Buzz Break: 2020 Topps Archives baseball cards (blaster box)

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The box: 2020 Topps Archives baseball cards (blaster box)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Keep reading for a full breakdown of what was in this one.

Packs per box: 8 (seven standard packs, one 1964 Topps Giant pack)
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 57
Base set completion: 
50 of 300 (17 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Ronald Acuña Jr., Chipper Jones, Cody Bellinger, Ralph Kiner, Frank Thomas, Alex Rodriguez, Whitey Ford, Babe Ruth, Nolan Ryan, Rickey Henderson, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Francisco Lindor, Shohei Ohtani, Ralph Kiner, Goose Gossage, Will Clark, Nomar Garciaparra, Corey Seager, Walker Buehler, Ken Griffey Jr., Paul Molitor, Thurman Munson, Eloy Jimenez, Sammy Sosa, David Ortiz, Jacob deGrom, Duke Snider

Rookie Cards (5) – Anthony Kay, Shun Yamaguchi, Zack Collins, Isan Diaz, Willi Castro

Inserts/short-prints: 7 (all inserts in gallery below with some base)
1964 Topps Giant (1) – Fernando Tatis Jr. (box-topper pack)
Nickname Posters (SP) (1) – Mariano Rivera
1976 Topps Traded (SP) (1) – Roberto Alomar
1960 Topps All-Star Rookies (1) – Corey Seager
1960 Topps Combo Cards (2) – Bo Bichette & Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Mike Trout & Shohei Ohtani
1955 Bowman Archives (1) – Brendan McKay

Autographs/Memorabilia: None

What's Buzz-worthy: The design of this box is reminiscent of some past Topps Heritage releases in its colors and design and that vibe translates into the stock here -- it's Heritage stock on everything. The base set is a strong mix of past and present -- check out that stars list -- with Hall of Famers beside today's stars. There are, oddly, some subsets that are numbered with the main set but feel like inserts and then some inserts that use past designs, too. This one is becoming more and more like a "Topps Herchives" release and that might not be a bad thing as Heritage marches into the 1970s. This one is going to be stronger with hobby boxes with guaranteed ink there -- though be ready for a lot of cheap names since this one is intentionally deep for collectors and fans more than hard-flip buyers. There are some strong possible finds on the checklist though -- hit that link above. The big draw here might be on the autograph side -- Cornfield autos for the now-cancelled Field of Dreams game -- but there is a lot of decent stuff to be found here. I give it a slightly higher grade than last year but ultimately this particular box didn't wow me as much. (I liked some of last year's designs better and the mix on both years can be hit and miss ... see my RCs for the miss part in this box.) Overall, this one fits in with the Archives sets of recent years but without the pop culture draws like Major League, The Sandlot and Bull Durham. (Maybe next year.) There are a lot of variations to look for (see the checklist and check your codes) mostly on the 1955s where the smaller action shot is either a different image or a black-and-white one. The 1974s include nods to the variations where Topps had the Padres moving to Washington and the 2002 is a variation where you'll need to check the photo on the back. Odds-wise, parallels here don't flow well at all -- one in 39 packs for the easiest -- meanwhile autographs are one in 10 blasters for the easiest of them, though maybe easier overall as there are a few auto sets. One cool thing I'll look for on the secondary market? The Giant box-toppers have Blue (one in 70 boxes) and autographs (one in 1,001 boxes) and there are some strong names there like Chipper Jones, Cal Ripken Jr., Juan Soto, Mike Trout, Keston Hiura, Nolan Ryan and Pete Alonso for starters. Your best bet to land the best stuff here is to rip in volume.

Product Grade: A- (big potential overall) 
Box Grade: C+ (could have used some better RCs in this one)
Fun Grade: B (good variety even in a rough box)

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