2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball Review | Autographs, Box Break, Checklist, Book Cards

Baseball card collectors in search of a high-end product will certainly gravitate towards 2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball. A truly premium release, each box holds one encased on-card autograph or autographed relic numbered to 15 or less.

2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball / Topps

2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball Autographs

Most of the on-card 2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball autographs come from three variations: Hit Kings, Home Run Kings, and Masters of the Mound. All three have colored parallels, Red #/10, Blue #/5, Black 1/1. The first two sets (Hit Kings and Home Run Kings) are dedicated to the top batsmen in baseball and include a powerful mix of the new (Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, Ronald Acuña Jr.), and the old (Hank Aaron, Ken Griffey Jr., Reggie Jackson). The pitchers are well represented in the Masters of the Mound set with Bob Gibson, Jacob deGrom, Mariano Rivera, and Sandy Koufax.

Click here for the complete checklist.

2019 Topps Luminaries Home Run Kings / Topps

2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball Relic Autographs

Collectors can draw relics from The Hit Kings, Home Run Kings, and Masters of the Mound sets. Each have Blue #/10 and Black 1/1 parallels. Their patch versions are either #/15 or have a Black 1/1 parallel.

2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball Book Autographs

2019 Topps Luminaries Mike Trout Book / Topps

Where 2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball has stepped up from last year's release with their autographed book cards. These 1/1 book cards are a solidly constructed and designed collectible that comes in single, dual, and triple book versions. Those with a hand of gold will be the fortunate recipients of an Ultimate and Greatest Book cards, which has between 30-50 autographs.

2019 Topps Luminaries Cut Autographs

Do autographs from Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby, and Satchel Paige sound enticing? They are a prominent sampling of the legends included in the 2019 Topps Luminaries Cut Autographs. Topps dug in the vaults to provide collectors with the opportunity to add iconic cut signatures to their wares with this set, adding a tantalizing incentive for the product’s $200 price tag.

2019 Topps Luminaries Box Break Video

In our box break video below, you can get a good look at 2019 Topps Luminaries Baseball's artful packaging and our Home Run Kings autograph that came with it. Click here to subscribe to our YouTube channel for further box breaks and interviews.

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2017 Topps Heritage Minor League Baseball Review - Showcasing the top prospects waiting on deck

With the 2017 Major League Baseball season under wraps, baseball fans still looking for their fix can look towards the Arizona Fall League and Caribbean Series to keep an eye on the game’s top prospects. Topps attempts to further the discussion of the next prospects to take off with the release of the 2017 Topps Heritage Minor League Baseball set.

2017 Topps Heritage Minors / Topps

Designed in the mold of the classic 1968 Topps set, 2017 Topps Heritage Minors aims to catch the nostalgic senses of veteran collectors while attracting fans who fill minor league ballparks in every corner of the country. Leading off the base set is New York Mets phenom Amed Rosario, who gave the team a much needed shot in the arm after tearing up the Pacific Coast League. Building upon Rosario’s newly minted fame, Topps has followed up with the likes of Mickey Moniak, Nick Senzel, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Victor Robles to add to the ranks of the top prospects in this set.

2017 Topps Heritage Minors Inserts and Short Prints / Topps

The 200-card base set is also supplemented by an additional 20 short prints as well as four different colored base card parallels. Topps cleverly kept more of the sought after prospects in the short prints including Tim Tebow, forcing collectors to dig deeper to round out their sets.

2017 Topps Heritage Minors Green Parallel / Topps

Diving into the inserts, minor league All-Stars are neatly highlighted in the Baseball America subset. Topps shows its lighter side with the 1968 Topps mini discs. The discs are a throwback to a time when cards were exchanged and played with and not cut to exact size to fit neatly into 9-card binder pages.

2017 Topps Heritage Minors 1968 Mini Discs / Topps

Each box guarantees one autographed card and one relic card. The box provided for this review yielded an autograph of Cincinnati Reds outfield prospect T.J. Friedl and a relic card of Chicago White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez. While both of those hits were of the more common variety, collectors have a chance to scoop up autographed cards of Derek Jeter and David Ortiz as part of the Looming Legacy series, and autographed 1968 Mint relic cards of top organizational prospects.

While the hardcore collectors would like to see this set come out during the minor league season so they can track down their favorite local player before they move up their organizational ranks, the timing of 2017 Topps Heritage Minors provides fans and collectors the opportunity to track a wide range of next year’s future stars unencumbered by the heat of the postseason baseball.

