Archiving

Today, we go through a set, I am NOT collecting from the BASEball lot - 2016 Topps Archives. I like the concept, but dislike the multi-design base set and the total put together of  stars current and past all mixed up in the set. I like the ideal of maybe parallels of a base set design and a subset of legends or hall of famers, but this 310 card set is not for me.

Individually, I can appreciate the designs though.

First 100 cards are in the design of 1953. Topps did a really good job on the throwbacks, not perfect and some of that is purposeful, but the core is there for sure.

The back designs are on point as well. I get the obvious logos being completely different and not in some old style to try and match the cards, but the structure of the designs are solid. I could do without the faux signature as part of the background on the back of the cards, but that's a small complaint.

I definitely did not collect and haven't really picked up any cards from the original 1953 set, and as a Jays collector, I don't have a need - my wallet thanks me for that one.

Next up, is 1979, and those I do have Jays cards from.

Great on the fronts though the colours for the teams are definitely brighter than what was on the original cards. As for the backs...

Solidly on point, though these are done in a much more readable pallet oif colours.

Last up, the final 1/3 of the base set, 1991 Topps which everyone my age collected in droves if you collected at all as it was the peak of the overproduction era.

I get using 65 instead of 40 which was on the original cards since this was 25 years later. I also really like it as, for the uneducated, it's an easy way to spot the difference. There are many others of course but for anyone not in the hobby looking to buy cards as gifts for someone, sets like Archives can be problematic for buying singles.

Great work on the backs, and the faded Topps logo like that from 1991, matches with the 65 year notation. FOr myself, nothing to keep in this bunch, no Jays, no error cards, and though it's a decent base set start, this one isn't for me.