Can Major League inserts save Archives?

When Topps Archives came out two years ago, it seemed as though I ran to the closest hobby shop to pick up a box. I wasn’t disappointed either.

Besides being a fun break with a bit of nostalgia thrown in, there were autographs of players we haven’t seen in products in quite some time – and in some cases, never. It didn’t hurt that I pulled a Yu Darvish autograph either.

However, last year’s product didn’t capture the same excitement for me. To me, Archives feels like a product that should be released every four to five years. Give collectors a chance to miss some of the old designs. But if we continue to see the same designs over and over, they don’t feel special anymore. It’s the same way with the Topps Football designs with the 1963 and 1984 designs. It’s going on three years of using the look from the memorable sets.

This year’s Archives added Major League cards, which has created some excitement around the product. The cards feature five actors from the iconic baseball movie in character: Roger Dorn, Jake Taylor, Eddie Harris, Rachel Phelps and Ricky Vaughn. There are also autographed versions of these cards.

Or course, there are “Worst to First” parallels, which makes me feel as though the Baseball Card Vandals had their hand at these cards.

Here is a Roger Dorn parallel.

So far, Charlie Sheen has been the hardest pulls it seems with is his auto selling for more than $300. 

Rachel Phelps autograph

Eddie Harris autograph

Tom Berenger autograph - he signed it in a funny spot.

Where's Jobu?