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.
As baseball fans flock to 2019 Topps Series 1 Baseball, it is another signal that spring training is in full swing. The flagship Topps product brings forth the abundant optimism and possibilities that come with the anticipation of the upcoming baseball season. A fresh design that has a slight nod to 1982 Topps makes 2019 Topps Series 1 an attractive treat for collectors.
2019 Topps Base Set / Topps
Base Set / Parallels / Checklist
The 350-card base set has Ronald Acuña Jr. in the leadoff spot, christening the 2018 National League Rookie of the Year with the coveted first card honors. The hobby box provided for this review came about 40 cards short of a complete base set.
2019 Topps 150th Anniversary Parallels / Topps
A few new twists include the 150th anniversary parallels and the hobby exclusive clear parallels for the first 100 cards. Click here for a complete set checklist.
2019 Topps Gold / Topps
Topps keeps collectors busy with a range of colored parallels that go beyond the Rainbow Foil inserts. For those wanting a serial numbered experience, 2019 Topps Series 1 delivers similarly to its 2018 predecessor.
Gold (#/2019), Vintage Stock (#/99), Independence Day (#/76), Black (#/67 - Hobby/Jumbo only), Mother's Day Pink (#/50), Father's Day Blue (#/50), Memorial Day Camo (#/25), Platinum (1/1), and Printing Plates (1/1)
2019 Topps Carlos Rodon SP Variation / Topps
In an effort to keep collectors on their toes, Topps has both SP and SSP image variations, with the latter including only retired legends. The SSP variations are difficult to track down and have made it very challenging to build a master set.
Inserts
The standout insert for 2019 Topps Series 1 is the 1984 35th anniversary set. The updated gloss finish with the white background makes today’s talent pop in the 1984 designs, while also giving Don Mattingly’s iconic rookie card a new look with different photos. Sticking with the nostalgic insert themes, the 150 Years of Professional Baseball, and Iconic Card reprints further serve to connect generations throughout the hobby.
2019 Topps 1984 35th Anniversary Inserts / Topps
2019 Topps 150 Years Insert Set / Topps
2019 Topps Inserts / Topps
Autographs / Relics
With almost 20 different autographed insert sets, Topps strives for diversity with this year’s offerings. They range from signed versions of the insert sets to highlights of the 2018 World Series Champion Red Sox, as well as 1/1 cut signatures from icons Cy Young, Roberto Clemente, Satchel Paige, Ty Cobb, and Ted Williams.
There is no shortage of relic variations many coming with serial numbered parallel versions. Topps guarantees each box will contain either relic or an autograph. The box provided for this review yielded a Miguel Cabrera Major League Material Relic.
Postgame
Opening 2019 Topps Series 1 Baseball is an annual bonding experience for fans, collectors, and families alike. Digging through these baseball cards is a ritual that celebrates the hope of a new baseball season.
As the new year rushes in, baseball fans are at the crossroads of anticipation and despair while they wait for spring training to commence. Bowman seeks to pump excitement into that space by debuting this year's draftees in 2018 Bowman Draft.
Collectors annually salivate at the opportunity to get their hands on the first official cards and certified autographs of the freshest talent in minor league baseball. Judging by the early positive responses to 2018 Bowman Draft, collectors are flocking to the product to get ahead of the curve on 2019's breakout prospects.
2018 Bowman Draft Base Set
The 200-card base set features the top 2018 draftees including the first overall pick Casey Mize, Alec Bohm, and Jarred Kelenic. Mixed in with the new draftees are the crop of 2017 Bowman Draft's featured players that just finished their first full minor league campaign.
2018 Bowman Draft Base Cards / Bowman
The jumbo box provided for this review yielded a complete set with an additional 25 doubles, giving collectors a valuable opportunity to familiarize themselves with every player in the 2018 Bowman Draft. In traditional Bowman fashion, both the base and chrome set have a variety of parallels, including serial numbered colored versions that will further provoke player collectors to corner the market on their favorite upstart. Click here for a complete 2018 Bowman Draft checklist.
2018 Bowman Draft Parallels / Bowman
2018 Bowman Draft Inserts
Bowman taps into nostalgia with the 1998 20th anniversary inserts, fashioned with the distinct black bottom border and vertical signature on the side to force the attention to the on-card action shot. The Sterling inserts also tap into familiarity, taking a horizontal highlight of the top ten draft prospects in the set. While Bowman hits the mark with these two single-player inserts, the dual-player Franchise Futures and Recommended Viewing inserts are a bit crowded and do not give these newcomers their proper space to shine.
