Box Break - 2015 Panini Cooperstown

I haven't done a ton of higher end box breaking during my collecting career.  Back about 4-5 years ago my LCS had a bunch of 2007 Sweet Spot Classic priced at about $60-70 a box, not sure if that is considered higher end but to me it was for just a few cards.  I did break a box of Museum Collection the year it came out.  Otherwise my breaks have usually been of the Topps and Upperdeck flagship variety with some Bowman and Panini products mixed in.

Right before Labor Day, Dave and Adam's Card World had a sale and I decided to get a few boxes.  I picked up two low priced 2013 Panini Pinnacle boxes, a box of 2015 Diamond Kings and a box of 2015 Panini Cooperstown.

I consider this product as a higher end one as it is only 1 pack of 12 cards for about $80-90.  I have watched a ton of box breaks of this on youtube and realized that I have autos of most of the people in this product but when I saw it on sale I was feeling kind of lucky so I figured what the heck. My hope was that I would secure an auto or two of some guys I don't already have as part of my HOF Auto Collection.

As I mentioned and the top of the box clearly indicates this is a 12 card box.  Since it is such a low number, I figured I would share the front of each card.  First up is an Armed Forces insert:

This is a nice patriotic design of former Yankee great Bill Dickey.  I like that Panini is celebrating the service of baseball players and this is a cool photo of Dickey holding a model of a ship. 

Next is this shiny Induction insert of Bert Blyleven.  This insert is not numbered and didn't scan quite as well as it looks in person.  My favorite aspect of this card is the wearing of the HOF jersey by Bert.

Now we are getting into some numbered stuff.  This Etched in Cooperstown insert of Mr. Tiger Al Kaline is numbered 12/25.  They scan quite well, in person the texture doesn't show quite as well.  I believe there are a couple other colored varieties.

 

Next up is a Crown Royale insert of Tommy Lasorda, I probably couldn't ask for a worse subject to pull.  This silver version is numbered 61/75 and probably won't last long in the ARPSmith household.

Next I pulled a Doug Harvey purple version of the Crown Royale insert.  This card is numbered 40/50.  Harvey is already part of my HOF Auto collection but this card wasn't super exciting, in all honesty at this point of the break I was quite disappointed.

Each year there is a golf tournament in Cooperstown around induction week and this insert set celebrates some of the players who participate in the tournament.  As you can see it is numbered 14/25 and while the subject of the card isn't baseball, I kind of like this insert set.

Now onto the two Autographs...

Boom!  My Nolan Ryan luck continues.  Regular readers may remember this pull from 2015 Topps Series 1 and The Ryan Express strikes again, this time paired with the Baby Bull, Orlando Cepeda.  Numbered out of only 5 and featuring Ryan, this is one of the better non-cut autos out of the product I have to believe.  In part due to a comment by cynicalbudda, I kept the one out of 2015 as a second Ryan auto.  I am kind of torn right now on what I am going to do with this one.  On one hand, it is a pretty cool and very rare card and it does feature Cepeda who is in the Hall as a Giant.  On the other hand, there is nothing that signifies the Giants on the card and I could way more than recoup the cost of the box (and maybe the entire order) if I sell it.  I will give it a few more days and see.

Here is my second auto of the break with a nice on-card auto of Jim Bunning. I have a Bunning in my collection but I also like this card so it is going to stick around for a while, pretty decent pull.

Next up we get to a couple base parallels followed by a couple base cards.  This card is the blue parallel of Cubs great Hack Wilson.  I always remember him as the guy with a ridiculous RBI season, 190 wasn't it?  Decent card and I like the base design.

Next up is a super cool card, George Herman Babe Ruth green parallel numbered to only 10. I didn't think I would ever have a Ruth numbered this low and it will take a pretty overwhelming offer to pry this from my collection.  Super cool card.

A Giant base card!  Wait a minute, Gaylord never pitched for the NY Giants. He did have a short stint towards the end of his career for a half season with the Yankees but this has to be an error.  This is an early career picture of him with the Giants. It is going into the Giants binder.

And my final card of the break, none other than a guy I player collect - Rickey Henderson! Strong finish to the box with the base and parallels.  Pretty cool that both base cards fit into my collection perfectly.

Overall I was very happy with the box, a very nice design on most cards, can't beat Hall of Famers as subject matters and I got some really good cards in the break.