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2017 Topps Update Baseball Review - How 2017 Update is taking a mighty cut at the fences

One look at Aaron Judge’s stoic glare on the cover of 2017 Topps Update Baseball and it is evident that Topps has lofty goals for its postseason product. Topps has loaded the base set with the two most desired young players in the game, with the inclusion of three additional rookie cards of Judge, as well as four of Los Angeles Dodgers upstart Cody Bellinger. Packed with the magnetism of these two power hitting young superstars, Topps is hoping that the abundance of their cards in the set will draw collectors to 2017 Update as the World Series championship hangs in the balance.

2017 Topps Update / Topps

With Judge’s dominating performance in the 2017 Home Run Derby serving as the first card in the set, Topps also highlights his rookie debut and his All-Star Game selection. Bellinger gets the same treatment, as well as his official Topps rookie card in their flagship product, further increasing the attraction of this set for collectors in both the near and long term.

2017 Topps Update Cody Bellinger RC / Topps

Outside of the two aforementioned likely Rookie of the Year selections for their respective leagues, Topps Update provides lesser known players to get their first shot on major league cardboard, as well as team collectors finding their team’s recently acquired 25th men having their moment in the sun after potentially being passed over in Topps Series 1 and 2 releases earlier this year.

Topps forces collectors to pay attention to detail with 2017 Update as there are well over 100 variations of the short print and super short print varieties that include legends Roberto Clemente, Babe Ruth, and Ted Williams. The lengthy set of variations could easily excite collectors to dive into a few boxes or chase a master set well into the offseason, giving this product room to run well after the World Series champion has been determined. Conversely, collectors craving simplicity could easily face burn out at this point in the season of having to track all of the different inserts within 2017 Update.

2017 Topps Update Variations / Topps

The box provided for this review yielded a complete base set with a few doubles to spare, an array of rainbow foil and Gold parallel cards (#’d/2017), nine of the aforementioned variations, and an All-Star relic card of Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak.

At a price point of $65 per box, collectors will find value in the fact that 2017 Topps Update Baseball will yield a complete set that includes a combined seven rookie cards of both the likely Rookie of the Year winners from each league. Add on the assortment of potentially scarce variations, parallels, inserts, and a guarantee of either an autograph or relic card, Topps has scored another winner with 2017 Update Baseball.

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2018 Topps Gold Label Review and Box Break - Topps hits gold with their framed autographs

Collectors looking to follow the postseason gold rush will set their next destination for the hobby-only 2018 Topps Gold Label Baseball. The product's signature gold framed autographed and relic cards create a premium piece worth chasing.

2018 Topps Gold Label

2018 Topps Gold Label Base Set

The base set contains 300 cards, each 100-card series organized in a tiered system. The three tiers (Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3) are differentiated by their label and their image variety. The Class 1 cards are the most abundant and increase in scarcity as they ascend in the system.

2018 Topps Gold Label Base Cards / Topps

One box guarantees 35 cards, which puts set collectors far away from a base set. With the three different classes for the base set, collectors are going to have to think hard about whether pursuing a base set is a challenge they want this off-season.

2018 Topps Gold Label Parallels

Each series has four colored parallels (Black, Blue, Red, and Gold). These inserts become harder to find by class, with the odds sharply decreasing as between Class 1 and Class 3. The parallel odds are listed below.

2018 Topps Gold Label Parallels / Cardboard Connection

While the image variations and designs will attract collectors, the true gems in 2018 Topps Gold Label Baseball are the framed autographs. They are guaranteed one per box and have limited edition parallels that add even more value to a desirable product.

2018 Topps Gold Label Chris Sale Red Parallel / Topps

2018 Topps Gold Label Autographs and Relics

Topps gives collectors a ready-made collectible by framing their autographed cards. The thick gold border creates a card that demands a display, not one destined for a binder like most traditional signed trading cards. The box provided for this review uncovered both a Scott Kingery rookie framed autograph and a Lewis Brinson blue parallel autograph redemption.

The relics are even harder to find, with their Golden Greats Autographed Relics and MLB Legends Relics all numbered to 75 or less. Lucky collectors will rejoice in finding a black (#/5) or gold (1/1) parallel.

After opening a box of 2018 Topps Gold Label Baseball, it is apparent that the framed autographs will be the key driver of interest to this product. One question that collectors will have to answer is if they want to hold on to the base set. The images are crisp, and player collectors will enjoy the variations; however, the prospect of opening ten or more boxes to complete a set will send the average collector to the secondary market.

