2024 Topps Archives Fan Favorites Auto #95FF-TW Gold #/50

Card Review: 8.0

This "Gold" Archives Auto is numbered out of #/50 and is the fifth variation of this card that I've added.  All that remains is the "Red" version numbered out of #/10.  I rated this card the lowest of the five and that probably isn't entirely fair.  I think I'm just tired of them at this point.  Had this been the first one I picked up after the base card, it probably would have made a better first impression.  

I will add that I find it to be entirely too similar in color to the "1/1 Superfractor," from a distance you can't really tell them apart.  I would have preferred a brighter, less similar color, like a neon pink or orange, or a pastel purple or something.  A '91 Fleer yellow would be cool.  This gold is basically the "Superfractor" without the microchip texture all over it.

Something I do find to be a positive about these color variation autographed cards is the back.  The back has a very matte finish.  It's great, so great in fact, that it's frustrating.  To know that Topps has the ability to make "modern" baseball cards with raw matte backs, not exactly the same as, but certainly similar to the backs used for their first fifty years bugs me.  Why can't they do this as the standard back in the base set?  I would describe these backs as almost the same in feel as 1992 Topps, maybe a little better, but a little natural evolution in card stock quality is to be expected.  The only explanation I can come up with is a concern that the matte backs could "damage" the card surface of the the adjacent card in a pack?  Which, if is the case, just irritates me more.  Kids today need to get over their condition obsession.

In any event, I'm happy to add this, and at the risk of providing spoilers, barring a mistake by the post office a post about the "Red" variation should be appearing on this blog shortly.

Number of this card in my collection: 1