After opening a box of 2021 Topps Chrome Black Baseball, it appears Topps has saved its best design for this late-season release. The black matte finish gives these cards a sleek look and feel that is markedly different from Topps' traditional releases. The deep black background isolates the players and cuts out much of the noise that comes with other Topps issues. With just four cards in each box, one is left with the feeling of wanting more cards from the base set before getting to the encased autographed card.
2021 Topps Chrome Black Baseball Base Set and Checklist
The 100-card base set checklist is awash with rookies including Alec Bohm, Ke'Bryan Hayes and Joey Bart. Each card is also minted in Topps' standard parallel rainbow (Refractor #/199, Purple #/150, Green #/99, Green Atomic #/99, Blue #/75, Gold #/50, Orange #/25, Magenta #/10, Red #/5, Superfractor 1/1), giving collectors even more opportunities to chase down their favorite players from this set.
2021 Topps Chrome Black Fernando Tatis Jr. / Topps
2021 Topps Chrome Black Baseball Autographs
The encased autographs, which come one per box, feature a mix of past, present and future stars. The signer list includes Hall of Famers Derek Jeter, Johnny Bench and Reggie Jackson, as well as Mike Trout, Luis Robert and all of the rookies included in the base set. These autographs also have serial-numbered parallels (Refractor #/150, Green #/99, Gold #/50, Orange #/25, Red #/5, Superfractor 1/1) that add excitement to the chase in each box.
Topps sweetens the deal by adding a highly curated 21-player Super Futures autograph set that is numbered to 99 or less of top rookies and young stars such as Randy Arozarena, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Juan Soto.
2021 Topps Chrome Black Baseball Box Break
Watch our box break video below of 2021 Topps Chrome Black Baseball to see which autograph we pulled, as well as to get an up close look at the tremendous design that we think make this set one of Topps' best this year.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were nothing short of a miracle. Delayed a year by a global pandemic and devoid of fans at the live events, the Olympics gave many hope in a year filled with darkness. The athletes survived the uncertainty and pushed through an extra year of training to pursue Olympic glory.
The United States emerged victorious at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, with 41 gold medals en route to a leading 113 overall medals. With attention in the athletic realm most often going to the ESPN mainstays, Topps has provided a stage in the trading card market for many of the amazing United States athletes with its 2020 Topps Team USA U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Team & Hopefuls trading card set.
Base Set and Checklist
Tokyo gold medalist April Ross headlines the 76-card set, and is backed up by other familiar names including USA softball's Cat Osterman, as well as USWNT members Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle. In a somewhat ironic twist, men's beach volleyball star Taylor Crabb, who had to withdraw from the Olympics due to a positive COVID-19 test gets his rookie card in this set, as well as Tri Bourne, who was selected as his replacement. Collectors will also find cards from debut sports such as 3-on-3 basketball, skateboarding and surfing are also included. Click here for the entire checklist.
Parallels and Inserts
Topps sticks with its Olympic theme by creating parallels in bronze, silver and gold colors, as well as serial numbered cards wrapped in the United States flag. Notable inserts include the For Pride and Country set, which detail the hometowns of the Olympic stars, as well as the New to the Games set, which gives collectors a primer on the new sports in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Cat Osterman 2020 Topps Team USA Flag Parallel
Autographs and Relics
Each box advertises three major hits including at least one autograph. The box provided for this review yielded two relics and an autograph of karateka Sakura Kokumai. The Olympic Champions autograph subset gives collectors a chance to get signatures from heralded Olympians such as Amanda Beard, Kerri Strug and Kurt Angle.
Sakura Kokumai Autograph
Box Break And Final Thoughts
After watching the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, collectors now have another reason to familiarize themselves with the many athletes who worked to propel the United States to Olympic victory. While the set lacks the household names from Team USA Basketball (most likely due to Panini's NBA contract), it allows kids who compete in the lesser televised sports across the country to dream of having their own Topps card in the future.
Onyx Authenticated brings their third series to their 2020 Onyx Vintage Baseball release this year with its 2020 Onyx Vintage Baseball Extended Edition set. Each four card box guarantees two on-card autographs and two base cards.
While the 2019 Major League Baseball season may seem like a distant memory, Bowman wastes little time putting tomorrow’s stars in focus with 2019 Bowman Draft Baseball. The highly anticipated set, which features the Class of 2019’s first Bowman baseball cards, gives collectors a new focus while snow covers fields across the country.
