Get ready for Tribute II.
Several months after the release of 2015 Topps Tribute was plagued with a UV coating issue that led to some streaked and smudged autographs, the company announced Monday it was creating a 2015 Topps Tribute ‘Special Edition’ product to be released the week of December 16.
Topps recalled Tribute after dealers, case breakers and collectors after its spring release because of the issues with the signed cards. The re-issue appears designed to appeal primarily to case breakers.
“2015 Topps Tribute Baseball has been gathered and is now available in a unique case-break configuration,” Topps stated in promotional information. “All autograph cards have been inspected, treated, re-signed and slabbed.”
The new product promises more relic cards and fresh signed cards of rookies Kris Bryant and Carlos Correa randomly inserted to join what was a limited rookie crop because of the original early season release date.
It won’t be cheap.
Each pack will contain four base cards, two autographs and at least three relic cards. There will be 12 packs per box, with retail pricing likely to fall at around $2,000 per box and $170 per pack.
Each box of 2015 Topps Tribute Baseball Special Edition will guarantee 24 autographed cards including one To the Victors autographed acetate card and 30 memorabilia cards with some ‘hot boxes’ containing as many as 36 relic cards. The To the Victors series will feature autographs from past World Series champions on a die-cut card featuring acetate technology. All will be sequentially numbered with Gold parallels numbered to 15, Purple numbered to 10 and Red numbered 1/1.
Standard Tribute Autograph cards will have several parallels including:
- Green– sequentially numbered to 99.
- Orange – sequentially numbered to 75.
- Black – sequentially numbered to 50.
- Gold – sequentially numbered to 25.
- Purple – sequentially numbered to 10.
- Red – numbered 1/1.
- Onyx – numbered 1/1.
- Printing Plates – numbered 1/1.
Foundations of Greatness & Rightful Recognition Autographs will be sequentially numbered to 189 and offer Black (# to 50), Gold (# to 25), Purple (# to 10) and Red (1/1) parallels.
Memorabilia cards will include Milestone Relics (# to 10), which will feature a swatch from a game-used baseball of a milestone MLB game. Red Jumbo Autographed parallels will be 1/1.
Tribute Relics will be numbered to 199 while Diamond Cut Relics will feature jumbo-sized relic pieces.
Parallels for Tribute Relics and Diamond Cuts will include:
- Green– sequentially numbered to 150.
- (Tribute Relics only) Orange– sequentially numbered to 75.
- Black Parallel – sequentially numbered to 50.
- Gold Patch– sequentially numbered to 25.
- Purple Patch– featuring multi-colored patch pieces. Sequentially numbered to 10.
- Red Patch– featuring multi-colored patch pieces. Numbered 1/1.
Prime Patches will be relic cards of superstar veterans and Hall of Famers, all numbered to 45 with Purple parallels (# to 10) and Red (1/1).
The re-issued base card set of 100 will include active and retired players on Tribute technology with parallels to include:
- Green– sequentially numbered to 99.
- Black – sequentially numbered to 50.
- Purple – sequentially numbered to 10.
- Red – numbered 1/1.
- Printing Plates – numbered 1/1.
Beckett reported Monday that cards in the Special Edition boxes won’t interfere with serial numbering of cards that were not returned during the voluntary recall.
You can see 2015 Topps Tribute Special Edition singles, boxes and lots on eBay here.