2018 Bowman Draft Inserts / Bowman
2018 Bowman Draft Autographs
Each jumbo box guarantees three autographs, allowing collectors a dice roll to land a low serial numbered autograph of a can't-miss prospect. With 2018 Bowman Draft offering the first official certified autographs in their franchise uniforms, these signatures have quickly become coveted commodities in the market. This box landed a Chrome autograph from Los Angeles Angels first-rounder Jordyn Adams, a Class of 2018 Brady Singer autograph #/250, and a Chrome refractor autograph of St. Louis Cardinals slugging third base prospect Nolan Gorman #/499.
2018 Bowman Draft Inserts / Bowman
As baseball fans wait with great anticipation for 2019 spring training and the new baseball cards that come with it, 2018 Bowman Draft is a satisfying treat for those looking for fresh faces until pitchers and catchers report.
The release of 2018 Topps Update Baseball completes Topps’ annual flagship set trifecta. With post-season attention squared on Rookies of the Year Ronald Acuña Jr. and Shohei Ohtani, Topps doubles down on their star power with this set. This strong 300-card collection makes a robust case for Topps’ best 2018 issue for these five reasons.
2018 Topps Update / Topps
5) Stellar Photography
It is obvious after reviewing all of this year's Topps products that 2018 Topps Update contains some of Topps’ highest quality action shots. The photography rivals Topps Stadium Club, which is known for its hallmark landscapes.
2018 Topps Update / Topps
4) Mother’s Day / Father’s Day Parallels
What a better way to celebrate Topps’ place in the family with a special nod to all of the parents out there. Limited edition parallels numbered to 50 exist in both Mother’s Day Hot Pink and Father’s Day Powder Blue. The box provided for this review sided with the matriarchs, producing this Javier Baez Home Run Derby Mother’s Day Hot Pink Parallel.
2018 Topps Update Javier Baez Mother's Day Parallel / Topps
3) Crisply Designed Inserts
This 1983 Topps 35th anniversary and Topps Salute series lead the way for 2018 Topps Update’s inserts, continuing the tradition of Topps Series 1 and 2 releases earlier this year. The International Affair and Storybook Endings inserts are new to this release, both providing interesting facts on foreign-born players, as well as those who had a fond farewell in their final MLB season.
2018 Topps Update Inserts / Topps
2) Guaranteed Autographs and Relics (One Per Box)
With 17 different signature series and 7 patch / relic variations, 2018 Topps Update has a boastful assortment of signatures and relics that will keep collectors ripping open packs in search of the next big hit. This review box yielded an attractive Gleyber Torres All-Star Stitches relic.
2018 Topps Update Gleyber Torres Relic / Topps
1) A Coveted Rookie Lineup
This set has all of the top 2018 rookies together minted in the traditional Topps flagship design. Rookie cards of award winners Acuña Jr. and Ohtani, as well as Juan Soto and Gleyber Torres, populate the set. These four upstarts are featured twice, once with their rookie cards, and again on their MLB debut cards.
2018 Topps Update Rookies / Topps
As if these five reasons aren’t enough incentive to get on the bandwagon, an entire hobby box delivered a complete base set among the myriad of inserts and parallels. With prices hovering around $60, Topps creates both an exceptional value and experience for 2018 Topps Update Baseball.
It is time to add 2018 Topps Fire Baseball to the list of things that you need to pick up when making your next Target run. Topps returns its flame-driven baseball issue exclusively to Target stores in 2018 with the intent of igniting the baseball card collecting community’s senses.
2018 Topps Fire Ronald Acuña Jr. / Topps
Driven by artist Tyson Beck’s flair for the dramatic, 2018 Topps Fire Baseball pushes the creative boundaries of set design. The action images are embedded in an energetic background that makes each one thrust off the center of the card. These lively constructions serve to truly separate Topps Fire from the rest of the brand’s more subdued standard releases.
2018 Topps Fire Box / Topps
The 200-card base set is a mixture of today’s stars with those of yesteryear, putting rookie standouts Ronald Acuña Jr., Gleyber Torres, and Miguel Andujar alongside Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Bob Feller, and Pedro Martinez. In an effort to diversify the ranks even further, Topps reached to wider depths of the Hall of Fame roster to include the likes of Lou Boudreau, Eddie Mathews, and Phil Rizzuto.
