And in my case, one slack-jawed, “wow” moment.
The 2015 Topps Archives Signature Series baseball set is a limited-run product with one autographed buyback card per box. Topps announced a checklist of approximately 65 signers, and their autographs are hard-signed and featured on a buyback card from a Topps or Bowman set from the past. The cards are encased in a special holder with a serial number and a special sticker at the top.
Cost per box is in the $50 range, depending on the retailer.
The box I opened featured a 1982 Topps Kmart 20th anniversary card. Ugh, I thought. Then I noticed it was a card featuring Sandy Koufax, showcasing his 1963 Topps picture. Wow, very nice, I thought, a Koufax autograph. Now that was exciting.
But then I looked in the upper left-hand corner and saw “1/1.”
I’m still picking my jaw off the ground.
It’s not the prettiest card I’ve ever seen. But the autograph is bold and distinctive.
True to the buyback theory, this card is not in mint condition. The corners are soft and there is chipping on the right side of the card.
But getting a Koufax auto overrides those defects.
Topps Archives Signature Series has other top-tier signatures — autographs by Hall of Famers like Johnny Bench, Hank Aaron, Steve Carlton, Ernie Banks, Nolan Ryan and Frank Robinson, to name a few. Several other “name” players also grace the list — Fred McGriff, Ken Griffey Jr., Steve Garvey, Paul O’Neill and Edgar Martinez.
Whether the $50 price tag is worth it to you will depend on the card you pull. If you spend $50 and are happy with a Len Dykstra card, then that’s great. This set covers a spectrum of players from Hall of Famers to everyday stars, and that makes it interesting.