Cards From My Rookie Box

I'm a Boston Sports collector. (Ok, New England) That's my main collecting focus. I try to acquire as many cards of the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, and Patriots as I can. And even the Revolution from time to time. I will actively seek these cards out. I will buy packs that contain a big Boston rookie. I will collect their cards from packs. I will seek out lots to buy of their cards. Trade for them. Almost exclusively at the expense of every other card in my collection. Five Derek Jeters to trade for five Pedros? Done. A low numbered Ohtani hit? Where can I sell it the fastest?

But, I do know that there are other teams out there. And I know they have decent players. So I have started to hang on to key rookies from other teams as well. Now, these aren't usually cards I seek out. But, if I'm opening packs and happen to get one, I might save the best version I find of these players cards. Or, if I have a COMC order ready to ship with a few bucks left in my account, I may grab one to fill out the order.But that's really it.

It's just a way to have a well rounded collection. So that if a friend ever says, "Say, you collect cards...do you have a XXX rookie?" I can say that yes, I do. Just increasing the overall appeal of my collection. 

For instance, what if they ask...

Do you have a roookie of that superstar De La Criz guy I keep hearing about? Why yes. When I bought my All-Star game foil set, he was in it.

Do you have a rookie of the two-time Cy Young? Yes. While opening packs hunting for Benintendis, his card was in one of them.

Do you have a card of the future Hall-of-Famer who took out Pedroia? Why yes, A spent a couple bucks on it to fill out a COMC order.

And so on. 

In fact, here's a video I made of some of the "active baseball stars" in my rookie box. There's another one on the way, as well as videos for other sports and ones including retired stars and Hall of Famers. They're fun to look through. Hopefully you'll think these additions make for a "well rounded" collection.

Be sure to watch the rest of my videos, and subscribe to the channel so you can see the rest of my rookie box, and so much more.

Red Sox World Series Champions!

There was a time where the idea of making a video like this would be laughable. Showing cards of Red Sox world champions would have been hard enough. But finding as many players as you'd need to have 20 minutes of them? The only players that would qualify were from more than 75 years ago. There weren't that many cards. But, with four championships in the last 25 years, suddenly there was an abundance. So, what a better time to have some fun and listen in?

Catching Up With Guest Closers!

I am just loving all the guest closer videos! I hope you've been checking them all out on the Youtube Channel.  I love letting everyone participate in the videos.

Be sure to check out the Section 36 Sportscards Youtube channel to see more guest closers, and all the other pack openings. You won't be disappointed!

I wonder who the next "Guest Closer" will be. Maybe you?

2026 Topps Blaster Opening!

Is there anything better than opening those first packs of the new year? I can't imagine what it would be. That's what I just did with the 2026 cards. I really like the design this year. For one thing, I CAN READ THE NAMES! There's no foil over them, or lines drawn through them. They're just sitting there big and bold in the corner. It's like a fever dream. Of course, the big hunt is the Roman Anthony rookies. It's always nice when the big chase is a Red Sox card. Adds that extra element to it.

How it go?

Let's find out!

Here's what the box looks like. Shocker to see Judge and Ohtani on there. They never seem to get the features.

First Red Sox card of the season!! This second year card of Marcelo Mayer "Future Stars". Like I said, I can read the name. I can see the team logo. The vertical stripe adds just enough design. I really have no complaints.

Carlos Narvaez is the other Red Sox card from the blaster. What a great image.

And those were the only two Sox. Guess I can't complain too much.

Check out my YouTube Channel to see all the packs from the blaster. The video of the first three packs has already been posted. Check it out below.

How have your packs gone?

Go Red! 2014 Topps Target Red Yoenis Cespedes

February is American Heart Month. As a nod to the Go Red for Women activities going on this month to help raise awareness, I thought I'd contribute several "red" themed posts sprinkled throughout the month.

Let's talk about this card...

Yoenis Cespedes had a short unmemorable stint with the Red Sox. He was anchored with being the main return in the Jon Lester trade. Perhaps his biggest contribution was being the main chip that brought in future Cy Young award winner Rick Porcello to Boston. 

Pretty average card here. "Batter in mid swing" is a common photo topic. In this case, he's showing a bit more effort than most, at least. Otherwise, it's a rather non-descript card. Which I guess you get every once in a while.

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I'm sure you all remember forever Miss District of Columbia Jude Maboné from her interview with us. Her "heart health" community service initiative is, obviously, quite relevant this month. As such, she's supporting the Simon's Heart campaign this month (and every month). I highly recommend you join her efforts with a donation if you are able. You can find the link here.

