Box Break - - 2012 Topps Archives Baseball Blaster

(This is one of my lost posts that I started a few/couple months ago.  I have since over indulged on Archives and would be glad to help anyone else out on base set completion.  I even have them sorted in order if you can believe that.  This was my first exposure to the product back when it was "new".)


I don't buy a ton of baseball product.  Usually the base Topps series and maybe a few Heritage or a couple retro sets if they are out there (A&G or Gypsy Queen).  I am not really even a big fan of baseball as a whole and I've discussed that on here numerous times.  I still hold the Pirates near and dear to my heart but lets face it, they haven't really been the most fun to watch for, oh....the last 20 years or so.  Plus, I have a hard enough time not having a heart attack every time the Pens or Steelers are on.  I couldn't take another sport that makes me crazy.  So I generally sit idly by in the proverbial baseball corner and just watch the festivities of others.

But this year, Topps put out the Archives set which was supposed to be kind of a throwback to the Fan Favorites sets of old.  Instead, it has amassed what may very well be, as many haters as it has fans.  I will throw myself out here and join the masses of fans.  I really like this product.  So here is yet another in a long, and I mean very long, line of card blogger Archives posts.

First off, I am a sucker for retro sets.  I don't know why.  Maybe it's because I know I probably won't be able to afford the real thing so getting something that looks old but isn't must satisfy some intrinsic need.  Generally when a retro themed set is released in hockey, I will dump hundreds or more in it trying to complete the set as they usually look quite good in binders (see Champs Hockey, Parkhurst Champions, UD Retro).

Second, there are quite a few designs that are thrown into this product making it as manically frustrating for design enthusiasts as it is wonderfully unique to set collectors.  The first 50 cards (1-50) feature the 1954 Topps base card design.  The player selection is also smattered with old school guys like Jackie Robinson, Mickey Mantle, and Cal Ripken Jr.  The second 50 (51-100) are from the 1971 set, you know the all black border cards that are extremely condition sensitive?  These have guys like Lou Gehrig, Phil Rizzuto, and Ty Cobb mixed with Chipper Jones.  The third group of 50 (101-150) are from the 1980 set.  I can't say that I am a big fan of the 1980 design by any means but it is definitely an iconic 1980s set.  The original 1980 Topps set featured the Rickey Henderson Rookie, the Jesse Orosco/Mike Scott Rookie, and I think the Rick Sutcliffe rookie card.  The Archives version has the rookie card of Yu Darvish.  The next 50 (151-200) use the 1984 design.  That's the set with Darryl Strawberry and Don Mattingly rookies as well as a host of others.  I think I like this design the best because of it looks very similar to the hockey set from the same year only with squares for the players heads instead of circles.  It's a neatly positioned and uniform design pattern.

Thirdly, Topps still brought out what they are calling Fan Favorites and these are cards 201-240 and feature short printed cards of various players through history from various years, almost like a reprint.  Card 241 is also short printed but that's the Bryce Harper rookie.  Some of the players included here are Don Mattingly, Andy Van Slyke on his 1988 card, Wally Joyner on his 1987 card, and Will Clark on a pseudo-1986 card.  Somehow on these (inserted about 1:4 packs) I ended up with 2 Cecil Cooper #219s.  Weird.  There are also autograph versions of all of these which look awesome and they fall about 1:12 in the hobby boxes.  For some reason, Topps paid tribute to the ultimate utility man Jose Oquendo by giving him nine different auto versions, one in each position.

Fourth, I love the autographed framed mini set.  These are a tough pull at only 25 of each player but they look great.  Just like the mini GU or Auto framed cards in A&G, these too have the card encapsulated in a larger, see through frame.  I have seen the Nolan Ryan and the Ryne Sandberg ones in person and they are awesome.  I also saw a picture of someone who pulled a Reggie Jackson.  That one was sweet as well.

Finally, there are two different kinds of stickers and a 3D card insert.  The first stickers are the 1977 Cloth stickers.  There are 25 of these that fall about 1:6 hobby packs.  They feature a mix of current and former stars.  They are just what you think.  Cloth.  Just like the logo and trophy stickers from the Topps Sticker Albums (or even the Panini ones too).  The other stickers are the 1967 "floating head" stickers.  These also have a mix of current and formers stars but are less frequent at 1:8 packs.  The 3D cards are just awesome.  I used to have a bunch of these when I first started collecting but they have since gone AWOL.  I wish I knew where.  These look pretty close to the real thing and feature current players along with Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle, and Al Kaline.

