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All righty, now that we've gotten a good look at big brother, let's check out little brother. Topps Mini Chrome is very similar to Chrome, but there are a few differences.

2015 Topps Mini Chrome Configuration: 24 packs per box, 4 cards per pack – 96 Cards total

Set Breakdown

• 200 Card Base set (100 Veterans, 100 Rookies)
  
  • Parallels: Diamond (1 per pack in Hot Boxes), Refractor (1:8 packs), Sepia Refractor (1:12 packs), Pulsar Refractor (1:box), Green Refractor (1:3 boxes), Blue Refractor (1:6 boxes), Purple Refractor (1 per case), STS Refractor #/d, BCA Refractor #/25, Black Refractor #/15, Gold Refractor #/10, Red Refractor #/5, SuperFractor 1/1, Printing Plates 1/1
  
  
• 58 Card Base Photo Variation set (33 Veterans, 25 Rookies)
  
  • Parallels: Superfractor # 1/1
  
  
• 44 Card Rookie Autograph Set (All on-card Autos)
  
  • Parallels: Refractor #/d, STS Refractor #/d, BCA Refractor #/d, Blue Refractor #/d, Black Refractor #/25, Pulsar Refractor #/15, Gold Refractor #/10, Red Refractor #/5, SuperFractor 1/1
  
  
• 33 Card Base Autograph Photo Variation Set
  
  • Parallels: Superfractor # 1/1
  
  
• 60 Card 60th Anniversary Insert Set
  
  • Parallels: Refractor #/50, Pulsar Refractor #/25, SuperFractor #1/1
  
  
• 30 Card 60th Anniversary Autograph Set
  
  • Parallels: SuperFractor #1/1
  
  
• 35 Card 1976 Topps Football Insert Set
  
  • Parallels: Pulsar Refractor #/25, SuperFractor #1/1
  
  
• 23 Card 1976 Topps Football Autograph Set #/25
  
  • Parallels: SuperFractor #1/1
  
  
• 35 Card 1989 Topps Football Set
  
  • Parallels: Gold Refractor #/50, Pulsar Refractor #/25, SuperFractor #1/1
  
  
• 22 Card 1989 Topps Football Autograph Set #/25
  
  • Parallels: SuperFractor #1/1
  
  
• 35 Card Super Bowl 50 Die-Cut Set
  
  • Parallels: Refractor #/50, Pulsar Refractor #/25, SuperFractor #1/1

Base




This is an odd review to write, considering I just did the review of Topps Chrome. This set is identical but smaller. The players are the same, the pics the same and the look the same. I'm a fan of mini cards, so I had a blast opening this one. In our box, we pulled 54 of the 100 veterans and 24 of the 100 rookies or 78/200 cards for 39% of the fill base set. One thing I'll mention here, and it's been a complaint with the Chrome products over the last couple years, is that despite getting a rookie card in every pack as well as five various rookie refractors - the biggest name rookies we pulled are pictured above Karlos Williams and Devin Funchess. No Winston, no Mariota, no Gurley. And when we've brought in 30% of the checklist in our box, it sure does seem like we should know some of these guys.

Refractors






The refractors in this set are very similar to the Chrome set, and we actually did quite well on our color in this box. While the player names aren't that exciting, the color is. As you can see, we pulled base refractors of Mark Ingram, Ryan Tannehill and rookie Tony Lippett. Our one per box Pulsar refractor is of Tony Romo and our one per box green refractor is of Packers rookie Ty Montgomery. Each box will have two Sepia refractors, and ours did not disappoint as we pulled Ben Roethlisberger and rookie Benardrick McKinney. Our final two refractors in the box are an STS Camo refractor of Trae Waynes #95/99 and a Black refractor of the LA Rams QB Nick Foles. This card is numbered a mere 1/15. As I sit in my kitchen in St. Louis typing this review, I want to punch someone in the face for giving me a low numbered Rams anything!





Inserts






The inserts in Mini Chrome are virtually the same as Chrome. Missing are the 4,000 yard and 1,000 yard sets, but everything else remains intact. We pulled four 1989 Super Rookie cards: Stefon Diggs, Maxx Williams, Sammie Coates and Devin Funchess. We scored two 60th Anniversary inserts, the legendary Lawrence Taylor and Tony Dorsett. We received 1 1976 rookie insert of the Cardinals break out star, David Johnson. And our final insert is out of the Die-Cut Super Bowl 50th anniversary set and as you can see, we pulled The Bus, Jerome Bettis.

Autograph




The final card in the box is a really, really nice card. It's a Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Refractor auto of - are you frickin' kidding me - the Rams rookie RB Malcolm Brown, #25/50. I really like the pink border on the card and it's very nice to look at. However, it is (again) a guy we've never heard of AND it's a sticker auto to boot. Chrome has built a reputation for always having on-card autos, but it seems that more and more stickers are finding their way into the boxes.

Final Thoughts on 2015 Topps Mini Chrome Football

Priced around $60 - Topps Mini Chrome is a realy fun break. Overall, our break resulted in some low numbered, nice looking cards. We just went bust on the player selection - and that happens sometimes. For the most part, I really like this set (as well as its big brother) but I do have to agree with the masses, the ratio of no name rookies to stud rookies in these boxes is going the wrong way. I realize we probably won't be seeing Chrome anymore after this - at least not in this form - but it is something that Topps should think about. For these mid level one-hit-per-box sets, rewarding collectors with bigger name rookies would help move more boxes. While our selection was not the best - I do appreciate the mini cards and the quality of the set and would rate this a "buy" for most collectors. Just be prepared to look up who a lot of these guys are.

Also, to see the live break of this Mini Chrome box, click Here!

Ratings

Innovation: 3
Fun: 5
Value: 4
Rebuy: 4

Total– 16/20 - So, I give 2015 Mini Chrome Football a B- final grade!

NPN Information

NPN 2015 Topps Chrome Mini Football
PO BOX 2008
Duryea, PA 18642

Limit – 1 Request Per Household

Postmarked by: March 16, 2016
Received by: March 23, 2016

For our Canadian collectors, your entry will need to be accompanied by the answer to this skill question: 23 + 27 x 2 – 31 = ?

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