Thursday, May 7, 2015

Box break : 2005 Upper Deck series 1

My titles are so informative now...I think I'm trying to bore myself to sleep.

Anyway, here's one of the two boxes I got for myself to attenuate some of the shipping charges for our box break with Matt (having one box shipped costs $30...then you add about $6 to $10 per additional box, depending on the number of cards). I might think at some point about collecting every Upper Deck base set, but for now I'll focus on buying at least one box from each series and from each year. Yeah, I'm a devoted fan.

I have to say that I did very well with that box. Nothing really huge, but I beat the odds on a couple of inserts, so I'm happy about that. Plus, the base set, though not as impressive as 2004, is very solid. I just wish they'd been less lazy with the backs. But hey, it's 10 years after the fact, I forgive them, especially considering what Topps (and...ugh...PANINI) are doing with their backs.


Reggie Jackson, Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan, Johnny Bench & Joe Morgan, Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth and...Jeter (I think I'm missing one, but I can't figure out who). Baseball Heroes is a set that, like many, I really love. My first taste of inserts with 92 and 93 packs (I wasn't collecting in 90 and 91), and a brilliant idea. I'm happy they brought back the original design and I really hope I can get my hands on one of those 2005 and 2008 Baseball Heroes sets (boxes are way too expensive though, too bad). Anyway, I find it strange that they'd focus on a player who had only played 10 seasons to that point and to compare him with all those other players from the series but hey, why not. Odds are 1:6, there were 24 packs, I got 4, we good.


Another insert. I have no idea what the Wingfield collection is. I should look it up. Maybe one day.


One of those SP cards. But cards that were actually numbered SP, not the Heritage type SP that make you want to bang your head against a non-padded wall. They come one per box.



The box promised a couple of game used cards. I don't know why, but I seem to always pull Astros relics. And unless it's Biggio or Bagwell, I'm not really interested. The least I can say is that Clemens doesn't really have a likeable face on that photo. He doesn't make it easy for us.


The odds of pulling such a card are 1:266. One box out of ten. And I got one. Only 15 sets made, with a nice American flag to show how patriotic Matt Holliday is.


Another big hit, as those are also seeded one in every 10 boxes. Woohooo. A nice on-card signature with a very basic design from 2004 ROY Bobby Crosby. I suppose that's all we can remember him for.

And of course, nice all around photography as always










The other thing that was really nice about that box : no duplicates ! Plus, the 50 card 2004 UD update set, which is a nice addition.

I'll be back for more, Upper Deck. Be ready.

5 comments:

  1. I think I see less of this set than any other from UD's history, but I've always liked it. Great photography and a relatively unobstructive (is that a word?) design.

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    1. really ? that's strange. I find the design a little too similar to 2004's, but yeah, the photography is great !

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  2. Geez...that was a good box. You really broke the odds. Maybe the key is the say every purchase is the "extra box" so that it will yield high quality cards.

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  3. Nice break! That Berkman is a great-looking swatch card.

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