Burlap Is Back: Topps’ Heritage Minor League Set Copies ’68 Design

The retro burlap design from 1968 is back with the sneak peek at the 2017 Topps Heritage Minor League baseball set, which will be released on October 18.  As usual, the Heritage minor-league design mirrors the major-league version that came out in March, and this product — a hobby exclusive, just like 2016 — also will contain variations and low-numbered parallels.

A hobby box will contain 18 packs, with eight cards to a pack at around $60. Topps is promising one on-card autograph and relic card per hobby box.

A full checklist is below.

2017 Topps Heritage Minor League Base Set, Subsets

The base set will consist of 200 cards, and that number will include multi-player league leader cards. Other subsets will include Baseball America All-Stars (featuring the magazine’s distinctive logo at the top of the card), Base Card Mystery Redemptions (previous players have included Dansby Swanson, Brendan Rodgers and Jason Groome), short prints and short-printed Facsimile Signature Variations. The 1968 Topps Discs will look back at the perimeter-cut cards from 49 years ago.

Parallels in the base set can be found in blue borders, gray borders numbered to 25, and 1/1 orange borders.

2017 Heritage Minor League Autographs

The autographs in this year’s set will take on several looks. The Real One Autographs set returns again, using the base 1968 Topps design. Like the base set, parallels will be offered in blue, gray (numbered to 25) and orange (1/1).

Fantastic Feats autographs will debut, showcasing a horizontal design and using the design Topps used to highlight the 1967 World Series in its ’68 set. These autographs also will have gray border parallels numbered to 25 and a 1/1 orange border parallel.

Looming Legacy autographs will be numbered and also will include 1/1 orange border parallels. These cards will showcase current and former minor-league stars.

2017 Heritage Minors Relic Cards and Contest

The memorabilia cards in 2017 Topps Heritage Minor League will return with the traditional Clubhouse Collection set, which even includes a Tim Tebow card. In a new addition, blue parallels numbered to 50 are possible finds for collectors. There also will be a gray parallel numbered to 25 and a black patch parallel — featuring a multi-colored jersey patch— as a 1/1 offering.

The 1968 Mint Relics will feature the return of U.S. coins dated to 1968.  Nickels will be most common.  A gray border parallel will feature an embedded quarter and a card numbered to 25, while a black border parallel will feature a 25-cent piece and will be a 1/1 card. A new wrinkle will be an autograph relic parallel, which features a player’s signature and an embedded coin from 1968. These cards will be numbered to 10.

The “Make Your Pro Debut” promotion returns in 2017 Topps Heritage Minor League, with each hobby box containing two cards. The winner will suit up for pregame activities with a minor-league team, get a uniform and locker, sign a “contract” with the team, and throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Last year’s winner was Nick Yohanek, a Brewers fan from Whitewater, Wis., who had a memorable night as a member of the El Paso Chihuahuas on April 7, 2017.

You can buy 2017 Topps Heritage Minors by clicking here.

2017 Heritage Minors Baseball Checklist

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About Bob D'Angelo

Bob has been a sportswriter and copy editor for more than 35 years and a blogger for a decade. He is celebrating his 50th year of card collecting, and still counts his 1965 Topps Mickey Mantle as his favorite. You can reach him at [email protected].