This is the fourth wave of the release this year, and we’re seeing the lowest print run this year at 2935 packs. It’s still coming out during the uncertainty of the pandemic, as well as a lack of baseball being played, yet. Summer camps are just starting, so hopefully baseball will be returning soon.
The good news is it seems like many of the production problems have cleared up. There don’t seem to be as many obvious issues as there have been in previous waves. The checklist features some stars like Justin Verlander and Francisco Lindor, but it doesn’t have as many anticipated rookies, which may explain the lower print run.
The format is the same, with additional packed in red, black, and gold parallels. There are also a possible retired veteran and a few autographs scattered throughout the release. A pack advertises ten cards. Any parallel or hit is an additional card.
Wave 2 of Topps Total was a bit of a mess, so even with a few errors, this one is an improvement. Two players have a number different from the checklist, resulting in two numbers doubling up. The parallels are continuing without the letters used in wave 1.
With a print run of 3702, this wave sees a bit more than the previous wave, but still well below the first wave. This wave includes stars such as Clayton Kershaw and Paul Goldschmidt, while featuring Bo Bichette as top rookie. Again, the release has a base set, with red, black, and gold possible parallels. There are also a limited number of autographs as well as a retired legend as available inserts. Each pack is advertised to have ten cards. Any inserts or parallels are an additional card in the pack.
The print run is down significantly from wave 1, with only 3289 packs this time. With headliners like Anthony Rizzo, Albert Pujols, and Gavin Lux, this wave actually stands out for other reasons.
This release is filled with, let’s call them irregularities. This pack contained two that stood out, and there are others where the player named does not match the player pictured or the team labeled. This pack contained one player with the wrong team logo, and another card mis-numbered as part of wave one. That’s not all, though. Last year, as well as wave one this year, featured a different numbering scheme for all the parallels, including different letters for each type. Those are all gone for parallels in wave two.
The first wave of 2020 Topps Total had a print run of 4812 packs. It’s not a cheap set, but by now, I think most people should be familiar with it. This wave features hot rookies like Yordan Alvarez and Aristides Aquino along with stars such as Bryce Harper and Mike Trout.
The configuration is basically the same as last year, with three parallels, numbered /10, /5, and /1. There are also a few possible autographs, although there is no guarantee. New this time is an insert of retired legends, featuring Ken Griffey Jr.
The print run continues to decline with Wave 7 of Topps Total. This release has a run of 3653 packs. This wave leads off with Kris Bryant and features stars and rookies such as Keston Hiura, Manny Machado, and David Price.
The one advantage of the smaller print runs is that the parallels are slightly more likely, although none are guaranteed with pack purchase. There are some possibly autographs, but they were not advertised before the purchase window completed.
