Monday, October 24, 2022

Cardboard Review:2022 Topps Archives Baseball

Baseball cards don't always have to be the next best thing, they can be a visit from the past.

That's what you get when you break into a box of Topps Archives. This year's edition is no different, so let's take a look and see what it has to offer.

Every hobby box of 2022 Topps Archives baseball comes with 24 packs of 8 cards. Boxes come with 24 packs of 8 cards and 2 autographs.

There is also a box topper, post card, that greets you immediately on top.

A closer look at it. Not a bad kick off to this box.

Let's see the rest.

BASE:

  
This years base card set pays tribute to 1963, 1978 and 1987. There are legends,

veterans,

And rookies.

 
(1:6 packs)

  
(1:6 packs)

 
2005 (1:24 packs) and 1992 (1:6 packs)

Along with a couple short-printed subsets as well that makes up the 380-card base set.

PARALLELS:
You can find the following parallels in Archives,
Rainbow Foil /150, Green /125, Silver /99, Red /75, Red Hot Foil /50, Blue Foil /25, Orange Hot Foil /15 (Hobby), and FoilFractor 1/1.
Rainbow Foil /150

Silver /99

Red Hot Foil /50 (nice card and parallel)

INSERTS:
Only three inserts to find, this is the main one.
Post Cards has 15 cards that falls 1:8 packs.

HITS:
Adam Frazier autograph

Luke Williams Autograph

I guess the positive spin on these pulls...they are on-card.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:
I really like the layout of Archives, but as always the value is a toughie for me. I have yet to pull a big-name autograph from this product since I started opening it. I think for me anyways, I take a shot at retail for this product. Yeah, you may not get an autograph, but there is a chance. But, you do get the taste of the product and land some of your favorite players in a classic design.

I was happy to finally land a Bobby Witt Jr and Julio Rodriguez rookie for my PC.

I would say looking at this break, the Ohtani was by far the headlining pull.

Thoughts on my break and the product welcomed in comments.

Friday, October 21, 2022

Cardboard Review:2022 Topps Gallery Baseball

Baseball season continues on and so doesn't the baseball releases.

Today, we take a look at a 90's favorite from yours truly but maybe not so much in the modern age.

Unlike the 90's version, Topps Gallery can only be found at Walmart or at Topps online. So no hobby shop visits to find this stuff.

Each hobby box retail version of 2022 Topps Gallery comes with 20 packs of 5 cards. Each box also comes with 2 autographs and boxes run about $115 per. Not too bad considering today's box prices with the same amount of hits.

BASE:

The 200 card base set comes loaded with veterans,

Legends

And top rookies of the game. 

The design stays pretty close to what it has looked like in years past since Topps reengergized it.

PARALLELS:
You can find the following parallels in this year's Topps Gallery,
Printer Proof , Rainbow Foil, Private Issue, Green /125, Green Pattern /99, Blue /75, Blue Pattern /50, Orange /25, Orange Pattern /10, Red /5, Red Pattern 1/1 and Printing Plates 1/1
Rainbow Foil

Green /125
Private Issue

INSERTS:
Inserts may have the following parallels,
Green /250, Blue /99, Orange /25 and Red 1/1
MasterStrokes falls 1:18 packs and has 20 cards to collect. The one on the right is the blue parallels, blue writing, it is /99.

Next Wave falls 1:15 packs and has 25 cards to collect. I really like the look of this one compared to the other inserts in this product.

Portrait Gallery has 10 cards in the set and falls 1:18 packs.

Modern Artists has 25 cards falling at 1:15 packs. I really don't mind this design either. Kind of its the Gallery/art theme.

HITS:
Autographs come with parallels as well. You know, like most products.
Green /99, Blue /50, Orange /25, Red 1/1
(I guess we can call this an autograph....)

(even worse example)
This is an Orange /25

OVERALL THOUGHTS
This product doesn't have the same feel or appeal of the 90's version, but I still didn't mind it too much. I would probably only stick to this version of buying it if I had to choose. I think Blasters are full of dullness.

As for value, I didn't pull any of the key rookies, the autographs were bad in more than one way, but at least I found a Ken Griffey Jr and Derek Jeter card. Those made me happy.

Thoughts on this product, the inserts and the autographs especially welcomed in comments.

Thursday, October 20, 2022

Until The Next Trade

I haven't been big-time trading much recently; it just feels so time consuming. Not that it isn't rewarding in the end, but it just takes time I haven't had recently.

Just look at my recent trade with blog reader Oren.

I am slacking on mailing out his end of the trade and he mailed his out almost immediately. I feel awful that I haven't been able to get it out sooner, but it's just part of life I guess. It's also why I will continue to cut back on doing more trades with others until time and energy to dig out stuff can be found.

So, for now, I will enjoy this one from Oren.

A couple of set needs. I believe I am a ways from this one still.

Then I took these announcer/media cards. I always liked these in sets. Wished Panini would include them now.
Steve Sabol card. Not sure if this is a rookie or not, but glad to have it. Always watched his football follies growing up.



I was surprised when I double checked and didn't have any of these. I would have thought with all of the "junk" I have it was sitting in there somewhere.

Mo Vaughn subset. Really nice shiny design.

Destination Stardom of Chris Carpenter from Upper Deck.

Why can't companies make great looking parallels like Ultra Gold medallions of the 90's? Because there is nothing like 90's cards.

 
Final card, another new relic for my side Curtis Martin PC. And look....another thing companies don't do much of anymore, especially for football, GAME USED!!!

Thanks again Oren for the trade! I will get yours out in the next few days if I haven't already by the time this publishes.

Thoughts on my latest trade mail day welcomed in comments.

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Cardboard Review:2022 Topps Chrome Logofractor Mega Box

I am typing this a day in advance, so I can't tell you how the Yankees game ended last night but I was hopeful for a positive outcome. Either way, great season for Aaron Judge.

While we are on the topic of baseball, let's check out one of the latest Topps offerings.

The Topps Chrome Logofractor Edition.

In layman's terms, this is bascially Topps Chrome but with a new refractor parallel.
Each of these mega boxes comes with five 5-card packs of 2022 Topps Chrome plus two five-card packs of Logofractors. These boxes have no guarantees as autographs fall 1:10 boxes. Boxes of these depending on where you buy, can range from $49.99 to over $100.

Here is what you will find in each Mega Box.

I am going to completely bypass the awful packs of the basic Chrome I ripped in this break, I mean it was bad, and skip straight to the Logoman Packs.

The Logoman is a separate "base set" from the basic Chrome so isn't considered a parallel. It's a shrunken down checklist of 110 cards for it's set.
Why are they called Logoman? While, it has the MLB logo refracted (is this an actual word?) in the background.

Here is a closer look.

My box didn't provide an autograph or even a decent rookie, yes Julio Rodriguez can be found, but I did get a parallel in each pack.

I see you rolling your eyes knowing that the refractors have refractors.

Here are the parallel offerings,
Purple /250, Pink /199, Blue /150, Green /99, Gold /50, Orange /25, Red /5 and Rose Gold 1/1 (1:765).

Purple /250 (these fall 1:4 packs)

Pink /199 (these fall 1:4 packs)

There are also two insert sets to chase as well.  Club Plaques that fall 1:80 packs and Future Stars that falls 1:3 packs.
These also contain the MLB Logo in the background.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:
Everyone knows I am a Chromie, but I am not a fan of this set. Not because I don't like the parallels, those look great, but I feel this could have been a parallel in the basic Chrome set and not an unneeded extra set.

Also, my break was pretty sad. The Trout base was the highlight.

Thoughts on this product welcomed in comments.