2016 Topps Update captures the magic of a landmark baseball season

Cracking open the packs of 2016 Topps Update as the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs battle for the World Series title, one gets the perfect opportunity to relive many of the fabulous moments of 2016. From the rookie debuts, to the career milestone achievements, and the late season switches, Topps captures all of the magic of a landmark baseball season.

2016 Topps Update / Topps

Clocking in at 300 cards, the set is a sleeker version than last year’s 400-card issue. Rookie card collectors will be pleased to find additions to their favorite player’s stash with a Rookie Debut subset that commemorates the first time they set foot on major league soil. The All-Star Game is also a major focus, with an additional subset highlighting the All-Star rosters and Home Run Derby participants.

Topps puts a finishing touch on Ichiro’s quest for 3,000 hits, by adding an insert set to chronicle the remainder of the hits he rapped out to reach the vaunted milestone. Carrying on with the tradition of Series 1 and Series 2, Topps puts the spotlight on an additional 10 ceremonial first pitches.

Ichiro Update Autographed Card / Topps

Each box guarantees an autograph or relic card. The box provided for this review yielded a cool 3,000 hits relic card of Roberto Clemente. Additional inserts included Topps Fire, and the Team Franklin set, which not-so-cleverly disguised as advertising for Franklin’s baseball gear.

Topps Fire Insert / Topps

The design follows Topps’ base card pattern for the year, with clear photography and a clean design that adds to the appeal of the set. Set collectors will appreciate the ability to build an entire base set from a hobby box, with the 36 packs making a complete set with a few doubles to trade.

Julio Urias Rookie Debut / Topps

With the ability to pull multiple rookie cards from the likes of Corey Seager, Trevor Story, and Julio Urias, build an entire set from one box, and uncover autographs from some of the top stars in the game, Topps Update only adds to the exciting ending of a legendary season for the baseball annals.

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Can Topps Chrome offer more than a shiny finish on proven product?

Consumers have been traditionally willing to trade in tried and true reliability for the newest shiny gadget on the market, whether it is a car, a phone, or a pair of sneakers. Topps hopes that they can capitalize on collectors’ obsessions to scoop up the latest glistening gadget with the release of the 2016 Topps Chrome set.

2016 Topps Chrome / Topps

Adding a premium touch to the 2016 Topps base set design, Chrome takes the this year’s classic release up a notch with an enhanced stock and a condensed 200-card checklist in an attempt to attract customers to the product.

With only four cards per pack, Topps Chrome aims to have the feel of exclusivity; however, that feeling is quickly lost with the myriad of parallels that includes nine different types of base card refractors. Building a set is a challenge, as collectors would have to dig into three boxes of the product to even have a chance at compiling a set. With the price of boxes hovering around $70, going through $200 of product just to have the chance to collate a set seems like a daunting task, leaving collectors to focus on the bigger hits in 2016 Topps Chrome.

Each hobby box boasts two autographs, with the majority consisting of almost 80 different rookie selections, including the likes of Michael Conforto, Aaron Nola, Kenta Maeda, Corey Seager, and Julio Urias. An intriguing pull is the 2015 Carlos Correa Topps Chrome Autograph, which missed the cut from last year’s product. Collectors lucky enough to pull a dual autograph could wind up with one of Bryce Harper and Mike Trout, or Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber.

While a varied list of autographs, and a smaller set filled with stars and rookies is certainly appetizing, that alone cannot save 2016 Topps Chrome. One thing the hobby needs less of is duplicity, and with what is essentially a chrome finished base card with no change in design, Topps has unfortunately done little to give collectors a reason to chase this one down.

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