Another Box Break of Archer: Pulling a Scott Houseman Sketch I Needed!

I could no longer resist the temptation and busted another box of Cryptozoic Archer that I had stashed away. I broke one in early 2014 and one in early February of 2023 and would open one every day if I could. It is genuinely my favorite product of all time, sport and non-sport. The base cards bring me joy, the inserts are hilarious, the autos are awesome, and the sketch cards are truly one of a kind gems. At this point I have everything Master Set-wise, so opening a box is an exercise entirely in adding a new sketch to the collection.

Season 1, Episode 10 - "Dial M For Mother"

The face I made when I pulled the sketch -- which I found within the first 8 packs and set aside to do last -- is the exact face you see on Cheryl Tunt as depicted in said sketch that I pulled. Joy would be an understatement as I'm still smiling as I type this post up, long after busting the box.

First, the sketch itself is absolutely amazing! Great color, a great character, and a great scene in which Dr. Krieger devises a machine that can better choke Cheryl as he has "weak woman-y hands" (the rest of the quote involves being choked by a child which she thought would be hot).

Scott Houseman is the mastermind behind this beautiful piece of artwork and after nearly 10 years I have finally added him to the Archer Collection. Pulling an artist I needed was the main priority/hope/desire and achieving that literally makes my day, my week, and my month. Any Houseman would have been exciting but to pull such a classic scene and such a well-crafted sketch is spectacularly thrilling!

My guaranteed auto is the late George Coe who portrayed Archer's trusted and loyal valet, Woodhouse. I always enjoyed any instance of Woodhouse getting a go on the screen and Coe has a really nice signature.

I really hope I can break a few more boxes down the road. Fingers crossed, although knowing it took almost ten years to break this one and the one in February will keep my expectations very, very tempered.

A Box Break Almost 10 Years In The Making: 2014 Cryptozoic Archer!

I keep an eye out for boxes of the Cryptozoic Archer product I am deeply in love with. I almost never find them available, and certainly not for reasonable prices. Every so often one does appear in the wild for a fee I can stomach and a new friend on Instagram recently helped me reel in a box. I decided to bust it as I have not had the pleasure of doing so in nearly a decade.

I still need 10 artists to have one of each and shy of pulling one of them I was hoping to pull a character I was without. The latter occurred as I landed a sketch of Reggie The Lemur from Brandon Baselice. Reggie has only appeared in a handful of episodes so I'm happy to grab a sketch of him!

My auto is Pam Poovey, voiced by the wonderful Amber Nash! It was a super fun break and one I hope to have the chance to replicate a few more times in the not so distant future. I would buy cases of Archer if given the opportunity....literal cases.

Odell Pre-RCs

I was attempting to clean up some cards when I re-stumbled upon this pair of Odell Beckham, Jr. pre-RCs previously seen in this post.

I figure they deserve toploaders at this point. Because why not.

Panini Fulfills Expired Redemption

I just got back a redemption from a box of Panini's 2013 USA Baseball Champions that I broke back in January. I pulled a redemption that had expired a couple of months prior and set it aside, forgetting about it. I called Panini a couple of weeks ago hoping to get myself a Corey Seager in its place but they were clear they would honor the expired redemption, as they always do.

They kept their word and the card arrived a few days ago. J.P. Ramirez signed so his Stars & Stripes autograph, numbered 326/949, is now available for trade. I love these Stars & Stripes autos and speaking of Seager, I still need his for the PC.

Getting Handed The Entire Contents of a 6-Hit Box.

One day a couple of weeks ago at work a really good customer was in selling some stuff to us. He bought a box of 2015 Panini Contenders Draft Picks Football while he was there and we were talking about some of his pulls as he broke the box. Right as he was about to leave he came over and handed me the box and said he wanted it to go to somebody who would better appreciate it. I thought he meant the store. He actually meant me. So yeah, I was handed the entire contents of a more than $100 box for absolutely nothing, just because. Thanks KN!

