2015 Topps Archives

Recently I won an eBay auction and acquired some cards from the 2015 Topps Archives set.  One of the cards I got was Willie Mays.  The Willie Mays card from the 2014 Archives set is nice, but it is a short print so I probably won't ever add it to my collection.   With this new set, I was happy to get the Mays card.

Topps 2015 Archives Willie Mays Card #300.

A big disappointment with the new Archive product, was that you can't read the players names on some of the cards.  Last weekend, I was at a local flea market and it was the first time I had seen any of the new Archive cards.  The first thing my friend Mark showed me about the new Archive product was that on some of the cards you couldn't read the players names.

From the eBay auction, Andrew McCutchen was one of the cards that I got. 

Topps 2015 Archives Andrew McCutchen Card #257 

His card was a reprint from the Topps 1983 set.  Note that his name is printed in yellow and you can't read it.  There were also other cards with this same problem.  After noticing this, I would have believed that Topps, before issuing the set, would have seen that you couldn't read these player's names and they would have possibly used a different shade of yellow so the name could be read. 

 

I compared the 2015 Archives cards with cards from the original Topps 1983 set.  I don't remember this being a problem with the 1983 set.  For Pirate cards from that set, Topps used a different shade of yellow and you can easily read the players names.

Topps 1983 Jim Morrison Card #173

I am wondering why Topps didn't use a darker shade of yellow for the 2015 Archive product.  As a consumer of baseball cards, Topps has the best product on the market.  Yes, Panini is out there, and some of their product is ok, and it is getting better, but whenever I see their cards I am reminded of Topps football cards from the early 1970s. 

 

Topps 1972 Roman Gabriel Pro Action Card #128

 

The airbrushing job of the Rams players' helmet makes it look like they are crystal balls.  If you look deep inside one of these helmets the future would show that the Rams aren't going to win a Super Bowl until they get a quarterback who worked stocking shelves at a Hy-Vee grocery store for $5.50 an hour.

Here is a photograph of the actual helmets the Rams wore in the early 70s.

So I am wondering if Topps is producing cards, even if they are undesirable like some of these Topps 2015 Archives, knowing that collectors will buy them anyway.

 

Oh, I did get a Chipper Jones card.  I was able to pass it on to my best friend who collects Chipper Jones. 

Topps 2015 Archives Chipper Jones Card #72 

A belated Happy Birthday Chipper Jones

Yesterday was Chipper Jones' 43th birthday.  A belated Happy Birthday, Chipper.  I am sorry that I missed it.

Larry Wayne Jones was born in DeLand, Florida on April 24, 1972.  Jones received the nickname "Chipper" from his father and other family members, who saw the younger Larry as a "chip off the old block," as he showed an early love for baseball because of time spent with his father who was a high school baseball coach.

 

1990 Classic Premier Edition #1

 

On June 4, 1990, Larry Wayne Jones was drafted by the Braves as the 1st pick of the 1990 amateur draft. Chipper was signed by the Braves that same day, receiving a bonus of $400,000.  Jones played in the Braves minor league system from 1991 through 1993 with the Macon Braves (1991), Durham Bulls (1992), and Richmond Braves (1993).  During his time in the Braves' minor league system, Jones was involved in a bench clearing brawl with future Major League stars Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome.

 

 

1993 Bowman #86

Chipper's major league debut was on September 11, 1993, as he was the youngest player in the league.  In 1994, he was expected to compete for the starting left field job, however, Jones suffered an ACL tear in spring training. As a result, he spent the entire strike shortened 1994 season on the disabled list.

 

1995 Pinnacle Sportflix #101

 

In 1995, during his first full year in the major leagues, Jones led all rookies in RBIs (86), games played (145), at bats (524), and runs scored (87). That year, he finished second in the National Rookie of the Year voting behind Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo.   In addition, Jones participated in the 1995 World Series, in which the Braves won in six games over the Indians.

