Topps Archives Hits Retail Shelves - Cubs Review

Wednesday marked the release of 2018 Topps Archives...sort of.

Retail outlets received Archives this week, but the hobby boxes will not be out for another month. I find this very odd, and would be a bit upset if I was a hobby box/case buyer.

More on the hobby/retail debate. Retail gets a bad rap, and sure the odds are not as good in retail against hobby, the value has equaled and retail has surpassed hobby as a better buy in 2018, in my opinion.

Archives is now over $100 per hobby box. Two autographs are guaranteed in Archives, and the autos in Archives are not as valuable than other products.

I set out in search of Archives after work Friday. My nearest Target appeared to have been restocked by the distributor this week (they typically restock on Friday), and there was a big void on one shelf. No Archives could be seen.

So, I went to the nearby Wal-Mart. No Archives, but there were two Topps Chrome Mega Boxes. I bought one, and then decided to make one last stop. The decision was between another Wal-Mart and another Target. Both are equal distance, but at 5 p.m. the trip to the Target would have taken longer with traffic. This Wal-Mart had been stocked and it appeared someone had already picked up some product. A half full Archives display lay in front of me. I grabbed the whole display.

Archives this year is a beautiful product. It helps that I really like the three designs used this year: 1959, 1977, and 1981. Kris Bryant and Ryne Sandberg are on the 1959 Topps design. Fun fact: Ryno was born in 1959!

Bryzzo gets a 1959 horizontal "Bryzzo the Great" card. Sweet!

Kyle Schwarber gets the 1977 treatment.

The 1981 Topps design is my favorite of the trio. Fergie Jenkins and Jon Lester appear on these.

Topps Coins are the retail only inserts. And I pulled a Kris Bryant coin.

But best of all. I pulled two autographs out of the five blasters. One of them: Cubs! It's Don Kessinger in a 1970 Topps style. The other Auto I pulled was Astros manager A.J. Hinch.

Four Cubs were pulled from the Topps Chrome Mega box. However, two were new to the collection. An Addison Russell and Jon Lester XFractor.

Archives was a lot of fun to break, and I'll be looking for more next week.

One Million Cubs Project Stats

Friday's (8/17/2018) cards: 13

Friday's (8/17/2018) packages: 1

Weekly count: 1,233

Total count: 149,601