Todd Gurley is the only name I recognized from the six autos in the box, and that's both because he was suspended last year and was the best running back in college, going 10th overall in the draft to St. Louis.

Some random cards will dominate the final two scans. Melvin Gordon was the Chargers' first-round selection this year. The Welker is #'d out of 99 and shiny. Beckham is a beast.

A few cards of former UCLA QB Brett Hundley.

Box Break: Panini 2013 USA Baseball Champions Hot Box (5 Hits....#MERICA)

I made a large Dave and Adam's purchase waaaaaay back in January. It took me long enough to post the first two installments of that expenditure, so here's part three: a box break of Panini's 2013 USA Baseball Champions. Corey Seager is all over the product and the box was under $30, which was all the incentive I needed.

The five hits I pulled, including a redemption for a Stars and Stripes Signatures auto. I really dig that subset, and although the redemption did expire at the end of 2014 before I bought the box, I'll be calling Panini and seeing if I can't snag the Seager Stars and Stripes as a replacement. Somehow, some way, I hope. Oh, and it was a retail box which promised 3 hits, so I beat the odds by a lot! Woooo!

The remaining highlights, including a base Seager, a couple of sweet and spiffy die-cuts, and a pair of numbered and colorful parallels.

2014 Cryptozoic ARCHER Box Break: An Awesome Adam Reed Auto and A Guaranteed 1/1 Sketch Card!

Archer is one of my favorite shows and it's by far one of the best out there. When I saw Cryptozoic was going to release an Archer set with autos, Totally Fabricated Relics, and 1/1 Sketch cards commemorating some of the great moments -- and great characters -- from the first four seasons of the show, I knew I had to pick up a box. Autos and sketches are both seeded 1 in 24 packs, so a box should come with one of each. Here's what I pulled along with a complete base set of 73 cards.

My autograph is by far my favorite card from the break that concludes my holiday-funded Blowout purchase. It's a John Hancock from one of my favorite characters and one of the best names on the checklist: Adam Reed as Ray Gillette. Reed, in addition to voicing the hilarious and often-paralyzed Ray, is the creator of Archer as well as the likewise-phenomenal Frisky Dingo (which was Archer before Archer).

Here's a great clip prominently featuring Reed as Ray. Oh, and look at that on-card autograph. The way it should be. Kudos to Cryptozoic. Hopefully H. Jon Benjamin and Aisha Tyler will sign for the next release of Archer.

My guaranteed 1/1 Sketch Card is of Lana Kane, portrayed by Aisha Tyler. The artist -- after much research -- is Josef Rubinstein. The sketch has really grown on me since I busted the box last month, and I'm happy to have pulled a main character and a card with a lot of color.

I am seriously in love with these 1/1 sketches to the point that they are now one of my main collecting wants, needs, and desires. I will happily trade for any 1/1 Archer Sketch and strongly consider buying if you prefer that route. From what I've read there are perhaps as many as 3,600 1/1 sketches floating aimlessly in the cardboard world, trying desperately to find my collection. I want as many as I can get my hands on.

The back of the autograph cards are very well-done. I've seen some that actually include a photo of the actor or actress who voices the character.

Here's the back of the 1/1 Sketch Card. Each Sketch Card has the 1 of 1 stamp and this back. Some of the artists chose to sign the back of the card rather than initial or sign the front. There are a handful of rare artists, and I hope to get my hands on at least one original sketch from one of these harder-to-find artists.

Here's an example of the base cards, and I went with an episode that depicts one of my favorite moments from the show. Both Archer and his mother Malory reminisce about a Halloween from his youth in which he was dressed as Charlie Chaplin. However, both remember it as Archer being dressed as Hitler. I tried to find the clip, but alas, you'll just have to watch the show.

The back of each base card is vertical in its layout and includes a quote from the episode depicted on the front. Interestingly enough, the base and insert cards all list the year as 2014 while the autographs and sketch cards list 2013. The set was pushed back by a number of months from late last year to February 19th of this year, which explains the discrepancy.

