Buzz Break: 2018 SportKings Volume 1 (blaster case)

 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: 2018 SportKings Volume 1 sports cards
Where to buy: Click here

Keep reading for a full breakdown and a gallery of highlights.

Boxes per case: 20
Packs per box: 8 (seven standard, one hit pack)
Cards per pack: 5
Cards per box: 36
Cards per case: 720
Set completion: 
50 of 50 (100 percent) (two cards in set have variations)
Extras: 510 (between four and 18 copies per card ... just four base sets completed)

Base cards – Ty Cobb (two versions), Steve Largent, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Kevin VanDam, Tom Condon, Jim Thorpe, Buddy Baker, Rick Barry, Enos Slaughter, Allysa Seely, Chris MacClugage, Ben Hogan, Tim Brown, Ross Barnes, Lori Harrigan, Jim Palmer, Fred Couples, Bodacious, Brian Shaw, Ann Meyers Drysdale, Shani Davis, Bobby Layne, Simone Manuel, Don Newcombe, Shawn Michaels, Warren Moon, Hakeem Olajuwon, Abby Wambach, Harry Carson, Don Drysdale, Ferguson Jenkins, Jim Brown, Julie Krone, Walter Payton (two versions), Phil Mahre, Jim Kelly, Sinjin Smith, Dave Scott, Chris Mazdzer, Howie Long, Mickey Ward, Bryan Trottier, Nate Thurmond, Joe Louis, Dick Fosbury, Tiki Barber, Dara Torres, John Smith

Insert cards: 140 (everything from case in gallery below)
Mini Set completion: 
48 of 50 (98 percent)
Extras: 92 (between zero and seven copies per card ... no sets completed)

Mini (140) – Ty Cobb (both versions), Steve Largent, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Kevin VanDam, Tom Condon, Jim Thorpe, Buddy Baker, Rick Barry, Enos Slaughter, Allysa Seely, Chris MacClugage, Ben Hogan, Tim Brown, Ross Barnes, Lori Harrigan, Jim Palmer, Fred Couples, Brian Shaw, Ann Meyers Drysdale, Shani Davis, Bobby Layne, Simone Manuel, Don Newcombe, Shawn Michaels, Warren Moon, Hakeem Olajuwon, Abby Wambach, Harry Carson, Don Drysdale, Ferguson Jenkins, Jim Brown, Julie Krone, Walter Payton (only one version), Phil Mahre, Jim Kelly, Sinjin Smith, Dave Scott, Chris Mazdzer, Howie Long, Mickey Ward, Bryan Trottier, Nate Thurmond, Joe Louis, Dick Fosbury, Tiki Barber, Dara Torres, John Smith

Autographs/Memorabilia: 20
Single Memorabilia (12) – Shawn Michaels, Tim Brown, Hakeem Olajuwon, Fred Couples (2), Chris Mazdzer (2), Phil Mahre, Buddy Baker, Brian Shaw, Tom Condon (2)
Legends Memorabilia (3) – Derek Jeter, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd
Legends Memorabilia Premium (1) – Allen Iverson (/25)
Premium Single Memorabilia (1) – Walter Ray Williams Jr.
Premium Single Memorabilia Red (1) – Chris MacClugage (/50)
Autographs (1) – Julie Krone
Silver Autographs (1) – Jim Palmer (22/50 ... uniform number)

What's Buzz-worthy: While Volume 2 was just announced last night, I actually picked up this case a bit lower than its present price -- Cyber Monday -- for a variety rip with expectations of variety and likely just one auto based on a number of my past single-box rips but this one delivered better than I had imagined based on the hits. Things started off with a Shawn Michaels in the first bonus pack (one per blaster) that I ripped and that's a name I wanted to find. Beyond that I landed a Julie Krone auto with plenty of extras (she often does that) a Hall of Famer parallel auto with a number matching his jersey and three deluxe memorabilia cards with a bulging patch, a color logo pieces and even a piece of a rubberized wetsuit better highlights. A Derek Jeter jersey didn't hurt, either. About the only bummer here was coming up two minis short of a set, missing the portrait Payton card (one of the better paintings) and then the Bodacious bull card in mini form ... a card I'm sure I have in my might-grade pile from back in the day for pure novelty reasons. ... The long-gone hobby boxes are loaded with autographs and memorabilia with the base cards and mini parallels in the minority, but these blasters flip things back around more traditionally with the base cards leading the way and a mini in every pack. This retail version feels just like SportKings cards from the recent past. The hobby boxes might have been a little too pricey when they arrived and these boxes might have been a little lean at times for their price, but somewhere in between -- or in some volume of these blasters at their prices now -- is a sweet spot of some interesting stuff and unique cards. This case proved it. At a bargain price, I'd totally do this again.

Product Grade: A-
Case Grade: A (it surprised me)
Fun Grade: B+

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