A couple of weeks before pitchers and catchers report for training, another promise of spring arrives with 2018 Topps Series 1 Baseball. The 67th edition of the company’s flagship product will have both standard Hobby and Jumbo box configurations. Official release day is January 31.
Each hobby box will again have 36 packs of 10 cards for about $60. Jumbos will have 10 packs with 50 cards at around $100. Blaster boxes, hangar boxes and 24-count retail packs will also be produced.
A checklist for 2018 Topps Series 1 is below.
2018 Topps Base Set
The 2018 Topps design will again be of the full-bleed variety.
Just as in 2017, the 2018 Topps base sets will include 350 cards in Series 1, including veterans, rookies, Future Stars, team cards (15), league leaders, World Series highlights and combo cards. Aaron Judge leads off the set as card #1 after online voting.
Parallel cards include:
- Rainbow Foil– Inserted 1:10 packs.
- Gold– Sequentially numbered to 2018.
- Vintage Stock – Sequentially numbered to 99.
- Independence Day– Sequentially numbered to 76.
- Black– Sequentially numbered to 67.
- Mother’s Day Pink– Sequentially numbered to 50.
- Father’s Day Blue– Sequentially numbered to 50.
- Memorial Day Camo– Sequentially numbered to 25.
- Clear (100 subjects) – Sequentially numbered to 10. Aaron Judge, Alex Bregman, Cody Bellinger and several rookies will be featured on Clear parallels.
- Negative
- Platinum– Numbered 1/1.
- Printing– Numbered 1/1.
Autographed Relic Cards
Topps Reverence Autograph Patch Cards which will have Gold (# to 5) and Platinum (1/1) parallels.
Major League Material Autographs – Sequentially numbered.
World Series Champion Autograph Relics – Sequentially numbered.
Postseason Performance Autograph Relics – Sequentially numbered.
Major League Materials, WS Champion Autograph Relics and Postseason Perf
ormance auto relics all have Red (# to 25) and Platinum (1/1) parallels.
Autograph Cards
Interestingly, there are no autographed cards of 2017 rookie phenom Aaron Judge in Series 1.
Topps Salute – Sequentially numbered.
World Series Champion Autograph – Sequentially numbered. Six Astros have signed including Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman and MVP George Springer.
Postseason Performance Autographs – Sequentially numbered.
Salute, WS Champion and Postseason Performance autos also all have Red and Platinum parallels.
MLB Awards – Sequentially numbered.
Cut Signatures – The checklist includes Cy Young, Ty Cobb, Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson, Connie Mack, Ernie Banks and several other Hall of Famers. Each is numbered 1/1.
1983 Topps Baseball Design Autographs – Autographs from top current players on the 1983-style cards. Black Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 99 or less.
- Gold Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 50 or less.
- Red Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 25 or less (hobby exclusive)
- Platinum Parallel – Numbered 1/1.
Relic Cards
World Series Champions and Postseason Performance – Sequentially numbered. • Red Parallel – Sequentially numbered. • Platinum Parallel – Numbered 1/1.
In the Name Relics – Featuring the name letter patches from 2017 All-Star jerseys. Numbered 1/1.
Sketch Cards –2.5 x 3.5 inch original art cards. Numbered 1/1.
Major League Material Relics
- Black Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 99 or less.
- Gold Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 50 or less.
- Red Parallel – Sequentially numbered to 25 or less.
- Platinum Parallel – Numbered 1/1.
Commemorative Relics
MLB Spring Training Relics – Commemorative relics featuring the all-new 2018 NL and AL Spring Training Logo patches.
- Black Parallel – Sequentially numbered.
- Gold Parallel – Sequentially numbered.
- Red Parallel – Sequentially numbered.
- Platinum Parallel – Numbered 1/1.
- Autograph Parallel – Sequentially numbered.
MLB All-Star Game Medallions – Commemorative medallions highlighting players selected for the 2017 contest in Miami.
- Black Parallel – Sequentially numbered.
- Gold Parallel – Sequentially numbered.
- Red Parallel – Sequentially numbered.
- Platinum Parallel – Numbered 1/1.
- Autograph Parallel – Sequentially numbered.
Insert Sets
There won’t be as many different insert sets as we’ve seen in recent years but they’ll be larger overall, with checklists of 50-100 cards.
Topps Salute pays tribute to key special event days during the baseball season such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day and Jackie Robinson Day. Also included are the top Rookies and the game’s legends. The checklist has 100 cards. Inserted 1:8 packs.
Superstar Sensations are artist-inspired cards inserted 1:8 packs with a 50-player checklist. They’ll have Blue, Black (# to 299), Gold (#to 50), Red (# to 10) and Platinum (1/1) parallels.
MLB Awards is also a 50-card set. It pays homage to the various 2017 award winners including MVPs, Cy Young Award Winners, Rookies of the Year, Silver Sluggers and best fielders. Inserted 1:8 packs.
Topps will pay tribute to the 35th anniversary of the 1983 design with an insert set of 100 cards that features current players in the ’83 design and is inserted one in every four packs.
Salute, Sensations and MLB Awards will include five parallels including Blue, Black (# to 299), Gold (# to 50), Red (# to 10) and Platinum (1/1).]
Topps NOW Top 10 will look back at the top 10 selling cards on the NOW platform during the 2017 season. The checklist includes seven Judge cards, two of Derek Jeter and one Cody Bellinger.
2018 Topps Silver Packs
Those who purchase 2018 Topps hobby boxes can receive one free “Silver Pack” again this year through participating hobby shops and online dealers. Jumbo box buyers get two packs.
The packs get their name from the foil wrapper and contain special cards in a 1983 design—but they’re different from the ’83 style inserts found in standard packs. The Silver Pack cards will have a Chrome look with a unique pattern background that collectors who picked up 2017 Topps Silver Packs will recognize. Last year’s packs contained four cards.
Autographs and serial numbered parallels will be randomly inserted in the Silver Packs.
The program is expected to continue in June when Series 2 is released.
Walmart, Target, Retail Exclusives
Topps has produced a special set of Derek Jeter Highlights that will be sold only through 2018 Series One boxes and packs sold at Target stores. Another 30-card Kris Bryant Highlights set will be exclusive to product sold at Walmart. Jeter and Bryant have signed an unknown number of cards.
Legends in the Making and Opening Day will also be retail exclusives as will Players Weekend Patch cards and autographed patch cards. Rafael Devers, Rhys Hoskins, Mike Trout, Kris Bryant and Ichiro are among the names on the checklist.
You can check out 2018 Topps baseball for sale on eBay by clicking here.
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