Oh, and for good measure...they even threw in a GU card.  Not bad for a blaster.

Fun with the Golden Giveaway (or the opposite of fun)

I have a bunch of Topps Golden Giveaway cards.  I say a bunch because it is a bunch to me.  To you, it may be a few, or a couple.  But to me, a non-baseball collector that still buys the Topps flagship stuff every year, it's a bunch.  14 to be exact. 

Now that the Golden Giveaway site is live, up and running (for now), I have decided to give it a shot.  My first plan was to try and sell these on the bay but that never works out as expected.  So rather than have to pay $2.50 to ship these to someone that won them fair and square for $.99, I figured I'd enter them and see what happens.

This year, for those not in the know, the premise is kind of simple.  You enter the codes and win player or team coins that are once again trade-able in the virtual trading area of the site.  You can also win some of the die-cut cards that have been issued just for this promotion.  The first 100 people to enter 200 codes will win a complete set of Golden Moments Die-Cuts.  Also, they have apparently upped the ante, with the addition of a 1/1 card with an actual 14K piece of gold embedded in it, to the mix. I'm definitely not in the running for that but it will be interesting to see what kind of cards I can win.  I've read all the negative comments so far but I am going to judge for myself.  Let's share.

With my first ever Golden Giveaway promotion redemption card...(drum roll, please)  We have...

 

 Troy Tulowitzki.  Ummmm.  Ok.  I think if I get enough of these I'll have them shipped.  It will probably cost a bunch but these look kind of....wait, what?  You mean these aren't real coins?  There is nothing to ship in this promotion except cards?  Well ok then, bring on the cards.

 

 Ok, not a card but I think I remember this guy from an Arby's commercial or something.  Or maybe he just works there.  Wasn't he also a Beach Boy?

 Sabathia is a large man.  This coin is not.  Still no card.

 Alright this is different.  A Hall Of Fame coin of Nolan Ryan.  Nolan Ryan seems to be popping up everywhere in my Topps cards this year.  He is also in coin form.  Still no card.

Not a card.  I have now put these all up for trade.

Blah, blah, blah.  Now this is getting boring.

 Oh, look. Something different.  A team card, I mean coin.  Still no cards.

 No cards.

No cards.

Oh, look.  Still no cards.

Hey it's the Mick.  Not in card form.

I'm selling this for $9,000.  Oh, wait a minute.  It's not 2010 and this isn't a card. 

So there you go, 14 codes, no cards.  All these are for trade, not that it matters.  BUT WAIT.  THERE'S MORE!!

When you unlock 3 of any category, you get a free code.  I have a bunch of player coins, and at least 4 HOF ones so I get 2 free codes.  Ready for 2 more coins?

 

 What's this?  A card?  An honest to goodness card?  It's a Vladimir Guerrero die-cut.  It looks kind of Topps Finest-y doesn't it?  I may want these if I get more.  If.

Free Code #2

This defies all odds considering what every other collector seems to be reporting.  I've seen quite a few people claim to have unlocked hundreds with only a couple dozen cards.  Here we had 14 codes and 2 cards which comes out to 14% if I know math and I don't.  I'd say I did better than most but not as good as I expected going in to this thing. 

I will say this, not as much fun as the Million Card Giveaway or the Gridiron Giveaway or the Diamond Giveaway.  I think Topps fell flat on this one.  The gold coins do nothing for me and there is no real incentive to collect them all once the free sets are given away and you hit the 30 mark for one coin type.  At least then you get the Willie Mays auto.  Ten of one type gets you a chance at a Griffey auto but that's only a "chance". 

I'm not sure I will participate any more in this unless I pick up more codes in a pack or two but since I already finished off the base set of Series I, there is no need to pick up more.  I'm just working on some of the inserts now.

Dear Abby-ner

Since the discovery of my long, lost collection from my youth, I have been pondering those things that deserve to be pondered upon. Like, what do I do with all these baseball cards? Or, where am I going to put all these baseball cards? Or my new favorite, should I start to collect baseball cards again?

That last one has been at the forefront of my mind for a while now. As I mentioned before, I, like many before me, deserted baseball for greener pastures years ago. The last time I actually paid enough attention to know who players were and where they played, steroids were only for professional wrestlers and race horses. I guess it all boils down to the answer to one question. Do I or don't I?

