Buzz Break: 2021 Topps Opening Day MLB cards (hobby box)

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The box: 2021 Topps Opening Day baseball cards (hobby box)
First Buzz preview & Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

Packs per box: 36
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 250
Base set completion: 
209 of 220 (95 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger, Pete Alonso, Bo Bichette, Luis Robert, Bryce Harper, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Mookie Betts, Albert Pujols, Aaron Judge, Fernando Tatis Jr., Mike Trout, Ozzie Albies, Corey Seager, Kris Bryant, Gavin Lux, Kyle Lewis, Gleyber Torres, Clayton Kershaw

Rookie Cards (45) – Notables include Cristian Pache, Jo Adell, Ian Anderson, Dylan Carlson, Luis Garcia, Joey Bart, Alec Bohm, Triston McKenzie, Tarik Skubal, Tyler Stephenson, Nick Madrigal, Deivi Garcia, Brady Singer, Spencer Howard

Insert/short-print cards: 40 (a sampling of everything in gallery below)
Opening Day parallel (4) – Corey Kluber, Kodi Whitley, Max Muncy, Alex Bregman
Mascots (12) – Mr. Met, Mrs. Met, Rosie Red, A's mascot, Swinging Friar, Pirate Parrot, Screech, Rangers Captain, Bernie Brewer, TC Bear, Blue Jays mascot, Raymond
Legends of Baseball (13) – Babe Ruth, Ken Griffey Jr., Jackie Robinson, Stan Musial, Ernie Banks, Harmon Killebrew, George Brett, Randy Johnson, Craig Biggio, Mike Schmidt, Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens, Reggie Jackson
Opening Day (6) – Dodgers, Cardinals, Red Sox, Mets, Reds, Rangers
Outstanding Opening Day (5) – Hank Aaron, Billy Williams, Javier Baez, Bryce Harper, Bob Feller

Autographs/Memorabilia: 1
Mascot Relics (1) – Screech

What's Buzz-worthy: This one was a strong box with the Mascot Relic a one in 1,030 pack pull. That might not wow many but it's a unique card and that's one of the possibilities in this brand. The mix is heavy on Series 1 Rookie Cards -- and I landed most of the notables here -- and the insert mix is a lot stronger than Series 1 though maybe not as wide in scope. You get at least one insert per pack -- and sometimes more -- and I like that along with the more-modest price. Hits won't be found in every box but I have seen some mis-packed boxes with more than one, which shouldn't be possible based on the odds. The printing and cutting here seems cleaner than what I saw for Series 1 and that matters to me with RCs here -- and I'd speculate that Opening Day cards might be rarer than flagship given all the formats and factory sets. The Mascot set here is a fun one but I didn't land the best card in the set, Orbit, but that's OK ... I intend to open more of this one. This approach -- one that isn't about hits -- gives you a more traditional collecting approach without any cliche inclusions or approaches like this brand seemingly used to have. (Mascots are part of the game and these cards aren't forced ... and they are a unique inclusion unlike elsewhere.) There are also rarer inserts and SPs that might blend in with the base so pay attention of you are ripping fast or in bulk.

Product Grade: A- (best stuff is still too rare but mix is good for price)
Box Grade: A (tough pull gets it an A this time ... not an average box)
Fun Grade: B+ (could use one more insert set to add more variety)

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