2013 Topps Heritage High Numbers Review

As many readers know, I have a special place in my heart each year for the Topps Heritage series. Having collected the originals, I have a great deal of appreciation for the effort Topps puts in year, not only using modern players in an older design but taking great care to mimic the poses used or use a similar player to the original or a match in some way. When you see the 2011 Heritage Derek Jeter card being assigned card #200, you realize that is a tribute as Topps is using the same number for DJ as they used back in 1962 for Mickey Charles Mantle.

However we have now hit the sets of the 1960’s and I think to better mimic the original sets, Topps would be better off going to 600 cards for the main set with the final 100 cards being short printed. However, Heritage is still currently in the pattern of 500 cards in the set with the final 75 cards being SPs.

The last couple of years, the Topps retail division has created a 100-card set to help mimic the original card set size and these sets have been issued in special retail set form which is only available from Topps.com.

This year, the sets, which are still being sold, are at $99.99 and feature 100 cards with one guaranteed autograph per set, numbered H501-H600. At that price point, the cards average a touch less than $1 per and it’ll be interesting to see if these hold their value in the secondary market. While there are no cards as hot as last year’s Mike Trout and Bryce Harper combination there are rookie cards of players such as Jose Fernandez, Yasiel Puig and Michael Wacha as well as cards of players who changed teams. The design is the same as the 2013 Heritage brand, which is an ode to the 1964 Topps set.

The production run for 2012 Topps Heritage High Numbers was announced at 1,000 sets. Since Topps has not sold out, we believe the ‘limited production run’ they are touting this year is higher than that.

Thirty different players have signed cards for the product and there are Red Parallels numbered to 10. Our autograph card was Tony Cingrani, who shared a rookie card in the low number series but gets his own autograph card in the High Number set.

Although the price point may seem steep, I think it nearly guarantees value for any collector who orders this directly from Topps and unless Topps made a ton of them (they promise they didn’t), you know the ceiling for the better cards from this set will be pretty high.

And here’s a twist: Topps is offering 1/1 blank backed Heritage High Number cards exclusively though eBay. Click here to see them.

2013 Topps Heritage Baseball High Number Checklist