Finally, the front of the checklist and the six inserts I pulled, which is right in line with the box odds. The inserts can't be completed with one box -- a lone insert set can't be finished off with one box -- so it'll be off to eBay should nobody have any to trade. My favorite insert set is of course Welcome To Whore Island.

Parks and Recreation Box Break # 3: Bobby Newport and Raaaaauuuuul!

I'm back once again with another holiday-funded box break of Parks and Recreation. You can check out the first box I busted here and second box I broke here. My goals for my third and final box were simple: complete the foil base parallel set and pull some brand new hits for my Parks and Rec Collection.

The hit of the box -- and perhaps of the entire three-box break -- is the above gorgeous Paul Rudd John Hancock. I really enjoyed Rudd's character Bobby Newport, and some of the inscriptions Rudd signed on his cards are phenomenal.

My second guaranteed signature features a one-time guest star, Fred Armisen. Armisen played Raul of Boraqua, Venezuela. I dig the colorful background Press Pass wisely chose for his cards.

I am clearly an Aubrey Plaza magnet (oh every god anyone has ever prayed to, please let that be true for real life too) as I pulled a base relic of hers from box number 3. It goes oh so nicely with the Plaza Gold Auto /99 and Blue Holo Dual Relic /25 I nabbed from the first ever box of P&R that I busted last year. The orange hoodie piece comes from Episode 11 of Season 5.

I also managed to land the final three cards I needed to finish off the foil parallel set. Collation was excellent, as the box provided me with another complete base set. I'm now in the market for just hits from P&R, although if I can find boxes at the low, low price Blowout Cards had them for when I purchased the three, I'll probably jump at that opportunity yet again.

Parks and Recreation Box Break # 2: I Happily Vote Knope!

I busted a second box of 2013 Parks and Recreation that I picked up with my holiday funds. My first box was a big help to my foil needs and provided a pair of new hits to my P&R PC. Here are the results of my second box.

Amy Poehler! The biggest draw in terms of hits from Parks and Rec is anything to do with Poehler, who plays Leslie Knope. I was very, very happy to pull a relic of her, and especially happy that it's a multi-color swatch of a dress she wore (Season 2, Episode 16).

If the above Jay Jackson as Perd Hapley autograph looks familiar, it's because I pulled the Red Ink variation in my first box that I showcased yesterday. It's a new addition though, so I'm happy to have it.

My third hit was another Mo Collins' auto, hence the lack of a scan. I've already made a deal to send it to Chavez Ravining in exchange for a Megan Mullally signature (she plays Tammy II).

I didn't pull any of the three remaining foils I needed, but unlike the first box which yielded an inordinate amount of base duplicates, I did manage to get a full base set. It was another fun and fruitful break of one of my all-time favorite products.

Parks and Recreation Box Break.

I decided to take the money I received for the most recent Hanukkah along with a focus group payment and treat myself to some cardboard goodness. I made my first Blowout purchase and picked up three boxes of one of my favorite products: 2013 Press Pass Parks and Recreation. I also nabbed a box of another TV show I love as well as a box of protective pages I've been in need of for some time. Here are the results of my first Parks and Rec box.

A Jay Jackson -- a.k.a. Perd Hapley -- Red Ink auto starts off the three guaranteed hits. Perd is a very funny tertiary character, and it's a new addition to my P&R PC and the second Red Ink auto from the set I own.

Next up, the second auto features a MADtv alum I enjoyed back in the day: Mo Collins. Mo plays Joan Callamezzo on the show, and all of her autos include the "XO" inscription, although she also has actual inscription autos in the product. It's another brand new addition.

My final hit is the guaranteed relic and it's one I already have. Although I possess an Aziz Ansari suit jacket swatch from Episode 16 of Season 3 -- #'d /99 -- I don't mind having dupes from this amazing set.

I also made a major dent in my remaining Foil Base parallel needs, picking up 16 of the 19 I was still in need of.

