Buzz Break: 2018 Topps Stranger Things Season 1 (hobby box)

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The box: 2018 Topps Stranger Things Season 1 trading cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (a few formats)

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 165
Base set completion: 
100 of 100 (100 percent)
Duplicates: 33

Insert/short-print cards: 31 (all in gallery below with some base)
Scene stickers (4) – Concerned Mom, Motivated Mike, Steve Eyes Nancy, Sinclair Goes Solo
Character cards  (6) – Will Byers, Benny Hammond, Scott Clarke, Ted Wheeler, Barbara Holland, Dustin Henderson
Character stickers (20) – Nancy Wheeler, Barbara Holland, Officer Powell, Benny Hammond, Ted Wheeler, Will Byers, Scott Clarke, Dustin Henderson, Eleven, Joyce Byers, Connie Frazier, Mike Wheeler, Steve Harrington, The Monster, Jonathan Byers, Karen Wheeler, Jim Hopper, Lucas Sinclair, Officer Callahan, Martin Brenner
Green Commemorative patch (1) – Connie Frazier (HNL logo) (/50)

Autographs/Memorabilia/Sketch Cards: 1
Sketch Card (1) – Eleven (by Dylan Riley)

What's Buzz-worthy: This is the first release of what might be a trading card franchise -- it's starting off with room to improve but it covers all of the bases for a nostalgic cardboard approach to a nostalgic type of series. This one has a checklist that's got autographs and Relics and other surprises in store and you get a sketch or auto in every hobby box -- this one was the sketch route and it's not a bad rendition of an iconic character. ... This set is one that shows scenes from the first season of the hit show with a look and feel of 1980s cardboard printed on Heritage-style stock that also goes right with the aesthetic of the time though with today's cleaner printing and cutting. A sampling of the cards is in the gallery below along with all of the inserts found here, which also all have a simple early 1980s vibe to them and simply showcase characters and moments. Other potential inserts in these boxes include Upside Down, Christmas Lights and Waffle parallels all a bit rarer than you might expect -- even in hobby. There wasn't a lot different here in this box vs. a blaster -- ultimately more volume and then a sketch card -- but you can land a set with relative ease and a good chunk of everything else that's not rarer. Some of the inclusions here seem like they might make for fun grading items (for simple iconic pieces) though there are centering and stock issues that could make that more of a challenge than you might expect. The odds are perhaps a bit longer at key autos here but that should help the appeal over time and keep people chasing as it ages. Here's hoping the second season set, which will have a similar build and be here sooner than you might think, has some additional signers to add to the mix. All in all, this one isn't as flashy as I had imagined it being but it could be one that builds more interest over time as more sets arrive.

Product Grade: A
Box Grade: A-
Fun Grade: B

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