Packing framed, on-card autographs, player relics and even gold nuggets, the seventh version of Topps Gold Label Baseball will mark the return of one of Topps’ more modestly priced products.
The oft delayed 2022 edition is now expected to be released on March 22, 2023. A hobby box will contain seven packs, with five cards per pack.
Base set
The base set features 100 cards with three different versions to collect — Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3. Those cards are properly marked so you know which Class card you have pulled.
The checklist will once again include current MLB stars, up-and-coming rookies and retired greats.
Class 1 cards are the most common and very pack will have at least one Class 2 card. Class 3 cards will average every other pack.
In addition, each card has five different parallels to chase. A set builder’s challenge, for sure.
Black Parallels will fall once in every two packs for Class 1, once in every six packs for Class 2, and once in every 20 packs for Class 3.
Other parallels will be scarcer.
Blue Parallels for Class 1 will be numbered to 150, Class 2 will be numbered to 99 and Class 3 will be numbered to 50.
Purple Parallels will be numbered to 99 for Class 1, 75 for Class 2 and 35 for Class 3. Red Parallels begin with Class 1 (numbered to 75), Class 2 (numbered to 50) and Class 3 (numbered to 25).
Gold Parallels are 1/1s in all three classes.
Autographs
Gold Label autographed cards will again encircled by a gold medal frame.
There will also be four parallel versions of these on-card signature cards, with each parallel at a different level of scarcity.
Black Parallels will be numbered to 75 or less, while Blue Parallels will be numbered to 50 or fewer. Red Parallels will be numbered to 25 or less, while Gold Parallels, fittingly, will be 1/1 cards.
Framed Dual Autographs, with a pair of players on the same card, will have a base version that will be numbered to 10 or less. Black Parallels will be numbered to 5 or less, while Gold Parallels will be 1/1 cards.
Auric Framed Autographs are like pure gold. The cards are printed on gold foil board, have gold frames, and the signatures are in gold. They are numbered to 25 or fewer.
Relics
There are several relic subsets for collectors. MLB Legends Relic Cards use a piece of a game-used bat or uniform swatch, with the base version numbered to 50 or less. Black Parallels are numbered to 5 or less, while Gold Parallels are 1/1 cards.
Gold Prospect Relic Cards are numbered to 25 or less and contain a gold nugget embedded into the card. Black Parallels are numbered to 5 or less, and there are 1/1 Gold Parallel cards.
Autograph Relics
Golden Greats Framed Autograph Jumbo Relics feature on-card signatures and jumbo-sized relic pieces on a framed card. The base cards are numbered to 50 or less, and there are Black Parallels (numbered to 5 or less) and Gold Parallels (1/1).
New this year are Framed Gold Prospect Autograph Relics. These cards showcase up-and-coming MLB talent with on-card signatures and genuine gold nuggets embedded into the cards. The cards are numbered to 50 or less.
Boxes of 2022 Topps Gold Label Baseball are available on eBay for a little under $100.