Catching Up: 1998 Topps Tek Pattern 8

I have not had much luck on the Topps Tek front lately.  I received this several months ago and have not been able to find one since.  This is Pattern #8 and leaves me just eight patterns shy of having all 90.  They are getting harder and harder to find.  If anyone has one or knows someone that does, I am willing to pay extra to track them down.

Catching Up: 2016 Topps Archives 65th Anniversary Green Back

I won't bother showing the front of this card, it is the exact same as the base version, which is a reprint of the 1992 Topps front.  This is the Green Back version, serial-numbered to 150.  It is not the most exciting of cards, but it is a reasonably low-numbered parallel.

Catching Up: 2016 Archives Signature Buybacks - 1989 Topps RC

I had to have Sandy Alomar Jr.'s rookie card from the buyback autograph set.  I have his Donruss Recollection Autograph from Donruss Timelines.  I also have his 1989 Upper Deck buyback, though that one is not autographed.  So I had to add his Topps autograph.  This one was definitely at the top of my list when I first found out that he would be in this set.  Plus, there is the fact that this is a Padres card, just my second one from this set, and most likely the only ones available.  Just a cool card.

Catching Up: 2006 Topps Archives 65th Anniversary

This card was not too exciting.  It is basically a reprint of his 1992 Topps card, though the back is a similar design to the 1975 Topps set.  The real key to this set is getting the autographed versions.  Unfortunately, I have yet to add that one.

Catching Up: 2016 Topps Throwback Thursday

I was really excited when Topps made this Then and Now card as part of its online exclusive Throwback Thursday sets.  These cards were made of the two teams in the 2016 World Series and featured past stars along with current players for each team.  The cards were based on the 1978 Topps manager cards.  Alomar appeared in his third World Series in 2016, this time as a coach for the first time.

Catching Up: 2006 Upper Deck Special FX Red

This card completes the rainbow for the 2006 Upper Deck Special FX set, and gives me all of Sandy's Dodgers cards, with the exception of printing plates.  This card also knocks the #14 card off of my Most Wanted List and the most-wanted Dodgers card.  So this card was a pretty big deal.

Catching Up: 2016 Archives Signature Buybacks - 2002 Topps Chrome Traded

This is, without a doubt, one of my favorites from the Archives Signature run for Sandy Alomar Jr.  There were so few Rockies cards of Alomar since he spent only the second part of the 2002 season with them and then was immediately back with the White Sox in 2003.  There are even fewer autographs and relics.  In fact, there might only be two more autographs out of this set.  Plus, this card is numbered out of only three, so it is incredibly rare.  It is also a Chrome Traded card, so it is not just a standard Topps card.  This one is tough to top, but wait a few days for a contender.

Catching Up: 2016 Topps Archives Father/Son

Last year's Archives set featured the first non-buyback cards of Sandy Alomar Jr. since his playing career ended.  On top of the Fan Favorites autograph, there was also this insert that Topps originally used in the 1985 base set.  This features a 1970 Topps card of Sandy Sr. and a picture of Sandy Jr.  There is also an autographed version of this card, but it is extremely rare.  Hopefully this card is a sign that Topps will manage to fit the occasional Alomar card in sets from now on.

Catching Up: 2016 Archives Signature Buybacks - 1994 Finest

There is actually an interesting story behind the acquisition of this one.  Kind of.  It is not likely that I would have sought this one out.  There were tons of Indians cards.  I do like the fact that this is a Finest buyback, but it is not exceptionally rare, at 25 serial-numbered copies.  But I got it in a group break through Ebay.  I have never had much luck pulling Sandy Alomar Jr. cards from packs.  There were several years that I never pulled any cards, pretty much from the time that I officially started the player collection to the point that it was mostly an afterthought.  I bought into the group break by buying the chance at all Sandy Alomar Jr. cards from Archives Signature from a case.  This was the only card of him pulled, but hey, an autograph is an autograph.

Catching Up: 2016 Archives Signature Buybacks - 2001 Bowman Heritage

Up next is this 2001 Bowman Heritage buyback.  It is serial-numbered to 25 and is my second buyback autograph for the White Sox.  I liked this set quite a bit, with the simple, retro design and black-and-white photos.  They look great autographed too.