The 2014 Topps Baseball card set is one of the most highly anticipated releases each year from the flagship brand of Topps. After unveiling several innovative insert sets and parallels in 2013, Topps took a more traditional approach in 2014 while still including some fan favorite insert sets. Let’s take an in-depth look at the 2014 Topps Baseball card checklist.
The base card checklist features all 30 Major League teams for a total of 792 cards. This includes future Hall of Famers like Derek Jeter in his final season, active superstars like Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw, as well as rookie cards for anticipated first year players like Xander Bogaerts and George Springer.
One of the insert sets fans love each year is the Topps Heritage set, which pays tribute to the design of baseball cards from the late 1960s. The 2014 Topps Heritage set features 66 cards that mirror the look of the 1968 Topps design. Superstars like Yasiel Puig and Troy Tulowitzki highlight this retro-styled set.
Another popular insert set is Topps Opening Day, which celebrates the first week of the new MLB season. The 2014 version contains 44 cards showing action photos from games in that time period. Rookies like Kolten Wong and Yordano Ventura had their first MLB moments captured in this set too.
Topps Tek is one of the more unique inserts that utilizes technology to bring the cards to life. The 2014 Topps Tek set has 66 cards with embedded technology that allows collectors to view 3D animations of players when scanned by the Topps app. This insert set is highly sought after by collectors interested in the intersection of cards and technology.
Topps Five Star is one of the high-end premium insert sets featuring pristine photos and futures Hall of Famers. The 2014 edition includes 58 cards that are serially numbered to 99 or less to give them a heightened level of exclusivity. Miguel Cabrera, Max Scherzer and Albert Pujols are some of the big names featured.
Topps Supreme is another very limited premium insert highlighting the sport’s elite players. The 2014 Topps Supreme set features 59 cards that are produced in ultra-low print runs of only 5 copies each for the ultimate exclusivity. Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw and Andrew McCutchen grace these rare and exclusive cards.
Topps Archives Pay Tribute honors iconic moments from the 1961-1967 Topps sets. The 2014 edition recreates 25 highlights like Roberto Clemente’s final career home run and Sandy Koufax’s perfect game. These nostalgic throwback cards connect today’s players to baseball history.
Two superstar-centered short prints were also part of the 2014 release. The 35-card Topps Living Legends set spotlights legends of the game throughout their careers, and Topps Wrigley Field Captures features 28 icons of the Cubs at their famed home of Wrigley Field over the decades.
For autograph collectors, Topps Signature Series and Topps Tribute are the two main authenticated auto insert sets. Topps Signature Series includes 128 cards with swatches and signatures of today’s biggest stars. Meanwhile, Topps Tribute honors the past with 36 cards paired with pieces of famous jerseys from retired legends.
Topps Update and Topps Turkey Red are two retro-styled inserts that were brought back in 2014. Topps Update mimics the look of 1960s/1970s design with 65 cards and Turkey Red pays homage to the classic tobacco era designs with 42 cards.
Some shorter print runs and inserts focused on special events included Topps Mantle Memories (25 cards), Topps All-Time Fan Favorites (31 cards) and Topps Postseason (33 cards featuring players from 2013 Playoffs). Topps High Tek also contained 35 technological novelties including lenticulars of Derek Jeter batting and Clayton Kershaw pitching.
Parallel and autographed parallel versions of the base cards for fans with bigger budgets included Gold (1:1000), Black (1:500), SP (1:600), SuperFractor (1:100,000) and 1/1 prototypes like Jeter and Trout. There were also additional parallels for the Heritage, Tribute and other insert sets with variations like sepia, inverse and more to satisfy collectors.
With nearly 1,500 total cards between the base checklist and all the various insert sets and parallels, 2014 Topps Baseball provided something for all levels of collectors. The mix of classic design sets alongside innovative technological treats maintained Topps’ place as the leading brand in the hobby. Availability of 2014 Topps products remains high with sealed wax boxes still affordable for building full registry-style collections from the release.
So in summary, 2014 marked another successful year for Topps with an expansive offering that delivered fan favorite insert sets alongside rookie cards and tributes to the sports’ biggest legends. The diverse checklist appeals to both modern and vintage collectors alike thanks to traditional and retro-styled designs. 2014 Topps Baseball endures as one of the most complete flagship releases of the 2010s.
