2013 Topps Archives Baseball Cards Box Break Recap And Review

I am compelled to write a disclaimer for this review along the lines of “Hits contained in this box are not typical, your individual results may vary” simply to combat the cries of “loaded box!”  All one has to do is look at the odds to know this was a special box.

Mind you, I feel this is more of a case of beating the odds rather than a collation error as all of the cards were part of the normal box structure.  While not typical, it could easily be repeated.  There are probably even better boxes to be found.  But once the excitement of hitting a box like this settled a bit, I returned to take a critical look at the set over the entire run.

The one thing that a product like Archives has going for it is that Baseball is timeless.  While there might be slight styling changes, over time the look remains, for the most part, the same.  This allows for seamless interchangeability between players photos and card styling from different decades.

2013 Topps Archives Baseball Cards comes in with a different flavor from last year’s release, moving out of the ‘50s and early to mid ‘60s, mostly settling between the ‘70s and the ‘90s, perhaps in an attempt to appeal to a younger collecting crowd. It still provides a reasonable challenge for set builders, while also servicing hit seekers looking for pulls that can’t be found anywhere else all with a wisp of nostalgia.  The one draw back for me is the change from 1970 styling to 1972 styling only because 1972 min are included this year in Topps Series Baseball cards.  When I pulled the 1972 Yu Darvish it felt as if I had already pulled that card before.

For collectors who were around during the original releases of these cards, this redo will feel familiar while, at the same time, seem current and should bring back feelings of when you first opened these packs. Unlike the popular Heritage line, collectors won’t have to wait 50 years to see their favorite releases get the updated treatment.

Archives Baseball falls under our classification of trading cards. Hobby Boxes contain 24 – 8 card packs with 2 Fan Favorites Autographs Per Hobby Box and the potential for some amazing and rare finds.

Here are some of the cards we pulled from our hobby box.

2012 Panini Prizm Football Box Break Recap And Review

2012 Panini Prizm Football follows in the footsteps of the widely sucessful 2012/13 Panini Prizm Basketball and does just as well.  With a simple configuration and low number of inserts, all that is left is to concentrate on the base cards, which in this case are spectacular. It is difficult to look at these stunning cards and find fault. The truth is, even without the Prizm parallels, this set of cards works on it’s own merit. As an added value, Panini added Black Border 1/1s to the Gold Border cards that soared in value on the secondary market for the Basketball release.  All of this adds up to one the best Football card releases of the year.

Though on the high end of the category from a cost standpoint, we classify Panini Prizm as trading cards.  Each box contains 20 - 6 card packs with a promise of 2 autographs, 3 regular Prizms , 1 red diecut Prizm and 5 Inserts in every box.

Here are some of the cards we pulled.

2012 Panini Signature Series Baseball Box Break Recap And Review

The ever-expanding slate of Panini Baseball products extends to prospecting on a premium level with an easier per box commitment with 2012 Panini Signature Series Baseball.  At 3 hits and a total of 6 cards per box, this is clearly intended for a fast break with a reasonable amount of risk, but there is plenty of opportunity for some really nice pulls.

Signature Series Baseball falls into our premium cards category.  Each box contains 6 cards with 3 Autograph cards per box.

Here are the cards from our box.

2013 Topps Museum Collection Baseball Cards Box Break Recap And Review

With Topps Museum Collection Baseball cards technically in it’s second year of release one would expect some sophomoreitis. Some forget that Museum Collection became the replacement product for 2011 Topps Marquee Baseball so Topps has had some time to work out the kinks.  2013 Topps Museum Collection Baseball its all the notes correctly with sharp design and a nice variety of great looking hits, even improving in some ways from last year’s release.  All of this adds up to a cohesive set that does justice to it’s Museum moniker.

Museum Collection fits nicely into our Premium Cards category.  Each Master Box contains 4 mini-boxes with 5 cards per mini.  There is the promise that each Master Box will contain 1 on-card autograph, 1 autograph relic, 1 quad relic, and 1 jumbo relic.

Here are the cards we pulled from our box.

2012 13 Panini Certified Hockey NHL Trading Cards Box Break Recap and Review

2012-13 Panini Certified Hockey cards changed things up with a mirror finish as with the other Certified lines.  While this makes for a stunning presentation in person, it becomes next to impossible for pictures of the cards to do them justice.  Chances are you will hit something nice, whether it comes from a top veteran of the game or one of the Freshman Fabric signature Rookie cards.  Add to that the hot boxes that can be found and Certified Hockey make a strong return to the Panini line up of hockey cards.

We classify Certified Hockey in our premium cards category.  Each box contains 10 – 5 card packs with 4 Autograph or Memorabilia cards per box.

Here are some of the cards we pulled.

2012 13 Panini Limited Hockey Box Break Recap And Review

The only thing that is not limited about 2012 13 Panini Limited Hockey is the variety of cards you can pull.  While you will not see every card possible in one box, the good new is the price is reasonable enough to try more than one.  With some really great hit to be had and well designed inserts card, this is a product that will compel a multiple box purchase.

Limited Hockey falls into our premium cards category.  Each box contains 7 cards each with a promise of three autograph or memorabilia cards with at least one autograph per box.

Here are the cards we pulled.

2013 Topps Tribute Baseball Box Break Recap And Review

The secret to good years for Topps Tribute can be found in the checklist.  But it is not just the presence of the biggest names in the sport, but the ratio which the appear in comparison to other lesser players.  For 2013 Topps Tribute Baseball the checklist is deep and wide but the ratios are a little unbalanced.  All of this leads to the possibility of pulling a huge hit being very good but the probability of doing just that is not as good.But if you are going to hit it big, Tribute has some great card to do that.

2013 Topps Tribute Baseball fits into our Premium Cards category.  This Hobby Exclusive comes with 6 packs per box, 5 cards per pack and 1 autographed card or relic card numbered to 99 or less in every pack.  Collectors should expect 3 Autographs and 3 Relics per box.

Here are some of the cards we pulled from our box.