This product went over well last year, and with 102 subjects in this year’s product provides an interesting blend of former All-Stars — some famous, others kind of obscure.
There are some Hall of Famers, like Bob Feller, Carl Yastrzemski, Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, Ted Williams, Willie Stargell, Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs and Warren Spahn. There are some fair players who had decent careers, like Andy Pafko, Bo Jackson, Bobby Bonds, Harold Baines and Gil McDougald. And then there are cards of guys who you wonder, “were they really All-Stars?” Yes, they were.
The on-card signatures come on an original Topps card from the company’s 65-year history. The one I received was an Edgar Martinez autograph on a 1993 Stadium Club card, No. 331. Given the era that this particular card was produced, the only thing that could make it valuable would be an autograph. The card is also numbered to 11. It is kind of off-kilter in its case, but I am not going to open it in order to fix it.
There are some new options this year, with Legends Autographs, Dual Autographs and Autograph Relics.
It’s not a bad deal, particularly if you pull a guy like Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax or Nolan Ryan—or even a guy like Edgar Martinez. Those names are in the mix, and the Topps Archives Signature Series All-Star Edition presents an intriguing challenge for collectors.