The second year of Topps Big League is very much like the first. It presents a large base set, without a ton of bells and whistles. It’s a fun set, and this really comes through with some of the picture selections, as well. This isn’t the release you want if you’re looking for the big hits.
There is an added wrinkle in the release this year. We see the return of Players’ Weekend cards, but as an insert set. We also see some SP cards featuring new rookies from 2019. These cards share the numbers of one in the regular set, so they’re a an alternate card for the set, without making you feel like the set is lacking something without them.
The complete base set contains 400, so you will need multiple boxes to even come close. A hobby box advertises 24 packs with 10 cards per pack. There are no hits guaranteed, but they are possible. The published odds for autographs show they will fall one in more than five boxes.
Ah Bowman. I’m not sure there is another product in the hobby today that leans in to the lottery ticket aspect of collecting quite like Bowman. There aren’t many products upon release where base autographs can sell for many hundreds of dollars. The box prices end up reflecting this, however. While the suggested price is somewhere around $240, the boxes have been seen closer to $350.
Is it worth that price? Well, that’s where the lottery aspect comes in. If you hit a big prospect, it would be worth that much and plenty more. Most people will not hit the big prospect, however, and end up losing out. If you like the gamble of the prospect game, this is one of the best products for you. If you don’t, it’s probably better to just pick up what you like on the secondary market.
A jumbo box includes 12 packs of 32 cards, and advertises three autograph cards per box.
Opening Day fills an interesting role within the hobby. It’s never been about the big hit or the hot rookie. Instead, it focuses on fun inserts and a reasonable price point. There are hits in the product, but you are not guaranteed one in a box. You chase cards of the mascots and team celebrations, rather than the next big thing.
The release doesn’t really get the attention it deserves. It’s not flashy, but it offers a nice alternative to the other pricey releases. The cards feature the same design as the flagship release, but include an Opening Day logo and different pictures.
A box advertises 36 packs with 7 cards per pack. There are no guaranteed hits.
I’m not sure there is another release that receives the same type of attention as Donruss. It’s not always positive, mostly due to the licensing with Major League Baseball. Topps has recently extended their exclusive license agreement which allows them to be the only baseball card company licensed by Major League Baseball. This limits what other companies are able to do.
Donruss still puts out a few baseball releases featuring current and former players, but due to this license, are unable to show team names or logos. That’s a shame because it really limits the appeal for some collectors. A lot of people are missing out on what has become a fun release every year. The base design is one of my favorites in recent years, and the tributes to 1985 Donruss really stand out.
While it is one of the first releases of the year, I suspect Heritage is also one of the most anticipated. It doesn’t hurt that 1970 is one of my favorite sets from the era. It’s a pretty well known format by now.
This release follows a well established format at this point. The base set consists of 400 cards, with an additional 100 Short Prints , rounding out the 500 card set. There are also a number of base variants, including action photos, errors, traded, and color swap. We also see Baseball and News Flashbacks to the year.
