Topps released the first series of their 2020 flagship product on 2/4/20 with a unique kickoff.
The company coordinated a “Million Card Rip Party” in Dallas, Texas where several group breakers were invited to open their allocated cases in one location. The event was held a day before the public release of the product on 2/5.
The Breakdown
The theme for 2020 is “Celebration of the Decades”, and as part of the celebration are the inclusion of “experience tickets” into packs. The idea seems to be an extension of the experience redemptions which were included in the Topps Direct 360 Gary Vee sets released in the second half of 2019.
According to the Topps website, the 50 lucky ticket recipients will get to bring a guest to a “unique event that will include food, special guest appearances, and fun celebrating multiple generations of Major League Baseball.”
As far as the set itself, 350 cards once again make up the base set. Twelve different parallels make up the rainbow of variations, with scarcity ranging from un-numbered gold foil to 1/1 Platinum and Printing Plates. In addition, photo variations provide a short print and super short print chase. Over 75 short prints and over 25 super short prints deliver different images and cards of retired legends.
The type of card you have can be identified by looking at the code on the back of the card.
Base cards end in:#269, SPs end in #284, and SSPs end in #285.
Insert sets are another popular element of the Topps flagship product line, and 2020 should be no exception. About 12 different hobby and retail insert sets are included in packs with a variety of themes. Some are focused on a particular player, others on a past design like 1985 Topps or the Turkey Red products of the past. Legends, superstars, and rookies all make an appearance in the insert sets.
A wide variety of autographs and relic cards are found in both hobby and retail packaging, although some versions are unique to each distribution platform.
Topps has once again included “Silver Packs” as part of the lineup this year, with one pack included inside each hobby box, and two packs inside each jumbo.
The Checklist
Rookie cards for Yordan Alvarez, Bo Bichette, and Aristides Aquino headline the RC lineup in Series 1, and provide one of the strongest Series 1 rookie classes we’ve seen in years. Mike Trout, Pete Alonso, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Aaron Judge are a few of the other popular names. In what seems to be an odd decision, the Texas Rangers only have one player represented in the entire base set.
Click here to see the full base, insert, autograph, and relic checklist direct from topps.com.
Box Break
This is the first time in several years I did not have a case preordered. Instead I will be looking to pick up bulk lots from breakers or via collections on the secondary market.
That being said, I still wanted to get my hands on a few packs for YouTube and the blog, so I picked up a retail blaster from Wal Mart.
Here’s what was inside!
The Ohtani manufactured relic and the Edman Independence Day parallel are nice finds! I did get a Yordan Insert, so overall it wasn’t too bad for a single blaster. The cards look nice in hand, but I’m not thrilled with the vertical name on the side. I’m also not a big fan of reusing the Turkey Red design again, they just don’t do anything for me.
Also, if you haven’t heard, I started a new Podcast, The WaxPackHero Sports Card Minute! It’s available here via the podcast link at the top of the page, so you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Play!