2017 Topps Chrome Rack Pack #2

It's about time I finally opened this.  It was just sitting around the house for months.

Rookies: Jeff Hoffman, Gavin Checchini, Hunter Renfroe, Alex Reyes.  Pink Refractor: Alex Reyes.  Topps Chrome 30th Anniversary Rookie: Andrew Benintendi.

2017 Topps Chrome Baseball Rack Pack #1

Every trip to Target means more baseball cards.  Helped myself to a 2017 Topps Chrome Baseball rack pack.

Of the 15 cards in the rack pack (four cards per three packs, plus one bonus pack of three pink parallels) I got 11 rookies.

Rookies: Mitch Hangier, Antonio Senzatela, Jordan Montgomery, Matt Strahm, Kyle Freeland, Amir Garrett, German Marquez.  Refractor Rookies: Jharel Cotton. Freshman Flash: Orlando Arcia.

Topps Chrome 30th Anniversary Rookie: Dansby Swanson.

Pink Refractors: Christian Yelich, Ian Desmond, Braden Shipley.

Great rack pack overall.  Still no Aaron Judge rookie card, which means I'll be buying more Chrome on my next visit to Target.

2017 Topps Allen & Ginter Rack Pack #2

Another day, another 2017 Topps Allen & Ginter rack pack.  But this time, the cards inside weren't just your average every-day cards.

Holy smokes.  Nevermind the Rediscover Topps silver buyback of Dusty Baker.  I hit a Corey Seager autographed relic book card!  This is crazy.  I don't think I've ever hit anything this good out of retail, ever!  The odds of hitting this card is 1:1,629!  My jaw is on the floor!

I swear, retail screws you over like 99% of the time, but then every once in a blue moon it sucks you back in with insanity like this.  I still can't believe I hit this card.

2017 Topps Allen & Ginter Rack Pack #1

The Aaron Judge hype is dying down a little bit.  Since the all star break he has not been hitting so well.  In fact, he broke Adam Dunn's record for most consecutive strikeouts in a game for non-pitchers.  Nevertheless, I can't stop chasing his rookie cards.

I picked up a rack pack and got a relic card Jackie Bradley Jr.  Pretty cool to get a hit from retail.  I think I would have rather hit an Aaron Judge rookie card instead.  I also got a Jake Thompson rookie card (not pictured).

2017 Bowman Platinum Baseball Rack Packs #6 and #7

I stopped by a Walmart while traveling looking for more 2017 Bowman Platinum Baseball.  I was not expecting to find anything, at all, but I did.  I was stunned to see this product still on the shelves since it's been so hot.  The Walmart I stopped at wasn't even in a remote location either.

Rookie Radar: Alex Bregman, David Dahl.  Bowman Rookie Card: Jake Thompson, Olrando Arcia.  Top Prospects: Franklin Barreto, Kolby Allard.

2017 Bowman Platinum Baseball Rack Packs #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5

Whoa!  Found five rack packs of 2017 Bowman Platinum Baseball.  This is a retail only product which makes it a little more interesting and special.  These cards look great!  I really should collect more baseball.

Bowman's Next Generation: Jahmai Jones, Josh Staumont, Christian Arroyo.  Bowman Rookie Cards: Hunter Renfroe x2, Alex Reyes, Reynaldo Lopez, David Dahl, Gavin Cecchini, and Braden Shipley.

Bowman Rookie Cards: Aaron Judge, Jorge Alfaro, Cody Bellinger, Robert Gsellman, Tyler Austin, Raimel Tapia.

Rookie Radar: Alex Bregman, and Orlando Arcia.  Top Prospects: Oscar De La Cruz, Lewis Brinson, Juan Soto, Dylan Cease, Rafael Devers green parallel #/99, Dawel Lugo, and Amed Rosario purple parallel #/250.

These cards look great!  I really hope I can find more of this stuff, but I think it's probably all bought up by now.

Here are the hanger pack odds.  Look at those Rookie Radar Autograph Gold Foil odds of 1:48,709.  Talk about long odds.

2016-17 Panini Optic Basketball Rack Pack #6

Well, I think I did a good job turning $60 into $10.  $10 is probably about the value in cards I got from the last six hanger boxes.

Rookies: Malik Beasley, Kay Felder.  Rookie Holo: Ron Baker.  Rookie Kings Gold #/199: A.J. Hammons.

At first when I saw the gold card I got all excited thinking it was numbered to ten like in football... but it's numbered to 199.

2016-17 Panini Optic Basketball Rack Pack #5

No, wait.  This is a bad box.

Rookies: Jamal Murray, Sheldon McClellan.  Hall Kings Holo: Scottie Pippen.

Only two rookies, and one notable insert.  Definitely a bad box.

2016-17 Panini Optic Basketball Rack Pack #4

This looks like it was a bad box.

Rookie: Chinanu Onuaku, Henry Ellenson.  Rookie Holo: Taurean Prince.  Court Kings Holo: Dwayne Wade.

You'd think that the Dwayne Wade holo might be worth something, but it doesn't look like anybody is buying (or even selling) these inserts.

