Topps 2022 Archives : I Can't Quit You, Baby....Okay, I Kinda Can.

 

 

I said I wasn’t going to.

            But I did.

            At least a little bit, I did.

            Earlier I had made the decision not to purchase any 2022 Topps Archives. Cards can be pricy. One has to be selective. I knew that this was the year I wanted to buy some football cards. Unless you’re living under a card collecting rock, you know that football cards, basketball cards, i.e. any cards not baseball cards, have gotten a bit on the expensive side. Especially during the raging months of the pandemic when anyone and everyone got back into the collecting game.

            At that time Football cards (sorry, not a hoops fan and/or collector minus a few Jordan and Dr. J cards that I have) weren’t a priority. I was really exploring where modern baseball cards collecting was going to go for me. When I established what I wanted to be as a baseball card collector (have I actually done that?), I started turning my attention to football cards. But only older stuff. Mostly Pittsburgh Steelers cards. But, you know, once there’s a leak…I started buying football cards for modern players. But still only Steelers. And that was where I planned on stopping.

            But then 2022 happened.

            That big 2020-21 boom that we had in The Hobby seemed to die down somewhat.

            Football card prices began to look somewhat reasonable to me.

            If…certain sacrifices were made.

            I’ve talked on here about how I’m trying to purchase less and less wax. 2022 was the first year since I got back into collecting that I didn’t buy any Heritage cards, save the players I wanted. No Gypsy Queen. No Chrome. No A&G. No Stadium Club, whenever the hell it was coming out. No nada. I wanted to open less wax, but I also wanted to open…Football cards. I knew I could stay away from the aforementioned card products. But there was one obstacle in my way.

            Topps Archives.

            I genuinely love Topps Archives. I love that you get three primary designs from the Topps Vault. I love that it’s a mixture of old and new players. I love building Topps Archives sets, and collecting cards for my favorite players from that set. I’m a fan. I’ve extolled the virtues of Topps Archives on this blog more than once.

            And yet.

            Football cards.

            If I was going to buy football cards. Score first. And then Donruss whenever it comes out. I knew I was going to have to sacrifice Topps Archives as well.

            And I did.

            Sort of.

            Okay, I did two things.

            I found blasters at the MLB Flagship store.

            So I bought one.

            You know, just to see.

            And I bought some singles on SportsLots of players that I collect.

            First up, Jackie and The Babe.

            I don’t collect too many post-playing day cards for many MLB players But with Jackie and The Babe you’re looking at two that I do collect. I don’t maintain any delusions of grandeur that I’ll ever own anything original of Jackie’s or Babe Ruth’s. Their cards are too expensive and I’m a cheapskate. Like a big cheapskate. And I also have acute anxiety over big purchases. It took my three months to build up the courage to buy a new cell phone to replace the one that was…sort of still working?  So because of that, and because of me, I buy Jackie and Babe Ruth cards from their post playing days.

            Here are the other players I bought in their 1963 design.

            Two other guys whom I collect post-playing are Roberto Clemente and Hank Aaron. And here they are featured on the 1978 Topps design.

            I’m a big 1978 Topps fan. Knowing this design was going to be featured in Archives this year, well, it made my decision to not buy the cards a little bit tougher. But I really wanted football cards.

            But I did get a Clemente and Aaron.

            And here are some of the other players that I’m adding to team sets or PCs.

            One of the things that surprisingly turned me off on 2022 Topps Archives, was the inclusion of the 1987 Topps Design. Let me say first; 1987 Topps design is probably one of my favorite designs of all-time. It’s certainly my favorite from my youth. I’m an unapologetic lover of the 1987 Topps baseball card design. I was happy to see it getting the 35^th anniversary treatment in base. But…putting the 1987 design in Archives…that was just overkill. And I’m sure Topps had reasons. I don’t know what they are. But it just seems odd to include the same design in Archives that you’re already celebrating in base.

            But I wanted a Satchel Paige card.

            Satchel’s another one whom I never going to own a real playing day card of, so I figured why not.

            And in a Browns uniform too!

            Plus, I’m planning to read this book soon.

            It seemed fitting that I got a Larry Doby card in the blaster that I bought.

            And speaking of blasters.

            I got these as inserts:

            Oh, how I WISH that Topps would make a throwback Topps Big Baseball set. Using the same size too. Just a nice 300-card 1988 Topps Big design.

            But I digress.

            Oh, and these are the other 1987 design cards that I bought for various team/PC purposes.

            Overall, I don’t have the FOMO from 2022 Topps Archives that I thought I would. The blaster rip and the SportLots purchase satiated that hunger. And I’m glad for the decision I made to get some football cards. Because I never know what to do with Hobby Box purchases, I’m not 38-cards away from completing the 2022 Score Football card set.

            Yeah me.

            Down another rabbit hole.

            Anyway…

Thanks for reading! Happy collecting!

Next Friday: Tyler Kepner's The Grandest Stage : A History of the World Series...and why I now collect Bill Buckner cards.