2019 Allen & Ginter Retail Cubs Review

After my Club 400 event on Thursday night, I headed back home on Friday morning. The Allen & Ginter itch caught me, and I stopped at the Wal-Mart in Janesville, Wisconsin.

There was a woman in the card aisle, and I didn't take much notice as I walked over to the baseball cards. I scanned the shelves, and no Allen & Ginter. Then the woman walked my way with a fresh box of cards. It was the MJ Holdings rep.

I asked the rep if she had any Allen & Ginter, and sure enough there was a fresh display case. She opened it up, and I grabbed three blasters and three value packs.

The value packs contain five mini gold parallels. They are the retail exclusive for Allen & Ginter. Allen & Ginter is one of my least favorite retail releases, but I am holding out on hobby boxes until the National due to time constraints. So, this will hold me over for the next couple weeks.

Altogether I pulled seven Chicago Cubs cards. Very happy that I pulled a Javier Baez card. I like that there is a little bit of a background, and it's not just the player featured.

Another positive for this year's Topps releases is that Sammy Sosa is back. He was in this year's Stadium Club, and now makes the Allen & Ginter checklist. Hopefully a reunion with the Cubs organization is next.

Cole Hamels was the duplicate treatment in this selection. Another background observation. The grandstand behind Hamels appears aged to the Allen & Ginter era. Allen & Ginter was a tobacco company in the 1800's (1865 to 1890), and produced trading cards in the late 1880's.

I pulled two mini cards, and both were parallels. An Ian Happ black border parallel.

And I did pull a gold parallel out of a value pack. It's Cole Hamels.

It's a fun break, but I would not recommend buying Allen & Ginter in retail. With that said, I did pull two hits - Buster Posey mini framed relic, and a Noah Syndergaard relic. Hobby boxes of Allen & Ginter are much better bang for your buck. Just place an order with one of the big online retailers (Blowout Cards, Dave & Adams, or Steel City Collectibles), and all are similarly priced.