2014 Topps Archives $5.99 jumbo pack recap

I got $1 off with my Topps coupon book, though I wonder why I bother when all but one card was anything other than lousy base cards - even though these cards are nice, Topps always does some sort retro card product each year, so the nostalgia for me isn't quite as strong.

Top section
#4 Andrew Lambo
#8 Zack Greinke
#66 Craig Biggio
#65 Starling Marte
#121 Kevin Siegrist
#74 Jon Lester
#84 Tony Perez
#19 Nolan Arenado
#42 Junior Lake

Bottom section
#104 Jordan Zimmermann
#122 Larry Doby
#168 Jonathan Schoop
#193 Matt Kemp
#87-OS Ozzie Smith - 1987 Topps All-Star insert
#152 Anthony Rizzo
#186 Gerrit Cole
#199 Sonny Gray
#120 Yadier Molina

Biding my time with quarter box digs

Even if I end up with dupes of the 2014 Topps Series II cards I picked up - I want to make a point to pick up cards of 'rank and file' players who maybe appearing on their first MLB card.

2014 Topps Kevin Siegrist #344
2014 Topps Taylor Jordan #374
2014 Topps Ed Lucas #387
2014 Topps Gonzalez Germen #485 - x2
2014 Topps Rob Wooten #494
2014 Topps Tanner Roark #602
2014 Topps Moises Sierra #614
2014 Topps Archives Nomar Garciaparra #218 - SP
2014 Topps Archives David Price #236 - SP
2014 Topps Archives Freddie Freeman #87-FF - 1987 All-Star insert
2014 Topps Archives Miguel Cabrera #87-MC - 1987 All-Star insert

2014 Topps Archives two pack hobby recap

I picked up a couple of packs for $4.50 each, which seems a bit much for eight 'lousy' cards per pack - in a few months, I'll probably be able to pick up assorted base cards [and maybe a 'loose' short print or insert] for a quarter each if I really wanted to.

I suppose tearing open into a new pack of cards that exploits some of qualities of old school cards is kind of fun -however, I don't feel the sense of urgency to pick up more, since Topps has come out with Archives for three years now and in the end, it all feels redundant [even with some new wrinkles in the 2014 edition like the Major League inserts / autographs].

Pack one
#190 Julio Teheran
#102 Goose Gossage
#71 Nick Franklin
#237 Dusty Baker - SP
#55 Jay Bruce
#143 Mike Schmidt
#123 Jarrod Parker
#160 Don Mattingly

Pack two
#165 Willie McCovey
#106 Cliff Lee
#104 Jordan Zimmermann
#240 Mariano Rivera - SP
#172 Albert Pujols - silver parallel serial #'d 98 of 99

What are the chances that out of two random packs, I pull an Angels parallel card [?] - it's not the greatest pull and watching Pujols has been a bummer lately, but it's a keeper.

#1 Yu Darvish
#12 James Shields
#87 Ivan Rodriguez