Inside the Pack: 2019 Topps Triple Threads Review
Back for its 14th year, Topps Triple Threads continues to impress. Each hobby box contains 2 mini boxes, and each mini box is guaranteed to house an autograph and a relic card, in addition to 3 base cards and 2 numbered parallel cards.
Topps sent me a hobby box to review. Anticipation with this product runs deep, because one must first remove the plastic overwrap on the hobby box, then remove the plastic overwrap on the mini box, and then open the foil pack inside the mini box in order to get to the cards. The end result is certainly worth the wait. While the design on these cards is always strong, this year’s product impressed me more than any previous year. The cards have a very unique gloss to them, making the base cards look as special as they should in a premium product like this. The cards are thick, But since there is no relic in them, they are lighter than you might otherwise expect based on your previous exposure to cards of this thickness.
The two hits are sandwiched in the middle of each pack. My first pack yielded a Dansby Swanson jersey card numbered to 27. The relic swatch is much larger than one on a typical card would be, but not large enough to justify the ” Jumbo” moniker that is in its official name. My next hit was a big one, as I scored a Scooter Gennett White Whale. As always, the White Whale cards are printing plates with an autograph and patch relics and are serial numbered 1/1.
My second pack didn’t disappoint either. My autograph was of Blue Jays rookie catcher Danny Jansen, who struggled a bit last year but still shows a ton of promise. But the star of the pack, pun intended, was a triple patch numbered to 9 of Astros leadoff man George Springer. The patches come from an All-Star Game jersey and the middle patch is a small star logo from the jersey.
Parallels are nothing to ignore either. With the same beautiful design as the base cards, the parallels add a background color and some extra shimmer to the cards. I received one purple amethyst parallel of Miguel Cabrera, two green emerald parallels of Johnny Bench and Mariano Rivera, and one amber parallel of Andrew Benintendi.
Triple Threads is a premium product and therefore carries a fairly high sticker price. The payoff can be tremendous, but even if you don’t get the big hit that you are looking for, you will end up with some beautiful cards to add to your collection. Of all the products I have reviewed this year, this one is my favorite. I have no doubt that once you see the cards it will be yours as well.