Despite the challenges of finishing the base set, 2018 Topps Gold Label Baseball ranks highly among Topps' guaranteed hit products and is worth checking out a box or two for the framed autographs alone.

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The Top 5 Reasons to Love 2018 Topps Heritage Baseball

Topps resurrects their 1969 design with the release of 2018 Topps Heritage Baseball. This set is beloved by collectors for a variety of reasons, primarily due to the fine details they replicate as an homage to the throwback issue. We cracked open a fresh box of 2018 Topps Heritage Baseball and found these five hallmarks that will make you fall in love with this year's set.

5) Player Checklists –
Trying to keep track of your 2018 Topps Heritage set? How about some help from Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, and Kris Bryant? Staying true to form of the 1969 Topps protocol, 2018’s checklist cards feature face shots of today’s top stars, providing collectors with an additional look at their favorite players while they mark off their progress towards a complete set.

2018 Topps Heritage Aaron Judge Checklist / Topps

4) Seattle Pilots Autographed Tribute Cards –
A Ball Four revival anyone? Jim Bouton leads the signers from the limited edition 1969 Seattle Pilots 50th Anniversary tribute autographed cards. Former Pilot Steve Whitaker once referred to the team as, “the orphans of the league.” Fifty years later, Topps proves they still have a home in the hearts of fans and collectors with these special autographed cards.

Jim Bouton Seattle Pilots Autograph / Topps

3) Imperfections –
Most modern sets are bred to perfection with borderless images, high gloss finishes, and centered designs. While going through the first few packs of this 2018 Topps Heritage Baseball box, I drew the occasional off-centered card. By the time I opened the last pack, these 60/40 or 70/30 centered cards averaged one per pack. With so many modern issues made in perfect symmetry, pulling some cards that had centering flaws only added to vintage experience that Topps Heritage provides.

2) Variations –
Funky nicknames? Action shots? Color swaps? Newly traded players? Solo rookie prospect cards? Topps has all of the bases covered with the short printed variations in 2018 Topps Heritage Baseball. These detailed variants force collectors are to pour over the details on each card, savoring the nuances to see if they have landed one of these scarce issues.

Victor Robles Image Variation SSP / Topps

1) Shohei Ohtani –
Would it be anyone else? Topps wasted no time getting this year’s most coveted rookie in their 2018 Topps Heritage Baseball set by including Ohtani as a last minute short printed variation to the set. Early sales of his short printed rookie are selling for $200 each, while his autographed versions have sold for in excess of $3,000.

$3,000 anyone?

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2018 Topps Allen and Ginter Review | How Allen and Ginter pushes forward a diverse collecting tradition

Since the advent of Topps issuing the Allen and Ginter series, the legendary baseball card manufacturer has used Allen and Ginter to push the boundaries of a traditional baseball card set. With the release of 2018 Allen and Ginter, Topps continues in that tradition by highlighting not only top baseball players, but also actors, rappers, writers, and even a card dedicated to Bitcoin cryptocurrency.

2018 Topps Allen and Ginter Box / Topps

The diversity that Topps strives for with Allen and Ginter is what also makes it one of the company’s most annually polarizing issues. If you are of the “hip hop” generation, the inclusion of Biz Markie and Method Man will capture your attention, as well as seeing the cardboard debut of actor Michael Rapaport who cut his teeth in the landmark film Higher Learning alongside Ice Cube. Other non-playing personnel include HQ Trivia host Scott Rogowsky, 2017 J.G Taylor Spink Award winner Claire Smith, and sabermetrics pioneer Bill James.

2018 Topps Allen and Ginter Base Set / Topps

Some collectors will openly welcome the opportunity to land an autograph of one of these luminaries, or a grab a card celebrating the cryptocurrency craze in between the likes of Ronald Acuña Jr., Aaron Judge, and Mike Trout. For other consumers who are diametrically opposed to these trading-card curiosities creeping into their pack ripping adventures, I encourage them to check out the myriad of other Topps releases, many of which have been profiled on this website.

2018 Topps Allen and Ginter Hits / Topps

Putting the merits of the base set contents aside, one will find that each box offers the opportunity to score three hits, which come in the form of autographs, booklets, buybacks, relics, or rip cards. The box provided for this review offered up two framed mini cards, an autograph of Oakland Athletics slugger Khris Davis, and a wood bat mini of San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey. The third hit was a relic card of newly minted Los Angeles Dodger, Manny Machado.