2013 Allen & Ginter Blaster Break.

I'm not a retail guy, but if someone is going to buy me a blaster of 2013 A&G, I can be your retail guy every day of the week. Such was the case last month (yes, I'm just now posting it). My favorite card from the blaster was an easy one to pick:

Kid K! It's going towards my set and I can't wait to pick up another for my Kersh PC. I did land a (roughly) case hit as well, which is headed to Sam:

The People on Bicycles insert set is one of the few '13 A&G sets I'm not chasing.

The rest of the best: an Ethier A&G Back Mini, a Spartans Martial Mastery, a Shelby Miller Mini RC, and the Pele base with the text missing on the back.

My 2013 box of Ginter used in Gint-A-Cuffs V can be found recapped here.

Gint-A-Cuffs V: The Results (Featuring MY BEST PULL EVER)

A big thanks once again to my parents for giving me the box for my birthday. It's my third time participating in Gint-A-Cuffs, but it certainly won't be my last. I prefer full-box recaps, so let's get to it.

I'll be putting together the Base Set, SPs included, as well as these inserts: Martial Mastery, Heavy Hangs The Head, Across The Years, Civilizations of Ages Past, One Little Corner, Curious Cases, Palaces & Strongholds, Peacemakers, Inquiring Minds, The First Americans, Famous Finds, and Codes, Ciphers, and Cryptographs.

What I need from 2013 Ginter can be found here.

Gint-A-Cuffs V is officially underway.

Boxtopper: WOW-21 Wonders of The World: Victoria Falls (+5 Wonders of the World)

Running Total: 5

Pack 1:

275 Josh Beckett (+1 FT)
10 Sandy Koufax (+1 FT)
213 Jim Bunning
263 Ralph Kiner
289 Edinson Volquez
OLC-NPT One Little Corner: Neptune (+3 One Little Corner)
267 Grand Central Terminal Mini
327 Yogi Berra SP (-1 Yankee, +2 SP = +1)
Ginter Promotional Colin In Time

Pack Total: 6
Running Total: 11

Pack 2:

117 Penny Marshall (+1 Penny Marshall)
RIP-104 Warren Spahn/Phil Niekro Double-RIP Card, #'d 01/10 (+35 Double RIP Card)
29 Jordan Zimmermann Mini
ATY-JHY Across The Years: Jason Heyward (+2 ATY, +2 OFP = +4)

I was absolutely set on selling it for the longest time after pulling it, but I eventually broke down and ripped both sides. Here's what I ended up with:

 

 

370 Jered Weaver EXT Mini (+10 Card in RIP, +5 EXT Mini = +15)
355 Justin Verlander EXT Mini (+10 Card in RIP, +5 EXT Mini = +15)

Pack Total: 70
Running Total: 81

Pack 3:

193 Josh Hamilton (+2 OFP)
73 Tim Hudson
166 Jim Johnson
40 Will Middlebrooks
233 Starlin Castro
MM-VK Martial Mastery: Vikings (+3 Martial Mastery)
279 Gio Gonzalez Mini A&G Back (+2 A&G Back Mini)
318 Eric Hosmer SP (+2 SP)

Pack Total: 9
Running Total: 90

Pack 4:

226 Willie Stargell
186 Andy Pettitte (-1 Yankee)
247 Ryan Howard (+2 OFP)
284 Will Clark
97 Tony Gwynn, Sr. (+2 OFP)
81 Al Kaline
334 Russell Martin SP Mini (+3 SP Mini)
ATY-MM Across The Years: Manny Machado (+2 ATY)

Pack Total: 8
Running Total: 98

Pack 5:

156 Jurickson Profar RC
191 Bryce Harper (+2 OFP)
184 Mike Joy
212 Barry Melrose
175 Monty Hall
PS-LC Palaces & Strongholds: Leeds Castle (+3 Palaces & Strongholds)
HHH-QE Heavy Hangs The Head: Queen Elizabeth (+3 Heavy Hangs The Head)
309 Mat Latos SP (+2 SP)

