Pack Break Week 2013: Topps Archives

I woke up early this morning, as has been the routine since the kids have gone back to school. My wife, normally pressed for time and wanting to rush out of the house, found herself done with her routine early enough to make the family French toast. Thanks dear. So now that everyone has left the house for work or school (except for me...I'll be doing that shortly)...

How about a pack break?

Today, I'll be opening the random pack of 2013 Topps Archives.When Topps announced that they were bringing back the Archives brand in 2012, I was excited. For one, it had to be better than the Lineage effort they pulled the year before. Second...it's Archives. There was a hope that they'd be able to do a set full of retired players again. Unfortunately, the execution was disappointing because the formula became just an offshoot of Heritage. With current players on designs like 1954 Topps...wasn't that the concept of 2003 Topps Heritage??!

The real draw to this set for me was not the current players in older Topps designs, but the fact that they were able to include the "All-Time Fan Favorites," retired players who don't usually get cardboard love after their playing days ended, in the set using Topps' library of past designs. This was the core of the ATFF sets in the early 2000's and I was happy that Topps brought this back. It also helped that Topps' autograph library not only included most of the "Fan Favorites" but of players who did not make the "base set." I have all but one of the cards from the 2012 set (Hank Aaron) and have decided to "kinda actively" look for the 13 or so subjects who are auto-exclusive players in the 2013 set.

Now hoping for a Fan Favorite autograph card, here - in order - are the cards that came inside my 8-card pack of 2013 Topps Archives:

• #54 Cliff Lee, Phillies 1982
• #131 Salvador Perez, Royals 1985
• #172 Freddie Freeman, Braves 1990
• #36 Wade Miley, Diamondbacks 1972
• #83-DE Darrel Evans, Giants 1983 All-Star Card
• #60 Robinson Cano, Yankees 1982
• #127 David Price, Rays 1985
• #164 Dan Uggla, Braves 1990

Okay, so not the best pack in the world. No short-printed legends to speak of, that would have made this pack a winner. But with 200 base cards (not counting the 50 sp's), every player had to be a star. So cards of Cano and Price, as well as up and comers Freeman and Perez, plus the 1983 All-Star card makes this a decent break.

Tomorrow, I'll open the pack of 2013 Topps Series 2 and the pack of 2013 Topps Chipz (because it's Friday). Will there be an auto or shortprint in my future? Tune in tomorrow when I open the pack at another unique location.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama