Card Review: 8.1
This is the "Green" variation of the 2024 Fan Favorites Archives. These are numbered out of 99 copies. It's now the third 2024 Archives I've added, along with the standard white border copy, and the blue "color match" variation numbered out of 25. The green border just doesn't work well with the Expos baby blue uniforms. Whenever I see these various border color variations, or pattern variations on Topps cards (typically in the base set every year, usually not ones that include Wallach) my first instinct is to imagine how they would look as a standard set design. Sometimes I think they would work, more often, I don't. That's not rooted in any hatred of brightly colored borders, I give them all a fair chance. For instance, I love 1991 Fleer (yellow) and 1991 Donruss Series 2 (green). I can't stand 1990 Donruss (red) or 1991 Donruss Series 1 (blue). And sometimes I'm just sort of indifferent to them, like say 1986 Fleer (navy blue). So I do feel my assesment is coming from a relatively unbiased place when I say this green just doesn't work for me, with this particular photo and likely wouldn't as a set either. A final note, these borders have sort of a shiny, oil on water shimmer to them, as well as the top half of the card, that sort of fades to a more standard matte finish where the autograph is. I actually kind of like it as a gimmick, but would find it offensive as an actual set.
In any event, there are three more of these variations out there, a gold (#/50), red (#/10), and single "superfractor" wonka ticket variation. I know they're out there, but at the moment, the seller's on eBay want them more than I do.
Number of this card in my collection: 1
These cards look like they are answering the unneeded question of what a chrome edition of 1988 would look like.
ReplyDeletecorrection: 1988 Score
DeleteThat's a comparison. These colors do have a bizzarro '88 Score vibe to them.
Delete