Pack Total: 10
Running Total: 108

Pack 6:

122 Jay Bruce
22 Bob Feller
127 Doug Fister
178 Carlos Gonzalez
19 Bobby Doerr
290 Eddie Murray
279 Gio Gonzalez Mini
ATY-RS Across The Years: Ryne Sandberg (+2 ATY)

Pack Total: 2
Running Total: 110

Pack 7:

174 Nate Eovaldi
196 Josh Willingham
75 Lou Gehrig (-1 Yankee)
53 Mark Teixeira (-1 Yankee)
137 Pedro Alvarez
CAP-OL Civilizations of Ages Past: Olmecs (+3 Civilizations of Ages Past)
116 Lindsey Vonn Mini Black-Border (+3 Black Border Mini)
304 Freddie Freeman SP (+2 SP)

Pack Total: 6
Running Total: 116

Pack 8:

243 Jason Dufner
219 Freddie Roach
68 Chrissy Teigen
299 Ryan Zimmerman
46 Colby Rasmus
18 Matt Harrison
57 Mike Olt RC Mini A&G Back (+2 A&G Back Mini)
ATY-TT Across The Years: Troy Tulowitzki (+2 ATY)

Pack Total: 4
Running Total: 120

Pack 9:

171 Chad Billingsley (+1 FT)
138 Anibal Sanchez
92 Paco Rodriguez RC (+1 FT)
111 Corey Hart
110 Daniel Murphy
287 Bill Mazeroski
112 Ziggy Marley Mini
ATY-BRT Across The Years: Babe Ruth (-1 Yankee, +2 ATY = +1)

Pack Total: 3
Running Total: 123

Pack 10:

51 Jason Kipnis
1 Miguel Cabrera
155 Austin Jackson
214 Alexei Ramirez
188 Bill Buckner
OLC-MN One Little Corner: Moon (+3 One Little Corner)
HHH-AUG Heavy Hangs The Head: Augustus (+3 Heavy Hangs The Head)
347 Stephen Strasburg SP (+2 SP)

Pack Total: 8
Running Total: 131

Pack 11:

160 Brian McCann
182 Cody Ross
84 Jason Vargas
293 Jim Palmer
AGR-DA Dustin Ackley Jersey Relic (Blue Swatch) (+10 Relic Card)
45 Shawn Nadelen Mini
ATY-LG Across The Years: Lou Gehrig (-1 Yankee, +2 ATY = +1)

Pack Total: 11
Running Total: 142

Pack 12:

99 Barry Zito
269 Tom Seaver
280 Kendrys Morales
52 Scott Diamond
86 Warren Spahn
MM-AMZ Martial Mastery: Amazons (+3 Martial Mastery)
PM-BC Peacemakers: Bill Clinton (+3 Peacemakers)
341 Ozzie Smith SP (+2 SP)

Pack Total: 8
Running Total: 150

Pack 13:

115 Stan Musial
189 David Freese
6 Chanel Iman
100 Bill Walton
176 Abe Vigoda (+1 Vigoda)
112 Ziggy Marley
223 Matthew Berry Mini
ATY-SKX Across The Years: Sandy Koufax (+2 ATY, +1 FT = +3)

Pack Total: 4
Running Total: 154

Pack 14:

264 Adam Dunn
218 Zack Cozart
109 Asdrubal Cabrera
32 Aaron Hill
203 Adam Eaton
PS-NC Palaces & Strongholds: Neuschwanstein Castle (+3 Palaces & Strongholds)
277 Paul Goldschmidt Mini Black-Border (+3 Black Border Mini)
345 Melky Cabrera SP (+2 SP)

Pack Total: 8
Running Total: 162

Pack 15:

222 Andre Ethier (+1 FT)
273 Alcides Escobar
261 Dwight Gooden
134 Roy Halladay
142 Garrett Jones
241 Matt Cain
267 Grand Central Terminal Mini A&G Back (+2 A&G Back Mini)
ATY-JMT Across The Years: Jesus Montero (+2 ATY)