2019 Bowman Draft Baseball / Bowman
Bowman gave 2019 box cover honors to the first overall pick, Baltimore Orioles catching prospect Adley Rutschman, and the third overall pick, Chicago White Sox first base prospect Andrew Vaughn. Both prospects’ tremendous upsides have driven their low-numbered refractor 2019 Bowman Draft autographs over the $1,000 mark, fueling the hype behind this year’s release.
2019 Bowman Draft Baseball Base Set and Checklist
The 200-card base set highlights the top draft picks including the above duo, as well as emerging stars from the 2018 Bowman Draft Baseball set, Wander Franco, Jarred Kelenic, and Royce Lewis. The base set also has Bowman’s trademark colored parallels: Sky Blue #/499, Purple #/250, Blue #/150, Green #/99, Gold #/50, Orange #/25 (Jumbo), Red #/5, Black 1/1, Printing Plates 1/1.
2019 Bowman Draft Baseball Base / Bowman
The 200-card chrome set has the same player checklist but also has short-printed image variations (code #763) as well as base refractors. Rainbow parallels include: Sky Blue (Jumbo), Purple #/250, Sparkles, Blue #/150, Green #/99, Gold #/50, Orange #/25 (Jumbo), Red #/5, SuperFractor 1/1, Printing Plates 1/1.
There are four insert sets in 2019 Bowman Draft Baseball, all featuring serial-numbered refractor parallels. The 1989 Bowman 30th anniversary set frames ten top-tier prospects in the classic old-school design, while the Draft Pick Breakdowns set takes a magnifying lens to 2019’s top draft picks.
Bowman highlights organizational depth with The Franchise Futures dual player cards, and the Draft Progressions Trios, which track the past three-year draft history from select franchises.
2019 Bowman Draft Baseball Inserts / Bowman
2019 Bowman Draft Baseball Autographs
Bowman Draft autographs have become must-haves for serious collectors. Eager hobbyists flock to 2019 Bowman Draft Baseball, hoping to lock down this draft’s first fully licensed certified autographs.
The base chrome autographs and their parallels are industry standards for prospecting 101. Their serial-numbered parallel variations are the ones collectors are bidding up over $1,000.
Chrome autograph parallels include: Refractor #/499, Purple #/250, Blue #/150, Blue Wave #/150, Green #/99, Black #/75 (Jumbo), Sparkles #71, Gold #/50, Gold Wave #/50, Orange #/25 (Jumbo), Red #/5, Red Wave #/5, Black Wave 1/1, SuperFractor 1/1, Printing Plates 1/1.
2019 Bowman Draft Baseball Autographs / Bowman
Draft Night and Class of 2019 autographs creatively feature the new talents in vivid backgrounds that serve as a break from the traditional chrome autographs. Three of the insert sets (1989 Bowman 30th Anniversary, Draft Pick Breakdowns, and Franchise Futures) also have autographed versions as well.
The jumbo box opened for this review drew three autographs. A Nick Lodolo gold chrome autograph #/50 was the top hit, while the other two were a Daniel Espino refractor #/499 and a CJ Abrams base chrome autograph.
2019 Bowman Draft Baseball Box Break and Review
Opening a 2019 Bowman Draft Baseball box is a highly anticipated adventure, as each draftee possibly holds the key to future stardom. The jumbo box opened for this review was tough on collation, as back-to-back packs had an identical run of base draft cards. Despite the duplication, buying a 2019 Bowman Draft Baseball box is still an excellent way to get familiar with this year’s draft class going into spring training, as well as join in on the hobby excitement the prospects are creating this offseason.
Collectors have impatiently waited for 2019 Bowman Chrome Baseball's release the entire season. The chromium-based set casts a wider reach than 2019 Bowman Baseball, offering new rookies and prospects to enhance its desirability. The two autographs promised in each master box further increases Bowman Chrome's magnetism as fans turn their attention to next year's upstarts.
2019 Bowman Chrome Baseball / Bowman
2019 Bowman Chrome Baseball Base Set, Prospects, and Parallels
The 100-card base set features rookies from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Keston Hiura, Fernando Tatis Jr., and the 2019 National League Rookie of the Year, Pete Alonso. To add further intrigue to the base set, 15 rookies contain rare image variations. The final three digits of the CMP code (#209) will indicate if you have one of these short-printed issues.
2019 Bowman Chrome Baseball / Bowman
The Chrome Prospects set is numbered from 151-250, hosting prospects that are likely to see the big leagues soon if they aren't already there. Collectors will find Royce Lewis, Nolan Gorman, Casey Mize, and Jo Adell among the group, as well as late-season call-ups Bo Bichette and Brendan McKay.