2018 Topps Allen and Ginter Mini Cards / Topps

When it comes to inserts, here is where Allen and Ginter gets creative. The mini cards celebrate baseball superstitions, such as the “No Talking About a No-Hitter,” card pulled in this box, as well as a Crazy Horse Indigenous Heroes tribute card. The standard sized inserts show off the evolution of baseball equipment over time with the "Baseball Equipment of the Ages" subset, highlight the heavens with a “Magnificent Moons” series, and spotlight all-time leaders in their respective statistical categories through the "Fantasy Goldmine" cards. The entire release is designed with an artistic flair that should put to rest whatever qualms one has about the makeup of the base set.

2018 Topps Allen and Ginter Inserts / Topps

With a well-established legacy amongst collectors, Topps Allen and Ginter continues to drive forward the reach of card collecting through its intriguing design and subject selection. If you are on the fence about Allen and Ginter because of the non-sport cards within in the set, after seeing your favorite baseball players in the crisp 2018 Topps Allen and Ginter design, you will remember just why you proudly keep your baseball cards on display for all to admire.

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2018 Topps Gypsy Queen Baseball | Autographs, Inserts, Checklist, and Review

Sliding in on the heels of 2018 Topps Heritage Baseball, this year’s release of Topps Gypsy Queen Baseball series serves as formidable follow-up a heralded product. The set features a design that contains elements of the old and new school, giving collectors a tasty treat to start the season.

2018 Topps Gypsy Queen Variations and Short Prints / Topps

Immediately noticeable is Shohei Ohtani’s rookie card. With the two-way phenom taking the baseball world by storm, his presence in the set alone will draw fans to this product. Beyond Ohtani’s solo appearance in the base set, 2018 Topps Gypsy Queen has an attractive offering of parallels and variations that add excitement to opening a box (or case) of this product. The Jackie Robinson Day variations, numbered color parallels and rare Bazooka backed cards all give 2018 Topps Gypsy Queen a flavor of its own that will go down smoothly with hobbyists.

2018 Topps Gyspy Queen Bazooka Back / Topps

Each box guarantees two autographs and staying to true form, Topps provided sleek on-card autographs that pop. This box yielded rookie autographs of Garrett Cooper and Anthony Banda, with the latter a limited edition black and white variation. While neither are top prospects, Derek Jeter, Kris Bryant, Sandy Koufax, and the aforementioned Ohtani are some of the high impact names that comprise the autograph subset. For collectors who have better fortunes, their venture into 2018 Gypsy Queen may uncover rare autographed patch books (1:2877 packs) and the interesting pull-up sock relics (1:7920 packs).

2018 Topps Gypsy Queen Garrett Cooper Autograph / Topps

Staying consistent with last year’s release, the Fortune Teller mini insert cards return to feature 20 of the top young talents in Major League Baseball. The Tarot of the Diamond inserts follow along with the gypsy theme, an additional insert set that Topps should continue to preserve for future releases.

2018 Topps Gypsy Queen Tarot Card Inserts / Topps

While the presence of Shohei Ohtani’s autograph will lure many fans to 2018 Topps Gypsy Queen, the set’s pleasurable aesthetic and crisp on-card autographs creates a mystique that will keep fans chasing after it throughout the season.

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2018 Topps Stadium Club Review - Is it time for Topps to make Stadium Club their flagship product?

With the release of 2018 Topps Stadium Club Baseball, the iconic baseball card manufacturer has made a contender for their new flagship product. With a focus on premium images, the action shots bring the photography to the forefront of baseball card collecting.

Upon its debut, collectors raved about the quality look and feel of 2018 Topps Stadium Club. They immediately hailed it as the release of the year, as the crisp image selection far surpassed the standard Topps issue. Immediately, aficionados questioned whether Topps would be served better by making Stadium Club their annual focal point.

Should Stadium Club be Topps' flagship product?

— Nick Diunte (@ExamineBaseball) July 25, 2018

Imagine the anticipation for the first series of baseball cards for the year if they were in the striking mold of Topps Stadium Club. The high quality photography alone would draw interest from a young generation looking for something exciting to grab on to for the upcoming season.

Experienced enthusiasts will swiftly recall Topps Stadium Club’s early 1990s debut and its immediate ascent to the top of the sports card ranks. The glossy UV coated cards were well unlike their cardboard predecessors, as we marveled at the full bleed photos and made them the centerpieces of our collections. Twenty-five years later amongst the sea of Topps releases, Stadium Club remains a coveted force many of the same reasons.