2018 Topps Fire Retired Stars / Topps
When it comes to the inserts, they are simple and manageable, a step that Topps should follow with its future releases. In addition to the variety of colored parallels that mirror 2018 Topps Fire’s base set, the six inserts sets – Power Producers, Speed Demons, Cannons, Hot Stars, Flame Throwers, and Fired Up, all support the Topps Fire’s temperature producing theme.
2018 Topps Fire Inserts / Topps
2018 Topps Fire Parallels / Topps
Each box promises two hits, one being an autographed card. Due to the dark backgrounds on the cards, it is understandable that Topps uses sticker autographs for this issue. Hits come in the form of relics, autographed relics, and autographed base cards, with the ultra-lucky scoring dual or triple signed cards. The Fire autographs and relic cards also come in low-numbered colored parallel versions akin to the base card set. The box provided for this review uncovered a Joe Musgrove autographed relic, as well as an Austin Hays signed card.
2018 Topps Fire Joe Musgrove Autographed Patch Relic Card / Topps
Sorting through the aftermath of the $70 retail 2018 Topps Fire box, I was halfway to a complete set with two autographs and an exciting selection of inserts and parallels that exceeded the expectations for what I originally believed to be a gimmicky set. Topps took a risk creating Fire in a non-standard design, knowing that traditionalists might take a pass on buying it. However, after experiencing an entire box, I recommend that collectors buy at least a $20 blaster, if not a whole box, as it ranks amongst the most entertaining Topps releases of 2018.
Seeking to draw younger collectors back into the game, Topps has rolled out a low-cost, kid friendly set with 2018 Topps Big League Baseball. Set to grab eyes with a fresh design that strays from the usual gimmicks of a released aimed at the elementary school crowd, 2018 Topps Big League Baseball shows that it can easily play both sides of the fence.
2018 Topps Big League Baseball / Topps
The expansive 400 base card set is loaded with top prospects, roster mainstays, all-time legends, and ballpark landmarks that are appealing to a wide breadth of collectors. Topps’ efforts to bridge the past and the present make this a set that a family can open up together and share the rich history of baseball.
The base set parallels come with a gold version in every pack, and lucky collectors can score numbered rainbow foil, black and white, and red foil cards. Taking a page out of Donruss’ bag from earlier this season, every three packs yields a weekend nickname variation, highlighting the monikers of Josh Donaldson’s “The Bringer of Rain,” Gary Sanchez’s “Kraken,” and Francisco Lindor’s, “Mr. Smile.”
Running 2018 Topps Big League with a focus on simplicity, the narrow insert sets will keep fans with their eyes squared on completing the base set. Inserts include the Ministers of Mash and Star Caricature Reproductions cards, and one in three boxes will yield an autograph. The box provided for this review scored a Nicky Delmonico Rookie Republic autograph.
Sitting at an attractive $50 for a 24-pack box, 2018 Topps Big League is a rare value in a market that often leaves consumers feeling as if they are chancing their riches at the poker table. With a wave of attention thrown at Topps’ guaranteed hit products and starry eye Chrome releases, collectors of all ages would benefit from taking a crack at opening a box of 2018 Topps Big League Baseball. Get started on the fun that is 2018 Topps Big League Baseball by clicking here.
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.
Topps is celebrating the 60th anniversary of their NFL partnership with the release of their 2015 football series. With a mix of vivid graphics, a wide range of NFL rosters, and insert cards featuring retired legends, Topps’ 2015 football set is sure to please both the avid football fan and sports card collector.
The base set contains 500 cards, featuring 99 rookies alongside 240 veterans. There is a tremendous focus on the impact of fantasy football reflected in the set. Subsets include cards ranking the Top 60 players in the league, as well as one dedicated solely to Fantasy Studs.
There is a dizzying array of inserts that are sure to keep the avid collector busy. There are four base set parallels: Gold (#2015), BCA Pink (#499), STS Camo (#399), and Platinum (1/1). There are also close to 100 short printed variations that are sure to leave set collectors chasing for quite some time.
Their 60th anniversary insert set delivers a nod to the past, putting both active and retired players on cards designed in the spirit of past issues.
Staying with the theme of honoring their rich NFL tradition, other inserts include Road to Victory (Super Bowl), Past and Present Performers (current stars paired with franchise legends), and All-Time Fantasy Legends (past high-end fantasy sports performers).
The major hits in each hobby box are an autographed or memorabilia card, as well as a stamped vintage buyback card embossed with their 60th anniversary logo. This box drew a Melvin Gordon patch card, as well as a 1980 Topps buyback Jerome Barkum card.
With their 2015 football release, Topps has celebrated their rich tradition with the NFL by giving fans both old and new a product to share and get excited about.
