2013 Topps Archives Mini Tall Boys Inserts

Here is another insert set that I completely forgot that I had started. The Mini Tall Boy insets in 2013 Topps Archives. 

When looking back at the cards that have caught my eye in recent years, Topps Archives has consistently included cards that fit my collecting habits. In 2012 Topps used the 1980 design in Archives, a set that has a special place in my heart for two reasons; it was the first set of baseball cards that I ever received and it was the first set I completed, with the added bonus that the 1980 design is one of my favourites. Topps has decided to use 1980 design again in 2014 Archives. Guess what I will be collecting in 2014.

The Mini Tall Boys 'subset' uses the oversized Topps Football set design from 1965, known as the 'Tall Boy', a name give because of their size. While regular modern cards measured 2 1/2" x 3 1/2", 'Tall Boys' were 2 1/2" X 4 11/16". 

As the name suggests the 2013 inserts are mini versions measuring a fraction of the 1965 originals.

I will be attempting to collect all 40 cards in the 'subset'.  

MT-AB Albert Pujols
MT-AK Al Kaline
MT-AR Anthony Rizzo
MT-BH Bryce Harper
MT-BP Buster Posey
MT-CK Clayton Kershaw
MT-CR Cal Ripken Jr.
MT-CS Chris Sale
MT-DBU Dylan Bundy
MT-DB Dante Bichette
MT-DC Dave Concepcion
MT-DE Dwight Evans
MT-DF David Freese
MT-DJ Derek Jeter
MT-DM Denny McLain
MT-DP Dave Parker
MT-DS Dave Stewart
MT-DW David Wright
MT-EB Ellis Burks
MT-ED Eric Davis
MT-FL Fred Lynn
MT-FM Fred McGriff
MT-FW Frank White
MT-GG Gio Gonzalez
MT-KG Kirk Gibson
MT-KM Kevin Mitchell
MT-MC Miguel Cabrera
MT-MG Mike Greenwell
MT-MS Mike Schmidt
MT-MT Mike Trout
MT-MW Matt Williams
MT-ON Otis Nixon
MT-RB Ryan Braun
MT-RC Robinson Cano
MT-RD Rob Dibble
MT-RCL Roberto Clemente
MT-SS Stephen Strasburg
MT-WC Will Clark
MT-WM Will Middlebrooks
MT-YC Yoenis Cespedes

1969 Topps Deckle Edge 'Insert'

1969 Deckle Edge insert

In 1969 Topps inserted these 'Deckle Edge' cards into the Series Three regular packs. Each card features a black and white image of the player with a facsimile autograph at the bottom. The edge of cards have a jagged, often called scalloped, edge. There are 33 cards in the set, although cards #11 and #22 can be found with two different players..

A unique oddball set for those who don't necessarily want their cards in perfect condition

Topps returned to the Deckle Edge design in 1974. A larger but rarer 72 card test set was released in a small limited area of the East Coast in the USA. These cards were much bigger than the '69 Deckle Edge and were officially referred to as 'Baseball Photos'. The picture on the front was 'full bleed', Topps had dispensed with the white border. The cards featured the same blue facsimile signature, however the back featured handwritten script of the player's name, team, position plus the date and location of the photograph. A small newspaper article about the player's career appeared beneath the writing.

1974 Topps Baseball Photos

 Topps again returned to the Deckle Edge design in 2012 with a 15 card insert set which featured A Deckle Cut Around The Edges.  Inserted into Topps Archives packs at a rate of 1in 10 packs. This insert is a definite throwback to the 1969 Deckle Edge.