One upgrade Topps made to the base set in recent years is the addition of retired Hall of Famers and legends to its ledgers. Looking at the likes of Jackie Robinson and classic black and white photography or Bo Jackson memorialized in a photo similar to his 1987 Topps card, Stadium Club has went to great lengths to captured the essence of both the past and the present in its set.

The inserts are bountiful in this release, as each box guarantees two on-card autographs, only further adding to the appeal of 2018 Topps Stadium Club. The Members Only subset returns, serving as a nod to their 90s counterparts, and the Chrome inserts (1 per box) are a slept on bonus for those who purchase an entire box.

Should collectors chase after 2018 Topps Stadium Club amongst the robust palate of Topps releases this summer? Absolutely. With a heavy focus on top-notch photography, 2018 Topps Stadium Club is all about the experience, a vivid one that puts fans nose-to-nose with the action. What are you waiting for, jump right in here.

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2019 Topps Tier One Baseball | Checklist, Autographs, Box Break, Review

Topps takes collectors on a dice roll with the release of 2019 Topps Tier One Baseball. Each box packs a guaranteed two autographs and one relic card, making the $120 price tag on this product a high-risk bet for collectors in search of a glorious return.

2019 Topps Tier One Baseball Box / Topps

2019 Topps Tier One Autographs

The rush of two guaranteed autographs in each 2019 Topps Tier One Baseball box will draw those looking for the immediate high of seeing multiple signatures flash right before their eyes. The impressive list of on-card Tier One signers includes Deion Sanders, Hank Aaron, Mike Trout, and Shohei Ohtani. These have lower numbered parallel versions (Bronze #/25, Silver #/10, Gold 1/1).

The Break Out autographs set is the most plentiful series in 2019 Topps Tier One Baseball. The subset (#/299 or less) features Major League Baseball's up and coming talents. Eloy Jimenez, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Juan Soto comprise some of the young stars that 2019 Topps Tier One Baseball features in their set.

2019 Topps Tier One Autographs / Topps

Topps looks to satisfy the high-end market with the inclusion of Clear One acetate autographs. These unique inserts and their dual-autographed counterparts are limited to quantities of 10 or less.

Click here for the entire checklist of 2019 Topps Tier One baseball autographs and relics.

2019 Topps Tier One Box Break Video

The box provided for this review yielded a bonus autograph, drawing four cards in total (three autographs and a relic). The Break Out autographs comprised two-thirds of this box — Miles Mikolas and Rowdy Tellez (#/250). The third bonus signature was an Eric Thames Prime Performers autograph (#/299). The lone relic card was of Cleveland Indians pitcher Corey Kluber (#/375).

2019 Topps Tier One Final Take

Most collectors would be excited to score a third autograph from a 2019 Topps Tier One Baseball box, as $120 is a heavy proposition for a scant few cards. While the obvious attraction is the on-card autographs, collectors will take a long pause before opening their wallets on a product that is going to have to hit a home run to deliver on its price tag.

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2018 Topps Opening Day Baseball Review - A new twist on a time honored tradition

The baseball teams have made their way north, far away from their respites in the spring training sun to the realities of another Major League season. This annual tradition is honored with the release of the 2018 Topps Opening Day Baseball set. Emblazoned with the Opening Day logo, this set serves as a happy reminder that baseball has once again arrived.

2018 Topps Opening Day / Topps

Topps keeps things short and sweet with the 2018 Opening Day Baseball set, as it checks in at a lean 200 cards. While Opening Day is concentrated on a small amount of players, Topps still managed to get in a bevy of rookies and prospects to the set including the coveted Shohei Ohtani.

With a price point of $36 for a 36-pack box, and a guarantee of one insert per pack, 2018 Topps Opening Day Baseball is an affordable entry point to get young fans involved in the collecting hobby. Families will have fun opening a box to compile a complete set, as the box provided for this review not only yielded all 200 base cards, but a few doubles to boot.

New to 2018 Topps Opening Day Baseball is the Before Opening Day insert set, which gives fans a look at their favorite players during spring training. The Team Traditions and Celebrations insert set spotlight franchise staples such as Yankees Old Timer’s Day and new quirks such as Beat the Freeze from the Atlanta Braves.

2018 Topps Opening Day Inserts / Topps

While Opening Day is positioned towards a younger demographic with their Mascot inserts, Topps has added a degree of scarcity to their autograph and relic inserts for this set. By placing them at the rate of one per every 1-2 cases, Topps has given collectors a further reason to go deeper into this product beyond the base set.