Support her efforts, and Go Red!

Three More Videos with Guest Closers!

These Gust Closers are so much fun! I love letting everyone participate in the videos.

Be sure to check out the Section 36 Sportscards Youtube channel to see more guest closers, and all the other pack openings. You won't be disappointed!

I wonder who the next "Guest Closer" will be. Maybe you?

Mweni is the founder of Mock With Me, pageant interview coaching and preparation. Mock With Me on Instagram

Eliza Howells is a fantastic singer whose single “Fear the Worst” is one you just need to hear. Be sure to listen to her entire catalog wherever you usually stream your music, and follow her so you don’t miss her new music. Eliza on Spotify Eliza on Instagram Eliza on TikTok

Elle Sera is an outstanding singer whose single “Out Loud” is one you just need to check out. Be sure to listen to her entire catalog wherever you usually stream your music, and follow her so you don’t miss her new music. Elle on Spotify Elle on Instagram

Elle on Facebook

Another Guest Closer! This Time It's Francesca!

I love these guest closers! The ability to get everyone to participate in the videos makes things so much more fun. This time Francesca joins the party to let everyone know exactly where she'd rather be!

Be sure to check out the Section 36 Sportscards Youtube Channel to see more guest closers, and all the other pack openings. You won't be disappointed.

I wonder who the next "Guest Closer" will be. Maybe you?

More Guest Closers! Youtube visit from Caroline!

Since you've all been watching every YouTube video I post, you know that I close each one by reminding everyone that I'd rather be in Section 36. Wouldn't we all? It's defintily something I say wherever I am, and whichever account I'm using. Some people have made the fun decision that they'd also like to remind everyone where they'd rather be. So here is another of our "guest closers"!

Introducing "Guest Closers"

I'm sure you've all been watching every YouTube video I post. Since you do, you know that I close each one by reminding everyone that I'd rather be in Section 36. Wouldn't we all? It'd defintily something I say wherever I am, and whichever account I'm using. Some people have made the fun decision that they'd also like to remind everyone where they'd rather be. So here are a few of our first "guest closers"!

Gold Together: 2022 Topps Walmart Gold Star Parallel Jack Lopez

 September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. As a nod to the Gold Together activities going on this month to help raise awareness of the leading cause of death by disease in children, I thought I'd contribute several "gold" themed posts sprinkled throughout the month. Here's the next one.

Let's talk about this card...

I've mentioned it before. The retail sets are a fun way to easily add some variety to my collection. These Gold Star versions are an great way to do it. With one in three factory sets coming with a parallel, there are enough of them to make them obtainable. But, rare enough to be something a little different. Which is great.

This is a pretty generic picture of Lopez here. The red socks really pop, and almost make it look like he's wearing shin guards or something. Otherwise, nothing to exciting to talk about. Just your basic "hitter hitting" base card.

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I'm sure you all remember Mina Smith from her interview with us. Through her social impact initiative "Love Your Neighbor" she is fundraising to brind awareness to childhood cancer through Dance Hope Cure. I highly recommend you support her efforts with a donation if you are able. You can find the link here.

Thank you for supporting her efforts to Love Your Neighbor!

Go Red! 2014 Topps Target Red Kelly Johnson

 February is American Heart Month. As a nod to the Go Red for Women activities going on this month to help raise awareness, I thought I'd contribute several "red" themed posts sprinkled throughout the month.

Let's talk about this card...

Kelly Johnson played ten gmes for the Red Sox in 2014. He was acquired from the Yankees at the deadline for Stephen Drew. A month later, he was traded to the Orioles in a four players deal. So, obviously, not a lot to say about his Red Sox career. Glad he was able to get a card out of it, though.

It's a simple card. I'm guessing there weren't a ton of pictures to choose from. I don't actually remember the Red sox wearing the blue and red combo like that. That's nice to see. Otherwise, it's a rather non-descript card. Which I guess you get every once in a while.

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This month, and every month, if you are able please consider donating to American Heart Association and their Go Red For Women campaign.

"For 100 years the American Heart Association has been leading the fight to save lives from heart disease and stroke. We've invested more than $5 billion in heart and brain research, leading to the development of the artificial heart valve, the defibrillator, and even CPR.

Countless lives have been saved. But we are still losing someone every 34 seconds in this country to heart disease. It's the cause of death of 1 in 5 people - that's more than all forms of cancer combined. Chances are you or someone you love will be affected by this deadly disease."

This month, and every month, if you are able please consider donating to American Heart Association and their Go Red For Women campaign.

