Random Wax: 2024 Topps Archives Blaster

 2024 Archives: I'm a fan of Bobby Witt Jr. and he's having another really good year hitting .288 with 16 home runs while leading the league in doubles.

Great Albies photo on that 1970 design.  These designs, which also include 1961 and 1994, aren't exactly favorites of mine.  Of these three the '70 look is my favorite.  And I'm always happy with an Ohtani pull.

The backs are lots of fun.  Here we have a 1994 back of all-time great Justin Verlander.  I love being able to see all these stats.  He is a San Francisco Giant now.  If not for basically almost two total lost seasons, Verlander would have had a realistic shot at 300 wins.  He sits at 263 now.  Wouldn't have been easy but still. 

Youngsters seen across all three designs.

I wasn't sure about the Alex Bregman signing but he's been really good in Boston.  One more reason I'm not a GM somewhere.

Three Black Parallels.  Not bad.  Not great.  A bit of a foil thing going there.  Nice Mets alt uni.

Another fun back.

The inserts really feel out of place.  I can't believe they couldn't come up with more retro looking designs. New Breed is the most palatable to me.  But just say no to inserts in Archives that don't have a retro feel.

Love retired greats and Beltre is a guy I am a fan of.  Hard to argue with either Munson or with The Big Unit rocking the nice Arizona jersey.

Fun box of cards with a great pull.  These are always fun.  Plenty of variety and great players.

BREAKDOWN:
56 – Total Cards
18 – 1970
18 - 1994
17 – 1961
13 – RC
5 – Retired Greats
4 – Black Parallels
1 – New Breed
1 – Own the Game
1 – Wrecking Crew

Random Wax: 2021 Topps Archives Blaster

2021 Archives:  Fernando Tatis Jr. is the only player still in San Diego from this Movie Poster insert.  The Padres are eight games over .500 in the very competitive NL West.

I love 2011 Topps and Rickey so he could have easily led off this box, but he did lead off my first ever post on '21 Archives back in 2021.  I really like the look of that card.  The other two cards are from the Topps' 2001 design.

Some great Braves pulls including some on the 1962 design.

This Ozzie Albies is a 1989 Topps Big Foil.  It's not a bad look.  Needs the team logo though.

These 2091 cards are not favorites of mine.  They really feel out of place in an Archives set.

The backs are fun also harkening back to the original designs.  Fun look.

Here we get the 1973 design.  I'm not big on it but it works.  I'm not a huge fan of the Topps designs pre-1980s but the variety in Archives gives you plenty of options to like if there are designs you don't care for.

Here we get the 1991 and 1983 designs.  Bo Bichette has bounced back this season after struggling last year.  One of the big draws for Archives is the retired greats which are fun pulls and look good on new wax. 

Floating Heads, Bazooka Shining Stars (1:6 boxes), and another Movie Poster insert.  I do like the Movie Poster inserts.  Another insert that feels out of place, but I do like them.

1957 Topps design on these three and a good pull with Cutch and Albert Pujols.

1962 Topps with McGwire, Col and Darvish.  Really fun box of cards.  So much variety.  Maybe too much but it's hard to complain about.  With the 2011 design inclusion this is one of my favorite Archives sets.

BREAKDOWN:
56 – Total Cards
15 – Retired Greats
11 – RC
10 – 1962
9 – 1957
8 – 1973
6 – 1983
6 - 2001
5 - 2011
5 – 2091
3 – 1991
3 – 1989 Topps Big Foil
2 – Movie Poster
1 – Floating Heads
1 – Bazooka Shining Stars (1:6)

2024 Topps Archives Blaster

2024  Archives:  Always excited to see Archives hit the shelves and we saw them hit ours last week.  We'll kick it off with The Sultan of Swat who put up numbers nothing short of video game worthy stats.

I'm a big Topps Archives fan.  I enjoy the variety and the look back at past designs on new cardboard.  This first look has me a little disappointed.  The designs just don't speak to me. Not a knock against the brand.  It's just the 1994, 1970 and 1961 designs just don't wow me even in this new look.

Plenty of rookies to show off including Yoshinobu Yamamoto who started 18 games for the Dodgers in his rookie season and helped them win the 2024 World Series winning game two against the Yankees.

Love the backs of these cards.  We get the awesome career stats of Stan the Man with lots of color on this 1994 card back.  The man could hit.

I pulled 11 retired greats which was double what was in my other blaster.  That Fernando is one of my four black parallels that come in each blaster.  Retired greats are always fun. 

A back from the 1970 design.  Love seeing the stats for these old timers.