1999 Upper Deck HologrFX #6

 

In 1999, Jones won the National League MVP award after becoming the first player ever to hit over .300 (.319) while slugging 40 or more home runs (45) and doubles (41), drawing 100 or more walks (126), while notching 100 or more RBI (110) and runs scored (116), and stealing 20 or more bases (25).

2012 Topps Heritage #347

 

Jones retired at the conclusion of the 2012 season after playing 19 seasons in the major leagues, all with the Braves.  The final game of his career was the 2012 National League Wild Card Playoff game against Cardinals. In his final at-bat, he had an infield single, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

2012 Topps Update #US166A

 

Jones was eight time All-Star, and won the 1999 and 2000 National League Silver Slugger Award for third basemen. He was the National League batting champion in 2008, with a major high batting average of .364.  He currently holds the Braves team record for career on-base percentage (.402), and on July 5, 2007, passed Dale Murphy for third place on the Braves all-time career home run list, behind only Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews.

Jones ended his career .304 career batting average, with 468 home runs, and 1,623 RBI in 2,499 games.  Jones is one of the most accomplished switch hitters in the history of the game, as he finished behind only Eddie Murray for career RBI by switch hitters. He is the only switch hitter in MLB history with both a career batting average of at least .300 and 400 or more home runs. He was the eighteenth hitter in MLB history to accumulate 5,000 at bats and finish with at least a .300 batting average, .400 on-base percentage, and .500 slugging percentage, and the only switch hitter to reach all these milestones.

 

During his career, Jones played in 21 post season series, including three World Series.  He appeared in 93 post season games with 13 home runs and 47 RBI and a .287 batting average.  His World Series record was playing in 16 games with one home run, (Game one home run in the 1999 World Series, off Yankee starting pitcher Orlando Hernandez in a 4 -1 Braves loss) with 6 RBI  and a batting average .273.

 

2015 Topps 1st Home Run #FHR-10

 

Card Show in San Francisco Part III

This is the third part about my trip to San Francisco for the TriStar Sportscard show.  At the card show, after looking at thousands of dime cards, it was good to get a break and look at what other dealers had for sale.  Although finding a great dime card is pretty cool, there were a lot more cards at a show to look at and buy.

At this show, I began a search for cards that cost up to a dollar.  There seemed to a number of cards to choose from and I had planned to set aside time to look at and to buy dollar cards.

Sometimes I get really lucky and find vintage cards for a buck and in my next post I will share some of the one dollar vintage cards that I got this past weekend.  But with this post I want to show some of the more recent issued cards, mainly from the 80s and 90s, that I brought home with me.

1983 Donruss    

 

The 1983 Donruss set is one of their earliest issues and these cards are similar to the cards from the 1981 and 1982 sets.   There are some nice cards in the set and I was able to find a Julio Franco and an early Cal Ripken Jr. card.  The Franco card is his rookie card and shows him as a Phillie.  Is Franco still playing?

 

 Cal Ripken, Jr.  #279 & Julio Franco #525

  

1994 Upper Deck SP Previews

 

Here are a couple 1994 SP Preview cards, from the second year that Upper Deck issued a SP set.  I don't think I have any of these preview cards and reading in my Beckett Almanac I found out that they were distributed as inserts in the Upper Deck regular set 2nd series product. 

  Barry Bonds WR1 & Ken Griffey Jr. WR3

 

Topps Museum Collection

 

The Topps Museum Collection card is a nice card and I have a few of them.  I am not sure what a pack of Museum cards sell for as I don't remember seeing any of these in the local card shop.  The thick card stock give these cards a good feel.

 

 2012 Topps Museum Collection Joe DiMaggio #81 & 2013 Robert Clemente 2013 Museum Collection Canvas Collection CC-14

 

A Couple Superstar Card

 

Here are a couple of cards of superstars that I got.  You can't call everyone a superstar, but these two guys would definitely be superstars.  I am always interested in any Michael Jordan baseball card and this 1994 Upper Deck Electric Diamond card is sweet card.  The Derek Jeter card comes from the 1996 Metal Universe Platinum set and is an early Jeter issue.

