2018 Topps Triple Threads Baseball Box Break & Review

Love it or hate it.  Triple Threads has been a staple in the hobby for the last twelve years.  You’ve got to admire that type of lasting power.  Just think about how many other products have come and gone within that time.  Its a lot.

I’m a fan of Triple Threads.  Always will be.  The first time I opened a pack was way back in 2007.  This is when the packs came in that crazy triangle shape.  It was during my first trip to the National Sports Collectors Convention.  That year it was held at what has become my favorite location, the I-X Center in Cleveland.  While browsing the show floor, I came across Dave & Adam’s Card World.  They were selling Triple Threads by the pack, and I decided to take a shot.  Taking it over to the food court, I opened it while devouring a hot dog.  To my surprise, waiting inside that pack was a Dwight Gooden/Tom Seaver/Roger Clemens Triple Auto Relic #’ed 1/1.  Talk about a tremendous hit that made my first National even more memorable.  I know that I’ve told this story before, but its something that I like to do while busting my annual Triple Threads box.

Triple Threads has and always will be about the hits.  There is a nice looking base set to put together.  It consists of (100) cards, and has the following parallels: Amethyst #’ed/299, Emerald #’ed/259, Amber #’ed/199, Gold #’ed/99, Onyx #’ed/50, Sapphire #’ed/25, Ruby #’ed 1/1, and Printing Plates #’ed 1/1.  All veterans and retired stars.

Like I said before, Triple Threads is 100% hit driven.  Its always been a high-end, hobby-exclusive product.  We’ll never see a retail version.  Each box comes with (2) mini-boxes.  Inside each mini-box you should find (1) autograph and (1) relic card.  Plus (2) parallels.  A master-box should cost around $200.

Rookies, veterans, and retired stars/Hall of Famers highlight the hits.  There is an endless amount of autographs, jerseys, patches, cut signatures, and booklets that you can get.  Its the beating heart of Triple Threads.  The fact is, if you enjoyed this brand for the last twelve years you’re most likely going to have fun with it again in 2018.

The windows housing many of the relics spell out interesting (at times funny) tidbits about that specific player.  I’d like to see some specially made Triple Threads cards for the National Sports Collectors Convention.  Relic windows could easily be made to spell out “NSCC”.  I could see these as high-end giveaways at the Topps booth or what collectors receive during the Q&A session.

Here is what I pulled:

Auto/Relics

• Justin Bour Triple Threads Autograph Single Jumbo Relic #’ed/99
• Tom Glavine Triple Threads Autograph Relic Gold #’ed/9

Relics

• Wil Myers Triple Threads Single Jumbo Relic Silver #’ed/27
• Aroldis Chapman/Gary Sanchez/Masahiro Tanaka Triple Threads Relic Combo Emerald #’ed/18

Parallels

• Don Mattingly Gold #’ed/99
• Evan Longoria Amethyst #’ed/299
• Adrian Beltre Emerald #’ed/259
• Albert Pujols Emerald #’ed/259

Base

• (2) Noah Syndergaard
• Roberto Clemente
• Johnny Bench
• Ryne Sandberg
• Byron Buxton

Rays ’17 Topps Triple Threads Relic Contest Winner Announced

Congrats to Matt Wilson on being the lucky winner of the Evan Longoria 2017 Topps Triple Threads Single Jumbo Unity Bat Relic Emerald Parallel #’ed/18.  Once Matt Wilson sends me his mailing address, I will ship this card ASAP.  Thanks!

Rays ’17 Topps Triple Threads Relic Contest! – NOW CLOSED

This contest is for a Evan Longoria 2017 Topps Triple Threads Single Jumbo Unity Bat Relic Emerald Parallel #’ed/18.  Good luck!!!

Contest Details:

• This contest will end Friday, October 20, 2017 @ 8:00 p.m. EST.
• To enter, please leave a comment in this post.
• You can enter once per day.
• The winner will be selected at random.
• Please provide a valid e-mail address when entering.
• The winner will receive an e-mail when the contest is over.
• The winner has one week to send me their contact information or the contest will be held again.
• Once the contest is over, I will need the winner’s mailing address so I can ship them this card for FREE!!!

2017 Topps Triple Threads Baseball Box Break & Review

What can be said about Triple Threads that hasn’t been said already?  Its a polarizing product that hasn’t gone through many changes since it became an annual release over a decade ago.  I can still remember opening a pack of this stuff during the 2007 National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland, OH.  Pulling that Tom Seaver/Dwight Gooden/Roger Clemens Triple Relic Auto #’ed/1 was a huge deal to me.  Back then packs and boxes came in that odd triangle shape.

Triple Threads has and will always be about the “hits”.  Yes.  There is a base set.  The 2017 set consists of (100) cards with parallels that include Amethyst #’ed/340, Emerald #’ed/250, Amber #’ed/150, Gold #’ed/99, Onyx #’ed/50, Sapphire #’ed/25, Ruby #’ed/1, and Printing Plates #’ed/1.  It is entirely made up of veterans, retired stars, and Hall of Famers.  All rookies in this product will have to come in some sort of “hit” form.

