2009 Topps Heritage - High Series Blaster

With the holiday season here, I've been spending all my extra cash on gifts for others...but a recent trip to Target to pick up a couple of final gifts ended up with me spending a twenty dollar bill on a blaster of cards for myself. I figured it's been long enough for me not opening new cards that I "deserved" a blaster.

This blaster represented my first opened packs of 2009 Topps Heritage High Series (plus the annoying Updatess & Highlights cards...though I might be crazy enough to complete the Update set too...)

Blaster results and review:

Base cards: (only showing the two I felt like scanning, you've all seen these before)
548. Gabe Kapler

574. Cristian Guzman

Short prints:
Retail blaster odds: 1:3
The names on the back of the short print cards are exceedingly difficult to read...it's actually much easier to read the name in the scan than it is when you are holding the card in your hand. Just once I wish card manufacturers would keep set collector's thoughts/opinions in mind!
686. Aaron Hill
696. Fernando Martinez
702. Jason Bay
705. Kendry Morales

Chrome:
Retail blaster odds: 1:4
I'm going to try to collect all 200 Chrome cards from this year's Heritage set - so if you have any for trade please let me know!
CHR110. Milton Bradley
CHR116. Homer Bailey
CHR170. Randy Johnson

Flashback:
Retail blaster odds: 1:12
FB-10. Ichiro

Then & Now:
Retail blaster odds: 1:12
TN-5. Roger Maris & Ichiro

Rookie Performer:
Retail blaster odds: 1:12
RP-08. Brett Anderson

Chrome Refractor:
Retail blaster odds: 1:11
CHR135. Jason Kubel

Topps Updates & Highlights: 16 base cards

While I'm certainly not a Yankees fan, I thought this particular card was the "best photo" of the 16 Updates & Highlights base cards. Two of the "faces of the Yankees" congratulating eachother while the "east coast biased media" is actually the subject in the middle of photo! Oh yeah, Utz is probably pretty pleased with their advertisement placement too!

Overall, not a bad blaster - though I would have preferred to get two more base cards instead of the two duplicates. I was happy to start knocking off cards from the insert sets - and three chromes is nice too since I'm going to try and collect all 200 chrome cards from Heritage this year (hint - if you have some '09 Heritage chrome from either high or low series for trade please let me know)!

Looking at the stated odds, I think I did pretty well. A blaster has only 8 packs, so I ended up with 1.3 extra short prints, 1 extra chrome card, and I beat the stated odds on the three insert cards plus the refractor. I didn't pull a Real One Autograph (1:650), a Real One Special Edition Autograph (1:1060), nor any of the assorted relics (lowest odds 1:58). Since I didn't expect to pull any of the above cards, I'm not disappointed - plus if you are buying Topps Heritage for the "hits" you are most likely wasting your money!