2012 Topps Archives Baseball Cards Box Break Recap And Review

[Baseball Nut]

2012 Topps Archives Baseball Cards can be best described as “something for everyone.” While this set seems made for collectors who started in the seventies through the mid eighties, it will also appeal to set builders looking for a reasonable challenge, hit seekers looking for pulls that can’t be found anywhere else and could intrigue those that have left the hobby to come back based on the nostalgia. In the end, everyone one of these types of collectors should be satisfied.


For collectors who were around during the original releases of these cards, this redux will feel familiar while, at the same time, seem current and should bring back feelings of when you first opened these packs. Unlike the popular Heritage line, collectors won’t have to wait 50 years to see their favorite releases get the updated treatment.


Archives Baseball falls under our classification of trading cards. Hobby Boxes contain 24 – 8 card packs with 2 Fan Favorites Autographs Per Hobby Box and the potential for some amazing and rare finds.


Here are some of the cards we pulled from our hobby box.

Base Set - 1954 Topps

Matt Kemp, front and back


Jackie Robinson, Cal Ripken Jr., Matt Moore

1971 Topps

Johan Santana, front and back


Ty Cobb, Mike Schmidt, Brett Lawrie

1980 Topps

Yu Darvish, front and back


Joe DiMaggio, Ozzie Smith, R.A. Dickey

1984 Topps

Derek Jeter, front and back


Roberto Clemente, Josh Hamilton, Eric Hosmer


High Numbered SPs

Sandy Koufax - 1966 Topps, Ed Kranepool - 1970 Topps, Andy Van Slyke - 1988 Topps


Cecil Fielder - 1991 Topps, Brett Butler - 1992 Topps, Robin Ventura - 2000 Topps


Gold Parallels

David Ortiz - 1980 Topps, Josh Hamilton - 1984 Topps


Gold Stamped Reprints

Monte Irvin - 1953 Topps, Roberto Clemente - 1955 Topps



Duke Snider - 1956 Topps, Yogi Berra - 1956 Topps


Roberto Clemente - 1964 Topps, Eddie Murray - 1979 Topps


1977 Topps Cloth

Roy Halladay, front and back



Andrew McCutchen, George Brett, Reggie Jackson


1969 Topps Deckle Edge

Bob Gibson, Roberto Clemente


1967 Topps Stickers

Derek Jeter, Josh Hamilton, Pablo Sandoval


1968 Topps 3D

CC Sabathia, Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano


The Hits - Fan Favorite Autographs

Mickey Lolich Auto - 1973 Topps, Wally Backman Auto - 1986 Topps


Overall Look

Topps has selected some of the best and most loved designs from their past. Add to that a great looking line of inserts like the Deckle Edge cards. The Autograph cards are done really well with some smart choices for the years selected for each fan favorite. The framed minis and the 1956 Topps Relics look great too.

Quality and Variety of Players and Subsets.

200 base and 50 SPs make for a tight checklist. There are excellent choices of players from the past, present and future

Do the Hits hold up?

The fan favorite autographs include some big names, like Aaron, Koufax and Mays. The rest of the fan favorites will resonate will the more mature collecting crowd with names like Righetti, Luzinski and Matlock. The box loader autographs from Billy Zabak and Martin Kove of Karate Kid fame seem slightly out of place as do the Celebrity Cut Signatures but hit right at the heart of the 70’s to 80’s demographic. Luck into a beautiful Cal Ripken Jr. Touched By Greatness or any of the Topps Vault items like Autograph Contracts from players like Mays, Williams and Mantle or any of the uncut sheets and you could wind up with one the best pulls of your entire collection.

Will you want to collect them all?

Absolutely. Topps has put their best foot forward with Archives and you will want to get your hands on as many packs as you can manage.

Rating

5 out of 5

2012 Topps Archives Baseball Cards is a wonderfully mastered set of cards with lasting appeal. It reminds you of why you started collecting cards in the first place.



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