2021 Topps Series 1 Baseball Checklist

Winter won’t be over when it arrives, but 2021 Topps Series 1 baseball will provide a little glimpse that we’re a little closer to spring.  The first of the annual three-part flagship rollout includes a 70th anniversary theme.  

There’s a new player leading off the checklist this year.  Ahead of the February 10 release date, MLB Network provided collectors and fans with the results of the annual voting that selects the player whose image will appear on card number 1. In a live broadcast, 22-year-old San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis was revealed as the pick.

Here’s a look at the six fan/collector voting results for card #1:

2016: Mike Trout
2017: Kris Bryant
2018: Aaron Judge
2019: Ronald Acuña Jr.
2020: Mike Trout
2021: Fernando Tatis Jr.

MLB’s Cut4 offered a pretty cool look back at every #1 card from every year of Topps baseball, dating back to the Blue and Red Back sets of 1951:

 

Here’s the full checklist for downloading:  2021 Topps Series 1 Baseball Checklist

On Friday morning, Topps revealed that Washington Nationals star Juan Soto would be on the cover of boxes and front of packs.  He seemed excited…

2021 Topps Series 1 Basics

Hobby boxes will once again be offered in standard and jumbo formats in 2021.  Regular boxes will contain 24 packs of 14 cards plus one Silver bonus pack.  Each 24-pack box will have either an autograph or relic card.  Jumbo boxes will have ten packs of 46 cards with an autograph and two relic cards plus two Silver packs.  As usual, look for retail and blaster boxes as well as other packaging primarily available through retail outlets.

Each hobby and jumbo box will have a Home Run Challenge card that offers the chance to predict the day the player shown will hit a home run. If he does, you’ll win some exclusive cards tied to the contest.

2021 Topps Series 1 Base Set

There will be 330 cards in the base set–down from 350 in 2020.  As usual, the set will include rookies, Future Stars, veterans, team cards, World Series Highlights and League Leaders.  

Parallels
• Rainbow Foil – 1:10 packs
• Gold Foil – 1:2 Packs (jumbo exclusive)
• Gold – #’d to 2021
• Vintage Stock – #’d to 99
• Independence Day – #’d to 76
• Black – #’d to 70  (hobby and jumbo only)
• Platinum Anniversary – #’d to 70
• Mother’s Day – #’d to 50
• Father’s Day – #’d to 50
• Memorial Day – #’d to 25
• Clear Variation – #’d to 10 (100 subjects printed on acetate stock) (hobby only)
• Printing Plates – #”d 1 of 1
• 70th Anniversary Parallel – #’d 1 of 1

A printing error has already been uncovered on the base card parallels. The Platinum Anniversary Parallel (#’d to 70) and the 70th Anniversary Parallel (#’d 1 of 1) have printed using the same ink colors and patterns.  “The cards have been sequentially numbered to the correct quantities (70 and 1 respectively) and we have corrected this error for future iterations of or Flagship brand,” Topps stated.

Insert Sets

Look for some new insert sets that are aligned with the 70th anniversary theme including 70 Years of Topps Baseball, a 70-card set focused on past designs with a checklist that includes current and former players. A Chrome variation will be exclusive to retail tins.  Autographed versions of some cards will be available, all numbered to 10 or less.

The History of Topps is a ten-card set with “notable names and events that impacted the company.”  Topps Through the Years puts 25 stars on old Topps designs.  Parallels for both sets include: 

• Blue 
• Black Parallel – #’d to 299
• Platinum Anniversary – #’d to 70
• Red – #’d to 10
• Gold  – #’d 1/1

Stars in Service will highlight the charitable efforts of certain players.  Parallels will mirror the above but there will also be some autograph parallels numbered to 10 or less.

Inspired by the 1990 set of the same name, Topps Double Headers is a 25-card set showing legendary players’ rookie cards on one side and their final Topps card on the other. 

Platinum Players Die Cuts will span the entire flagship line, with Series 1 carrying the first 25 cards of what will be a 70-card set “highlighting the 70 greatest players to be featured on Topps trading cards.” Parallels will again be the same as the insert sets above, with autograph versions also in the mix.

1986 Topps Baseball inserts will celebrate the 35th anniversary of that set with a checklist to include current and former stars as well as 2021 rookies.  Parallels will be the same as the other insert sets.

1951 Topps Major League All-Stars Box Toppers is a 25-card throwback to the original issue.  Autograph versions will carry on-card autographs and be numbered to 10.

Topps has purchased one popular card from each of its sets dating back to the early 1950s.  Each of the 70 Buyback cards will be encased and numbered 1/1. 

There will be two sketch card sets, each containing original hand-drawn artwork.  The “Shaped” versions will be limited to 70 cards.  

There’s a 50-card 1952 Topps Redux set that will be exclusive to packs sold at retail outlets and they’ll have Chrome variations, too.

Dodgers star Cody Bellinger gets his own 30-card insert set but you’ll only find it inside packs sold at Target stores and there will be autographed versions as well.

Autograph Relic Cards

Topps Reverence Autographed Patches will carry on-card signatures and a piece of game-used memorabilia, with each numbered to 10, 5 (Red) or 1 (Platinum).

Major League Material Autographs, Postseason Performance and World Series Champion Autograph Relics will be numbered to 50, 5 (Red) or 1 (Platinum).

Autograph Cards

70 Years of Baseball Autographs will include signatures of players across all eras of the game.  Parallels will include:
• Black – #’d to 199
• Gold – #’d to 50
• Red – #’d to 25
• Platinum – #’d 1/1

There will also be dual autograph versions numbered to 5.

1986 Topps Baseball Autographs will feature current and former stars, who will sign on-card. 
Parallels include:

• Black – #’d to 199
• Gold – #’d to 50
• Red – #’d to 25  (hobby exclusive)
• Platinum – #’d 1/1 (hobby and jumbo exclusive)

World Series Champion Autographs and Postseason Performance Autographs will be numbered to 50 or less with Red (# to 25) and 1/1 Platinum parallels possible.

Topps also plans 1/1 Cut Signature cards again this year.

Relic Cards

Major League Material Relics are back with these parallels:

• Black – #’d to 199
• Gold- #’d to 50
• Red – #’d to 25
• Platinum – #’d 1/1 

1986 Topps Baseball Relics are an offshoot of the insert, carrying a swatch of memorabilia on the 35-year-old design.  Parallels will include:

• Black – #’d to 199
• Gold- #’d to 50
• Red – #’d to 25
• Platinum – #’d 1/1  

World Series Champion and Post Season Performance Relics will be numbered to 99, 25 (Red) or 1 (Platinum). 

In the Name Relics will include individual letters from game-worn jersey nameplates.  All are 1/1.

Commemorative Relics

Iconic Card Patches feature 50 of the most notable cards from the 70-year history of Topps recreated on Jumbo Patches.  They’ll be found only in hobby and jumbo boxes.

Spring Training Cap Logo Patches will be only in hobby and jumbo with several different parallels possible including:

• Blue – Limited
• Black – #’d to 299
• Platinum Anniversary – #’d to 70
• Red – #’d to 10
• Gold – #’d 1/1
• Autographed – Select subjects #’d to 10 or less

“Unique Experience” Tickets

Randomly inserted into boxes are 25 winning redemption cards that will award two tickets to what Topps calls “a unique event featuring players, exclusive items and more.”  The event sounds similar to what Topps offers to all buyers of its Transcendent boxes.

You can order 2021 Topps Series 1 Baseball hobby, jumbo, retail and blaster boxes on eBay here.

About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for more than 30 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected]