it's not all about the base

i ordered a couple 2024 topps chrome update blasters from target in mid-november. i am glad i did because i've been to target a couple of times since and i don't think they ever made the shelves here locally, and when i checked a couple of days ago, they were no longer available online either. each blaster has 7 packs with four cards apiece. let's see what happened with the first blaster.

pack 1

1 base, 1 insert, and 2 of the exclusive xfractor parallels.

pack 2

1 base, 1 insert, and 2 of the exclusive xfractor parallels.

pack 3

2 base! plus one xfractor and one refractor parallel

pack 4

1 base, 1 prism refractor, 1 xfractor, and 1 refractor parallel

pack 5

zero base. 1 insert, 1 reverse negative refractor, 1 xfractor, and 1 sonic ray wave refractor parallel.

pack 6

2 base and 2 of the exclusive xfractor parallels.

pack 7

one base. 1 insert, 1 xfractor, and 1 sonic ray wave refractor parallel.

seven packs and eight base cards, four of which are rookies. this product is clearly about the parallels, which is ok by me in that i never looked to complete chrome sets anyway. i am happy to have the dodgers that i found, including my first jack flaherty dodger card. there are a couple more there that i will keep in my collection, including the ketel marte all-star game insert which goes in the double play collection. and, i do think the negative refractor i pulled is decent although i would have preferred a different pirate pitcher.

the second blaster was similar in terms of base to insert/parallel ratio, but it included a numbered parallel

and an auto (not shown). there were a couple more dodger parallels, too - ricky vanasco sonic ray wave

and yoshinobu yamamoto xfractor

parallels, to be exact.

even though it would have made no sense (or maybe it would have made "topps sense") i was hopeful for vanasco to get a rookie debut card since he made his first appearance on jackie robinson day. it looks like the photo topps used came from his second appearance (and last as a dodger). 

in the end, i have four dodger parallels and one insert, but no base. that's what sportlots is for these days i suppose.

i have a similar post coming up regarding 2024 topps stadium club. stay tuned!