To go along with the Fire post from last week. This is the second blaster I found in my… Archives (get it, Archives, cuz… sorry). My archives are the back of my closet where I keep cards.
When I found these I was definitely killing myself for not opening them. And then I opened this one up and was killing myself about it even more because… Well, you’ll see. So I’m glad I found them so we can get into them.
Pre- and Post-Heritage
I’ve talked about this plenty before I think. I like the idea of these throwback cards. But I like it as Heritage. I feel like this is starting to get old. There are throwbacks that have been done in this set and then others that have yet to be done. I guess we’ll see them in about 6-10 or so years.
Something I never really like on cards is the facsimile signature. It’s part of the old card so I’m not saying take it out, but two of the three designs Topps picked has the facsimile signature on it so that’s something I helps me like those two as much. The ’81 cards I like because that’s what I remember from my start in collecting cards.
Two out of the three of these guys were on other teams by the time I bought these. One actually is on his second since what’s pictured on the card.
Rookie Cards
Everyone was looking for their Ohtanis last year, but Walker Buehler had a damn good year too.
I feel like on the ’77 Topps versions the rookie logo is put in a weird spot. What about putting it inside the picture. It just looks a bit awkward. I feel like it could go inside the picture in either bottom corner and it would look good.
ROSEY!
And speaking of rookies, this is what I wanted to see as a Mets fan. And even more of a bonus, I like guys signing cards of them signing and that’s what Rosey is doing in this one. I love that he signs with just his first name too. It’s small (which seems to be a problem with some of the signatures on cards I’ve seen recently), but I dig it.
I always point out the other Mets that came out of the blaster so Conforto and Matz are below. It looks like maybe Nimmo has been teaching everyone on the team smiling lessons.
Colors and Caps
A couple other things I noticed about the design. First, in the 1977 cards, that yellow is really terrible. Can you even read the position in the flag when it’s that yellow? I can’t. When the yellow is for the team name (like on the Dodgers cards) it has the black outline so it works OK, but you can’t read it otherwise. It almost hurts my eyes.
Second, can we figure out if we are using the old designs or not? The pirates hats in 1981 Topps cards had the piping, these don’t. Similarly, the Expos cards had the old Expos hat design. The Nats were the expos and they have a similar red, white, and blue color scheme so why can’t we continue that.
The reason this gets me is if you look below at the Chipper Jones card, that was the way the Braves hats were done. Why not carry it through all the cards?
Old Guys
Old guys on new card doesn’t work as well as old guys on old cards to me. And damn if Honus Wagner isn’t literally old on that card. I know Chipper isn’t old, but he doesn’t play any more so…
Something else I am noticing (and I think it’s just the picture, but because Chippers lower legs are dark it almost looks like a Back-to-the-Future-person-fading-from-the-picture look.
Other Fun Stuff
These just seemed like some fun cards to me. I’m not a Cubs fan so I don’t know if “Bryzzo” is a thing, but I like it. I dig a good “Turn Back the Clock” card, and damn, does Daniel Mengden want to really be on an old-timey card or what? That mustache is killer!
Some Inserts
I loved The Sandlot inserts. I didn’t get a ton of them in all my opening Archives but I liked them. One of my favorite things though were the Future Stars cards. I have no love for the Phils, but I always loved those cards.
This was definitely a fun blaster for me. But I would have to say that Amed Rosario auto is what definitely drives that. I might have to fight an urge for this years (because it is hard not to buy cards in general for me), but it’s probably wait and see at this point. If they don’t have facsimile autos on them this year they might be good for TTMs. I’ve just had bad luck getting Archives back, but that has nothing to do with those sets, just bad luck for me.