Brooks Robinson, 2013 Topps Allen & Ginter Across the Years #ATY-BR

This week I've been featuring cards from a Fairfield repack box that jumped into my hand last weekend at a Target in Charlotte. I've pretty much given up on the repacks that consist of a 50, 100, or 200-card loose assortment, since they're always packed to the gills with junk wax. But the $20 boxes that feature 20 packs of recent-vintage cards still scratch that itch. I can justify buying newish Topps products by telling myself that the money's not going directly to the company (though I'm sure Fairfield is compensating them for their unsold inventory), and a buck a pack is a price I'm willing to pay.

This box consisted of a single pack of 2008 Upper Deck Spectrum, a bunch of 2013 Topps products (Allen & Ginter, Opening Day, Archives, and flagship Series Two), and to my surprise, a few packs of 2014 Topps Heritage. Each box also comes with a randomly-inserted "hit", which in this case was a 2005 Topps Update All-Star Stitches jersey relic of Morgan Ensberg. It doesn't get much more random than that, and the swatch is a lovely deep orange. I also pulled a Craig Gentry autograph from one of the Opening Day packs, which is a nifty thing to get even if I couldn't pick the guy out of a lineup. I filled a few more set needs for Heritage, and got some 2013 Topps Series Two and Opening Day Orioles that I needed. There was also this Brooks Robinson insert from last year's Allen and Ginter, a fortuitous pull from a six-card pack. On the back, it lists some notables that share Brooksie's May 18 birthday, including Pope John Paul II, Frank Capra, Tina Fey, Reggie Jackson, actor Robert Morse, and Superfly Jimmy Snuka. Truly news you can use.

Cal Ripken, Jr., 2013 Topps Allen and Ginter Across the Years #ATY-CRJ

I may have a self-imposed embargo on buying new Topps products, but group breaks are a-okay. That's fortunate, since it allowed me to get an Allen and Ginter fix from Tribe Cards' group break. David's box produced four Orioles base cards (Manny Machado, Adam Jones, Chris Davis, and Cal Ripken, Jr.), a Jim Johnson black-bordered mini parallel, and this Cal Junior Across the Years insert. I'm quite grateful to have it, because now I know that the Iron Man shares his August 24 birthday with Dave Chappelle, Kenny "R2D2" Baker, and Vince McMahon. That's pretty heady company, if you ask me.