2012 Topps Deckle Edge insert



1969 Checklist
1 - Brooks Robinson
2 - Boog Powell
3 -Ken Harrelson
4 - Carl Yastrzemski
5 - Jim Fregosi
6 - Luis Aparicio
7 - Luis Tiant
8 - Denny McLain
9 - Willie Horton
10 - Bill Freehan
11a - Hoyt Wilhelm
11b - Jim Wynn
12 - Rod Carew
13 - Mel Stottlemyre
14 - Rick Monday
15 - Tommy Davis
16 - Frank Howard
17 - Felipe Alou
18 - Don Kessinger
19 - Ron Santo
20 - Tommy Helms
21 - Pete Rose
22a - Rusty Staub
22b - Joe Foy
23 - Tom Haller
24 - Maury Wills
25 - Jerry Koosman
26 - Richie Allen
27 - Roberto Clemente
28 - Curt Flood
29 - Bob Gibson
30 - Al Ferrara
31 - Willie McCovey
32 - Juan Marichal
33 - Willie Mays

2012 Archives Checklist

69DE-1 Roy Halladay
69DE-2 Evan Longoria
69DE-3 Jose Bautista
69DE-4 Mike Napoli
69DE-5 David Freese
69DE-6 Ichiro Suzuki
69DE-7 Joe Mauer
69DE-8 Bob Gibson
69DE-9 Juan Marichal
69DE-10 Orlando Cepeda
69DE-11 Carl Yastrzemski
69DE-12 Roberto Clemente
69DE-13 Willie Mays
69DE-14 Harmon Killebrew
69DE-15 Joe Morgan

2014 Archives 1969 Deckle Edge minis 
AM Andrew McCutchen - Pittsburgh Pirates
AVS Andy Van Slyke - Pittsburgh Pirates
BH Bryce Harper - Washington Nationals
BP Buster Posey - San Francisco Giants
CB Carlos Baerga - Cleveland Indians
CK Clayton Kershaw - Los Angeles Dodgers
CR Cal Ripken Jr. - Baltimore Orioles
DD Darren Daulton - Philadelphia Phillies
DE David Eckstein - Angels
DJ Derek Jeter - New York Yankees
DP Dave Parker - Pittsburgh Pirates
DW David Wright - New York Mets
GN Graig Nettles - New York Yankees
HJ Howard Johnson - New York Mets
HJR Hyun-Jin Ryu - Los Angeles Dodgers
IR Ivan Rodriguez - Texas Rangers
JAB Jose Abreu - Chicago White Sox
JC Jose Canseco - Oakland Athletics
JF Jose Fernandez - Miami Marlins
JK Joe Kelly - St. Louis Cardinals
JO John Olerud - New York Mets
JV Justin Verlander - Detroit Tigers
JVO Joey Votto - Cincinnati Reds
MC Miguel Cabrera - Detroit Tigers
ML Mark Lemke - Atlanta Braves
MM Mike Matheny - St. Louis Cardinals
MMA Manny Machado - Baltimore Orioles
MS Mel Stottlemyre - New York Yankees
MSC Max Scherzer - Detroit Tigers 
MT Mike Trout - Angels
MTK Masahiro Tanaka - New York Yankees
MW Michael Wacha - St. Louis Cardinals
OH Orlando Hernandez - New York Yankees
RG Ron Gant - Atlanta Braves
RW Rondell White - Montreal Expos 
TT Troy Tulowitzki - Colorado Rockies
WM Wil Myers - Tampa Bay Rays
YD Yu Darvish - Texas Rangers
YM Yadier Molina - St. Louis Cardinals
YP Yasiel Puig - Los Angeles Dodgers

2012 Topps Archives 3D inserts

In retrospect I think that I should have just tried to collect the whole set of 2012 Archives. The inclusion of 1980 Topps design, Deckle Edge and stickers weren't enough, there was one set of inserts that definitely captured my imagination -the 3D set. Similar in design to 2011 Topps Lineage, which were also based on the experimental 1968 3D Topps release, only slightly larger.
The set contains 15 cards featuring some stellar names from past and present.
They were inserted in 2012 Archives at a ratio of 1in 8 packs.
Since there are only 15, why not collect the whole set?

AK Al Kaline
BR Babe Ruth
CS CC Sabathia
CU Chase Utley
DP Dustin Pedroia
FH Felix Hernandez
JU Justin Upton
JV Joey Votto
MC Miguel Cabrera
MK Matt Kemp
MM Mickey Mantle
NC Nelson Cruz
RC Robinson Cano
RCL Roberto Clemente
WM Willie Mays

COMPLETED