 

 1994 Upper Deck Electric Diamond Michael Jordan #19 and 1996 Metal Universe Platinum Derek Jeter #87

 

Yankees Greats

 

Here are a Babe Ruth and Don Mattingly card.  The Babe Ruth card comes from the Conlon Collection.  The Conlon Collection offers some great photographs from an era gone by.  This Babe Ruth photo is from the 1933 All-Star game, as he is nearing the end of his great career.

 1992 Conlon The Sporting News 13th National Collection Sports Collection Babe Ruth #663 & 2005 Zenith Artist's Proofs Silver Don Mattingly #242

 

Pinnacle Museum Collection Cards

 

Here are a couple of 1990s Pinnacle Museum Collection cards of Hall of Famers.

 1994 Pinnacle Museum Collection Ryne Sandberg #6 & 1995 Pinnacle Museum Collection Pedro Martinez #235 

 

1996 Ultra Inserts

 

1990s Ultra product had numerous insert sets.  If I remember correctly Ultra said that you would get one insert in each pack of cards.  Although at the beginning of the 90s, other card companies had insert sets, but it wasn't until when Ultra started the practice of having many inserts, that by the end of the decade, Upper Deck and Topps began issuing many of their own insert sets. 

 

 1996 Ultra Call to the Hall Barry Bonds #1 & 1996 Ultra Rawhide Cal Ripken Jr.  #9

 

Greg Maddux Rookie Cards

 

Here are two Greg Maddux cards from 1987 update sets during his first tenure with the Cubs.  When these were issued who would have thought that he would become one of the greatest of all time.
 

 1987 Fleer Update Greg Maddux U-68 & 1987 Topps Traded 70T

 

Some Shiny Cal Ripken Jr. Card

 

It was during the 90s when card companies started to issue, what the owner of the local card shop here in my hometown call "Shiny Cards".  It still continues today with Topps products, like Chrome and Finest cards.  Here are a couple of "Shiny" Cal Ripken Jr. cards issued in the 90s. 

 

 1994 Pacific Silver Prism Cal Ripken Jr. #15 & 1997 Pinnacle Shades Cal Ripken Jr. #5

 

A Relic Card

 

I don't normally collect relic and signature cards.  The last signature card I acquired was last year when I got a 2011 Bowman Sterling Sonny Gray card and I did get some relic cards earlier this year in the 2015 Heritage product.  At the show the only relic card I got was a Chipper Jones Game-Used Bat Card for my best friend. 

 2000 Upper Deck SP Game Bat Edition Piece of the Game Chipper Jones #CJ 

 

 

    

I'm new at this

I am new to blogging.  I have been reading some other blogs about baseball cards and thought that it would be cool to start my own blog about my baseball card collecting.  I have been collecting baseball cards since the late 60s.  Well except for a short time as a teenager when I started to think more about girls.  Big mistake as I missed out on late series Topps 1972 baseball.  But I was only gone for a year and then resumed collecting, and have been collecting ever since.  I thought that with my blog I could share some of my baseball card collecting experiences with fellow collectors.
I live in North California about a five hour drive from San Francisco so I don't ever get the chance to go to many major league games.  Occasionally, I will take in a minor league game.  In my home town there is only one card shop which I visit every week.  I am really lucky because the owner is a nice guy and understands that I am into the hobby because I enjoy collecting baseball cards.  I am not really into collecting any one team or player or set, but I would say that the A's are my favorite team.  (In Beane we trust, like there's any choice).  Anytime I see I card I like I will add it to my collection.
I selected the name for my blog because one of my best friends is a huge Chipper Jones fan and I got her to start collecting his cards just before he retired.  In the last couple of years she has acquired between 300 to 400 Chipper cards.
This morning, my friend and I visited the card shop and she was able to score a pile of about 30 new Chipper cards, all for $4.  I got to come home with a 1996 Leaf Preferred Steel Chipper.  I didn't have this card.  These are cool as I think it's neat that you can put a magnet on a baseball card.

 

 

She was also able to get was one of these 1996 Leaf Preferred Steel Chippers.  I would say that's a pretty good day.