Cardboard Review:2021 Topps Archives

70 years of Topps was the theme in 2021 Topps Archives this year.

Archives incorporated one design from each previous decade that Topps has been making baseball cards from the 1950s to the 2010s. Which are the following designs,1957, 1962, 1973, 1983, 1991, 2001 and 2011 designs.

So let's check it out!

In each box of 2021 Topps Archives it comes with 24 packs of 8 cards. Boxes run $120 and come with 2 autographs.

There is also one move poster per box as well.

How cool is this??

BASE:

The base set is 300 cards deep with players from the past, present and future.

PARALLELS:

The following parallels can be found in Archives,

Rainbow Foil /150, Green /125, Silver /99, Red /75, Red Hot Foil /50, Blue Foil /25, Orange Hot Foil /15 and FoilFractor 1/1.

Red Hot foil. I am not a Red Sox fan, but man this card is stunning with team colors.

INSERTS:

Falling at 1:24 packs, is the 1994 Draft Pick design featuring rookies from this year.

1963 Topps Peel Offs fall 1:6 packs and have 15 to collect.

Movie Poster cards fall 1:6 packs with 15 cards to collect.

Bazooka is back..except these packs had no gum but had this 15 card insert set that falls 1:6 packs.

HITS:

2 autographs to find...I have never had any luck pulling big names, but what I will say about Archives is that they include fun names. The guys you don't see in every product.

Jason Kendell

Bazooka Silver border falls 1:1105 packs.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

This was a fun break. I enjoy the throwback designs, the on card autographs and the solid checklist of rookies, veterans and legends.

The box topper movie poster really jumped out at me then the rest was great from there and for some reason or another, I have not gotten tired of seeing that overused photo of Cutch.

I am not sure what the other parallels look like either, but that Devers was quite stunning and I like the fact the product isn't over run with them per box. Makes them more valuable and it's all about the chase!

Your thoughts on Archives is welcomed below!

CARDBOARD REVIEW:2021 Bowman Sterling Baseball (Solid Pull)

As I said a few breaks ago, this is the time of the year to focus on the future of a lot of baseball franchises so a lot of late baseball card releases cover that.

Today's product is a perfect example as it's loaded with all rookies and prospects for the future of a lot of franchises. Let's check out a box break of 2021 Bowman Sterling baseball.

 

Every box of 2021 Bowman Sterling baseball comes with 5 mini boxes. Each mini box has one pack and one autograph and five other cards. So there should be a total of five autographs overall to be had. Boxes currently are running around $300.

BASE:

 

Another chromed product makes this blogger happy! You can never have too many (as I see many of you glare)

Let's take a look at the product instead then :)

Bowman Sterling is split up into two base sets to chase in Sterling. There is a Prospect base set and a 

Rookie base set.

Each set has 100 cards each and has many of the big names you would expect.

PARALLELS:

Refractor /199, Speckle /99, Magenta /75, Gold /50, Blue /25, Black Atomic /10, Red /5, SuperFractor 1/1, and Printing Plates 1/1.

Base Refractor /199

Gold Refractor /50

HITS:

(Refractor /199)

(NIIIIIICEEEE)

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Price is a bit steep for me, but the prospecting gambling type may be a deal. I haven't seen enough breaks of the product to judge whether there is a decent hit in every break or not. It's probably best if you jump in on a box break if you can't afford a break or find someone who is selling a mini box. Maybe one of those can be found for $60.

Let me know your thoughts on today's box break below!

Check out Cards Over Coffee please and once again add it to your blogrolls and even a add onto your post would be appreciated as well!

Cardboard Review:2021 Stadium Club Baseball Hobby Box

When it comes to the hobby, I can't list many products that get me excited enough to countdown to, but there are some.

One of those products, I know I am not alone on.

That product, Stadium Club.

It's the one product that you whisper it's name and it gives you goosebumps and makes your hair stand up on your arm.

Why do collectors seek this product out so much? Is it the hits? Is it the checklist? No, no, and the next question was a no before I even asked it. Let's see why collectors dig this product so much.

Every hobby box of 2021 Stadium Club baseball comes with 16 packs per box with 8 cards per pack. Each box has 2 autographs, a box topper and is around $120 per.

After opening up the box, your box topper is just there.

Certain players also offer up autograph versions of this card that are all numbered to 10.

BASE

Well, it didn't take me too long to get right to the answer of the burning question above on why collectors flock to Stadium Club. Believe it or not, it's the base cards.

NO OTHER, I mean no other product offers the kind of photography Stadium Club does and has for many years.

Here are a few of my favorites from this box break,

The base set overall has 300 cards and is built up of veterans, legends and rookies.

