This is one of three "Wal-Mart Exclusive Chrome" cards available in specially marked "Value Boxes" that were released this week at Wal-Marts nationwide. What collectors may not realize, in their haste for STRASBURG-JO!!!!, is just how not scarce this and the other two cards in the set actually are.
73,150. That's how many copies of each Babe Ruth, Cal Ripken, Jr., and Stephen Strasburg Wal-Mart Exclusive Chrome card were produced. Of course, the cards themselves are not serial-numbered. But, knowingly or unknowingly, Topps gave collectors a clue to their production based on another insert exclusive to the Wal-Mart Value Packs. Armed with this information, and a little algebra, collector's can easily hack the production figures for the Chrome Strasburg.
Collector's opening the six Topps Series Two packs included in each Value Pack may have noticed a new parallel. The "Copper" parallels are serial-numbered to 399 copies each and (according to the odds listed on the back of the wrapper) inserted into packs at the rate of 1:10. According to Topps, these Copper parallels are only available in Wal-Mart Value Packs. So, let's plug in some variables...
330 (number of cards in the second series set) * 399 (stated production figure of each Copper parallel) * 10 (stated insertion ratio) = 1,316,700
Topps produced an additional 1,316,700 Series Two packs for Wal-Mart. And since you get six of these packs in each Value Pack...
1,316,700 / 6 = 219,450
219,450: That's the number of Value Packs Topps made for Wal-Mart. And since you get one of three Wal-Mart Exclusive Chrome cards in each Value Pack...
219,450 / 3 = 73,150
There are 73,150 copies of each Ruth, Ripken, and Strasburg Chrome card.
In other words, if you pay more than $5 for any of these cards, you're a damned fool.
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