Both sets feature serial-numbered colored refractors that will keep player collectors on the hunt to corner the market on their favorite prospect. There are eight variations - Base Refractor #/499, Purple #/250, Blue #/150, Green #/99, Gold #/50, Orange #/25, Red #/5, SuperFractor 1/1.
Bowman Chrome continues with a consistent prospect theme by highlighting the Arizona Fall League stars with their own 30-card insert set. The Stat Tracker insert set also contains 30 players, each recognized for an impressive feat from the backs of their baseball cards. The 15-card Elite Farmhands spotlights a narrow group that could have a massive MLB impact in the coming years. The set includes Jarred Kelenic, Jordyn Adams, and Wander Franco.
2019 Bowman Chrome Baseball Inserts / Bowman
Just like the base set, each insert set also has serial-numbered refractor parallels - Atomic #/150, Orange #/25, SuperFractor 1/1.
2019 Bowman Chrome Baseball Autographs
Each master box guarantees two autographs. For collectors lucky enough to score a 1st Bowman Chrome autograph of a heralded prospect, the return could be massive in a relatively short amount of time. Alexander Canario, Noelvi Marte, and Orelvis Martinez are among those who are the most sought after from this set.
Bowman also provides collectors with the opportunity to catch one of 14 signed Chrome rookies, including the aforementioned group of Alonso, Guerrero Jr., and Hiura. Both the prospect and rookie autographs have the following serial-numbered parallels - Base Refractor #/499, Blue #/150, Green #/99, Gold #/50, Orange #/25 (Hobby), Red #/5, SuperFractor 1/1.
Buried deeper into the release is harder to find 2018 Arizona Fall League autographs, relics, and relic/autograph combinations. Bowman doubles down on the AFL theme, offering AFL alumni signatures, including Mike Trout, Ronald Acuña Jr., and the Hall of Fame member, Derek Jeter.
The box provided for this review drew two Bowman Chrome Prospect autographs. The first autograph was a 1st Bowman Chrome from Minnesota Twins pitching prospect Jhoan Duran. The second came from Texas Rangers infield prospect Jonathan Ornelas.
2019 Bowman Chrome Baseball Autographs / Bowman
2019 Bowman Chrome Box Break Video and Final Thoughts
Collectors were able to follow their favorite talents throughout an entire minor league season, noting which stars came to prominence. As the top tier breaks away from the pack, 2019 Bowman Chrome Baseball allows collectors to keep them in focus the entire offseason.
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.
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.
Topps adds a new school twist to a vintage tradition with 2019 Topps Archives Baseball. The retro-designed release frames both modern and classic players in three popular sets. The site of retired players in different poses on their original releases, as well as the current stars in past designs, makes opening 2019 Topps Archives an exciting trip down memory lane.
2019 Topps Archives Baseball Base Set and Designs
The 300-card base set is divided into three 100-card series. This year’s release highlights the 1958 Topps, 1975 Topps, and 1993 Topps sets, with the star being the 1975 Topps cards. Pulling a Nolan Ryan, Thurman Munson, or Tony Perez gives collectors the experience of opening a 1975 Topps pack, while current darlings Shohei Ohtani, Jacob deGrom, and Bryce Harper fit smoothly in the cherished 1975 design.
Cards 1-100
Cards 101-200
Cards 201-300
Collectors will also need to turn the base cards over, as parallels are stamped on the back with their serial numbers. These come in four variations: Purple #/175, Silver #/99, Blue #/25 (Hobby), and Gold 1/1.
The 30 short-prints in the set (301-330) contain three old school elements in their designs. Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero's inclusion in the high numbered cards will keep collectors on the hunt throughout the offseason. Click here for the entire checklist.
2019 Topps Archives Baseball Inserts
Topps digs deeper into past releases for the 2019 Topps Archives Baseball inserts. An entire set is devoted to the Montreal Expos' 50th anniversary. Other inserts include a Topps Magazine insert set, a prospect filled 1994 Topps Future Stars set, and a 1975 Topps themed mini insert set. Additionally, Topps celebrates Ichiro’s final season with a 16-card insert set chronicling his storied career.
2019 Topps Archives Baseball Autographs
Fans will give a long look at two Topps Archives Baseball autographs sets. The classic Fan Favorites autographs are filled with surprises from oddities such as legendary surgeon Dr. James Andrews and New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, to local favorites Cookie Rojas, Fred Stanley, and Kevin Tapani, as well as heroes Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax, and Tony Oliva.
