Classic Pinups (1) – Shannon Malone
2005 BenchWarmer Holiday (1) – Crystal Golar
2003 BenchWarmer Jumbo box-topper (1) – Lisa Dergan

Autographs/Memorabilia: 14
Eclectic Collection Swatch (1) – Torrie Wilson
Pink Eclectic Autographs (1) – Pamela Horton (/25)
Eclectic Autographs (3) – Jennifer Korbin, Miriam Gonzalez, Brittany Herrera
2011 BenchWarmer Autographs (1) – Kara Monaco
2012 BenchWarmer Autographs (2) – Sara Underwood, Jile Cai
2013 BenchWarmer Autographs (2) – Tamie Sheffield, Megan Hauserman
2014 BenchWarmer Mother's Day Autographs (1) – Peggy Tanous
2013 BenchWarmer Thanksgiving Autographs (1) – Deanna Brooks
2005 BenchWarmer Signature Series Autographs (1) – Nicole Bennett
2013 BenchWarmer Vegas Baby Autographs (1) – Jessica Landon

What's Buzz-worthy: With all of the BenchWarmer boxes in the big sale, I recently figured I'd watch some breaks to figure out what the various releases included ... but I couldn't settle on one. So then I wondered about a previously super-cheap go-to box -- this one -- that delivers big volume and big potential as it's a new pack of hits and promos and then a boatload of past packs from various releases all in one spot. These boxes? Well, they're nowhere near as cheap as they used to be -- two or three times as much out there -- but I grabbed one to see how it might go ... and to see if it was as comfortable of a break at a higher price. In this case, a good box, I give that thought a maybe. The Torrie Wilson has recently sold for $15 or so lately -- seems low as mem cards, which are one per box here, used to be higher -- and the Sara Underwood card is around $25 or so as she's a notable name to be found here. All in all, it wasn't a bad break but I've had as many as 18 hits pop out of these boxes and some claim to have found more ... the packs in the box can be streaky. ... As said previously, check out the list of just the base card notables found here and you should know many of them if you've turned on a TV in the last 20 years. There are models, wrestlers, TV hosts, WAGs, Internet stars, reality show notables and even a former aspiring NASCAR driver in there -- and that's a tiny fraction of the names found in these boxes, which are essentially a repack with 60 past packs along with a new cards made specifically for this release. (The guaranteed minimum here is eight hits if you go hitless in the other packs.) BenchWarmer has been around since the early 1990s and the explosion of autographs since then has really helped collectors find ink from names from around the pop culture world. These boxes include a number of early packs that don't pack a lot of hits and showcase how times have changed fashion-wise, but the rest of the packs include enough variety that things can add up fast. It's a fun rip as you never know what -- or who -- those past packs might include. ... That said, at the present prices in the big sale I'd probably do a do-over on my other box of this one to post here in the future and opt for the second series of Eclectic that's just some singles and hits, no packs. Autographs are the name of the game with this brand -- some good names can be found and the regulars in these sets who many people might not know have their collectors, too. Plus, the hit volume is generally pretty good and right now with all of the options out there across the collecting spectrum these, for me, have a little more energy than a box with an auto and a mem of some NFL rookie or guy who might not even be on a roster. It's good to have some variety in your autograph collection and these add to that for me.

Product Grade: A
Box Grade: A
Fun Grade: B+

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

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com