2016-17 Panini Optic Basketball Rack Pack #3

I can't really say much about how I'm fairing on these hanger boxes since I don't know the players, but the cards sure are nice.

Rookie Kings: Dario Saric.  Rookie Kings Purple: Thon Maker.  Rookies: Malachi Richardson, Alex Abrines, Dragan Bender.

All I gotta say is that these basketball players have badass names.  Dragan Bender?  That sounds like a medieval slang word for getting drunk.  And as for Thon Maker?  He should change his first name to "Shot."

2016-17 Panini Optic Basketball Rack Pack #2

I've seen some people (seemingly) hit autographs in 50% of the hanger boxes that they've purchased.  Those people are probably the super rare lucky ones, so I wasn't getting my hopes up for an autograph.  Well, I got an autograph.

Rookie: Caris LeVent, Diamond Stone.  Base Purple: Kent Bazemore.  Signature Series: Ian Clark.

First off, let's just discuss this Diamond Stone guy.  His name is... Diamond Stone.  In case there was any confusion about whether a diamond is a stone, all you have to do is look to his last name.  This guy has an amazing name.  It's like naming your kid Carrot Vegetable or Ford Car.

The Ian Clark autograph is kind of cool.  It doesn't seem to be worth much but it's an autograph so I shouldn't complain.

2016-17 Panini Optic Basketball Rack Pack #1

I decided to branch out a little bit and break some basketball.  I read on the basketball forums that Optic Basketball was hot.  It seems like everyone was snatching up whatever Optic retail they could find.  I decided to do the same not knowing much about who is who and who is good.

All I know is that Ben Simmons was the number one draft pick last year and that apparently his rookie cards are pretty sought after.

Rookie: Ben Simmons, Brice Johnson.  Rookie Holo: Damian Jones.  Rookie Kings Holo Insert: Denzel Valentine.

It looks like you only get three to four rookies per retail hanger pack (rack pack) whereas in football you usually get nine rookies.  This is a little disappointing, but I think there are only 50 rookies in the set so that makes sense.

I think I got lucky in my first box with a Ben Simmons rookie card.  He's the guy everyone wants apparently.

2016 Panini Optic Football Rack Pack #18

Okay box.  

Rookie: Jarran Reed, Emmanuel Ogbah.  Rookie Holo: Kelvin Taylor.  Rookie Purple Holo: Maliek Collins, Kendall Fuller.  Rated Rookie: Leonte Carroo, Keenan Reynolds.  Rated Rookie Purple: Joey Bosa, Kenneth Dixon.

2016 Panini Optic Football Rack Pack #17

Can't lay off the sauce.

Rookie: Kendall Fuller, Jonathan Ballard.  Rookie Holo: Adolphus Washington.  Rookie Purple Holo: Jarran Reed, Emmanuel Ogbah.  Rated Rookie: Joey Bosa, Jacoby Brissett.  Rated Rookie Purple: Christian Hackenberg, Braxton Miller.

2016 Panini Optic Football Rack Pack #16

So addicted.

Rookie: Reggie Ragland, Mackenzie Alexander.  Rookie Holo: Deion Jones.  Rookie Purple Holo: Kenny Clark, Kamalei Correa.  Rated Rookie: Kenneth Dixon, Joey Bosa.  Rated Rookie Purple: Paxton Lynch, Nick Vannett.

2016 Panini Optic Football Rack Pack #15

Took a break from busting some retail, but I'm back on that train now.

Rookies: Carson Wentz purple Rated Rookie, Alex Collins purple Rated Rookie, Robert Nkemdiche purple, Kelvin Taylor purple, Vernon Butler holo, Nate Sudfeld, Keanu Neal, Ricardo Louis Rated Rookie, and Pharoh Cooper Rated Rookie.

2016 Panini Optic Football Rack Pack #14

Blah box.  I think the Austin Hooper purple parallel is probably the best card.

Rookies: Vonn Bell purple, T.J. Green purple, Austin Hooper purple, Tyler Boyd purple, C.J. Prosise, and Wendell Smallwood.

2016 Panini Optic Football Rack Pack #13

Dud of a box.

Rookies: Paxton Lynch, Nick Vannett, Kenneth Dixon purple, Alex Collins purple, Darron Lee purple, and Eric Murray purple.

2016 Panini Optic Football Rack Pack #12

Surprise surprise.  I got an autograph in a rack pack.  I didn't even know that was possible.

Got some nice rookies too: Jared Goff, Jordan Howard, and Hunter Henry purple.  Other rookies: Jeff Driskel purple, Cody Core purple, and Austin Johnson purple.

Other rookies:  Kenny Clark, Vernon Butler holo, and Eli Apple.

And the autograph was a Sean Davis sticker autograph numbered to 150.  I read the insert list on the rack pack's fine print, and it says that base optic autograph rookie cards /150 are in the rack packs.  No other shorter printed autograph parallels are in rack packs.

2016 Panini Optic Football Rack Pack #11

Another rack pack.  The Dak Prescott Rated Rookie card was the only good card of the box.

Also got: Sean Davis purple parallel, Reggie Ragland purple parallel, Ricardo Louis purple rated rookie, Pharoh Cooper purple rated rookie, and a Moritz Bohringer rated rookie.