REVIEW: 2016 Topps Baseball Holiday Box (with video of the box break)

The holiday season is now well past us, but our local Walmart just finally received their shipment of 2016 Topps Baseball holiday boxes (this is a Walmart exclusive product), so we decided to jump in on the fun even though it’s the middle of February.
SPECS
The holiday box is meant to be a box that can be easily packaged as a fun gift for family members or friends who are into collecting cards. With this target demographic in mind, Topps decided to go ahead with a very simple set list for the product, which is as follows:
Base set – 200 Cards
Metallic Snowflake Parallel – (1:2 packs)
Relic Card Insert – (1:11 packs)
Autograph Insert – (1:308 packs)
Autograph Relic Insert – (1: 5,088 packs)
Relic Metallic Snowflake Parallel – (1:12,772)
Autograph Metallic Snowflake Parallel – (1:17,657 packs)
Autograph Metallic Snowflake Parallel – (1: 15,393 packs)
Each box contains 100 total cards divided among 10 packs. Out of the 100 cards, five cards will be from the Metallic snowflake parallel, and you are guaranteed either one relic or autograph. Most boxes will have a relic card, but approximately 1:30 boxes will have an auto or auto relic.
Now that we covered the specs, let’s look at what we pulled when we broke into our box.

BASE CARDS
The base cards use the exact same design and photos as the standard 2016 Topps line with one notable difference – the corners of the card have a snowflake design to provide a winter aesthetic.
Because the base set is slimmed down to only 200 cards, and each box contains 100 cards, it means that you will get to collect a nice assortment of star players and rookies. This is a feature that casual fans and children will appreciate when breaking into the set. In our box we pulled Mike Trout (right), Bryce Harper, Carlos Correa, and Kris Bryant.
METALLIC SNOWFLAKE PARALLELS
The metallic snowflake parallels add what can best be described as silver sparkles which are attached to the card where the snowflakes are. It is difficult to tell how it looks from the photo but the effect has the feel of a Christmas art project, and for a parallel it is a bit underwhelming.
I understand the reasoning behind the decision but it just didn’t make the parallel that interesting. It would have been nice if Topps decided to include a numbered parallel as well to provide a bit more variety.
This especially matters if you open the pack with the relic/auto early because otherwise there really isn’t anything else to look forward to.
RELIC/AUTO INSERT
A nice feature is that every box does contain either a relic or an auto. For most people (approximately 29 out of 30) what you will likely pull is a relic. For those who are lucky, you may pull an auto or an auto relic. Unfortunately, we weren’t so lucky this time and pulled a relic card, but at least it was a star player in Noah Syndergaard.
To see what some of the auto cards look like you can check out the official product page on the Topps website. Unfortunately the autos are not on-card, but that is to be expected for the entry level product released in the off season.
SUMMARY
Overall this box is nice for the casual fan to reminisce, and ideal for kids just getting into sport cards. The short set list makes sure that you have a good shot at pulling some of your favorite players, and you are guaranteed at least one fun card.
The lack of variety in parallels/inserts is a downside because once you find your relic/auto there is nothing else to get excited for.
This is an experiment for Topps so it will be interesting to see if they do it again this year. If they do, hopefully our Walmart carries it before Christmas begins this time.