Parallels
Stadium Club offers the following parallels,

Red Foil, Black Foil, Sepia, Black & White, Blue Foil /50, 30 Years (30 copies), Rainbow Foilboard \/25, First Day Issue (10 copies), Members Only (1 per case), Photographer’s Proof , and Gold Rainbow Foil 1/1.

Red Foils fall 1:3 packs

Black Foil falls 1:8 packs

30 Years, which I missed in the break the first time, fall 1:199 packs.

And with most products, there are Sp's and Variations. These are tough pulls falling at 1:179 and I found this design variation of Ichiro in this break.

INSERTS

 

Stadium Club Chromes fall One-Per-Box and I found myself a nice one in Tatis. I know you guys don't want to hear this, but I sure hope Topps brings this back as a full time set again. Taking everything Stadium Club has to offer and chroming it looks amazing.

These also come with parallels,

Refractor, Orange /99, Pearl White /30, Gold Minted and SuperFractor 1/1.

Stadium Club Greats revisit old Stadium Club designs. These fall 1:8 packs and have 25 cards to collect in the set.

Super Star Duos falls 1:16 packs and has a player on the front and back. This one features Paul Goldschmidt on the back. This one features 15 cards in the set.

Virtual Reality falls 1:8 packs and have 25 cards in the set to collect.

HITS

There are on card autograph offerings in Stadium Club with a mix of Veterans, Legends and lots of rookies.

I pulled two rookie autographs in mine,

Not terrible, not great but at least no pitcher autos!

HITS
Stadium Club isn't about the hits, it's about the photography and the nostalgia as well. This years version is loaded with it especially with the throwback designs.

There are a ton of great photos as well that I didn't even post because it would have taken up the entire post to do so.

In comments, let me know your thoughts on Stadium Club whether it be past or present.

Cardboard Review:2021 Topps Finest Baseball Master Box

Since the 1990's, Topps Finest has been a staple in my collection since the 90's.

Every year I try to pickup some form of it up whether it's through trading, a box break, mini box break, etc. It doesn't quite have the same UNPEEL as the 90's, but I still like it. And speaking of the peeling off, please don't ever unpeel those. Yes the cards look better, but my OCD goes nuts finding them that way. I have never once peeled one off.

Getting back on track, let's see how this years Topps Finest faired for me.

Each Master Box of 2021 Topps Finest comes with 2 Mini Boxes. Each mini box comes with 6 packs per box and 5 chrome cards per pack. Each Master Box comes with 2 autographs with 1 autograph per mini box.

Boxes go for around $270.

BASE

There are 100 cards in the base set with rookie and veteran content. The cards are chromed with a funky futuristic design.

The card backs give career statistics.

There is also an extended base card set with 25 more cards which gives the overall set total of 125 cards to chase. (Ruiz isn't in the extended base set and given just as an example of a rookie)

There are also rookie variations that fall 1:12 packs where the background is different.

PARALLELS

There are plenty of refractors to find this year as they upped from a few to a good handful this year. The offerings are, Refractor, Sky Blue /300, Purple /250, Purple/Aqua Vapor /250, Aqua /199, Aqua Shimmer /175, Blue /150, Green Speckle /125, Green /99, Rose Gold /75, Rose Gold Mini-Diamond /50, Gold /50, Orange /25, Red /5, Purple/Pink Vapor /3, and SuperFractor 1/1.

Refractors fall 1:3 packs.

Green Speckle falls 1:47 packs. This card is beautiful in person!

Purple /250 falls 1:24 packs

Sky Blue falls 1:20 packs

Rose Gold falls 1:78 packs.

INSERTS

Legacies Inserts combine the past and the future of a team. These fall 1:6 packs and have 20 to collect. I gotta have the Kyle Lewis/Ken Griffey Jr.

Masters pays tribute to 1997 subset and falls 1:3 packs. There are 25 cards to collect overall.

Every year Topps celebrates a player and their careers with Finest Careers. This year it's Mike Trout and these fall 1:48 packs. There are 10 of these to collect.

HITS

The autographs are all on-card with 81 cards to land from. There are also parallels to find such as Blue /150, Green /99, Green Wave /99, Gold /50, Orange /25, Orange Wave /25, Red /5, Red Wave /5, and SuperFractor 1/1.

Base

Green Wave /99

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Price Point always plays a role for me as a budget collector. This is a big gamble product with a lot of big hits to chase though.  I suggest picking up singles or joining box breaks if you like what you see from my break as the average collector can't afford a full box.

Overall though, nice design and I always like the throwback inserts.

Thoughts on my break or on Finest in general welcomed below. I will also be doing a solid giveaway on Twitter or on here as well.