Hobby Box Break and Review: 2011 Topps Triple Threads

Let me start by saying that I have never opened a box of Triple Threads before. This was a real treat for me because it isn’t something I could afford to buy but would obviously love to open it by the box or by the case and just have fun. This is definitely a product to buy if you like the thrill of pulling hits. While there were many goofy things we have previously pointed out about this product, this particular box packed quite a punch and delivered something that I plan on holding onto for a while because it’s amazing.

The box states that “every mini box contains an autographed relic card and a relic card, one of which is a triple relic!” Sounds good to me. While ripping a ton of packs in a basic hobby box is fun, there is just something about opening two little boxes that have only one pack inside. It’s like you already know you got something sweet without looking.

Let’s get right to it.

Mini-box #1

Base cards /1500 – Jose (I took myself out of the game to beat Braun) Reyes, Jim Palmer, Thurman Munson

Gold parallels /625 – Whitey Ford (428/625) and Whitey Ford (429/625) Not for nothing, for the price of this product that is just unacceptable collation.

Relic card – Josh Johnson /18

Luckily this actually has some sort of stat on the card and not a goofy nick name. The only problem I have with the card is that the last section has the stripe going the wrong way.

Autograph relic card – Martin Prado /99

The design of this card is solid, the jersey swatch stands alone and the sticker is stealth over the player picture which looks pretty good. This isn’t one of those cards that people can get mad about the sticker appearance since it’s stealth and not silver.

Mini-box #2

Base cards /1500 – George Sisler, Jason Heyward, and Walter Johnson

Gold parallel /625 – Joe DiMaggio Green parallel /249 – Joe Morgan

Relic card gold /27 – Tom Seaver

Triple relic autograph /36 – Sandy Koufax, Clayton Kershaw, and Aroldis Chapman

This card is the keeper for me. How often can you say you pulled a Hall of Famer’s autograph, and on a triple relic auto no less? Hardly ever. I am in love with this card, especially because the Koufax jersey swatch is an old swatch and feels old. I have only pulled one Hall of Famer autograph before and it was a 2008 Sweet Spot Bob Gibson ball.

The other plus side to this triple relic autograph is that all of the stickers are clear. There are some triples that have one silver sticker, like the Robinson Cano version with Alomar and Utley.

Now for the full review…

2011 Topps Triple Threads Report Card:

Design: B+

The design is standard for this set, with some of the cards being basically recycled with the wrong spelling- Robbie card from 2009 TTT and Robby card from 2011 TTT. Not cool. The designs are solid, with the moving away from silver sticker autos making them much more tolerable as stealth versions but with one flaw on the relic part. Many of the relics from this product seem to have larger letters in the center of the word or words on the cards and make them look a little goofy.

Value: A

I honestly don’t think you can buy a product of something this high end and pull a guaranteed triple relic auto in every box. You really do get what you pay for in this instance. You simply can not beat this product for a rip and flip, or just as a mojo chaser. At around $175.00 per hobby box I really think this product is worth ripping if you are debating on buying or not. I wish it were a little more affordable to add it to one of our group case break options because there is just so much packed into this product to have fun with.

Quality: B

Pulling two Whitey Ford parallels back to back in one pack killed the quality control and the quality rating here. The other problem I noticed was that the base cards/parallels come out of the pack with white parts on the edges and for $175 they better be mint.

Overall: B+

While no product is without flaws, this one has more positives to offer than negatives. As an adult I think I get more of a thrill out of the hits than the base cards, and I usually chase the hits of my players before looking for base cards or inserts. This product makes that easy to do with very limited base cards. Clearly if you are a set builder this probably isn’t the one you would want to try and build if you are just getting back into the hobby. If you are a high dollar hit chaser this product will deliver amazing hits on a pretty stellar design (assuming you don’t pull one with a goofy nick name).