搶先看:2016 TOPPS ARCHIVES BASEBALL

Ysponder

2016 Topps Archives Baseball is full of nostalgia and Bull



Past is present with 2016 Topps Archives Baseball. Once again, old designs are brought back to be mixed with current and retired players. Also back is the promise of two autographs per hobby box with much of the attention on retired players, many of whom might not have a lot of signed cards.
The pop culture nostalgia continues as well, this time centered on 1988’s Bull Durham.

Base Set



The main part of the 2016 Topps Archives Baseball base set has 300 cards. It uses three designs: 1953, 1979 and 1991. Short prints also return, although the number hasn’t been announced. These will have new players that aren’t in the main base set.

Base cards have four parallels, all of which are serial numbered: Blue, Red, Black (1/1) and Printing Plates.

Bull Durham Autographs and Inserts



The throwbacks aren’t limited to players and designs. 2016 Topps Archives Baseball also includes cards from the movie, Bull Durham. Yes, that means the first licensed “Crash” Davis autograph card signed by Kevin Costner. In addition to signed cards from select actors (all are on-card), there’s a basic insert set similar to the Major League cards in 2014 Topps Archives Baseball. Both the inserts and the autographs have numbered Red, Black (1/1) and Printing Plate parallels.

This isn’t the only set from Topps this year with Kevin Costner autographs. 2016 Topps Allen and Ginter Baseball has more from the Oscar-winning actor but with a Field of Dreams theme.

Autographs



Fan Favorite Autographs make up the bulk of the signed content in 2016 Topps Archives Baseball. They’re signed on-card and, like the base set, use past designs. Blue, Red and Black (1/1) parallels can also be found.

Topps Originals Autographs are signed buybacks of original Topps cards. These are also hard-signed. They come numbered and with a foil stamp showing where they’re from.

Inserts



Two basic inserts go back to 1985 Topps for their inspiration. Father-Son showcases MLB familial connections through the years. #1 Draft Picks highlights some of the first overall picks.

1969 Topps Super inserts bring back the rounded corners of the inserts from 47 years prior.

#1 Draft Picks and 1969 Topps Super inserts have numbered parallels in the form of  Red, Black (1/1) and Printing Plates. Select Supers also have autographed versions.


2016 Topps Archives Baseball at a glance:

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 8
Boxes per case: 10
Set size: ## cards
Release date: June 1, 2016


What to expect in a hobby box:

• Autographs – 2

Ysponder

The 2016 Topps Archives Bull Durham Autographs Checklist Is as Great as You’d Hoped For




Bull Durham is on pretty much everyone’s list of the Top 10 Baseball Movies of All-Time. Even that’s generous. Most will put it in the top 5. And while the movie has spawned a couple of oddball promo sets, it’s crossing over into the hobby mainstream. 2016 Topps Archives Baseball has not only an insert set based on the film, but autographs as well.

And, yes, that includes Kevin Costner. And Susan Sarandon. And Tim Robbins.





2016 Topps Archives Bull Durham Autographs

For a lot of baseball card collectors who like to venture into the pop culture realm, the wait for Kevin Costner autographs has been a long one. Now he’s got a steady stream of them. First, there were signed cards in 2015 Leaf Trinity Baseball.

Costner is just one of the lead actors to appear on the 2016 Topps Archives Bull Durham Autographs checklist. Susan Sarandon (Annie Savoy), Tim Robbins (Nuke LaLoosh and Robert Wuhl (Larry Hockett) are among the other notables in the nine-card set.

All of the 2016 Topps Archives Bull Durham Autographs are serial numbered except for the two biggest, Costner and Sarandon. Of those that are numbered, Wuhl is the rarest with 145 copies. From there, they reach as high as 695 copies for Jenny Robertson (Millie). Parallels for the signed cards come in Red (/50), Black (1/1) and Printing Plates.

Early sales of the cards are all over the place. Asking prices on eBay for the Costner and Sarandon autographs are particularly high with initial sellers asking well over $500 each. It looks as though others will settle in the $50 to $175 range for now. Once the initial excitement settles, some of the common autographs could settle lower.

A couple of months after 2016 Topps Archives, Costner appears to be slated for 2015 Topps Allen & Ginter Baseball. Rather than Bull Durham, the focus shifts to another classic baseball movie, Field of Dreams.

The 2016 Topps Archives Bull Durham cards are similar to the Major League ones used in 2014 Topps Archives and the Rocky cards in 2015 Topps Allen & Ginter Baseball. By using the character names, they are licensed by the movie studio.



2016 Topps Archives Bull Durham Autographs Checklist and Gallery
Print runs are noted for each card. Costner and Sarandon are not numbered.



BDA-AS Susan Sarandon as Annie Savoy




BDA-B David Neidorf as Bobby – /595



BDA-CD Kevin Costner as Crash Davis



BDA-J William O’Leary as Jimmy – /595




BDA-LH Robert Wuhl as Larry Hockett – /145



BDA-M Jenny Robertson as Millie – /695



BDA-NL Tim Robbins as Nuke LaLoosh – /295



BDA-RS Ron Shelton – Director/Writer – /345



BDA-T Tom Silardi as Tony – /595



Inserts

As exciting as the thought of a Kevin Costner Bull Durham autograph might be, they’re tough. More realistic are the basic 2016 Topps Archives Bull Durham inserts. Strangely, though, only seven of the nine autographs have unsigned versions. And those that were left off? Crash and Annie, the two biggest stars. Topps has not said why this is.


2016 Topps Archives Bull Durham Checklist

BD-B Bobby
BD-J Jimmy
BD-LH Larry Hockett
BD-M Millie
BD-NL Nuke LaLoosh
BD-RS Ron Shelton
BD-T Tony

Other Bull Durham Trading Cards

Back when Bull Durham first came out, Gatorade released a set of four over-sized cards featuring Crash Davis, Annie, Nuke and Millie. Sealed sets also came with a packet of juice crystals that you probably shouldn’t drink now.

A six-card set was released by Orion Studios to commemorate the film’s video release. These are tough to find.

Star included Kevin Costner cards into a handful of 1988 and 1989 Durham Bulls team sets.

Finally, 2013 Topps Pro Debut Baseball has four cut signature cards from Costner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins and Robert Wuhl. These are each one-of-ones.