Some cards from 2021 Topps Design Recycler

 

One of the big complaints about Topps, and I've seen it even more now that Fanatics has extended the Topps brand with its purchase, is Topps' love for recycling its own designs.

 

It's gotten to be an addiction. Topps can't quit, and they're getting worse. It's comical. The 2021 Topps set put out 1986 design tributes, under its suspect recognition of its 35th anniversary of the design. Then it added random "redux" design tributes to 1952, which morphed into 1965 with Series 2, and then 1992 with the Update set. Then it produced another insert set recognizing its 70th anniversary because, heck, let's remember two anniversaries at once -- we can pat ourselves on the back with both hands! I don't even know how many designs are covered in the 70th anniversary thing. A bunch.

 

Oh, and Topps is going to trot out the 1987 design again this coming flagship set because it's never done that before.

 

It's a sickness. Topps needs an intervention.

 

I don't know what I'm looking at half the time with all of those tributes. None of those designs are  actually of their time anymore. A card with the 1973 design could be a 1973 card. Or it could be a card from 2001, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2021 or some other insert set from some other year. Plus, Topps is using the 1973 design in Heritage this year.

 

And that brings me to the Dodgers from the 2021 version of the set they call Topps Design Recycler ...  I mean, "Topps Archives".

 

Archives has been a thing in its current form since 2012. I've looked at it with a side-eye ever since its re-emergence because the tributes aren't exactly faithful and it's a set that could be done so much better than it is. But I do like Topps' past designs! A lot of collectors do. Topps is taking advantage of us by running them into the ground (I see you Topps), but we diehards got them started on this path. We just didn't know how disastrous it would get.

 

In another example of how far off the rails Topps went with past designs in 2021, it expanded the number of old designs used in Archives from the previous three or four to EIGHT. Damn, can someone cut Topps off and get it a driver?

 

Also, most of the designs that Topps picked for Recycler ... er, Archives, it has used in past Archives sets before. While avoiding others. Ugh.

 

But, sure, here are the Dodgers from this set, because I have to keep up my front as a team collector:

 

 These are the Dodgers in the 1957 design, which Archives has used before. Topps went with super-tight head shots for all of them, which was definitely a thing in '57. It's kind of disconcerting here as the photos don't have that faded look that real '57 does and also because they are not poses, which the '57s were.

I was hoping Kershaw would show up in the 1973 design because he hasn't appeared on that design yet -- at least not in my collection -- but I suppose that's what 2022 Heritage is for.

The Dodgers on the '62 Archives design, which is making its debut in Archives, including the excellent Scherzer. I suppose one of the good things about so many Topps brands is that short-timers like Scherzer will appear on something in a Dodgers uniform. There was no guarantee of that back in the '70s and '80s.

 

 

 

Just two Dodgers for the 1973 design (with Betts in a late '80s pose on an early '70s card). It's odd that Archives chose '73 as it's the Heritage go-to in a few months. It used to avoid crossing its signals with Archives and Heritage. But there are no rules anymore with Topps stumbling around the alley with a paper bag.

 

 

I'll lump these designs together as there was just one of each. Except for the 2001 design, the others have been used so much they've lost meaning. This is at least Robinson's second appearance on the '91 design (there are probably more).

I happen to like the red parallels of the 2001 cards a lot and have been looking for something I can afford in a Campy. I did grab a green parallel that you'll see in a minute.

The 2011 design has not been overused -- yet -- so these are welcome. Topps went with gold foil instead of the silver used with 2011. At least Mike Trout doesn't appear on the 2011 design in this set. That is just asking for trouble.

 

Topps is calling this its "2091" design. It looks like something from Finest from the past 15 years to me.

But it's "new" I suppose.

That's my green parallel. I'd rather have parallels like these instead of inserts (which I haven't bothered to pick up yet). I'm a sucker, but they're so pretty.

And, I still do like cards on past Topps designs. Will Topps continue to beat the designs into submission under Fanatics rule? Yeah, probably. I'd like to think Fanatics would tell Topps to rein it in a bit, but I don't think that's a priority for the new owners.

The best thing to happen would be that Topps ditches Archives and sets a five-year moratorium on creating cards with past designs, except for Heritage. Maybe 10 years.

I doubt that will happen. But you never know. We could call an intervention.