Buzz Break: 2023 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The box: 2023 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Keep reading for a full breakdown of what was in this one as well as a gallery of highlights.

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 48
Base set completion: 
28 of 300 (9 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Victor Wembanyama, Ermsy, Aaron Judge, Bob Gibson, Randy Johnson, Jeremy Pena, Ari Chambers, Lil Baby

RC logo cards (6) – Gunnar Henderson (SP), Kodai Senga, Vinnie Pasquantino, Lenyn Sosa, Gabriel Moreno, Matthew Liberatore

Insert cards: 21 (all in gallery below with some base)
Short-prints (Nos. 301-400) (4) – Gunnar Henderson, Jackie Robinson, Pete Alonso, Mark McGwire
Filagree parallel (1) – Jose Berrios
In Action parallel (1) – Oswaldo Cabrera
Mini parallel (1) – Sarah Natochenny
Mini short-prints parallel (1) – Jason Kendall
Mini A&G backs short-prints parallel (1) – Casey Webb
Mini Black parallel (1) – Vinnie Pasquantino
Mini Gold parallel (1) – C.J. Abrams
Mini Rookie Variation (1) – Josh Jung
By Any Other Name (1) – Allen's Swamp Monkey
The World Of Wonder (1) – Mayan Ruins Of Tikal
Fun In The Sun (1) – Building A Sandcastle
Music To Your Ears (1) – Bandoneon
Spotless Spans (4) – Corey Seager, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, Randy Johnson
Talonted (2) – Merlin, Peregrine Falcon

Autographs/Memorabilia: None

What's Buzz-worthy: I did an all-time low of this brand last year and I've been a heavy buyer since its revival in 2006 ... but I spotted this straggler out in the retail wild and grabbed it, though I mistakenly thought it was in the discount bin like others. The good news? I landed Wembanyama, a Henderson SP, a slightly rarer Filagree parallel (one in seven blasters) and a two-per case (blasters) In Action parallel, too. All in all, a stacked box but you may not realize it doing a quick rip. So .. my mistake of grabbing this one at full price was a win. (Do hobby boxes as they're cheap and there's a ton to find here.) ... As I said previously, I think this line needs a reboot, rebrand or maybe even a break. The design is again more developed -- last year might have been a peak for revamped looks for the brand -- but the waist-up/essentially mugshot photo on seemingly every card is, well, not all that appealing card after card after card and I only opened this small box. ... A new take on the 1880s tobacco card aesthetic works for baseball but I'm not sure a lot of the pop culture throw-ins here really make sense on that style as much as they might for a Finest set or something that has a lot of razzle/dazzle Refractor feel to it. It just feels off ... and I don't think this retro, Victorian-style look is a good mainstreaming feel to draw non-collectors into cards in the here and now. It just feels off. ... Hobby boxes once again include three hits -- sometimes that will be three Relics -- and then some cases have delivered a lot more ink than others and that could make for some fun breaks if you go there. I, myself, would rather have some consistency and for a more-premium price for these boxes these days I'll play the broken record and note that this one really does need an auto in every hobby box. (A lot of the names can't be pricey signers to land, either.) Rip those if you're chasing the elite stuff ... check out my other breaks for more thoughts on this one.

Product Grade: B 
Box Grade: A+ (Wembanyama, a Gunnar SP and two rarer parallels make this one a win)
Fun Grade: B+ (good box = slightly more fun this time)

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