If the answer is no, then everything becomes fodder for trade, just like much of my football has become. With the exception of sorting by team and listing, my work is essentially done and I will move on to bigger and better things. If the answer is yes, then it begs the follow up questions, what do I collect and how?

PLAYER COLLECTING?...

Again, since I have been out of the baseball mind frame for so long, I can't say I have a favorite player. My first inclination would be to rekindle what I once had with my favorite collections as a kid. As I discussed in a previous post, all my childhood heroes have since been indicted, either in a court of law or in the court of public opinion. Is that what I want to pass on to my kids one day? An all "Cheater" collection? So I guess player collecting is out.

TEAM COLLECTING?...

As for collecting a favorite team, I grew up a Pirates fan. The Buccos haven't fielded a winning team in 17 years. 17 YEARS!!! The team that, according to their Wiki, introduced the baseball world to the pullover spandex uniform jersey can't even break .500. Even the Cubs can't say that. Do they even make cards of Pirate players any more? No really. That wasn't rhetorical. Other than a few prospects or rookies now and again, I can't remember the last time the Pirates caught my attention on any level other than that of utter dismay or indifference. Since I have relocated to the Chicagoland area, it would make sense to then collect Cubs or White Sox cards. Their stuff can be found everywhere and it would be easy to begin amassing a collection. The only problem is that I have a general disdain for all teams hailing from the Windy City. So I guess team collecting is out.

SET COLLECTING?...

Maybe set collecting is the way to go. I would have to go after either Topps or Upper Deck because I really don't like the Donruss sets of the early 80s and early 90s and the Fleer sets seem to be too hard to come by. Or maybe, I can target the vintage, pre-80s era of cards. I know the shows that periodically appear around where I live are loaded with dealers that focus on vintage.

Or maybe I will just pack them all back up and put them in my attic and dig them back out in another 15 years.

Signed,

Confused In Cooperstown

(Oh, and welcome to number 14...Nick. That's all I know. His (or her) name is Nick. Welcome Nick!)

Hidden Treasure, That Was Already Mine

All of us that collect anything have heard the story before. Everyone has a tale of some golden gem of a card they had when they were kids that could mint them a fortune if they had it now. But, alas. It became bicycle spoke fodder or was flipped against a brick wall so many times it was now shaped like a shoe horn.

For those of us that didn't abuse our childhood cardboard the tale becomes similar in many ways. Like the stash of cards in the parents attic that somehow got given away at the church bizarre. Or the endless boxes and binders that were hidden away in the basement, only to succumb to the numerous floods and pump failures throughout the years. Any way you slice it, I think many of us have "those cards I used to have".

Well I was in the same boat. Until yesterday.

For my sons 6th birthday, my mom, step-dad, brother, and sister-in-law all decided to drive the 9+ hours from Pennsylvania to surprise my son. Mission accomplished. He was thrilled beyond believe and we had a really good time while they were here. Before coming out, my brother had told me he was bringing me something he had found while moving some stuff out of the house. When they arrived, he walked in with two Rubbermaid totes, obviously heavy since it took him and my step-dad to carry them. Not recognizing them, I only wondered what was inside.

After a full day of having some fun with the kids and the family birthday party, the evening was devoted to opening the totes. And there they were...6 monster boxes of my old baseball cards and a bunch of complete sets. I thought anything that I didn't get rid of was destroyed in the basement flood about 11 years ago. Apparently, as my brothers were growing up, the cards got moved up stairs and then eventually into the attic. Now that the house is being sold, they were discovered during cleaning. They are now back in the hands of their rightful owner.

In perusing a few of the boxes, I found all sorts craziness. Most of the baseball is from between 1981 and 1994 (when I stopped collecting baseball). The most intriguing thing was a 3" binder filled with non-sport stuff. There are some really weird cards in there that I don't remember having. I also found a 300 or so count box filled with Coors Brewing Company cards. Where they came from, I don't know. I gave them to my brother to put in his man cave in his new house.

So now the dilemma. I've now just increased my card inventory by, what I can only assume, is about 20,000 or more. 90% of it is baseball. I don't collect baseball. It is probably going to take me a few weeks to sort through all of it. I think I might post anything that I feel needs to be posted. If any fellow bloggers out there would be interested in maybe trading for some stuff too, I'm all ears. I think I might either try to break this up into players (which most of it already is) and teams.