Series One and Two are out well before the All-Star break, but collectors have to wait until playoff time to put the wraps on the season. 2013 Topps Update Baseball Series is slated for an October 16 release date.
The product continues “The Chase”, a promotional theme Topps kicked off during the winter. Once again, the base set will include 330 cards highlighting player moves, debuts and moments from the upcoming All-Star Game in New York.
36-pack, 10 card hobby boxes will be accompanied by 46-card, 10-pack jumbo boxes that will include some exclusive autograph and insert content. Standard hobby boxes will include either an autograph or relic while jumbos guarantee one auto and two relics.
Topps is going with 1971 Topps minis, some of which are autographed, as one of the inserts in the Update Series. Newly minted coins, pins and rings are part of the manufactured relic inserts that have suddenly become a staple in the company’s products.
Interestingly, Topps will create a full 990-card parallel of Series 1, Series 2, and Update Series cards on Sapphire Blue Foil, but completing the set will be a task only for the obsessed collector as each card is numbered to 25.
And yes, there are a boatload of photo variations; about eight per hobby case and six per jumbo case according to reports from case breakers. The more difficult ‘super short prints’ fall only about one for every two cases.
Here’s a look at some of the highlights. You can see a very basic 2013 Topps Update Baseball Checklist below along with a gallery of preview cards.
Autograph Cards
1971 Topps Minis Autographs – 10 subjects. Signed on-card. Numbered to 10.
Chasing History Autographs – Over 30 subjects.
Chasing History Autographs Gold Parallel – Numbered to 10.
Chasing History Cut Signatures – 20 subjects. Numbered 1/1.
Making Their Mark Autographs – 10 subjects.
Making Their Mark Autographs Gold Parallel – Numbered to 10.
Post-season Heroes Autographs – 10 subjects. Numbered to 10.
Franchise Forerunners Dual Autographs – 10 dual-auto cards. Numbered to 10.
Gold Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 2013.
Black Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 62.
Chasing History Autograph Relics – 10 subjects. Numbered to 25. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY
Postseason Heroes Autograph Relics – 5 subjects. Numbered to 5. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY
Franchise Forerunners Dual Autograph Relics – 5 dual-auto/dual-relic cards. Numbered to 5. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY
All Star Relics and Autograph Relics
All-Star Stitches Jersey relic cards from at least 60 subjects.
All-Star Stitches Gold Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 50.
All-Star Stitches Platinum Parallel – Numbered 1 of 1
All-Star Stitches Autographed Relics – 15 of the above All-Stars will also have an autograph relic version. Sequentially numbered to 25.
All-Star Jumbo Patches – 50 All-Stars with a jumbo patch relic. Sequentially numbered to 6. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY.
All-Star Jumbo Patches Autographs – 10 All-Stars with a jumbo patch relic and an autograph. Sequentially numbered to 6. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY.
All-Star Stitches Duals – 10 cards each featuring two All-Stars and a jersey relic piece from each. Sequentially numbered to 25.
All-Star Stitches Triples – 10 cards each featuring three All-Stars and a jersey relic piece from each. Sequentially numbered to 25. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY.
Ultimate Chase Cards
10 more individually designed and constructed cards will feature some of the biggest active and retired stars, with an autograph and a unique relic or a cut signature and a unique relic. Signed on-card! Numbered 1 of 1.
Parallel Cards (some available only in hobby and jumbo, not blaster or retail)
Pink Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 50.
Platinum Parallel – Numbered 1/1.
Emerald Foil Parallel – Inserted 1:6.
Desert Camo Foil Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 99.
Printing Plates – 1,320 printing plates from all of the base cards. Numbered 1/1.
Silk Collection – 100 framed mini silk cards. Sequentially numbered to 50.
NEW- Sapphire Foil Full Parallel – A full 990-card parallel of Series 1, Series 2, and Update Series card
Manufactured Relics
League Leader Pins – 20 cards featuring specially designed pins recognizing a player’s achievement in leading the league in a statistical category.
Record-Holder Rings – 10 cards featuring specially designed rings recognizing current all-time MLB record holders.
Pennant Chase Copper Coins – 15 cards featuring active and retired superstars from pennant-winning teams, with an embedded coin celebrating the win. Sequentially numbered to 99.
Pennant Chase Wrought Iron Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 50.
Pennant Chase Steel Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 10.
Insert Cards
1971 Topps Minis – 50 mini cards featuring a different classic from the Topps vault – the 1971 Topps design.
Chasing History – 50 cards featuring active and retired players who are chasing or have chased history.
Making Their Mark – 25 cards featuring future stars, celebrating a milestone career.
Postseason Heroes – 20 cards celebrating some of the most memorable postseason moments in history, and the players who made them happen.
Franchise Forerunners – 20 dual-subject cards pairing current Rookies with one of their franchise’s most famous Rookies from the past.
2013 Topps Update Baseball Checklist
Click here to see 2013 Topps Update cards on eBay.
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[…] to June, most of the hype surrounding Series One has faded, other products have been issued and the Update Series that closes the year and offers the hottest rookies is still several months […]