The Wrecking Crew and Own the Game inserts feel a bit out of place considering the set is about retro, and those don't look retro.  And neither look that great to me.  At The Break cards don't look bad.

These talk to how a batter was doing at the break in the 2024 season.  Different.  Not bad.  Just different.

Backs to the other two inserts.  The Own the Game inserts are in essence a league leaders card?  Hmmm

The back of the '61 design.  And more greatness.  Just ignore the Yankee years.  .328 for his career and even hit .301 in his final year.  Great way to go out.

Not gonna lie, I'm still a bit underwhelmed but I'll roll with it.  I'll pick off singles and maybe fat packs if I see them but this and the other blaster may be my last in that format.  Again, not bad cards just designs that don't excite me.

BREAKDOWN:
56 – Total Cards
18 – 1961
18 – 1970
17 – 1994
16 - RC
11 – Retired Greats
1 – At the Break
1 – Own the Game
1 – Wrecking Crew

Random Wax: 2022 Topps Archives Blaster

 2022 Archives: I've seen this Griffey Jr. photo before and I've never cared for it.  Not sure why but it's not for me.  Still, he's a legend and I like him as much as anyone else.  If he stayed healthy you have to believe he chases Hank Aaron's 714 home runs.

This design isn't necessarily a favorite of mine but no complaints about these 3B studs and a PC guy of mine in Uncle Larry.

Greatness.  Not only the card back but one of the best hitters the league has ever known in Tony Gwynn.  Career .338 hitter?  Crazy.

I like Goldy and Mookie is still great even if he isn't a Red Sox now.

If only saves were on here as well.  Amazing career and one of my favorite Braves of all-time.

Never a big fan of '87 Topps but there are worse out there.  Some good photos here including that Longoria even though it's a head and shoulders type.

A career Pittsburgh Pirate, Mazeroski was a 8X Gold Glove winner and won two World Series rings with the Buccos.

Hunter Greene earned his first all-star appearance this year and Jeremy Pena had his time in the sun as the ALCS and World Series MVP during the Houston Astros 2022 World Series run.

Not a Big Foil card guy. 

More retired greats.  Feels like every Ozzie card should show him on defense.

Amazing players, all in different ways.

Braves win, Braves win!  Such a great and surprising World Series run.  Since then, the Phillies and this Bryce Harper guy have stood in Atlanta's way.  I really like Archives, and this was a fun box.

BREAKDOWN:

56 – Total Cards

20 – Retired Greats

19 – 1963

17 – 1987

17 – 1978

10 – RC

 3 – Big Foil

1 - 1961 Topps MVP

1 – 1955 Topps Scoop

1 - 1992 Topps Major League Debut

Random Wax: 2023 Topps Archives Blaster

2023 Archives:  We'll keep it going with more baseball as games kicked off around the league yesterday.  Admittedly more of a fan after the fact with Kirby Puckett but I am all in on the man.  He's one of the best right-handed hitters that we've seen in the modern era. I like this 1965 Topps base design and it fits Kirby well.

First look of the 1956 Topps design.  I'm a fan of Robin Yount as well.  Love all the retired greats in this set.

Not a fan per se of the 2003 design.  The blue borders feel out of place.  Overall I'm okay with them but I'm still figuring it out.  Great pull though including new teammates Shohei and Mookie.

Spencer Strider was the opening day pitcher for the Braves this year.

Vaughn Grissom was traded to the Red Sox for Chris Sale.  I really hope that works out for both teams and players.  Always appreciate seeing Roger Clemons as a Blue Jay.

Love Freddie so this is 1969 Topps Single Player Foil Rainbow is a nice pull.  That is a 1957 Topps Hits All-Star Jose Ramirez card while Justin Verlander is gracing a 1989 Topps Doubleheader (Max Scherzer is on the back).

Holy cow was Warren Spahn good.  Led the league in wins eight times including five times in a row.  Love looking at card backs like this.  The stats alone are worth it but I do like the color and logo as well.

The look on Ted Williams face in the inset photo?  hmmm.  Carlton Fisk's inset photo is great with the mask on the head, eye black and look.

Another Shohei appearance on this 1979 Topps Comics insert.  Archives is always fun.  Lots of retired greats and variety.

BREAKDOWN:

56 – Total Cards

19 – 1956

18 – 1965

17 – 2003

13 – Retired Greats

11 - RC

3 - 1969 Topps Single Player Foil Rainbow

1 – 1979 Topps Comics

1 – 1957 Topps Hit Stars

1 - 1989 Topps Doubleheaders

1 – Rainbow Foil Parallel #/199