Buzz Break: 2022 Topps Heritage MLB cards (hobby Hot Box)

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The box: 2022 Topps Heritage baseball cards (hobby Hot Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here

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

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 9
Cards in this box: 216
Base set completion: 
172 of 400 (43 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Dansby Swanson, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Adam Duvall, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Juan Soto, Roberto Clemente, Shane Bieber, Mookie Betts, Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, Jacob deGrom, Joey Gallo, Giancarlo Stanton, Miguel Cabrera

Rookie Cards (29) – Wander Franco (RC), Shane Baz, Jarren Duran, Jake Burger, Lars Nootbaar, Seth Beer, Manuel Rodriguez, Colton Wecker, Mason Thompson, Jackson Kowar, Ernie Clement, Ronnie Dawson, Joe Barlow, Luis Frias, Hans Crouse, Romy Gonzalez, Bryan de la Cruz, Tylor Megill, Brandon Marsh, Reid Detmers, Emmanuel Rivera, Jose Siri, Rodolfo Castro, Josiah Gray, Tony Santillan, Gavin Sheets, Henry Ramos, Greg Deichmann, Brian Miller, Austin Warren, Conner Greene, Glenn Otto, Zac Lowther, Spenser Watkins, Mike Baumann

Insert/short-print cards: 43 (all in gallery below with some base)
Short-prints (Nos. 401-500) (8) – Cy Young, Maikel Franco, Matt Carpenter, Jake Rogers, Keegan Thompson, Max Stassi, Ryan O'Hearn, Andrew Knapp
New-age Performers (4) – Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Ke'Bryan Hayes, Jose Siri
Baseball Flashbacks (2) – Hank Aaron, Ron Blomberg
News Flashbacks (1) – Richard Nixon
Then & Now (1) – Reggie Jackson & Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Red Chrome Refractors (1) – Aaron Judge (/573)
Black parallel (1) – Austin Slater (announced /50)
Oversized box-topper (1) – Wander Franco
Purple Hot Box Chrome Refractors (24) – Wander Franco, Jarren Duran, Zach Pop, Anthony Bender, Zach Thompson, Reid Detmers, Josiah Gray, Tylor Megill, Austin Riley, Pete Alonso, Yadier Molina, Walker Buehler, Joey Votto, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Jack Flaherty, Jose Abreu, Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Lewis, Corbin Burnes, Alex Verdugo, Zack Wheeler, Salvador Perez, Ketel Marte, Liam Hendriks, Teoscar Hernandez, Rhys Hoskins

Autographs/Memorabilia: 1
Clubhouse Collection Relics (1) – Zack Greinke

What's Buzz-worthy: Truth be told, I wasn't very sold on 1973 cards in most of the years leading up to this edition of Heritage but flipping open this box -- this box that looks a lot more like that era than this one in its design alone -- offered up a treat to start with a Wander Franco box-topper. Then, first pack? Purple Chrome ... meaning it was a Hot Box (one per case) with a Purple Chrome Refractor in every pack. About a third of the way in? Franco. A few packs after that? A Franco base. Throw in a Red Chrome in 207 packs in there, too, along with a Black parallel (one in 96) and it didn't matter that I didn't get some kind of other variation (I think Blacks replace them here) and that I got a Relic. The RC volume here is pretty solid with some good names while the inserts in this box were pretty strong, too. The printing seems a little retro as there are cards with some brighter white on fronts than others and the backs are admittedly chippy and have dark spots here and there as black and yellow aren't the most-friendly colors on oldschool stock. All in all, this one surprised me -- it's not as dry as a couple years ago but it's also not as colorful and star-stuffed as last year's ... but some touches are growing on me. I'll offer up a few more thoughts on this one soon ... I'll be doing another hobby box. There's a lot to like and chase here (see checklist with all of the variations noted above) but you'll need some luck to find many of them. You never know ... this box kind of shows what's possible and it's an A+ grade from me, though it's also a box that can be topped.

Product Grade: A-
Box Grade: A+ (can be topped ... but it would be hard to deny it this grade)
Fun Grade: A-

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