This was my first year breaking Allen & Ginter X, Topps’ online exclusive. The product runs parallel to the standard version of Allen & Ginter, but a much sharper black background to the cards.
Topps limited customers to a one-box limit, which helped many collectors acquire a box. In past years I have passed on Allen & Ginter X, but decided to take the plunge and buy a box in 2020.
It was to be a win-win situation with purchasing a box at $100 plus shipping. If sealed box prices soared in the secondary market I could make a quick flip. Or, if the flip wasn’t really worth it to me I would rip. Early on the secondary prices hovered around $200, which is only about a $25 profit after fees and shipping.
The box arrived a few days later than the initial tracking, so I had to wait until after the weekend to get ripping.
Pack one. Card one. Bo Bichette rookie card. What a good start. Pack one. Card two. Yordan Alvarez rookie card. Dang, this is a really good start. Pack one, card three was a common. But…card four? Kyle Lewis rookie card! You’ve got to be kidding me. What a pack.
Before I show off the hits, and let me just tease the autograph hit was absolute fire…here are the Chicago Cubs cards that I pulled. The first Cubs card was Kid K, Kerry Wood.
The second Cubs card I pulled is my favorite – Javier Baez.
Then there was Kris Bryant.
My second favorite current Chicago Cubs player is catcher Willson Contreras.
The first time I met Willson Contreras was in a Denny’s parking lot. I also met Contreras at Club 400 with Carlos Zambrano.
This box was filled with rookie cards like the aforementioned Bichette, Alvarez, and Lewis. I also pulled an Aristides Aquino rookie card. And….I pulled a pair of Cubs rookie cards.
Adbert Alzolay has appeared in 10 games for the Chicago Cubs the past two seasons making six starts. He is 2-2 with a 4.54 ERA with 44 strikeouts to 22 walks.
Nico Hoerner is another big name rookie in the 2020 Allen & Ginter X set. Hoerner was the Cubs first round draft choice in 2018, and made his MLB debut the following year. In 68 games during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Hoerner has a .247/.309/.333 slash line.
Now to the big hits. My box had a red mini parallel of Miguel Sano. The red minis are hand numbered to five. The Sano is 4/5, and is earmarked to trade to Jenny in Minnesota.
Down to the last two packs and I had not pulled the autograph. As I opened the second to last pack, I could tell it was a mini framed auto. As I pulled back the card on top it was revealed to be….Bryce Harper.
Not only that….it was numbered /20. I’ve opened a lot of boxes and pulled some good autographs, and this definitely is among the top five best autographs I have pulled.
I put the Harper autograph on eBay and it sold within hours. With that sale, it paid for my box and then some. What a fun rip, and of course it made it better by pulling a great hit like the Bryce Harper autograph.