Topps Archives has been one of my favorite baseball sets for the last few years. I am prepared to take the bashing from the diehards that don’t like it. I know I’m probably in the minority on that but I like the mixture of vintage and junk wax designs. I also enjoy the opportunity to pull the Fan Favorite autographs. Sure, some of them are weak but some of them are pretty solid 80’s-90’s players that I wouldn’t otherwise have the chance for auto’s from. They have also been placing cool inserts in the set like Bull Durham and Major League. I know the set is quirky and I know it isn’t for everyone but I am very excited when it comes out every year. It’s one box that I will buy on release date. I enjoy cheap cards from 1989 so why wouldn’t I like Topps Archives.
As usual, I jumped on a box on release day this year and have worked my way through it, studying each design and player. Archives always includes a few players that you won’t find in any other set during the year. This year was much of the same and I was pleased with some of the surprises and I think some of my readers will be too. This year’s “Special Insert” card is a Derek Jeter Retrospective Card, which features a reprint of Jeter from an earlier edition of Topps. These are found in 1:12 packs or an average of 2 per box.
Back for 2017 is the Archives staple, “Fan Favorites Autographs”, which is an autograph of a well known but not quite superstar from baseball history. I have pulled Gant, Rollie Fingers, Darren Daulton and Oscar Gamble over the years, just to name a few. Are they big money hits? No, but they are very fun to pull if you are a collector my age. This box is truly about fun and nostalgia for me and is never about big “monster” hits. That may be what turns some people off about the set but it’s what keeps me coming back for more every year.
The other allure for me is the way Archives breaks up the set of 300 into 3 retro sets from their history. This year is 1960, 1982 (one of my favorites) and 1992, which was right in the middle of my teen collecting days! This year, Topps brought variations and parallels to Archives which may intrigue some collectors that love that sort of thing. But Archives has always been a clean, straightforward set for the most part, making the base set easy to build. This year, I am already diving into Ryan Cracknell’s (@tradercracks) variation articles on Beckett. I even pulled a couple with one not even on the master list yet! Let’s take a look at what else was pulled from this first box of 2017 Archives.
1960 – Cards 1-100
Card stock has always been the #1 drawback for me with Topps Archives. The cards have historically been thin, flimsy and so glossy, they’re hard to sort. I noticed a much thicker card stock with the 1960 cards this year. 1960 was a classic horizontal design with an inset posed photo and an action shot in a color box to the left. The cards are very colorful and VERY airbrushed in the first block of the set. Pictured are some of the highlights which include Aaron Judge and Jake Lamb as current hot stars. One subject you don’t see very often in current sets is Earl Weaver. I think Cliff (@oriolesrise) might like that one.
1982 – Cards 101-200
Card stock for the 1982 block was also a little thicker than normal if memory serves. I am a fan of the 1982 design with several of the cards using alternate color borders for teams that we aren’t used to seeing. The Dansby for instance showcases a neon green and blue which not mean anything to most but it is a nice throwback and is also what the Hawks are using as alternates right now. Killebrew is the one Twins player (besides Kirby) that I can actually collect. I included Pedro here for my faithful Boston readers and Shane Salmonson (@ShaneSalmonson), who PC’s him. Finally, the Ozzie Smith was a special inclusion for Scott Berger (@SBergerBOSTON). I thought of him immediately!
1992 – Cards 201-300
Most collectors will immediately recognize the ’92 design. It was a good one for Topps and holds up today in my opinion. Unfortunately, we go back to paper thin card stock for the final 100 cards. Pictured in this group of cards is a color Babe Ruth, which is always fun to pull no matter what set. Then we have a great Reggie Jackson Orioles photo and nice Mark McGwire with his jersey name and number fully visible on the card. The last card included was Yoan Moncada, the hot young rookie for the Chicago White Sox. I was looking hard but missed out on the Gold Variations for this design.
1959 Bazooka
This insert is a smaller card that is designed in tribute to the 1959 Bazooka cards. I pulled four of these in the box and they were pretty good players. I pulled Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax and Pudge Rodriguez along with young stars Francisco Lindor and another Yoan Moncada.
2016 Retro Original
This insert has the vintage design but doesn’t include any of the retired players like other inserts. I pulled two of these; Gary Sanchez and Anthony Rizzo.
Topps Magazine 2017 Rookie Stars
Two solid pulls from this insert set with Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman.
#’d SP’s
I pulled two (Pink?) numbered versions of base cards with Gary Sanchez and Ryne Sandberg. I like when pink is used with cards for some strange reason.
