In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not out to find the big pull when I buy cards. That’s gotten me into trouble in the past. While I did get very excited when I found a game-used Jackie Robinson jersey card in one box and an autographed Joe Carter card in a box of Honey Combs, these types of pulls are rare and I don’t expect them. Even still I like to feel like a box purchase has been a good value. I want what I pay for and with 2003 Topps Bazooka I feel as though I got more, even without ‘the big pull.’
Bazooka has something for everyone: a modest sized base set of 280 cards that includes many rookies, a couple of attractive parallels, some simple insert sets that have personality and a reason to exist, three game-used cards per box, and even a stick of gum in every pack (not that you should expect anything less from a product named Bazooka. And best of all, the cost is equal to that of any other base set like Fleer Tradition or Topps.
Many times in the past card companies have made sets targeted specifically at kids. They’ve had loud designs and nothing collectible about them. Understandably, those lines didn’t last long. Bazooka has finally gotten it right with its mix of options. While game-used cards have lost a lot of their luster due to market saturation, they’re still fun to pull even if they aren’t worth much. The base set design is nothing radical. In fact it’s a simple design that includes solid photography and write ups that are more lively than those found in most sets.
To add to the challenge are the 50 variations available in both the base set and its two parallel sets. Card #7 features Bazooka Joe with one of thirty-one different shirts: one with the Bazooka logo and one for each of MLB’s 30 teams. There are also 20 additional variations scattered throughout the checklist in which the Bazooka logo is in color and the players’ facsimile signature is included.
As mentioned above, there are two parallel sets available. The first are the Bazooka Minis. Taking from the popularity of 2002’s Topps 206 tobacco mini parallels, these are found one per pack. Also available are the silver ‘dummy’ cards that are thick and are meant to detract pack searchers from hoarding all the game-used cards.
Game-used cards are easy to find as collectors will find three per box. They’re found in two different sets: Bazooka Blasts (bats) and Piece of Americana (jerseys). Each also has a parallel set serial numbered out of 25.
Rounding out Bazooka are three insert sets. The first is Bazooka Comics, which have long been a trademark with every piece of Bazooka Gum. These are corny cartoons that feature many of the game’s biggest names. Bazooka Stand-Ups are stand up cards that you can fold and have sitting on your desk. Finally there’s the 4-on-1 Stickers that, as the title suggests, has four small stickers on each card.
You’re not going to get rich opening a box of 2003 Topps Bazooka, but this is about as fun as a box bust can get. Even if you don’t like the cards all that much, you’ll have one huge wad of gum making your cheek stick out like a cow and its cud.
2003 Topps Bazooka Baseball Box Breakdown:
Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 8
Total cards: 194
Cards in set: 280
Variations available: 50
Singles: 109 (39%)
Variations: 22 (44%)
Doubles: 0
Triples+: 0
Inserts: 63
- Mini Parallel: 24
- Silver Parallel: 21
- Bazooka Blasts Relic (Relic odds of 1:8): 2 (BB-RH. Rickey Henderson, BB-WB. Wilson Betemit)
- Sequentially Numbered Bazooka Blasts (1:524): 0
- Piece of Americana Relic: 1 (PA-RP. Rafael Palmeiro)
- Sequentially Numbered Piece of Americana Relic (1:611): 0
- Bazooka Comics (1:4): 6 (7. Greg Maddux, 8. Ichiro, 11. John Smoltz, 12. Mike Piazza, 20. I. Rodriguez, 21. M. Tejada)
- Stand-Ups (1:8): 3 (10. Troy Glaus, 18. Todd Helton, 22. Manny Ramirez)
- 4-on-1 Stickers (1:4): 6 (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