The Montreal Expos tribute features Andre Dawson, Bartolo Colon, Maury Willis, Tim Raines, and Vladimir Guerrero autographs as part of the 21 signers in the set. With a renewed interest to revive baseball in Montreal, collectors will get a strong nostalgia taste with these signers.
Other autograph sets include 1978 Topps Record Breakers, 1994 Topps Future Stars, Topps Magazine, and the Ichiro retrospectives.
The box Topps provided for this review yielded a Steve Sax Fan Favorites and a redemption card for an Ozzie Albies autograph.
2019 Topps Archives Box Break and Final Thoughts
Topps’ lighthearted approach to 2019 Topps Archives Baseball has done well in the hobby. The classic sets have a modern feel that gives 2019 Topps Archives Baseball a pleasant touch for both new and old collectors. At 330 cards, this set's size is just right for collectors to pursue as the postseason develops.
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.
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.
Fans of Topps releases have eagerly waited for 2019 Topps Chrome Baseball’s release to see this year’s prized rookies decked out in a chromium finish. With 2019 Topps Chrome Baseball offering two autographs per box in a variety of serial-numbered colored parallels, the set is poised to be in demand throughout the season.
2019 Topps Chrome Baseball Vladimir Guerrero Jr. / Topps
2019 Topps Chrome Baseball Base Set, Parallels, and Checklist
The 204-card set, while designed in the mold of the flagship set, is a condensed version highlighted by the inclusion of Major League Baseball’s four top rookies, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Pete Alonso, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Eloy Jimenez. Collectors will have to pay attention to the image variations, as there are 25 different players with a variation, including top stars such as Mike Trout, Javy Baez, and Christian Yelich. These are indicated with #409 as the last three digits on the back of the card. Click here to view a complete checklist.
2019 Topps Chrome Baseball / Topps
Topps Chrome Baseball exceeds expectations this year with their colored refractor parallels. In the box provided for this review, we hit a Jacob deGrom Orange parallel #/25. The images are sharper and cleaner on the colored parallels, making them a desirable chase for collectors, especially the rookies. A guide is below to identify the different refractors.
REFRACTOR PARALLELS: Base Refractor, Prism, Sepia (Blaster), Pink (Value Pack), Negative, Purple #/299, Blue #/150, Green #/99, Green Wave #/99 (Hobby/Jumbo), Blue Wave #/75 (Hobby/Jumbo), Gold #/50, Gold Wave #/50 (Hobby/Jumbo), Orange #/25 (Hobby), Orange Wave #/25 (Hobby/Jumbo), Red #/5, Red Wave #/5 (Hobby/Jumbo), SuperFractor 1/1, Printing Plates 1/1.
2019 Topps Chrome Orange Refractor / Topps
2019 Topps Chrome Baseball Inserts
Collectors will enjoy seeing the 1984 Topps designs in a chromium finish as one of the 2019 Topps Chrome Baseball insert sets. The diversely designed Freshman Flash and classic Future Stars insert sets are attractive rewards for fans diving into packs and boxes, while the Greatness Returns series is a solid nod to baseball’s rich historical connections.
2019 Topps Chrome Baseball Inserts / Topps
2019 Topps Chrome Baseball Autographs
REFRACTOR PARALLELS: Base Refractor #/499, Purple #/250, Blue #/150, Blue Wave #/150, Green #/99 (Retail), Gold #/50, Gold Wave #/50 (Hobby/Jumbo), Orange #/25 (Hobby), Orange Wave #/25 (Hobby/Jumbo), Red #/5, Red Wave #/5 (Hobby/Jumbo), SuperFractor 1/1 (Hobby/Jumbo), Printing Plates 1/1.
The guarantee of two hard-signed baseball cards is a strong selling point of 2019 Topps Chrome Baseball. With a loaded rookie class, this year’s release has sold quickly, as hobby enthusiasts are hoping to land this year’s Rookie of the Year candidates. The box provided for this review yielded a Kevin Kramer base autograph, and a Jeffrey Springs Gold autograph #/50.
2019 Topps Chrome Autographs / Topps
2019 Topps Chrome Baseball Box Break and Final Thoughts
With 2019 Topps Chrome Baseball arriving in the second half of the season, fans and collectors have a clearer view of the 2019 Rookie of the Year contenders. Their Topps Chrome rookies and autographs have been historically amongst the most desired in the hobby. Now that the set is finally on the market, collectors have a release they can places their bets on for some short-term fun and long-term investing.