Autographs, jerseys, patches, bats, booklets, Topps throws everything into Triple Threads.  You’ll even find Theo Epstein and Floyd Mayweather in here.  Whenever Topps comes out with a new baseball product, I like to check the checklist for which Phillies made it in.  There usually is a regular group of guys, but for 2017 Triple Threads Jim Thome got some cards in a Phillies uniform.  Its been awhile since I’ve seen him in any new sets.  I’d say he’s my favorite addition this year.  Other collectors seem to agree as they’re spending hundreds on his new cards.

Triple Threads isn’t for the collector who’s on a tight budget.  A master box can cost almost $200.  Inside each mini-box you’ll find (2) “hits”.  That’s (4) “hits” per master box.  If you’ve been a fan of Triple Threads, I think you’ll have fun with the 2017 set.

Here is what I pulled:

Auto/Relics

• Aledmys Diaz Unity Auto Jumbo Relic Silver #’ed/75
• Eric Thames Auto Relic #’ed/18

Relics

• Masahiro Tanaka Relic Gold #’ed/9
• Evan Longoria Single Jumbo Unity Relic Emerald #’ed/18

Parallels

• Greg Maddux Amethyst #’ed/340
• Jacob deGrom Emerald #’ed/250
• Zack Greinke Emerald #’ed/250
• Robinson Cano Sapphire #’ed/25

Rockies ’16 Topps Triple Threads Auto Jersey Contest Winner Announced

Congrats to James Sanders on being the lucky winner of the DJ LeMahieu 2016 Topps Triple Threads Unity Jumbo Jersey Auto Emerald Parallel #’ed/50.  Once James Sanders sends me his mailing address, I will ship this card ASAP.  Thanks!

Rockies ’16 Topps Triple Threads Auto Jersey Contest! – NOW CLOSED

This contest is for a DJ LeMahieu 2016 Topps Triple Threads Unity Jumbo Jersey Auto Emerald Parallel #’ed/50.  Good luck!!!

Contest Details:

• This contest will end Friday, November 11, 2016 @ 8:00 p.m. EST.
• To enter, please leave a comment in this post.
• You can enter once per day.
• The winner will be selected at random.
• Please provide a valid e-mail address when entering.
• The winner will receive an e-mail when the contest is over.
• The winner has one week to send me their contact information or the contest will be held again.
• Once the contest is over, I will need the winner’s mailing address so I can ship them this card for FREE!!!

2016 Topps Triple Threads Baseball Box Break & Review

Bash me all you want.  I’m not afraid to say that I enjoy opening a box of Triple Threads.  I have a special connection with this brand.  While attending my first National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland, OH in 2007, I pulled a Roger Clemens/Dwight Gooden/Tom Seaver Triple Jersey Auto #’ed 1/1.  It came from a pack I bought at Dave & Adam’s Card World.  That certainly wasn’t a bad way to start my first NSCC.

Triple Threads is one of the longest running premium brands offered by Topps.  Others have come and gone, but Triple Threads remains an annual release.  You will find those collectors that either absolutely love it or those who can’t stand it.  Its really divided.  I’m thinking more people enjoy it because its been around for such a long time.  Someone obviously is buying it.  The biggest gripe I think certain people have is the sense of repetitiveness.  Overall, the basic design of the “hits” doesn’t change much.  It took a long time for the base cards to get a face lift, but it eventually happened.  The base cards for 2016 are actually some of my favorite.  That clear plastic coating on the front combined with the inverse colored triangle to distinguish between parallels was well thought out.

The classic signature style of most Triple Threads cards are the die-cut relic windows.  These can be another source of conflict between collectors.  Some like them, and others do not.  Many commemorate a significant moment, while others are just for plain fun.

From a price point, Triple Threads has never been for the average collector.  Not everyone can easily afford a $165 box.  Picking up singles is probably your best bet for those on a budget.  Like most high-end products, you’re taking a massive gamble.

If there is one brand that Topps were ever to consider doing an entire overhaul on, Triple Threads would probably be the most suggested.  I think it is long overdue, but the product is still an enjoyable rip.

Here is what I pulled:

Auto/Relics

• Mark McGwire Triple Threads Auto Jersey/Bat/Laundry Tag Gold Parallel #’ed/9
• DJ LeMahieu Unity Jumbo Jersey Auto Emerald Parallel #’ed/50

Relics

• Madison Bumgarner/Buster Posey/Matt Cain Triple Threads Jersey Combos #’ed/36
• Buster Posey Unity Jumbo Jersey Silver Parallel #’ed/27

Parallels

• A.J. Reed RC Onyx Parallel #’ed/50
• Roberto Clemente Amber Parallel #’ed/150
• Roberto Clemente Amethyst Parallel #’ed/340
• Chris Archer Amethyst Parallel #’ed/340