Buzz Break: 2021 Topps Archives baseball cards (blaster box)

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The box: 2021 Topps Archives baseball cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)

Keep reading for a full breakdown of what was in this one.

Packs per box: 7
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 56
Base set completion: 
47 of 300 (16 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – George Brett, Joe Carter, Andre Dawson, Edgar Martinez, Anthony Rizzo, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, Cy Young, Brooks Robinson, Yordan Alvarez, Lou Brock, Honus Wagner, Larry Doby, Mike Trout, Ichiro Suzuki, Jose Altuve, Rogers Hornsby, Dale Murphy, Eddie Murray, Alan Trammell, Juan Soto

Rookie Cards (10) – None really of note this time ... see gallery

Inserts/short-prints: 8 (all inserts in gallery below with some base)
Movie Poster Cards (1) – Blake Street Bombers (Dante Bichette, Andres Galarraga, Larry Walker)
1969 Topps Peel-offs (2) – Aaron Judge, Kris Bryant
1991 Topps Bazooka Shining Stars (1) – Ryan Mountcastle
1989 Topps Big Foil (3) – Mike Piazza, Dave Winfield, Elvis Andrus
Rainbow Foil (1) – Deion Sanders (/150)

Autographs/Memorabilia: 1
Fan Favorites Autographs (1) – Dusty Baker

What's Buzz-worthy: I opted for one of these on the cheap and it rewarded me pretty well with ink (one in 73 packs) and an auto here that I would want as well as a timely name to land (for college football) on a numbered card that's one in 52. Atop that, this one delivered all the basic stuff that it typically would include, which is a trip through the decades with a mix of past legends, current players and others on a variety of Topps designs from the past but with today's print quality. It can be dull  -- "it's loaded with immense volume of Hall of Famers and RCs and a ton of variety ... but ... beyond the visuals in the base set this one is relatively dull" is what I said last time I opened one of these with average results. That can be true and probably still is with the rookie crop a little less exciting now a couple years later (this box was a RC dud). ... Hobby boxes include ink every time and that's why they are gone, while these give you a sampling of pretty much everything with ink showing up a couple times (maybe more) per blaster case. These boxes have an exclusive 1989 Topps Big homage that has some good touches -- in fact, everything here is a pretty clean re-do of the past and that has appeal to me as a collector. As long as these are cheap, I think they aren't a bad rip -- though past years for Archives seemed to include more fun inclusions -- they just won't light up your eBay account if a flipper. ... The "preview" of 2091 Topps that most of us probably won't be around to see here is a whiff. All in all, these boxes are simple and somewhat "safe" ... they just need to offer up some variety beyond basic cardboard with varying styles.

Product Grade: B+ 
Box Grade: A+ (Hall of Fame-caliber ink and a rarer numbered parallel = win)
Fun Grade: A-

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