The 2018 Topps Baseball Card Complete Set is one of the most popular and valuable baseball card releases of the 2018 season. The complete set includes all players and photos from the flagship Topps series 1, series 2, and update sets released that year. Collecting the full 2018 Topps baseball card set is a challenge that thousands of collectors attempted in 2018-2019.
Topps has been producing baseball cards since the early 1950s and their flagship base sets are considered the de facto standard for modern baseball cards by collectors and investors. The 2018 Topps release marked the 61st year of Topps flagship baseball cards. It was also the first Topps series to feature photographs on every card since the transition from artistic renditions to photos in the late 1980s.
The 2018 Topps Series 1 set was the main release and kicked off the flagship product line for the season. It included 404 total base cards showing players from all 30 MLB teams. Notable rookie cards in Series 1 included Juan Soto, Ronald Acuña Jr., Walker Buehler and Gleyber Torres who all went on to have breakthrough rookie seasons. Popular veteran stars featured prominently as well, such as Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw, Bryce Harper and Mookie Betts.
Series 1 had a distinctive border design with a retro feel, featuring thick red and white lines along the edges of the card front. On the back,stats and a brief player bio were displayed in text along with the iconic Topps logo and product information. Parallels and inserts rounded out the base set with variations including Foilboards, Gold Prizms, Autographs and Relics. Hobby boxes of Series 1 retailed for around $90-100 and contained 12 total packs with 5 cards each.
Topps followed up Series 1 in June with their Series 2 release. This 306 card set focused on showing additional player photos not included in the first series. Roster and coaching changes from early season transactions were also reflected. Notable rookie cards added included Shane Bieber, Max Muncy and Jack Flaherty. The border design switched to a thinner blue pinstripe style. Parallels and inserts again came in Foilboard, Gold Prizm, Autograph and Relic variations to chase. Hobby boxes for Series 2 sold around $70-80.
In late August, Topps released their always anticipated Baseball Card Update set. This served as the third and final installment to complete coverage of the 2018 MLB season. The Update set totaled 198 cards and captured late season additions, awards, playoff performances and roster shifts. Rookie cards for players like Andrelton Simmons, Shane McClanahan and Mitch Garver made their debuts. Parallels and inserts aligned with the previous two series. At 124 total cards needed, finishing the Update portion was the biggest hurdle remaining for 2018 Topps completing collectors. Update hobby boxes also averaged $70-80 per box.
With a total print run of under 3 million sets, obtaining a full 2018 Topps baseball card set presented a notable challenge. Not only did collectors need to track down the 908 base cards between the three series releases, but also parallels, inserts, short prints and other variations added exponential rarity levels and completion requirements. Through trading, breakers, singles sellers and reseller sites, dedicated collectors persevered though and many were able to lock up a complete factory set across 2018 and into early 2019.
Graded andholdered sets fetched high prices as a result. PSA-graded “Gem Mint” 10 full 2018 Topps flagship sets in one-touch magnetic holders regularly sold in the $1500-2000 range on eBay and major card auction sites like Goldin Auctions. Even raw, complete ungraded sets still commanded $800-1000 due to their scarcity and prestige as a flagship complete collection. Individually graded rookie cards and in-demand inserts often accounted added hundreds more in potential combined value to a total 2018 set as well.
As a multi-pronged release capturing an entire MLB season, the 2018 Topps flagship baseball card product line was a set that truly tested collector diligence and stamina. For those that persevered and completed it however, they were rewarded with one of the premier modern baseball card sets that will stand the test of time. High demand, relatively low print runs and rookie cards of future stars continue to make the 2018 Topps Baseball Card Complete Set a benchmark set for collectors.
