Buzz Break: 2024 Topps Heritage High Number MLB (blaster)

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The box: 2024 Topps Heritage High Number baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was found in this one.

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 9
Cards in this box: 72
Base set completion: 
61 of 200 (31 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Fernando Tatis Jr., Chris Sale, Dylan Cease, Randy Arozarena, Willson Contreras

RC logo cards (30) – Notables include Jackson Merrill, Jackson Chourio, Shota Imanaga ... see all rookies in gallery.

Insert/short-print cards: 11 (all in gallery below with some base)
Short-prints (Nos. 701-up) (2) – Will Klein (RC), Robert Suarez
Chrome Refractor (1) – A.J. Smith-Shawver (/699)
Silver-bordered Chrome Refractor (1) – Wilyer Abreu (/225)
Aqua parallel (1) – Tyler Black (errant White Border notation on back)
White parallel (1) – Erick Fedde
Green parallel (3) – Rookie Pitchers, Ramon Laureano, Eduardo Rodriguez (errant White Border notation on back)
Now & Then (1) – Kenley Jansen
Rookie Performers (1) – Jackson Merrill

Autographs/Memorabilia: None

What's Buzz-worthy: This months-late arrival -- it dropped just this week -- caps the 2024 take on the colorful 1975 Topps set and this one was perhaps worth the delay. It's improved with an array of parallels added to the mix in this format along with an expanded Chrome presence (all cards Chromed save for the 100 in the first series) atop the rookie-dense lineup that catches up on all the notables of last season working out their sophomore kinks this week. The production issues of the first are ultimately all fixed here for the most part, though all packs in my three blasters included cards that were lightly crimped in the wrapper seal -- mostly base but one parallel and one Chrome (not this box) got a light touch added as seen at right. (Watch for it if buying singles ... it could be an issue.) This box offered up the three Green parallels, two Chrome Refractors (base Chrome this time is also /699, so Refractor Chromes at /699 are perhaps mis-numbered) with one per blaster and the rarer kind one in every three boxes here. Aqua is also one per  -- they stand out as an unusual color highlight here -- while the White parallels are every other blaster. All are more potential shots at notable names found here. Among the RCs I landed two of the three Jacksons and one of the top two Japanese stars found here. I could have done worse for sure. There's a lot to be found here across both formats -- just hobby and blasters -- with long odds so a lot was made. That said, the Chrome shift here means more Superfractors here than in any Heritage release ever made and the strong rookies will help those be even bigger finds at times, though it also means more common Supers, too. (It's one in 4,500ish and up in all formats.) About the only bummer is how the Minis here for just this release are one in 30 packs after being a standalone release of their own -- you'd think they could have flowed more regularly here -- if not even one per pack -- to be collectable and not a dollar chase since the first series was a full release. (No Mini parallels here, either.) There's a lot to find but I may wait for prices to settle -- if they do -- as the odds on bigger stuff are long. I'll dabble with the smaller format here, conceding the hit per box (autos are roughly twice as tough in retail, while standard Relics are slightly easier ... hobby has more variety on that front) for the basic stuff here will be easily found later. Why? It's only 200 cards in a base set -- you'll land just under one set per hobby box and you get about a third of a base set in a single blaster ... that's a lot of every player here and all the notable RCs are among the basic part of the set and not the SPs. I'll rip more when I find it and you'll see my other two blasters here in the coming weeks.

Product Grade: A
Box Grade: A
Fun Grade: A-

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