Mailday 04/13 and a Big Box Break of 2006 Topps Sterling

Some cool stuff came in over the weekend.  

Up first was a trade that netted me a couple of cards from my Want List.  Both of them were from 2012 Topps Archives.  I acquired another gold parallel, this time of Kevin Youkilis.  But the big one from this trade was the 1982 In Action insert of Jacoby Ellsbury.  These were a little hard to find.  And this Ellsbury was previously my #9 card on my Most Wanted list, so this is the third card from that list to come off.

Up next was a player box from 2006 Topps Sterling.  I do not do a lot of high-end box breaks because I don't usually feel like spending over a hundred dollars for a box of four or five cards and run the risk of not getting a Red Sox.  That is the only reason I buy packs.  I do it for the thrill of getting Red Sox cards.  And the chances just are not very good with high-end stuff.  Yes I could trade the cards for something nice, but why not just buy the high-end Red Sox cards?  It makes a lot more sense.

Anyway, enough of that rambling.  In 2006, Topps Sterling was issued in an unusual format.  There were five cards to a box.  There was a mystery pack that contained one card that was either a low-numbered parallel or a cut autograph.  Then there was an inner box that contained four cards of one player.  That player was named on the outside of the box like this:

The box itself is made of cherry wood and it is very impressive.  Inside the box are four cards of the player named.  Three of them are base cards numbered to 250 and the last is a high-end insert numbered to ten or less.  

I recently had a chance to buy the above box (the mystery pack was not included), the first one I had seen in a few years.  I wanted one when they came out but never got around to buying one.  I knew if I ever saw one again, I had to buy it.  So I bought this Carl Yastrzemski box.

Up first are the base cards:

Very nice cards, as you can see.  They are also quite thick.  

And then comes the big hit:

There are four different jersey pieces on this thing and it is numbered 02/10.  I was hoping for an autograph, so I was mildly disappointed, but this is a hell of a nice card.  So I was happy with this.  It is my third Yaz jersey card from a box break, which is pretty cool.  I will show them all off someday when I show off all the Red Sox relics/autos I have gotten from packs.