Box Break: 1995-96 Topps Stadium Club Extreme

This was the box I picked up the first day I was at the Gibraltar Trade Center card show a little while back. It was sitting in a bargain box pile for only $6, so I figured what the heck, why not? These kind of boxes are always fun to bust as these were the "in" cards back when I got into collecting as a kid in the 90's. And how can you go wrong with ten "super premium" cards per pack? Let's take a look at what was inside.

The Numbers: 

Packs: 24

Cards per Pack: 10

Base: 

The base design for this set is pretty simple. I like how the upper 80% of the card is left unobstructed. I also like how they used the 3D puck and wrapped the text around the outside of it. That definitely gives it a 90's vibe.

Extreme Rookies: 

These are so extreme it's almost hard to read the text from the scan. I don't think the neon purple was the best choice of color in this case. It's kind of weird seeing Bert with the Isles though, as he only spent his first two seasons there. 

Extreme Corps:

These are a bit easier on the eyes than the rookies, but still just as extreme. I think I can count the word extreme at least twelve times on the front of this card. One thing I do like about it is how they make the player image stand out from the background. 

Generation: 

This is another one of those mid-90's inserts that does not scan very well. I'm not exactly sure what the point of this set is, but they don't look all that bad. 

Nemeses:

These are kind of cool as they showcase two players at the same time, in this case Ray Bourque and Brian Leetch. Again though, these cards are not the most scanner friendly.

Metalists:

These are probably my favorite of the bunch. They focus on the trophies that each player has won in their career. I really like the die-cut pattern on these cards too, it's something you don't see everyday with that many small cuts through the card.

Fearless: 

These are kind of neat. I really like how the words are raised in the background around the player images. The blue and red foil at the bottom is kind of cool and I like the font of the word fearless. Another set that definitely has that 90's feel to it.

Power Streak:

I remember thinking these were so cool when I was a kid, but now they just look weird. They could have at least added some depth to the net or something.

All in all this break was enjoyable and well worth the $6. I got a lot of base cards of guys I grew up watching on TV in the 90's, so that was nice. Then there were plenty of typical 90's inserts, nothing spectacular, but nothing as bad as some of the inserts of today.