Complete Set Chronicles: 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter - Cabinet Boxloaders

The Topps Allen & Ginter brand has a number of rather unique attributes associated with it.  Arguably the most famous is the rip cards, but you can also add framed relics, mini cards, and non-baseball subjects to that list.  In addition, Allen & Ginter is known for its variety of boxtoppers - and that's what I have to show off for today's post.

More specifically, I'm now the proud owner of the complete 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter Cabinet Boxloader set thanks to an eBay purchase for the last card that I have been searching for for over a decade now!

The 2009 Cabinet Boxloader set is kind of strange in that it's a ten-card set that is basically split in half.  The first half of the set features cabinet cards highlighting the World Baseball Classic while the second half of the set highlights various historical events and the figures that played a key role in those events.

2009 Topps Allen & Ginter Cabinet Boxloader set checklist:

Cards 1 - 5 World Baseball Classic:

1.  Netherlands Upsets Dominican Republic

2.  Cuba Sets HR Mark in World Baseball Classic

3.  USA Beats Puerto Rico in Last At-Bat

4.  Japan Advances to Final

5.  Japan Wins the World Baseball Classic

Cards 6 - 10 Historical Events:

6.  Signing of the Declaration of Independence

7.  Signing of the Constitution of the United States of America

8.  Signing of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

9.  South Concedes War

10.  Space Race

It was card #10 that had eluded me for over a decade but with the Space Race card now in hand, my Cabinet boxloader set is complete!

The Bottom Line:

3/10

Oversized cards aren't nearly as interesting to me now as they were back when this set was originally released.  I think Topps should have either focused on the World Baseball Classic or the Historical Events - but smashing both ideas together into the same insert set feels super odd to me.  The photo quality on the cabinet cards in this set is actually better than a lot of other years of Allen & Ginter but even that fact doesn't save this set for me.