Parallels/Variations
I pulled two of these:
Nolan Ryan Gray Back
Jackie Robinson Base and Variation
Derek Jeter Retrospective Cards
I pulled two of these and they are actually pretty cool looking cards. There are some autographed versions but I am not lucky enough to pull those types of autographs.
1995 Topps and 2006 Topps
Autographs
My favorite part of Topps Archives is Fan Favorites Autos and I am always excited to see the names included each year. I was not disappointed this year with my pulls.
Brian Jordan – Atlanta Braves
Manny Mota – Los Angeles Dodgers – Really cool to add this one!
Overall, I can’t say that this year was any better or worse than years before but I still look forward to opening a box or two to see who’s included. I will probably buy another box and try to put together the base set like I have in the past. I don’t get tired of retro designs and I don’t get tired of old star ball player autographs. I’ll have to give 2017 Topps Archives a score of 4 on the Dub-O-Meter. Again, I accept that it isn’t for everyone and there are a lot of people who really don’t like the set. But I do and I’m buying for me and no one else so I can live with it. I have zero chance besides Archives of pulling a Manny Mota autograph from a card pack and there is something to be said for that. Even though ’82 is a favorite of mine, it has been used a bit much in the Archives series but I am happy to see ’92 get some run. I just wish the card stock for that group had been better. Do away with the paper thin and give ’92 some decent stock and you have yourself a great retro card. What say you about this loved and hated set?
J-Dub
Scoring Scale
1. Let me be the sacrificial lamb so you don’t have to buy these cards. Just read the post and thank me later.
2. There is worse but there is much better – not worth the effort though.
3. Middle of the road – I wouldn’t talk you into buying these but I certainly wouldn’t talk you out of them.
4. You should probably go out and buy a box and enjoy the rip – I did! It has some downside but worth the ride.
5. Stop reading and find a box to buy and get to Breaking! What are you waiting on?
Pedroooo!!
Great job as usual!
I’m definitely looking forward to building a set of the 1960s cards and all the Tigers players cards.
I know there’s a Ty Cobb regular and SP, and want both of them.
I’ll scan through and see what Tigers I pulled
Great review. I agree that the 1992 design is very nice. I wasn’t a huge fan of 1992 Topps when the set was first released, but it has definitely grown on me over time.
Thanks Brian – the only problem with them now is they are paper thin. Cards 1-200 were nice and sturdy. Would like to see the Topps Gold variation though.
Good review. Thanks for posting. Looking forward to getting some of those Jeters.
Archives used to be one of my favorites back 2 or 3 years ago. I loved the designs that were much more familiar to me than Heritage combined with the Fan Favorites who weren’t in all the other sets.
In the time since, Topps has nearly eliminated the Brewers from the set — three base cards this year, three total inserts (all Orlando Arcia). That upsets me because the Brewers are my focus.
The Fan Favorite autographs this year…there are some decent ones. I don’t like all the current players being in these because we get plenty of current-player autographs from other sets.
But I fail to understand how or why Topps would think inserting “Bald Vinny” or Zack Hampel or Skip Bayless as fan favorite autographs is a good idea. I also do not understand how Topps chose its radio announcer subjects. Marty Brennaman? Not a problem — the guys is a Hall of Famer. I’m not a fan of the Red Sox, Mets, and Yankees announcers being in there for that reason — they are not HOFers. But why not Bob Uecker? Call me a homer, but the guy *is* in the Hall of Fame.
Archives used to be cool and fun to me. It’s not any more because of the way Topps puts the set together. I’ll buy the six Brewer cards from the secondary market.
All valid points Tony. I haven’t paid attention to the Brewers checklist as it isn’t my team but I do the same when Braves are scarce. I absolute hate the inclusion of these other guys as fan favorites. I can’t stand Skip Bayless and he will go up on eBay immediately if I pull one…or in the fireplace. But I get your dislike of the set.
As for Uecker, he should absolutely be included and not just as Harry Doyle. I know this seems weird but he’s very underrated when it comes to broadcasters. He’s never included in lists when people talk about great broadcasters. Agreed on that 100%!
I’m with you on the inclusion of “Bald Vinny” and Zack Hampel. At least Skip Bayless, like him or hate him, is a celebrity of sorts. I had no idea who either of these were when I pulled them, and wasted a “color” auto on Vinny, to boot. Now, after I see who they are, I really don’t care.
Why not just have the distributor start autographing boxes, and calling it a hit? At least in years past, the Fan Favorites were semi-stars who were known.