Pack Total: 5
Running Total: 167

Pack 16:

85 Phil Heath
223 Matthew Berry
33 Nana Meriweather
27 Shelby Miller RC
298 Evan Longoria
CAP-MY Civilizations of Ages Past: Mayans (+3 Civilizations of Ages Past)
243 Jason Dufner Mini
332 Cole Hamels SP (+2 SP)

Pack Total: 5
Running Total: 172

Pack 17:

252 Catfish Hunter
143 Mike Schmidt
101 Yonder Alonso
80 Willie McCovey
AGR-AW Adam Wainwright Jersey Relic (White Swatch) (+10 Relic Card)
Bill Walton Mini No # (+2 Walton #100 Mini, +11 No # Mini = +13)
ATY-SP Across The Years: Salvador Perez (+2 ATY)

Pack Total: 25
Running Total: 197

Pack 18:

180 Nik Wallenda
116 Lindsey Vonn
17 Roy Jones, Jr.
254 Lou Brock
23 Adrian Beltre
MM-AP Martial Mastery: Apache (+3 Martial Mastery)
42 Jackie Robinson Mini Black Border (+1 Mini FT, +3 Black Border Mini = +4)
333 John Kruk SP (+2 SP)

Pack Total: 9
Running Total: 206

Pack 19:

288 Chris Davis
239 Craig Kimbrel
129 Miguel Montero
253 Mark Trumbo
132 Ryne Sandberg
58 Shin-Soo Choo
223 Matthew Berry Mini A&G Back (+2 A&G Back Mini)
ATY-YD Across The Years: Yu Darvish (+2 ATY)

Pack Total: 4
Running Total: 210

Pack 20:

173 Coco Crisp
28 Paul O'Neill (-1 Yankee)
121 Hiroki Kuroda (-1 Yankee)
126 Jon Niese
238 Ryan Braun
PS-SP Palaces & Strongholds: Summer Palace (+3 Palaces & Strongholds)
85 Phil Heath Mini
324 Justin Morneau SP (+2 SP)
Ginter Promotional Colin In Time

Pack Total: 3
Running Total: 213

Pack 21:

245 Mark Buehrle
154 Mike Morse
179 Bonnie Bernstein
300 Bud Selig (-1 Selig)
185 Guillaume Robert-Demolaize
152 Anthony Rendon RC
IM-HA Inquiring Minds: Hannah Arendt (+3 Inquiring Minds)
ATY-KGR Across The Years: Ken Griffey, Jr. (+2 ATY)

Pack Total: 4
Running Total: 217

Pack 22:

240 Mike Leake
207 Troy Tulowitzki
144 Torii Hunter
181 Wade Boggs
54 B.J. Upton
CAP-SD Civilization of Ages Past: Shang Dynasty (+3 Civilizations of Ages Past)
333 John Kruk Mini SP (+3 SP Mini)
316 Hal Newhouser SP (+2 SP)

Pack Total: 8
Running Total: 225

Pack 23:

234 Death Valley
130 Pele (thicker card stock, blue tint, text on back)
279 Gio Gonzalez
24 Anthony Gose
190 David Murphy
OLC-SD One Little Corner: Scattered Disc (+3 One Little Corner)
243 Jason Dufner Mini A&G Back (+2 A&G Back Mini)
307 Darwin Barney SP (+2 SP)

Pack Total: 7
Running Total: 232

Pack 24:

258 Billy Williams
294 Johnny Cueto
107 Trevor Bauer (+2 OFP)
183 Ryan Ludwick
76 Jim Abbott
69 Jake Peavy
HHH-CLE Heavy Hangs The Head: Cleopatra (+3 Heavy Hangs The Head)
ATY-GG Across The Years: Gio Gonzalez (+2 ATY)

Pack Total: 7
Running Total: 239

All of the above yields: 239 points. This is easily the best I've done in my three years participating in Gint-A-Cuffs.

Final Score: 239 points