2019 Topps Chrome Preview

It’s been around since 1996 and the streak won’t end this year.  Plans for 2019 Topps Chrome have been revealed with a release date of July 31.

Once again featuring players from Series 1 and 2 on a higher-end stock, Chrome’s big attraction will be on-card rookie autographs.

2019 Topps Chrome Basics

Chrome will come with both Hobby and Jumbo configurations.  It’ll also be available in Value (blaster) Boxes and Value Packs through stores like Target and Walmart.

As usual, Hobby boxes will carry four packs of 24 cards with 12 boxes per case at a cost of about $125 retail.  Jumbos will come with 13 cards per pack, 12 packs per box and eight boxes per case with boxes running around $230.  You can check pricing on eBay here.

Hobby boxes should contain two autographs with Jumbos holding five signed cards. 

2019 Topps Chrome Base Set

As mentioned above, Chrome’s base set checklist will be made up of a mix of better players from Topps’ flagship set.  Refractor parallels will be plentiful.  Unnumbered parallels include standard Refractors, Prism Refractors and what Topps calls “limited” production of Negative Refractors.  

The numbered parallels will include:

• Purple Refractor Parallel: numbered to 299
• Blue Refractor Parallel: numbered to 150.
• Green Refractor Parallel: numbered to 99.
• Green Wave Refractor Parallel: numbered to 99. HOBBY SKUS ONLY.
• Blue Wave Refractor Parallel: numbered to 75. HOBBY SKUS ONLY.
• Gold Refractor Parallel: numbered to 50.
• Gold Wave Refractor Parallel: numbered to 50. HOBBY SKUS ONLY.
• Orange Refractor Parallel: numbered to 25. HOBBY ONLY.
• Orange Wave Refractor Parallel: numbered to 25. HOBBY SKUS ONLY.
• Red Refractor Parallel: numbered to 5.
• Red Wave Refractor Parallel: numbered to 5. HOBBY SKUS ONLY.
• SuperFractor Parallel: numbered 1-of-1.
• Printing Plates: numbered 1-of-1.

In addition, Value Boxes will contain four exclusive Sepia Refractors while Value Packs will carry three Pink Refractors.

Inserts

Look for two new insert sets inside 2019 Topps Chrome including a remix of the 1984 Topps Baseball design with a mix of veterans that were featured in 2019 Topps Series 1 along with new rookies and veterans.  Parallels include:

• Green Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 99.
• Gold Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 50.
• Orange Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 25.
• Red Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 5.
• SuperFractor Parallel: numbered 1-of-1.

Greatness Returns makes its debut with two players pictured per card—retired greats and their modern counterparts. Parallels include:

• Gold Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 50. NEW!
• Orange Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 25.
• Red Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 5.
• SuperFractor Parallel: numbered 1-of-1.

Other inserts will include Future Stars, which will again highlight the top young players in the game. Parallels include:

• Green Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 99.
• Gold Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 50. NEW!
• Orange Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 25.
• Red Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 5.
• SuperFractor Parallel: numbered 1-of-1. HOBBY SKUS ONLY

Freshman Flash will focus on players in the 2019 rookie class.  Parallels will include 

• Green Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 99.
• Gold Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 50.
• Orange Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 25.
• Red Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 5.
• SuperFractor Parallel: numbered 1-of-1.

Autographs

Chrome’s popularity is usually centered on the Rookie Autograph cards. The on-card signatures will come with serial numbered parallels including:

• Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 499.
• Purple Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 250.
• Blue Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 150.
• Blue Wave Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 150.
• Gold Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 50.
• Gold Wave Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 50. HOBBY SKUS ONLY
• Orange Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 25. HOBBY ONLY
• Orange Wave Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 25. HOBBY SKUS ONLY
• Red Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 5.
• Red Wave Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 5. HOBBY SKUS ONLY
• SuperFractor Parallel: numbered 1-of-1. HOBBY SKUS ONLY
• Printing Plates: numbered 1-of-1.

There will also be Dual Rookie Autographs, paring two players, with each card numbered to 25 with Red Parallels numbered to 5 and 1/1 Superfractors available to pull.

New for 2019 Topps Chrome will be 1999 Topps Chrome Baseball Autographs, which will commemorate the 20^th anniversary of ’99 set, with cards produced in that design. Autographs will be on card and include these parallels:   

• Orange Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 25.
• Red Refractor Parallel: sequentially numbered to 5.
• SuperFractor Parallel: numbered 1-of-1.
• Printing Plates: numbered 1-of-1.

Additional autograph content includes signed versions of the Future Stars, Freshman Flash and 1984 Design sets.  Future Stars and Freshman Flash will be numbered to 99 with Orange (# to 25); Red (# to 5), SuperFractor (1/1) and Printing Plate (1/1) parallels available for all three.  

Memorabilia Cards

2019 Topps Chrome will have a limited amount of memorabilia card content this year with the inclusion of Debut Gear cards, which feature established current and former players pictured in the uniform of their debut organization along with a swatch relic from that team. 

Packed just one per hobby case, they’ll be a tough pull.  Tougher still will be the parallels, which include Green (# to 99); Orange (# to 25); Red (# to 5), Printing Plate (1/1) and SuperFractor (1/1).

You can order 2019 Topps Chrome via eBay here.

2019 Topps Chrome checklist

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About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for over 40 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected].