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dano7
Well-known member
First the regular 2009 Tristar Prospects Plus box ($75):
I hit the regular stated odds on this box, which you will see below. I received 99 of 100 cards in the set and 10 duplicates. The #1 card is Strasburg, which is the card I didn't get in ther regular set and may be a SP. The set has less cards than last year. There are still some dual, triple and quadruple player cards, with different tie ins. I liked it better last year, where the players were almost all tied in to the same team on the card, as it made it easier for me to get some of them autographed by all of the players. This will be more of a challenge this year. TTM and IP autographs will be my main use for these cards.
Each box is also numbered and this break is from box 1792/2400.
First, I have listed an example of a regular card, dual card, triple card and quadruple player card.
Next, I have listed the SP cards, which are not individually numbered (a weak point) and are only discernable by a box around the number on the back of the card and the fact that they are close up photos of the player.
Dustin Ackley (#2 pick)
Tony Sanchez (#4 pick)
Also, there are gold (50), green (25), red (5) and purple parallels of the regular, Crystal Ballers and autographed cards. I received two gold cards.
Billy Hamilton (2nd round pick) 46/50
Jeremy Hazelbaker (4th round pick) 32/50
The Crystal Ballers are a subset that continue the set up to 116 cards and I received two of them. They are not sequentially numbered.
I received one Obak Update card. There are 5 total cards available.
The autograph cards I received were not as well colated as the base set. There are four per box. Each is numbered to 199 (or less for the colored parallels).
My cards included:
Donovan Tate (#3 pick) 119/199, 179/199, 181/199
Tony Sanchez (#4 pick) 80/199
I guess if you're going to receive multiples, the number 3 pick is a good place to start.
Overall, I'm pleased with the box and will probably buy another. I like the cards' light backgrounds for TTM autos. I received high draft picks as my autographs, though three were of one player. I like trhe fact that the boxes were numberd, giving some idea of production, though I have no idea how much retail product they'll produce.
I'll be back later with the hot box results.
DANNY
Now, for the 2009 Tristar Prospects Plus Hot Box ($115), numbered 676/720, which is a
very low number of boxes produced. The upside to this box was that it had 26 hits
guaranteed, including an autographed card in each of its’ 10 packs. The number of each
insert hit perfectly with the advertised odds. There were more low numbered cards and
more low numbered autographed cards in this box than the regular box. However, I hit
none of the red (numbered to 5) or purple (1 of 1) cards in the box. The downside was
that there were only 34 regular cards to go along with the 26 inserts. So, if you’re looking
to do IP and/or TTM autographs, the regular box might be a better buy.
I received five different Obak update cards, which was the entire update set. These cards
look great and even the Strasburg artwork card looked good in this setting. The other
cards were of Ackley, Tate, Sanchez and Hobgood. That gave you the top 5 picks in the
draft.
The short print cards I received were Dustin Ackley, Tony Sanchez, Matthew Hobgood
and Nick Franklin. Again, these cards were only differentiated by a different photo and
either a circle or square around the number. I would have like to have seen these cards
with either a different color foil or preferably have seen them serial numbered.
The Crystal Baller inserts are interesting looking cards, but I could have honestly been
perfectly alright without them. Extra Obak cards would have worked better, as they were
the better looking inserts. I received Tony Sanchez and Reymond Fuentes in the box.
I received three gold foil cards, which are numbered to 50. My cards were of Rinku Singh
19/50, Reymond Fuentes 47/50 and a dual card of Michael Leake and Bradley Boxberger
25/50, who have a Cincinnati tie, as both were first round picks by the Reds. I’m hoping
to get this card signed by both, as Cincinnati replaced the Pirates in Lynchburg in the
Carolina League. Hopefully, both will get to play for Lynchburg soon.
I received one Stephen Strasburg card, which was card 1 in the set. It too, appears to be a
SP, as it has a square around the number. These, too, should have been serial numbered.
The sketch type card is called a tristART card on the front. It’s an interesting looking
card, but too bad they couldn’t use a photo. I think they did okay with getting him into the
set this way, though.
I received one green foil card, who was Jesus Montero13/25. He was one of only a few
non-first card players in the set. I was still happy, as I got a low numbered Yankee.
Now, for the autographs. I received five cards numbered to 199, three gold cards
numbered to 50 and two green cards numbered to 25. There were 5 first round picks, 2
second round picks and one each from the fourth, sixth and fiftieth rounds. The 50th
round pick was the last player selected in the draft, Alibay Barkley. All autographs are on
clear stickers.
Allen ******* 167/199 17th overall by Arizona
Chad Jenkins 186/199 20th overall by Toronto
Jeffrey Kobernus 79/199 50th overall by Washington
Adam Warren 194/199 135th overall by New York AL
Alibay Barkley 97/199 1521st overall by Los Angeles AL
Randal Grichuk 23/50 24th overall by Los Angeles AL
Alex Wilson 34/50 77th overall by Boston
Kristopher Hobson 41/50 190th overall by Toronto
Tyler Skaggs 7/25 40th overall by Los Angeles AL
Dustin Ackley Crystal Baller 10/25 2nd overall by Seattle
In final analysis, I was VERY pleased to get autographs of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th picks in
the draft between the two boxes. The Crystal Ballers cards look great autographed and maybe should only be an autographed insert. The lower production numbers on the boxes should
result in good pulls from almost all boxes.
