The 2016 baseball card season was another exciting year in the hobby. Collectors had many options when it came to buying boxes of new cards in search of their favorite players. Whether it was the flagship products from Topps, Panini, or Donruss or more specialized releases, there was no shortage of choices on the market. Let’s take a closer look at some of the top 2016 baseball cards hobby boxes and what collectors could find inside.
One of the biggest and most anticipated releases each year continues to be the Topps Series 1 baseball cards. The 2016 version contained a total of 386 cards including base cards, parallels, short prints, and inserts. The base design featured players in action shots wearing their uniforms. Top rookies that year included Corey Seager and Dansby Swanson. Popular inserts included Topps Now cards which captured top moments from the previous season. Hobby boxes on average contained 12 autograph or memorabilia cards as well. Top rookies and stars like Clayton Kershaw were the most sought after pulls. Overall Series 1 remains the most iconic set for collectors year after year.
Another flagship offering was the 2016 Topps Chrome baseball cards. This set featured the same designs as the base Topps cards but with “chrome” style refractors. The inserts were also different compared to the standard Topps release. Hobby boxes contained 10 packs with 5 cards each, so collectors had 50 cards total to try and hit big rookie refractors or parallels. Popular inserts in Chrome included Galactic parallels and High Tek 3D cards which featured floating 3D images. Autograph and memorabilia cards were also present in hobby boxes at around the same ratio as Series 1. The refractors and parallels made Topps Chrome a favorite among collectors seeking shiny premium versions of the players.
Panini also released their 2016 Donruss baseball offering. The design featured action shots in a more retro style compared to Topps. The base set contained 382 cards and included many of the same rookies as the Topps sets. Popular inserts were Diamond Kings, which featured top players encased in diamond-cut borders. Hobby boxes on average contained 10 hits including autographs, memorabilia cards, and parallels. Panini also included “Green” parallels which had serial numbers and were popular among collectors. Overall Donruss provided a fun retro-style alternative to the Topps flagship releases.
In addition to the base sets, many specialty products hit the market as well. Topps Archives reimagined classic designs from the 1980s and 1990s on current players. Each year featured a different retro theme. 2016 paid tribute to the 1987 Topps set with a wood-grain border on the fronts. Hobby boxes contained 10 packs with artsy sketch parallel inserts as well. For higher-end products, Topps Triple Threads featured triple relic or triple autograph cards of the game’s biggest stars. These boxes only contained a handful of cards but many of game’s elite.
Upper Deck also released several baseball offerings in 2016. Their Flagship set contained base cards and inserts featuring today’s top players. Limited hobby boxes only produced autographs and memorabilia cards of current stars and prospects. Upper Deck also released special products like Goodwin Champions which reimagined the classic designs of the past on today’s elite players. Each box only contained a few premium cards but of the highest quality.
In addition to the mainstream manufacturers, several smaller companies produced fun specialty sets. Topps Allen & Ginter featured cards with non-sports themes mixed in. Stadium Club from Topps showcased elegant photography on a premium card stock. Various independent companies like Leaf produced set focused on subsets like rookies or special parallel variations.
The 2016 season provided a wide array of options for collectors to build sets or chase their favorite players. While mainstream products like Topps and Donruss led the way, numerous other releases captured different niches. Whether seeking base rookies, shiny parallels, or high-end autographs, hobby boxes across many manufacturers ensured collectors could enjoy the card season in their own way. The 2016 baseball card season truly had something for every type of fan.
