McCutchen Mailday #8-10: Golden Archives from Sportlots

Dave Parker was a fan favorite while playing for the Bucs back in the 70s.  The below Topps Archives Dual Fan Favorites card has been haunting me subtly for a few years.  I've been wanting to add this card to my collection since I first saw it and passed up on adding it for the $4 range many many times.  Since 2014 I haven't seen them hit eBay or COMC for less than that though.  Fortunately one finally popped up for $1.50 on sportlots.  For a little over $2 shipped, I finally had gotten it.  Strangely enough, this card was something that I got more excited about than many of the patches from Strata I have received this year.  Weird, right?

Along the same lines as the above card, is the desire to complete the 2015 Topps Archives rainbow since I grabbed the base, silver, black border 1/1, and 2 of the printing plates shortly after it's release. 

One card that I kept losing was the gold version /50.  I must have lost nearly 10 auctions for it with many of them going well over $10.  I refused to pay more than that for the card.


After looking on blowout, comc, ebay, and sportlots I finally came across one on sportlots for $4.  I couldn't have been happier to add it to my cart along with a few other Archives that I needed.  Coming from 3 different sellers, but all arriving on the same day made this McCutchen Mailday a happy day for this Cutch supercollector.

McCutchen Mailday #241-244: All about that Base (Parallels)

If you missed yesterday's card, please go back and check it out. Its one my favorite booklets I have added this year.

We're getting close to the end for my Andrew McCutchen additions this year.  I've recently grabbed 4 more parallels.

Included in the group was a gold parallel from 2015 Topps Stadium Contact Sheets, A Topps Heritage Archive Game (red back triple), Topps Tek Clouds Diffractor, and 2015 Prizm Black & White Checkerboard.

McCutchen Mailday #181, 182, and 183: Going Old School with new Flair

My latest trio of Cutch cards to the PC this year includes some vintage designs with a bit of fresh 21st century spin.  Featuring designs from 1966, 1983, and early 20th century designs these Topps Heritage Chome, Topps Archives Silver, and Allen & Ginter Box Topper fixed a need for my ongoing Cutch PC.  

I've previously shown off some other 2015 Topps Archives that I have acquired this year including the three 1/1s and base.  The silver border is /199

On the Heritage front I've shown the box topper, gum stain and photo variants, and even 3 Chrome parallels.  This chrome is 749/999

Sadly, I need a lot of Cutch's Allen & Ginter cards from 2015.  I will go search for some soon...

For now though, this 5x7 box topper will have to do. 

McCutchen Mailday #141 & 142: A Pair of 2015 Archives not numbered 1/1

Earlier in the year I showed off 3 2015 Topps Archives all numbered 1/1.  Strangely enough I didn't have the base, but had gotten three of the hardest cards to obtain (black border and 2 printing plates).  My quest to add 100 new Cutch cards by year's end has been eclipsed for a long time now, but fret not blog believers I won't stop adding them.

Here's the backs

McCutchen Mailday 98, 99, and 100!!!!!: All 1/1s All Archives!!!!

Last week I showed off a near complete rainbow of 2015 Topps League Leaders.  That was cool and all, but now I am going to show off my nearly complete rainbow of 1/1s from 2015 Topps Archives.

I was lucky enough to acquire two of the 4 printing plates along with the extremely rare 1/1 black border last month.

Here's the cards seperately

Beautiful, right?

Well...I figured if you're going to show off a milestone 100th new Cutch of the year, why not do it in style.

To remember some of the 1/1s of Cutch I have added this year, here's a recap
#90-97 2015 Topps Printing Plates League Leaders

#85: Letter "C" from Cutch's Jersey in 2015 Five Star

#73: Laundry Tag from 2015 Museum

#52: Letter "E" from Cutch's All-Star jersey in 2014 Topps In the Name

#47: Letter "N" from Cutch's All-Star jersey in 2015 Topps In the Name

#46: Original Sketch by Chris Henderson from Leaf Legends of Baseball Artist Proof

#12: Red Paper 2012 Bowman  (damaged by post office)

McCutchen Mailday #30-39: Card Show Pickups

I grabbed 10 new Andrew McCutchen cards all from one location last month.

For a combined $12, I walked away with a pair of numbered Opening Day blue parallels from year's past, a trinity of 2012 Topps Gold Parallels, a 2015 insert, and some vintage designs in recent years.

Overall it was a very good haul for me at that show because I also snagged a bunch of vintage cards that I will show off in the very near future.

The Quest for 100 is getting close to the halfway mark and the year isn't even a third of the way complete.

Going into the Archive files

2014 Archives was released a few months ago and I normally let the market die down a little before I go buy the singles or team sets.  Because of the different designs used for Archives, I sort the team set in my player collection binder instead.  I find it much easier to find my 2014 Archives of the 1989 design Gerrit Cole sorted with all my other Coles than trying to remember what design was used for what year.  Besides, I only have binders for team sets of Flagship Topps, Allen & Ginter, Topps Heritage, and Flagship Upper Deck.  Everything else gets sorted by player alphabetically.  If the player is a fan favorite or active player it goes in the binder.  If not, it gets organized alphabetically in a long box.

Enough about my crazy organization though.

Here's the players for 2014 Archives.

First up the inserts.  Ok.  I'm going to be very frank about this....I love this year's Pirates insert selections.  First up is a deckle edge of Andy Van Slyke, a guy that I have been building a PC of since 1987.  Having an insert of one of my favorite long retired players is awesome!!!! Next up is a fired up Jason Grilli All-Star card.  As much as Grilli struggled this year, I still love the guy.  And finally is Cutch.  Nuff said!

 Of the designs used in this year's Archives, the 1986 design is my favorite.  Pedro Alvarez is the only nonSP to be featured using the 86 design.

 The 1980 design is another favorite of mine for one reason...it was Rickey Henderson's rookie card.  I had a Henderson rookie card as a kid and lost it on the school bus when I brought it in for show and tell.  At the time it was going for around $100 according to Beckett and Tuff Stuff (remember that magazine?)  Recently I was able to grab a decent copy of one for $10 at my local card show in the mall.  Andyway, Marte and Clemente share the 1980 design which is great because I see Marte as having a similar style of play to Clemente, but with many less career hits.

I can't begin to tell you how many boxes, rack packs, wax packs, etc of 1989 Topps I opened as a kid.  Way too many.  Stargell and Cole represent the design I like the least.

 The 1973 might be one of my least favorite designs from the 70s and the player selection for this design is poor.  Grilli is gone, Lambo was still in the minors until a few days ago, and Kiner has passed away.