The 2020 Topps Heritage Minor League Baseball set has that ’70s look.
The retro, black border design of the 1971 Topps baseball set, which was used in the Topps Heritage set released earlier this year, also will be employed for the minor-league version.
One big advantage over the 1971 version is the higher quality of the card stock. The ’71 set was notorious for chipped and fraying corners, which were more noticeable because of the black borders. It’s possible to do the same with the 2020 Heritage minor league cards, so handle with care.
The other cool thing about this set is the minor league team names, like Hammerheads, Biscuits, Shorebirds and Drillers.
2020 Topps Heritage Minors Configuration and Base Set
As of now, the minor league set is scheduled to be released the week of October 7. Topps is promising one autograph card, a relic card and a 1971 Topps Greatest Moments boxloader card in every hobby box.
A hobby box will contain 18 packs, with eight cards to a pack.
There will be a 200-card base set, with parallels including Blue Border, numbered to 99, White Border (50) and a 1/1 Red Border.
Ten players in the set will have variation cards, while base set short prints will fall every six packs.
Autograph and Relic Cards
Signature cards are headlined by the traditional Real One Autographs set. There are parallels also, with Blue Border cards numbered to 99, White Borders (50) and Red Borders (1/1). There is also an Image Removal Border variation that will be numbered to 25.
Real One Dual Autographs, which feature signatures from two players, will be numbered to 20. Other signature specialties will include Base Image Variation autograph cards, which will be numbered to 50. In a nod to the 1971 Scratch-Off game cards, Topps is offering a 1971 Scratch-Off Autograph card, numbered to 99. There also will be 1971 Topps All-Star Rookies Autographs, numbered to 50 with a 1/1 Red parallel card.
The Rookie autograph card features a headshot of the player inside a star.
Memorabilia cards return with some familiar sets. Clubhouse Collection Relics return, with Blue Parallels numbered to 99, Black Parallels (50), Orange Parallels (25) and Red Patch Parallels (1/1).
Mint Relics, which feature a coin from 1971, are numbered to 99. Those cards also have parallels with Black Quarter (numbered to 50), Red Quarter (1/1) and an Autograph Quarter numbered to 10.
A new subset, which combines a relic and autograph, is Futures of the Pastime, which is numbered to 25.
Inserts
Inserts in this product mirror the 1971 set, with a 1971 Scratch-Off that pays tribute to the hinged, rub-off-the-black-rectangle baseball game that was part of the Topps run in 1970 and 1971. These cards will fall once in every 4.5 packs.
The 1971 Bazooka Numbered Test cards, which can be found in every six packs on average, pays tribute to the Bazooka Gum box cards of that period.
The Make Your Own Pro Debut insert, which can be found once in every nine packs, gives collectors a chance to earn a spot in the 2021 Topps Pro Debut product. The cards will have a redemption code to enter the contest.
Box toppers will be included in every hobby box. Called the 1971 Topps Greatest Moments Boxloaders, these large cards will highlight big performances in prospects’ careers. This subset also comes with an autograph version that will be numbered to 25.
Boxes of 2020 Topps Heritage Minor League are currently available on eBay for $70-$80.
2020 Topps Heritage Minors checklist
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