30 Day Baseball Card Challenge

Sunday, December 18, 2016

I'm Declaring Shenanigans!


I like Topps Archives.  I liked the Bull Durham inserts they included in this year's product.  And I like the concept of "buybacks" when done properly.

However... Topps recently combined these three things into one card when they inserted this card into their 2016 Topps Archives 65th Anniversary Edition boxes:


For those of you who aren't familiar with this card, it's a Bull Durham insert out of 2016 Topps Archives that happened to be released only six months ago.  

Anyone else find it weird that Topps is now inserting "buybacks" of current issues?


I mean... did Topps really go out, bug collectors for their Bull Durham duplicates, and buy them?  And isn't the point of a "buyback" to give collectors a chance to pull a card from the past?

Don't get me wrong... I'm not hating on "buybacks".



In fact, I've collected my fair share over the years and I'll continue to pick up affordable copies in the future.  However... if I was running Topps, I'd change things up and require all future "buybacks" be a minimum of twenty-five years old.  But that's just me.

What are your thoughts on Topps issuing 2016 cards as "buybacks" into 2016 products?  Thumbs up?  Thumbs down?

Looking forward to reading your responses.  Happy Sunday and sayonara!

13 comments:

The Snorting Bull said...

As a collector of Durham Bulls cards I am highly annoyed at these Buybacks. Great post.

The Junior Junkie said...

2016 is one of the 65 years being celebrated with these buybacks. I say fair game, albeit a little weird.

Matt said...

I am only a buyback fan of vintage stuff. Anything newer has me asking why

Anonymous said...

i don't mind the buy backs too much, but it would be nicer if there were more star cards for things from the 80's and newer. i think it's cool to pull a 70's and earlier buy back from anyone though...especially from the 50's or 60's.

night owl said...

That Archives 65th anniversary set is a disaster, now for a variety of reasons. ... The only buybacks I like are from the '75 set -- give them all TOOOO MEEEEEE!

gcrl said...

i like that the buybacks are stamped (i, like cardboard jones, once got an unmarked buyback in a pack and once it was out of the pack, it was just a regular card). i also like the way they were done in 2014 and 2015 - nothing newer than 1980. i have only one buyback from 2016, and it's a 1978 topps steve garvey card. now, are you planning to keep that willie davis?

BobWalkthePlank said...

Don Mossi, cardboard legend!

I really have nothing against buybacks I just choose not to buy them. The same year buybacks seem a little odd. At least wait a few years before releasing them.

SumoMenkoMan said...

It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall in the Topps marketing and creativity department when then figure out how to compose the next set. It seems really odd.

GCA said...

That's pretty stupid. Gotta set a limit. At least the previous decade. I can see a buyback for 2006. NOT 2016.

Dion's IP Autos only said...

Hate the buybacks most of what I've got are either I already had or was a common which was not much of a pull from a pack but hey it's something different!

Man said...

guess I am more offended that a vintage card in Excellent condition gets defaced, I call BS

Fuji said...

snorting bull - i'd like to eventually build the regular insert set... even if they left annie and crash off of the non-auto checklist

junior junkie - good point. great way for topps to resell their excess 2016 product too.

sport card collectors - i'm like you... although i'll grab an 80's card if it's cheap and a player i like

cardboard hogs- agree 100%

cardboard jones - lol... yeah. they kinda need the stamp. otherwise they're just a plain old card.

night owl - crap. i sent out a package for you today and totally forgot you collect those. next time bud.

gcrl - my goal is to get one buyback i really like from each year and the player has to be someone i've heard of. as soon as i get a replacement for davis, it's yours.

matthew scott - i was stoked to pick that card up cheap on comc. so stoked. one of my favorite purchases.

r laughton - i know, right? overall... i was happy with topps this year. they put out plenty of hard signed autographs for me to chase down, so i won't complain too much. but this definitely left me scratching my head.

gca - agree. i'd even be okay with two... even three decades ;)

dion's i[ autos only - overall... i like the concept. different = good

brady - lol. oh, you're one of those guys. just kidding buddy.


harada57 said...
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