Buzz Break: 2022 Topps Archives Signature Series Retired

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The box: 2022 Topps Archives Signature Series Retired Player Edition baseball cards
First Buzz preview & signer list: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 1
Cards per pack: 1
Base set completion: 
N/A

Autographs/Memorabilia: 1
Autographs (1) – Gary Sheffield 2001 Bowman (1/1) 

What's Buzz-worthy: Retired opens up the possibilities here quite a bit in both the players signing but also the range of years to be found. This one was a little surprising as a 1/1 and, well, I don't remember seeing a ton of Dodgers cards for him ... though he was there four years so that says more about me simply never keeping them or giving them premium treatment. (It happens.) Good player, though there were issues that hurt his collectability with some. This card being 20-plus years old is interesting, too, though that bottom-left corner is a little iffy to me. Generally, I'm not a big fan of autos on cards with facsimile sigs (they never match) but I think it works out OK here as they are not literally side by side. Among the signers in this release? Johnny Bench, Wade Boggs, Rod Carew, Jose Canseco, Andre Dawson, Carlton Fisk, Tom Glavine, Ken Griffey Jr., Vladimir Guerrero, Rickey Henderson, Ichiro Suzuki, Bo Jackson, Derek Jeter, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Hideki Matsui, Pedro Martinez, Mike Piazza, Mariano Rivera, Cal Ripken Jr., Carl Yastrzemski, a number of other Hall of Famers and then a good amount of memorable names from recent decades. Most won't be the Hall of Fame type -- they simply cost more to sign so they'll sign less than the lesser guys -- but you will find a lot of them in here and others on lower-volume cards like this one. The only drawback? It's only one card per box. I'll give this one an A this time with the 1/1 but I think a lot of boxes will check in with more average or somewhat above-average results. The lower volumes will help in some cases on lesser names. Ironically, one of the lesser names in this one is a guy I'd totally pick off as singles. There are a lot of names like that in this one -- they're fan favorites who will have followings and sometimes prices on even lesser names could surprise.

Product Grade: B+
Box Grade: A- (a 1/1 Sheffield is the best Sheffield to land beyond maybe a Rookie Card)
Fun Grade: B (one card so these will be hit and miss)

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