The march through baseball card history that is Topps Heritage makes a visit to 1973 next year. The 2022 edition of the long-running brand is set to return a few weeks after the company’s flagship set, with a current release date of March 2.
2022 Topps Heritage Baseball Configuration and Base Set
Topps won’t be changing much about how Heritage is distributed, the size of the set or the concept as a whole from what collectors have come to expect. Each Hobby box will hold 24 packs with nine cards per pack along with a wrapped box topper card or poster inserted into each box.
Boxes will again have one autograph or relic card.
As usual, the base set will consist of 500 cards with the last 100 short printed. Each box should have eight SPs.
Base Card Parallels
Black Bordered – Limited to 50 (Hobby exclusive)
Flip Stock – Limited to 5 (Hobby exclusive)
Base Card Variations (Select subjects)
Mini Base – numbered to 100
Throwback Uniforms – (very rare according to Topps)
Action Images – (Hobby exclusive)
Nickname Variations – “Limited” according to Topps
Base Card Chrome Variations
A shiny take on the base cards. The checklist for Chrome variations will include 100 players.
Parallel versions will include:
Refractor – #’d to 573
Silver Parallel – #’d to 373
Black Bordered – #’d to 73
Gold Bordered – #’d to 5 (Hobby exclusive)
SuperFractor – #’d 1 of 1
Hot Box Refractor – (exclusive to Hobby and Value boxes)
Insert Cards
The standard inserts return including:
New Age Performers – “25 modern players whose performances have eclipsed the giants of the past.”
Then and Now – “Comparing 1973 stars with their modern-day equivalents.”
Baseball Flashbacks – Cards commemorating highlights from the 1973 season
News Flashbacks – World news moments from 1973 captured on cards.
Autographs
Real One Autographs are the standard Heritage signature card. Topps is promising on card autographs featuring both current and former stars. Red Ink versions will be numbered to 73.
Dual Real One autos will be numbered to 25 or less while Triples carry three autographs and will be numbered to only 5. Both are Hobby box exclusives.
Other autograph possibilities include 1/1 Baseball and Celebrity Cut Signature cards.
Autographed Relics
Clubhouse Collection Autographed Relics will include game-used memorabilia pieces joined by on-card autographs. Each will be numbered to 25 or less.
Clubhouse Collection Dual Autographed Relics will put two players and two relic pieces on a card and will be numbered to 10 or less with 1/1 Autographed Patch parallels.
Flashbacks Autographed Relics – Topps has connected with players who made news in ’73 and they’ll sign on-card autographs that will be paired with game-used memorabilia pieces. 1/1 Patch parallels are possible here, too.
All of the above will be exclusive to Hobby boxes.
Relics
Clubhouse Collection Relics will feature game-used uniform and bat pieces. Parallels will include:
• Gold – #’d to 99 or less
• Patch – Hand-numbered 1 of 1 (Hobby only)
Clubhouse Collection Dual (# to 73); Triple (# to 25) and Quad (# to 10) relics will all have 1/1 Patch parallel versions. All are exclusive to Hobby boxes.
1973 Mint are actual U.S. coins minted in 1973 and picturing MLB stars. Also look for:
• Nickel – #’d to 15
• Dime – #’d to 10
• Quarter – #’d to 5
• Half Dollar – #’d 1 of 1
1973 U.S. Postage Stamp Relics feature both past and present players alongside postage stamps issued in 1973. They’ll be numbered to 50.
Box Toppers
There will be three different possibilities for the box topper inserts including:
- Oversized 1973 Topps Baseball – 50 select base cards printed in an oversized format. They’ll be limited to 1,000 of each with autographed versions numbered to 25 or less possible.
- 1973 Baseball Posters – Inspired by the original 1973 posters and featuring current and legendary ballplayers.
- 1973 Baseball Originals – Buyback cards from 1973 Topps Baseball featuring a foil stamp.