One of Topps’ most buzzworthy products has hit the shelves in the form of 2019 Topps Allen and Ginter Baseball. The collecting community has engaged in a spirited debate over the set’s inclusion of celebrities, entertainers, and even an egg alongside Major League Baseball stars. Whether it is entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, Yahoo Sports personality Mike Oz, or former Double Dare host Marc Summers, this year’s Allen and Ginter Baseball has plenty to keep a wide range of fans happy.
2019 Topps Allen and Ginter Baseball Base Set, Short Prints, and Checklist
Allen and Ginter’s exceptional design is the main reason why the set remains popular with collectors. The painted posed shots position the players in an attractive way that stands out against the rest of Topps’ releases. Our review box yielded this year’s four top upstarts—Pete Alonso, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Jeff McNeil, and Fernando Tatis Jr.
2019 Topps Allen and Ginter Baseball / Topps
The 350-card set contains 50 short prints, numbered 351-400. The numbering gap is a quirk that collectors should be aware of when collating their sets. The base cards only have two parallels—Gold Hot Box parallels and 1/1 Glossy cards.
2019 Topps Allen and Ginter Baseball Minis / Topps
Each pack also contains one mini card. These minis are where Allen and Ginter hide the variations. Base and short-print minis feature the following variations - A&G Logo Back, Black, No Number, Brooklyn Back (#/25), Gold, Wood 1/1, Glossy 1/1, Framed Printing Plates 1/1.
To rip or not to rip? That is the question for collectors who land a serial numbered rip card. Inside these rip cards are short-printed stained-glass minis, metal minis, or red mini autographs. The lure of what hides behind the rip cards are enough to push collectors to carefully tear apart the sealed card in search of a bigger hit.
2019 Topps Allen and Ginter Inserts / Topps
Full-sized baseball-themed inserts include the Baseball Star Signs and Ginter Greats cards. Incredible Equipment, Mares and Stallions, and History of Flight are some of the non-sports insert sets. Mini inserts highlight Collectible Canines, Trains, Blue Ribbon Contests. As an added twist, some In Bloom Mini cards can be planted and grown. How’s that for a collectible?
2019 Topps Allen and Ginter Mini Inserts / Topps
2019 Topps Allen and Ginter Inserts / Topps
2019 Topps Allen and Ginter Baseball Relics and Autographs
Each box guarantees a mix of three relics or autographs, with most being framed minis. A select few have standard signed cards, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Yusei Kikuchi. Serial numbered single and dual autographed book cards make for great display pieces.
There are two different standard sized MLB relic cards, and hobby boxes contain framed mini relics of players matched up with subway tokens, as well as fossil and arrowhead relics.
The box provided for this review yielded three relics, one of which was from Hall of Famer Steve Carlton.
2019 Topps Allen and Ginter Relics / Topps
2019 Topps Allen and Ginter Baseball Box Break and Final Thoughts
Collectors have been loud on social media voicing their love or hate for this set. Some have embraced the diversity of Allen and Ginter; however, others can’t fathom non-baseball players with cards alongside their cardboard heroes. Despite the noise, this set gives collectors a welcome diversion from the hardcore prospecting of Topps’ other releases. Listening to Mike Oz share the joy of being in the 2019 Topps Allen and Ginter Baseball set is a compelling reason enough to add a box to your collection.
Topps’ choice of Cal Ripken Jr. to headline 2019 Topps Museum Collection Baseball is a bet on the product matching the Hall of Famer’s legendary consistency and reliability. Serving as a Topps staple for both design and intrigue, 2019 Topps Museum Collection Baseball delivers a premium experience that offers a luxurious payoff.
2019 Topps Museum Collection Baseball / Topps
2019 Topps Museum Collection Baseball Base Set, Inserts, and Checklist
The 100-card base set is fitted with a silver design, offering an immediate pop when they come out of the pack. The set is a mix of rookies, veterans, and retired players that will please a diverse group of collectors. Each pack also comes with one parallel card in Copper, Sapphire (#/150), Amethyst (#/99), Ruby (#/50) and Emerald (1/1) versions. Click here for the complete checklist.
2019 Topps Museum Collection Base Set / Topps
2019 Topps Museum Collection Parallels / Topps
2019 Topps Museum Collection Baseball Autographs
Each box of 2019 Topps Museum Collection Baseball contains four mini-boxes, each with either a relic or an autograph. Two autographed cards comprised half of the hits in the box Topps provided for this review.
