2019 Topps Archives Blaster!

Yeah, I know. I should have posted this long ago. I'm sure you've all seen as much of the Archives product as you'd care to see at this point. You certainly don't want another post about someone opening a box.

Too bad. You're getting one.

After all, I have not given the definitive word on my experiences or opinions with the product. So, you'll have to just suffer through while I open this box.

Yup. There is is! Seven packs, plus coins!

 Yup. Just like they said.

So, the coins are cool and all. And I understand the vibe they're going for. But, I honestly have no idea what to do with these. Even the Red Sox ones. Are they display pieces? Am I supposed to put them in pages in a binder? Do I need to get coin collectors pages for them? Or, do they get tossed in a box? Help!

First pack in the box comes through in a big way with two Red Sox cards. For two players who didn't play their entire career in Boston, hard to imagine being more beloved than they are. World Series heroics will do that for you, I guess. I have to say that I like the '93 design more than I thought I would have. It's simple, and clean. A far cry from the bragging companies did (and still do) where their designs are intended to show off their computer graphics skills. Simple the name and some colored banners. So simple.

The 1975 Topps design is always a lot of fun. 

 The 1993 design again, with a great Yaz action shot. 

Nomar! Oh, wait. At least this one has a pretty border. Which is something you can only do if your card has borders.

This Chris Sale is a fun design as well, even if it's not exactly simply. But, for an all-star card, I think it needs to be flashy.

That pack illustrated a feeling that I had when opening the box. Lots of old players seemed to be popping up. And here in this pack there were three current players, and five retired players. Not sure if this was a goal of the Archives brand...to put old favorites in different designs, but it's a weird goal. Is the Rogers Hornsby PC community that strong? Did Jim Thome collectors have too easy of a time tracking down the 36 million of his cards produced during his playing days?  

This pic also shows one of my favorite things about Archives, the variety in the packs. I like flipping through different designs in my pack. The 90s were great for that with all their inserts. I like having that happen again.

Speaking of different designs, here's one of Eloy Jimenez.

The next Red Sox superstar, Rafael Devers, on the 1975 Topps design? Yes please.

So, overall a fun box to open. Lots of visual interest, and plenty of Red Sox stars from the past, present, and future! Not sure what else I could ask for.

How did your box go?