FINALLY SOME RETAIL: 2 Rack Packs and a Blaster of 2021 Topps Heritage

 Topps cards in retail stores have officially pulled the Nanny McPhee line. When I want cards, but do not need them, they won't be there. But when I need cards, but do not want them, they will be. It's rather sad, really, but there it is.

So every week I'd desperately scour the Target or Wal-Mart shelves hoping for some relevant card product to be there, and nothing ever was. Again and again and again. And so today, as I went to Target for some other things, I didn't expect to find any cards.

And suddenly there some were. On the exact opposite side of the standee as I was used to. A few blasters and rack packs of Heritage, alongside some stragglers from flagship and Opening Day.

Actual cards. New cards. That I could buy. Who could imagine?

The aisles weren't really being policed, so I was able to walk away with a blaster and two rack packs. There was more than enough left that it didn't exactly feel like robbery or anything. But still, I didn't have to go online for Heritage, it was just there. 

I'll cover the rack packs, then the blaster. I'd been excited for this year's Heritage as well, as 1972 Topps is a set I do have some fondness for.

Pack 1-

321- Joey Wendle. A Yankee fan pulling a 2020 Ray as the first out of a product is too on-the-nose

391- J.D. Davis. As is a Phillie fan pulling a Met second

210- Devin Williams. One earned run in 22 innings...and so far in 3 innings he's allowed two so far. Interesting. 

133- Danny Jansen. We've so far gotten lots of teams that oppose ones I root for, none of the actual ones yet.

201- Ryan McBroom. Okay, very funny, a former Yankee farmhand. Seriously, guys. I know I'm getting a bunch of Yankees cause I claimed the Yanks in Nachos Grande's last Heritage break, but COME ON now.

154- Framber Valdez. Still not funny.

319- Chad Kuhl, something resembling an ace in Pittsburgh this year

316- Jeff McNeil

78- Brian Anderson

New Age Performers insert of Kyle Lewis. These look cool this year.

185- Mountcastle/Dalbec RC. Figures

365- CY YOUNG AWARD. Also figures

161- Dexter Fowler, already A.) on the Angels and B.) out for the season, but how would they have known?

297- Jose Ramirez. The amount of wider posed shots is giving me throwbacks to 2007 Heritage. Not sure if that's a good thing or not

116- Tommy Milone. I forget if he made the Jays or not.

359- Taylor Williams

363- THERE WE GO. Yanks rookies. Nick Nelson's a relief favorite, Miguel Yajure's a lower-tier prospect, and Albert Abreu has been lights-out so far this season

'167- Mookie Betts. High-tier star card- check.

53- Austin Hays

190- Albert Pujols IA. Shouldn't be much of a surprise that I love the In Action subset in this set

Pack 2-

103- Paul Goldschmidt

68- Carson Kelly. Lol, these two were traded for each other..

261- Tyson Miller/Jimmy Lambert RC

33- Luis Robert. One of the big to-get cards in this set

226- Austin Riley

111- Kyle Tucker

64- Spencer Turnbull

118- A.J. Puk. Lot of commons-y guys so far

47- Shane Bieber. Alright, there's the Cy Young winner.

228- James Karinchak

136- Mike Yastrzemski IA. 

204- Kenta Maeda

21- Tatis Postseason Highlights card. 

331- Danny Duffy

182- Max Scherzer IA. Lot less to say about this grouping, honestly

377- Anthony Santander

134- Evan White RC IA. You know, if Topps had banked on White instead of Jake Fraley last year, we would not be getting Evan White rookie cards in 2021. 

2- Max Muncy. 

294- Bo Bichette IA, not bad at all

346- James McCann. The McCann-Mets deal happened in December. This set went to print before December????

And now the blaster:

Pack 1-

105- Pete Fairbanks. So no matter which I broke first, I would have pulled a Ray first.

187- Jo Adell/Nick Madrigal RC. Not bad

245- Shohei Ohtani. Kinda love this shot

2 dupes from last pack

New Age Performers of Alex Verdugo

402- Shed Long. Shed Long got short print status? Hmm.

298- Jose Ramirez IA.

278- Adam Eaton. Man, if the print date wasn't so damn early Topps could have just got a posed shot from 2016 to throw in here rather than still being wrong.

Pack 2-

125- Nick Castellanos

280- Gio Gonzalez, who has already retired

11- SPENCER HOWARD/ALEC BOHM RC. Not bad for the hometown team.

236- Kevin Pillar. If anything, this does ensure that Pillar will have some cards as Rockie..

295- Dylan Carlson/Evan White RC

182- Scherzer IA again

183- Trea Turner

108- Miguel Cabrera IA

232- Trent Grisham

Pack 3-

371- Gregory Polanco

231- Robbie Grossman pre-Tigers

374- Ender Inciarte

239- CUUUUUUUUTCH!

237- Eduardo Escobar

242- Brandon Lowe IA. I'll say it again, I'm glad Topps had fun with the In Action subset in this one

139- Kyle Schwarber

22- Mike Brosseau Postseason highlight

381- Evan Longoria

Pack 4-

249- GERRIT COLE

334- Randy Dobnak, former Uber driver

97- Ke'Bryan Hayes/Jose Garcia RC. Very nice

333- Sean Manaea

314- Nolan Arenado IA. As per the theme, not a new uniform.

340- Jurickson Profar

478- Ramon Laureano. Now THERE'S an apt subject for a short print..

174- Cody Bellinger IA

198- Josh Donaldson

Pack 5-

3 dupes from pack 1

212- Dominic Smith's mighty swing

265- Boyhood Photos of Jesus Luzardo. Glad they brought this back as well

203- Hunter Dozier

72 Flashbacks- Golden Gate Bridge welcomes the public. Thrilling.

40- Freddie Freeman IA

353- Justus Sheffield

Pack 6-

133- Danny Jansen

173- Cody Bellinger, very nice

26- World Series Game 1- Mookie Betts. I feel like there's a Dodger blogger who's been excited for these.

362- Austin Slater

354- Rick Porcello. I don't think anybody signed Porcello this year, and 5 years removed from the Cy Young as well..

357- Kelbert Ruiz/Mitch White RC. Dodger-friendly pack

9- Miguel Rojas

149- Boyhood Photos/RC of Ryan Mountcastle. Not bad

360- Tanner Houck/Sam Huff RC

Pack 7-

305- Charlie Blackmon

8- Rio Ruiz

157- Brett Anderson

359- Eric Thames. Despite him not playing in the bigs this year, I'm happy to pull cards of him

267- Boyhood Photos of Whit Merrifield

256- Victor Reyes

427- David Fletcher, another subject worthy of a short print

148- Spencer Howard RC/Boyhood Photos. A good one of these to pull

66- Asdrubal Cabrera

Pack 8-

41- Willson Contreras

396- Yasmani Grandal. 2 straight Chicago catchers

222- Blake Treinen

247- Justin Verlander, who'll hopefully turn up eventually this year

329- Gregory Soto

46- Joey Votto IA

A 72 Die-Cut insert of Casey Mize. Still thinking he'll be a big star once he gets used to the majors. 

263- Yu Darvish, still a Cub

135- Mike Yastrzemski. Very classy

So yeah, I'm liking Heritage so far, printing deadline woes aside. It looks great, it feels great, and doesn't feel like a waste of retail space. Doubting I'll find any more in the wild, but you never know.