2018 Topps Opening Day Inserts / Topps

Sporting an improved insert lineup and a base set that includes Shohei Ohtani’s first official Topps rookie card, 2018 Topps Opening Day Baseball set has positioned itself as a cost-effective option for fans to get started collecting this baseball season without feeling like they’ve broken the bank in the process.

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2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Baseball Review | Autographs, Checklist, Box Break

Topps returns one of its popular guaranteed hit products with 2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Baseball. The encased acetate cards were a big hit in 2018 when Ronald Acuña Jr. graced the cover. This year’s release leans heavily on the 2019 Topps design, bringing a familiar element for collectors.

2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Baseball / Topps

2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Baseball Checklist

This year’s Clearly Authentic set is filled with over 20 rookie autographs including favorites Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., as well as Washington Nationals second year phenom Juan Soto. The base version serial-numbered parallels include: Green #/99, Black #/75, Red #/50, Blue #/25, Purple #/10, Orange #/5, and Gold 1/1.

Collectors with a lucky touch will find a batch of Hall of Famers within its 150 Years of Professional Baseball subset, as well All-Stars Don Mattingly and Darryl Strawberry set in the iconic versions of their 1984 Topps cards. To further bridge Topps’ historical releases, superstars and Hall of Famers are abundant in the attractive 1952 Reimagining and mini T-206 sets.

Click here for the entire 2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Baseball checklist.

2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Box Break and Final Thoughts

The box provided for this review drew a Justus Sheffield red base autograph #/50. The see-through back on the acetate cards gives his signed rookie a distinct display compared to other Topps issues.

2019 Topps Clearly Authentic Justus Sheffield Red Rookie Auto / Topps

With box prices currently hovering around $50, the opportunity to score a uniquely designed Hank Aaron, Derek Jeter, Mike Trout, or Pete Alonso signed card makes 2019 Topps Clearly Authentic  Baseball tough to pass up.

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2017 Topps Heritage hooks hobbyists with a simple approach

Cut in the aesthetically pleasing style of the 1968 Topps design, Topps’ 2017 Heritage is a throwback to a season that was defined by the mound dominance of Bob Gibson and his miniscule 1.18 ERA. While the feel of the set doesn’t quite have the aggressiveness of Gibson’s fastball, it is the simplicity of the overall package that will attract collectors to this year’s issue.

While some of Topps’ other releases feel like a parade of bells and whistle with all kinds of shiny inserts, the traditional aspect of Topps Heritage is what keeps collectors coming back to this product. Nuances like the puzzles of Kris Bryant and Mike Trout on the back of the All-Star cards, as well as the action and letter variations are the right amount of diversity to make you pay attention to the details without losing sight of what brought you to the product in the first place.

Buster Posey Action Variation / Topps

A certain gem of 2017 Topps Heritage is the selections for the dual and triple Real-One autographed cards. Lucky individuals will garner a signed card of the fantasy Hall of Fame battery of Nolan Ryan and Johnny Bench. Others so fortunate will pull signed cards by three franchise Hall of Famers, with the Cardinals supplying Steve Carlton, Orlando Cepeda, and Lou Brock on the same card, while the Baltimore Orioles put out stalwarts Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, and Jim Palmer on another. These multi-signed cards are highly desirable pieces that could easily serve as the cornerstones of many hobbyists collections.

Nolan Ryan / Johnny Bench Dual Signed Card / Topps

Set collectors however, will face a major challenge in completing the 500-card set. The yield from the 24-pack box is well short of the fifty percent mark, further complicated by the 100 short printed cards at the end of the set. The box provided for this review only yielded eight short prints, which will undoubtedly force collectors to the secondary market to finish things off.

A selection of 2017 Topps Heritage Short Prints / Topps

A cool touch to the box provided for this review was the addition of a 1968 Topps buyback card, further connecting the past with the present as intended by the theme of the Heritage set. While hoping for one of the aforementioned dual autographs, this box yielded a Clubhouse Collection relic card of Miami Marlins slugging outfielder, Giancarlo Stanton.

Don McMahon 1968 Topps Buyback / Topps

Giancarlo Stanton Clubhouse Collection Relic / Topps

Despite the fact that a set will be difficult to build out of one, or even two boxes, the clean and simple design combined with the possibility of pulling a monumental autograph should push collectors to explore the depths of the 2017 Topps Heritage release well into the regular season.

 

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