The base Archival Autographs set comes with an impressive lineup that includes Rookie of the Year favorites Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., as well as Ichiro and Mike Trout. The case-hit Framed Autographs are even more impressive, with legends such as Hank Aaron, Derek Jeter, and Sandy Koufax dominating the list of signers. For the lucky few, a dual or triple autograph card if pulled from this product can easily be the centerpiece of any collection.
Our autographs included a Sean Manaea Archival Autograph, and an Eddie Rosario 2019 Topps Museum Collection Dual Jersey Autograph numbered to 50.
2019 Topps Museum Collection Eddie Rosario Gold Patch Autograph / Topps
2019 Topps Museum Collection Sean Manaea Archival Autograph / Topps
2019 Topps Museum Collection Baseball Relics
Some of Topps’ most creative relic work comes in their Museum Collection set. The multi-player quad relics focus on four stars from one team, each with a small piece in the middle from each player. As an added twist this year, Topps slid in one quad relic of four Japanese players (Ichiro, Ohtani, Tanaka, and Matsui) on the same card. For the player collectors, Topps included quad relics from both active and retired players, as well as the single relic Meaningful Materials cards. Super collectors will be busy chasing down 1/1 bat relics from the Jumbo Lumber nameplate set.
Our two relics included a Johnny Cueto Gold Meaningful Materials patch numbered to 25 and a Yankees quad relic numbered to 99.
2019 Topps Museum Collection Quad Patch Relic / Topps
2019 Topps Museum Collection Baseball Box Break and Final Thoughts
Topps has created a streak of exciting experiences with Museum Collection that would make Cal Ripken Jr. proud. Topps has upgraded from the 2018 set, making these cards look and feel even more like a collectible the moment they reach your hands. The patch and relic cards are a well-designed entry point for collectors who want a premium display that is within financial reach. With hobby boxes settling in at the $200 range, 2019 Topps Museum Collection Baseball is a drive that collectors should strongly consider taking.
Wander Franco. His 2019 Bowman baseball card has quickly become the face of this year’s product, with the 18-year-old Tampa Bay Rays shortstop prospect dominating the collecting realms of social media. As his chrome autographs and serial numbered parallels continue to pop up in collector’s feeds, 2019 Bowman Baseball has taken flight largely on the back of this prized phenom.
2019 Bowman Baseball Base Set, Prospect, and Chrome Checklist
The 2019 Bowman Baseball base set is limited to 100 cards. The base set consists mostly of established stars and veterans with a few choice rookies mixed in. The box provided for this review yielded a complete base set. Set collectors who are looking for a challenge, card there is a Bryce Harper SP variation for card number three (Joey Wendle).
2019 Bowman Wander Franco Chrome and Base Prospects / Topps
Both the prospect and chrome sets contain 150 cards each, highlighted by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Joey Bart, and the aforementioned Franco. Demand for these chrome rookies have been high, especially for the lower numbered Green (/99), Gold (/50), Orange Border (/25), Red Border (/5), and Platinum (1/1) parallels.
Bowman honors the 30th anniversary of their 1989 landmark set with stars and prospects molded in its classic design, this time fit to standard size proportions with a glossy finish. Collectors will also find familiarity a few of the insert sets that make a return in 2019 —Bowman Scouts Top 100, Talent Pipeline, and Rookie of the Year Favorites.
2019 Bowman Inserts / Topps
Collectors will enjoy the horizontally oriented Ready for the Show inserts, which feature 20 of the top MLB-ready prospects. This set comes in a myriad of serial numbered parallels, further increasing their desirability with collectors.
2019 Bowman Inserts / Topps
2019 Bowman Autographs
The prized possession for those going deep with 2019 Bowman Baseball are the Chrome Prospect Autographs. Collectors anticipate 2019 Bowman’s release; eagerly waiting for the opportunity to secure the debut autograph of the next player they think will make a profound mark on the game. The limited edition serial numbered colored autograph parallels are sure to keep fans coming back to this product as different prospects take off throughout the season.
Other autograph cards include signed versions of the Scouts Top 100, Rookie of the Year Favorites, and Sterling insert sets. The box provided for this review contained a Ryan McKenna autographed Atomic Refractor Chrome Prospect card #/100.
Collectors will keep coming back 2019 Bowman Baseball to this set to find players they either overlooked, or want to ride to the top as the baseball season goes deep into the summer. Whether it is Wander Franco, Joey Bart, or a less heralded prospect that emerges as the king from this set, 2019 Bowman Baseball reminds us that infinite hope that new prospects provide drives the engines of baseball fans throughout a long season.
