Topps is increasing the size of its flagship baseball product. 2015 Topps Baseball Series One will include 350 base cards, another 350 for Series 2 and a grand finale of 400 cards in 2015 Update.
The company has released preliminary information on next year’s set. Series One boxes are scheduled to be released the week of February 4. There is a full image gallery and full checklist below.
Topps promises there will be one autograph or relic card in each 36 pack box with jumbo boxes slated to hold one autograph and two relic cards.
The base set will feature Veterans, Rookies, Future Stars, League Leaders, 2014 Baseball and World Series Highlights, and Team cards.
The base set will be Topps’ largest since 2005. The 700 cards over two series will be followed by the company’s annual Update set late in the year.
Dealer cost will be $43-45 per box.
Seeded into packs of 2015 Topps Baseball Series 1 are game cards that harken back to the scratcher games frequently found in packs of Topps in the early 1980s. The 21st Century version, called Babe Ruth’s Call Your Shot Game, let’s collectors “Call Their Shot” by choosing from 3 different options:
- Entry (Grand Prize includes a trip for 2 to all 4 events: 2016 Spring Training, Opening Day, All-Star Game and World Series)
- Autograph (A chance at a Collectible Autographed Card)
- Autograph Relic (A chance at a Collectible Autographed Relic Card)
All 350 base cards in Series One will have the following parallels:
• Gold – Sequentially numbered to 2015.
• Snow Camo – Sequentially numbered to 99.
• Black – Sequentially numbered to 64. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY
• Pink – Sequentially numbered to 50.
• Platinum – Numbered 1/1.
• Rainbow Foil Parallel – Inserted 1:10.
• Framed Parallel – Framed in silver, similar to Museum Collection. Sequentially numbered. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY.
• Base Card Printing Plates – The four printing plates used for every base card, 1,400 total plates. Numbered 1/1. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY
Insert cards and Buybacks will include:
Inspirations: 15 dual subject cards featuring a current player and a former fan-favorite from the same team. Inserted 1:8.
• Gallery of Greats 25 of the greatest of all time on thick, paper-framed cards. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY. Gold Parallel – Numbered to 99. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY
• Free Agent 40 These 15 cards take a look at some of the biggest signings over the last 40 years. Inserted 1:8.
• Archetypes Featuring 25 players from throughout the history of MLB who were the best at what they did. Inserted 1:6.
• Highlight of the Year Throughout 2015, in Series 1, 2, and Update Series, the highlight of each year since 1925 will be featured. 30 will be found in Series 1. Inserted 1:4.
• Baseball/History: The history of baseball is intricately intertwined with history itself, and this insert brings that into focus. Thirty cards will pair a baseball highlight with a historical event that occurred on the same day. Each event will have its own card for 15 total pairs. Inserted 1:8.
• Stamped Buybacks: Vintage Topps cards stamped with a buyback logo. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY. Two per box.
Commemorative relic cards will be packed one per hobby case and one per jumbo box and include:
• MLB Silhouetted Batter Logo Pin – Featuring metalized recreations of the MLB logo found on all jerseys
• Future Stars Pin – Featuring the top ten Future Stars from 2015 Series 1 with a pin created just for this set. Future Stars Pin Vintage Parallel – With a recreation of the 1987 Future Stars logo. Numbered to 99.
• Birth Year Coin and Stamp Cards – Cards featuring superstars from across the history of MLB and a coin and stamp from the year of their birth.
Quarter with Stamp – Numbered.
Quarter with Stamp and Autograph – Numbered to 10. On-card.
Dime with Stamp – Numbered. Nickel with Stamp – Numbered.
Penny with Stamp – Numbered.
The breakdown on autographed relic cards is as follows:
• Archetypes Autograph Relics – Numbered to 10.
• Highlight of the Year Autograph Relics – Numbered to 10.
• Inspirations Dual Autograph Relics – Two autographs and two relics per card. Numbered to 10.
• Gallery of Greats Autograph Relics – Numbered to 5. Autographs will be on card.
• Free Agent 40 Autograph Relics – Numbered to 10.
• World Series Champion Autograph Relics – Numbered to 50.
• Postseason Performance Autograph Relics – Numbered to 50.
• Strata Signature Relics – Numbered to 25. On-card.
Autographed content in 2015 Topps flagship will also include:
• Career High Autographs: Autograph cards recognizing the career high in stats of stars of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
• Archetypes Autographs – Numbered to 25.
• Highlight of the Year Autographs – Numbered to 25.
• Inspirations Dual Autographs – Two autographs per card. Numbered to 25.
• Gallery of Greats Autographs – Numbered to 10. On-card. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY
• Baseball/History Cut Signatures – Featuring cut signatures from key participants in some of the most important events in history. Numbered 1/1.
• Free Agent 40 Autographs – Numbered to 25.
• World Series Champion Autographs – Featuring members of the 2014 World Series Champions with an autograph. Numbered to 50.
• Postseason Performance Autographs – Featuring stars from the 2014 Postseason with an autograph. Numbered to 50.
• Strata Cut Signatures – Numbered 1/1.
Relic Cards include:
• Career High Relics – Relic cards recognizing the career high in stats of stars of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
• Archetypes Relics – Numbered to 99.
• Highlight of the Year Relics – Numbered to 99.
• Inspirations Dual Relics – Numbered to 50.
• Gallery of Greats Relics – Numbered to 25. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY
• Baseball/History Stamps – Each of these cards will have a stamp variation featuring a stamp from that year. Numbered to 10.
• Free Agent 40 Relics – Numbered to 50.
• World Series Champion Relics – Numbered to 100.
• Postseason Performance Relics – Numbered to 100.
• In the Name Relics – Featuring letters from the player’s nameplate on the 2014 MLB All-Star Game Workout Jerseys. Numbered 1/1. HOBBY & HOBBY JUMBO ONLY
A promotional program will be in place including:
• The Pennant Chase – A card will be created for each team. If the team on the card wins the pennant, it can be redeemed for a prize. Limited to 50 for each team.
• Online Code Card – With a code for use in an apparently as yet to be determined prize program. Inserted one in every six packs.
Topps 2015 Spring Fever promotion has changed a bit. Customers who spend at least $20 on Topps Series 1 Baseball at their nearest hobby shop will be eligible for a free five-card pack of special cards, which will be designed with the Spring Fever graphics as in the past. However, it is an in-store only promotion and no redemption cards will be issued in packages.
Several players who changed teams in the off-season appear in their new uniforms for the first time on a Topps trading card.
Josh Donaldson (Toronto Blue Jays), Jon Lester (Chicago Cubs), Jason Heyward (St. Louis Cardinals) and Hanley Ramirez (Boston Red Sox) are featured in their new duds in the base set.
Along with base cards, collectors can also find randomly inserted autograph cards from players such as Ken Griffey Jr. (Seattle Mariners), Javier Baez (Chicago Cubs), Kenny Vargas (Minnesota Twins), Joe Panik (San Francisco Giants) and Jacob deGrom (New York Mets).
Shelby Miller, who was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals, has an autographed card with him featured with the Atlanta Braves.
Topps is also offering case break slots via redemption cards in 2015 Series One Baseball. There will be 21 different case breaks throughout 2015. Randomly seeded in packs of Series 1 are redemption cards for slots in the breaks, which will be done by the company. They’ll break virtually every product via a YouTube stream.
For 2015 Topps Series One Baseball boxes and cases, click here for the listings from eBay dealers.
More info:
Preview of 2015 Topps Series Two
2015 Topps Heritage, annually released in March, is Topps’ second major baseball issue.
Invalid Displayed Gallery
2015 Topps Series One Baseball Checklist
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