Buzz Break: 2019 Topps Archives baseball cards (blaster box)

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The box: 2019 Topps Archives baseball cards (blaster box)
First Buzz preview, SPs & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 8 (seven standard packs, one coin pack)
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 58 (56 cards and two coins)
Base set completion: 
52 of 300 (17 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Bryce Harper, Frank Thomas, Jim Bunning, Sandy Koufax, Mariano Rivera, Vladimir Guerrero, Buster Posey, Carlos Correa, Bo Jackson, Justin Verlander, Duke Snider, Chipper Jones, Bob Gibson, Derek Jeter, Tris Speaker, Don Mattingly, Joe Morgan, Sammy Sosa, David Ortiz, Willie McCovey, George Brett, Tim Raines, Ralph Kiner, Rogers Hornsby, Gleyber Torres

Rookie Cards (8) – Danny Jansen, Touki Toussaint, Francisco Arcia, Chance Adams, Luis Urias, Bryse Wilson, Justus Sheffield, Ryan O'Hearn

Inserts/short-prints: 6 (all inserts in gallery below with some base)
1993 Rookies (1) – Justus Sheffield
1958 Sport Magazine All-Stars (1) – Freddie Freeman
1994 Future Stars (1) – Juan Soto
Ichiro Suzuki Retrospective (1) – Ichiro Suzuki (2004)
Coins (2) – Ronald Acuña Jr., Kris Bryant

Autographs/Memorabilia: None

What's Buzz-worthy: This brand is one that delivers a massive amount of big-name players and has a big rookie crop, too. You saw one of those two things here -- my rookies were far below average -- and that didn't help this box at all as it was lean on top names among the inserts and actually delivered two fewer inserts than I found in my previous blaster here. This box gets a B in my book though it could be trending closer to average depending on my mood. This is a brand to buy for fun, not big bucks, but this box was a bland one. As said previously, this year's edition of Archives takes us from The Sandlot to the nostalgic-for-some fields of Montreal where a number of MLB notables once played for a franchise that got its start 50 years ago. A number of the "inserts" are really short-printed subset cards that aren't standard cards from 1958, 1975 and 1993 and that doesn't help the feel of things. Coins are only found here in blasters, which helps, but there just doesn't feel like there's a lot of non-base stuff here. Autographs in retail start at one in 87 packs so this is one that's more about a fun break and not the hits chase at retail -- hobby boxes guarantee ink so hit that link above. I like how the 1958 and 1975 cards are on Heritage-style stock this time but the 1993s are glossed and seemingly skinnier than the original set. The set is a mix of past and present players with a good amount of Rookie Cards, too. Hobby seems like the way to go with this one but if you just want a small taste, go this route.

Product Grade: B+
Box Grade: B-
Fun Grade: B

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