Go Red! 2014 Topps Target Red David Ross

February is American Heart Month. As a nod to the Go Red for Women activities going on this month to help raise awareness, I thought I'd contribute several "red" themed posts sprinkled throughout the month.

Let's talk about this card...

Hard to forget David Ross! Especially for me, since I was in the park as he caught the last strike of the 2013 World Series. He definitely earned that ring on his finger. While his stints in Boston weren't long, they made up for it with that championship.

The card itself...I'm not sure what Ross is doing with his fingers. Is he supposed to be showing "3" of something? Or is that the only way he could figure out to make his fingers work to show off the ring? The picture is fantastic though. Even cropped tight, you can see the giant championship banner behind him on the monster. What a great addition to the team collection.

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This month, and every month, if you are able please consider donating to American Heart Association and their Go Red For Women campaign.

"For 100 years the American Heart Association has been leading the fight to save lives from heart disease and stroke. We've invested more than $5 billion in heart and brain research, leading to the development of the artificial heart valve, the defibrillator, and even CPR.

Countless lives have been saved. But we are still losing someone every 34 seconds in this country to heart disease. It's the cause of death of 1 in 5 people - that's more than all forms of cancer combined. Chances are you or someone you love will be affected by this deadly disease."

Go Red! 2014 Topps Target Red Edward Mujica

 February is American Heart Month. As a nod to the Go Red for Women activities going on this month to help raise awareness, I thought I'd contribute several "red" themed posts sprinkled throughout the month.

Let's talk about this card...

Remember last time when I said I sometimes forget that AJ Pierzynski was on the Sox? Yeah. Edward Mujica was on the Sox for a season plus, coming out of the pen. He actually appeared in 75 games over those two years, so was used a lot. But, in the championship hangover, that season isn't one that sticks out in my memories...for any of the Sox players.

The card itself...I'll keep saying it. I like the Target Red parallels. I love the idea that every player, even Mujica, has a rare card to chase. Something that every collection can add to make it a bit more special. I will also keep saying that I wish the color red they chose didn't clash with the color red in the Sox logo. But, that's still ok. It's a fun card to have in my binder.

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This month, and every month, if you are able please consider donating to American Heart Association and their Go Red For Women campaign.

"For 100 years the American Heart Association has been leading the fight to save lives from heart disease and stroke. We've invested more than $5 billion in heart and brain research, leading to the development of the artificial heart valve, the defibrillator, and even CPR.

Countless lives have been saved. But we are still losing someone every 34 seconds in this country to heart disease. It's the cause of death of 1 in 5 people - that's more than all forms of cancer combined. Chances are you or someone you love will be affected by this deadly disease."

Go Red! 2014 Topps Target Red AJ Pierzynski

February is American Heart Month. As a nod to the Go Red for Women activities going on this month to help raise awareness, I thought I'd contribute several "red" themed posts sprinkled throughout the month.

Let's talk about this card...

Sometimes forget that Pierzynski was on the Sox. His partial season in 2014 isn't exactly the stuff of legends. Especially since everyone was still in the haze after winning the championship in 2013. But, he served a role batting .250 is 72 games for the Sox that year. Just enough to not be memorable. To me at least.

The card itself...I still say I like the Target Red parallels. It gives something fun to chace in retail packs. It's not ridiculously overwhelming. Just a simple matte red border. Just enough to add some variety ot a collection. I do wish the color red they chose didn't clash with the color red in the Sox logo. But, I guess I can't have everything.

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This month, and every month, if you are able please consider donating to American Heart Association and their Go Red For Women campaign.

"For 100 years the American Heart Association has been leading the fight to save lives from heart disease and stroke. We've invested more than $5 billion in heart and brain research, leading to the development of the artificial heart valve, the defibrillator, and even CPR.

Countless lives have been saved. But we are still losing someone every 34 seconds in this country to heart disease. It's the cause of death of 1 in 5 people - that's more than all forms of cancer combined. Chances are you or someone you love will be affected by this deadly disease."

Go Red! 2014 Topps Red Hot Foil David Ortiz

February is American Heart Month. As a nod to the Go Red for Women activities going on this month to help raise awareness, I thought I'd contribute several "red" themed posts sprinkled throughout the month.

Let's talk about this card...

Not much to say about Ortiz that hasn't been said. From waiver wire pick-up to the greatest clutch hitter in Red Sox history. In 2014, Ortiz had just led the Sox to yet another title...and "led" he did. His numbers in the World Series was the stuff of legends.

The card itself...is a lot. I'm not usually a fan of mixing horizontal cards into a vertical set. They always just look off. Of course, this picture was just made for a horizontal cropping. But, it still sticks out a bit. Plus the red foil makes an already foil heavy set just completely over the top.