DANNY
I hit the regular stated odds on this box, which you will see below. I received 99 of 100 cards in the set and 10 duplicates. The #1 card is Strasburg, which is the card I didn't get in ther regular set and may be a SP. The set has less cards than last year. There are still some dual, triple and quadruple player cards, with different tie ins. I liked it better last year, where the players were almost all tied in to the same team on the card, as it made it easier for me to get some of them autographed by all of the players. This will be more of a challenge this year. TTM and IP autographs will be my main use for these cards.
Each box is also numbered and this break is from box 1792/2400.
First, I have listed an example of a regular card, dual card, triple card and quadruple player card.
Next, I have listed the SP cards, which are not individually numbered (a weak point) and are only discernable by a box around the number on the back of the card and the fact that they are close up photos of the player.
Dustin Ackley (#2 pick)
Tony Sanchez (#4 pick)
Also, there are gold (50), green (25), red (5) and purple parallels of the regular, Crystal Ballers and autographed cards. I received two gold cards.
Billy Hamilton (2nd round pick) 46/50
Jeremy Hazelbaker (4th round pick) 32/50
The Crystal Ballers are a subset that continue the set up to 116 cards and I received two of them. They are not sequentially numbered.
I received one Obak Update card. There are 5 total cards available.
The autograph cards I received were not as well colated as the base set. There are four per box. Each is numbered to 199 (or less for the colored parallels).
My cards included:
Donovan Tate (#3 pick) 119/199, 179/199, 181/199
Tony Sanchez (#4 pick) 80/199
I guess if you're going to receive multiples, the number 3 pick is a good place to start.
Overall, I'm pleased with the box and will probably buy another. I like the cards' light backgrounds for TTM autos. I received high draft picks as my autographs, though three were of one player. I like trhe fact that the boxes were numberd, giving some idea of production, though I have no idea how much retail product they'll produce.
I'll be back later with the hot box results.
DANNY
Now, for the 2009 Tristar Prospects Plus Hot Box ($115), numbered 676/720, which is a
very low number of boxes produced. The upside to this box was that it had 26 hits
guaranteed, including an autographed card in each of its’ 10 packs. The number of each
insert hit perfectly with the advertised odds. There were more low numbered cards and
more low numbered autographed cards in this box than the regular box. However, I hit
none of the red (numbered to 5) or purple (1 of 1) cards in the box. The downside was
that there were only 34 regular cards to go along with the 26 inserts. So, if you’re looking
to do IP and/or TTM autographs, the regular box might be a better buy.
I received five different Obak update cards, which was the entire update set. These cards
look great and even the Strasburg artwork card looked good in this setting. The other
cards were of Ackley, Tate, Sanchez and Hobgood. That gave you the top 5 picks in the
draft.
The short print cards I received were Dustin Ackley, Tony Sanchez, Matthew Hobgood
and Nick Franklin. Again, these cards were only differentiated by a different photo and
either a circle or square around the number. I would have like to have seen these cards
with either a different color foil or preferably have seen them serial numbered.
The Crystal Baller inserts are interesting looking cards, but I could have honestly been
perfectly alright without them. Extra Obak cards would have worked better, as they were
the better looking inserts. I received Tony Sanchez and Reymond Fuentes in the box.
I received three gold foil cards, which are numbered to 50. My cards were of Rinku Singh
19/50, Reymond Fuentes 47/50 and a dual card of Michael Leake and Bradley Boxberger
25/50, who have a Cincinnati tie, as both were first round picks by the Reds. I’m hoping
to get this card signed by both, as Cincinnati replaced the Pirates in Lynchburg in the
Carolina League. Hopefully, both will get to play for Lynchburg soon.
I received one Stephen Strasburg card, which was card 1 in the set. It too, appears to be a
SP, as it has a square around the number. These, too, should have been serial numbered.
The sketch type card is called a tristART card on the front. It’s an interesting looking
card, but too bad they couldn’t use a photo. I think they did okay with getting him into the
set this way, though.
I received one green foil card, who was Jesus Montero13/25. He was one of only a few
non-first card players in the set. I was still happy, as I got a low numbered Yankee.
Now, for the autographs. I received five cards numbered to 199, three gold cards
numbered to 50 and two green cards numbered to 25. There were 5 first round picks, 2
second round picks and one each from the fourth, sixth and fiftieth rounds. The 50th
round pick was the last player selected in the draft, Alibay Barkley. All autographs are on
clear stickers.
Allen ******* 167/199 17th overall by Arizona
Chad Jenkins 186/199 20th overall by Toronto
Jeffrey Kobernus 79/199 50th overall by Washington
Adam Warren 194/199 135th overall by New York AL
Alibay Barkley 97/199 1521st overall by Los Angeles AL
Randal Grichuk 23/50 24th overall by Los Angeles AL
Alex Wilson 34/50 77th overall by Boston
Kristopher Hobson 41/50 190th overall by Toronto
Tyler Skaggs 7/25 40th overall by Los Angeles AL
Dustin Ackley Crystal Baller 10/25 2nd overall by Seattle
In final analysis, I was VERY pleased to get autographs of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th picks in
the draft between the two boxes. The Crystal Ballers cards look great autographed and maybe should only be an autographed insert. The lower production numbers on the boxes should
result in good pulls from almost all boxes.
DANNY
