2010 Bowman Draft baseball blasters (x3)

Well, it had definitely been since December that I bought any retail packs, mainly thanks to my BlowoutCards forum spree and a couple case breaks.  But I was compelled to go to Meijer today to grab something, because cards were again 20% off, plus they had an additional 15% off $25+ coupon, meaning cards were a relative steal today.  I saw a few rows of 2010 Bowman Draft baseball and finally bit the bullet on them, ending up with three blasters, the equivalent of 24 packs, for about $41.  Yes, I could have gotten myself a hobby box instead and been guaranteed an autograph, but this gave me a shot at one, plus a better chance at colorful Refractors.  The damage:

Purchased from/price:  Meijer, $41.00 (normally $59.97)
Packs/cards:  8 packs of 7 cards (x3)
Set size:  Base:  110;  Prospects:  110 (plus their Chrome versions)
Key features/cards:  a pretty good rookie class, but especially guys like Jason Heyward, Manny Machado, and, yes, Strasburg

Base cards: 

Base:
Set completion:  43/110 (39%) (including Heyward, below, and Strasburg)
Doubles:  4

Chrome Base:
Set completion:  18/110 (16%)
Doubles:  0

Prospects:
Set completion:  38/110 (35%)  
Doubles:  10

Chrome Prospects  Set completion:  20/110 (18%)
Doubles:  1

Inserts:  34 

Gold:  24 different (1:1, 24 expected)

Blue Bordered:  1, Josh Sale #375/999 (1:61)

Refractors:  2, Travis Wood and Alex Wimmers (1:11, 2 expected)

Purple Refractors:  6, John Hester, Danny Valencia, Jeanmar Gomez, Ryan Bolden, Marc Brakeman, Manny Machado (1:4, 6 expected)

 

Blue Refractors:  1, Brad Davis #088/199 (1:123)

Best card:  Manny Machado Purple Refractor

Quality control and collation:  15/20  I got the usual array of doubles in a Topps product, but strangely, almost entirely just base, not Chrome (only one Chrome double), which makes me think those are more randomized than the base.  That or it's just because you get fewer, I don't know.  A couple cards had chipped corners, but overall, nothing to speak of.  You'll notice I got every insert I was due, plus beat the odds on a couple more.
Base set: 16/20  I really like the overall look of the set, but I ding it a point for being broken up into two different subsets (plus Chrome versions) and three for the horrific numbering on the back ("BDPPPDPBOMGWTFBBQ10").  The overall design is sharp.
Inserts:  15/15  Yep, I really like all the various inserts I pulled, and that's the big draw of this set anyway--the different colored parallels and Refractors.  The blue and purple are great, and I thought it was cool that I pulled a couple odds-busters.
Hits and extras:  8/15  Nothing extra here, at least not in my three boxes, but I did luck out with some tough inserts, so that was a plus.
Value:  25/30  Let's be honest--you're gonna need a lot of packs whether you're opening hobby or blasters to be able to finish a given subset, much less everything.  But what you pull from any of these pretty much justifies the $19.99 price.  You should end up with an average of 15 base, 6 Chrome base, 13 prospects and 7 Chrome prospects, plus a Refractor and two Purple Refractors, give or take some base and other inserts (you'll also get 8 Gold cards, but nobody gives a lick about those).  If you're not after the Chrome cards then these aren't as great, but then packs aren't the way for you to go anyway.  I'd suggest trying to get these on sale like I did, but grabbing one or two for a quick fix doesn't break the bank and you should do ok.

Overall:  79/100
Recommendation:  Buy a blaster or two if you're doing some impulse card shopping, but if you're serious about the set, grab a couple hobby boxes instead once they get cheaper.  Or, if you're just interested in acquiring the set, grab a base or master set online.


I'm going to stash these away in boxes for now but may revisit completing the set at a later date.  Pretty much all the inserts (and all the doubles) are available for trade, however, so if you see something you like, let me know.  UPDATE:  the Machado and Valencia purples, Wimmers Refractor and Blue Sale have all been traded.