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This month, and every month, if you are able please consider donating to American Heart Association and their Go Red For Women campaign.

"For 100 years the American Heart Association has been leading the fight to save lives from heart disease and stroke. We've invested more than $5 billion in heart and brain research, leading to the development of the artificial heart valve, the defibrillator, and even CPR.

Countless lives have been saved. But we are still losing someone every 34 seconds in this country to heart disease. It's the cause of death of 1 in 5 people - that's more than all forms of cancer combined. Chances are you or someone you love will be affected by this deadly disease."

This Week In Videos! Topps Holiday and Topps Composite!

More videos that you just NEED to see on the Section 36 YouTube channel! If you subscribe already (and why wouldn't you?) you saw all these videos this week, and have the chance to relive them here! If you're not subscribed...watch these videos, subscribe to the channel, and prepare to be amazed!

2023 Topps Composite Blaster Opening!

I was hoping this would be a different product. Remember when Topps came back to the basketball card market after a long absence? They put out their Archives set. It featured players whose rookie cards would have been produced during their time away, in the design of that year’s baseball set. So, we got Michael Jordan in the 1984 Topps design. I was hoping that’s what this set would be. I wanted Josh Allen in the 2018 Topps design. What I got was a football version of the baseball archives set. I didn’t need another Dan Marino Topps card, or Barry Sanders in a design from the 70’s. On the bright side, the blaster was full of stars and top rookies. On the other side, it was a missed opportunity. What do you think?

How did this particular blaster go? I'm glad you asked.

Here's what the box looks like. In a shadow.

And here's a Drew Bledsoe on a Topps Chrome design. See what I mean, though? I have plenty of Bledsoe Topps cards. This one just seems unnecessary. Especially an "unlicensed" version.

Same goes for this Tops Finest looking card of Teddy Bruschi. I mean, sure, always nice to add one of his cards. But...this is really something I didn't really need.

And there you have it. Two Patriots cards out of this box, and they're both retired greats.

If you want to see every card I pulled, be sure to subscribe to the Section 36 YouTube channel! The video of the entire opening will be posted there, if it hasn't already. You will also be able to find an almost endless selection of packs and boxes that I've opened. Feel free to dive down that rabbit hole.

How did your box go?

2024 Topps Holiday Mega Box Opening!

The Topps Holiday sets are so much fun. It’s another way to get a different looking card of your favorite player in your collection. One more edition of the rainbow you can try to chase. Or, in some cases, two or three more editions. More importantly, editions that won't break the bank. I love that the set doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still guarantees a hit in every box. What could be better?

So let’s see what magic we find in our winter wonderland!

Here's what the box looks like.

Here's a card of Sox star Rafael Devers. I like how Topps mixes up how they do the "holiday" each year. Sometimes it's a fun border. Sometimes it's a snow effect. This year, it's neon holiday decorations all over the entire card. Definitely different!

And here's one of Section 36 favorite Triston Casas. Again, love the theming.

And there you go. Only two Red Sox cards out of the ten packs. But, they were certainly good ones.

If you want to see every card I pulled, be sure to subscribe to the Section 36 YouTube channel! The video of the entire opening will be posted there, if it hasn't already. You will also be able to find an almost endless selection of packs and boxes that I've opened. Feel free to dive down that rabbit hole.

How did your box go?

Festivus!

That’s right, today’s the day! As you can see, I’ve set out my aluminum pole and am ready for the festivities to begin!

While it’s kinda hard to do feats of strength on a blog, we can certainly air some grievances! I’ve even started with the first one. I would definitely rather be in Section 36 right now!

Now it’s your turn. I’m taking this opportunity to allow you to air your blog-related grievances! That’s right. Leave a comment telling me things you don’t like about the blog and its content!

Is the font too small? Too big? Are the sidebars too plain? Too cluttered? Do I write about a topic too much? Do you wish I wrote about a topic more? At all? How about the YouTube cannel? Any issues with that? All with no hard feelings on my part. This is your chance!

I know. Allowing the internet to complain about you can be scary. But, maybe I’ll be able to respond to the grievances and make the blog better for everyone!

Sound reasonable? Ok then. Let’s hear it.

What are your Section 36 related grievances?

I Was Live!

Did you miss it? I decided to try my first live wax opening. This first attempt opened a collection of junk wax packs of cards from baseball, football, and hockey. It was a fun time had by all.

If you'd like to check it out, it's right here.

Of course, you know all that aready if you're subscribed. If you're not subscribed...watch this video, subscribe to the channel, and prepare to be amazed!