The 2021 edition of Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards marked the 135th anniversary of the historic Allen & Ginter tobacco company that originated the concept of including collectible cards in cigarette and tobacco products in the late 1880s. Allen & Ginter went on to produce some of the most iconic and valuable baseball cards in the history of the sport before the company was acquired by other manufacturers in the early 20th century.
Topps has produced an Allen & Ginter baseball card set each year since 2012 to celebrate the rich history and collectible culture started by the original tobacco cards. The 2021 A&G set featured a variety of innovative designs, parallel inserts, and unique bonuses for collectors. With a base set of 330 cards and dozens of special inserts and parallels to hunt, the 2021 Allen & Ginter offering provided a fun and interesting product for both new and experienced collectors.
Some of the most notable aspects of the 2021 A&G design included hand-drawn illustrations on many of the base cards that gave each player a unique, one-of-a-kind look. Topps commissioned top sports illustrators to create these cartoon-like renderings of current MLB stars and prospects. Parallels like Gold Signature, Black Gold Signature, and RARE featured autographed versions of these artwork cards signed by the players themselves.
The base set also included “Cloth Patch” parallels where swatches of game-used jersey or cap materials were embedded into the borders. Numbered to only 10 copies each, these cloth patched cards featuring today’s top players brought an element of game-use relic cards to Allen & Ginter in 2021. Gold and Black Gold foil parallels at /70 and /10 copies respectively added tremendous allure for parallel collectors.
One of the unique strengths of Allen & Ginter sets has always been the inclusion of bonus non-sports content mixed in with the baseball cards. In 2021, Topps continued this tradition with over 90 bonus offerings covering history, science, arts, entertainment and more. Memorabilia cards featuring authentic artifacts tied to historical figures were particularly impressive, such as lock of hair clippings from Abraham Lincoln and a piece of Albert Einstein’s patented clock.
Fan-favorite “Mini” cards returned in 2021. Shrunk down to around 50% size of the traditional Allen & Ginter cards, these Minis maintained the original illustrations and were inserted 1:4 packs. The set concluded with over a dozen intricate Medallion cards at extremely low print runs. Featuring additional artwork and raising additional funds for charity, these Medallions established themselves as some of the most desirable chase cards in the entire 2021 release.
Allen & GinterBoxloaders, containing multiple bonus Medallion cards in addition to an autographed Memorabilia card, provided collectors a shot at true one-of-one relics for their PC. Box toppers in the form of large “Jumbo Medallions” with original oil painting artwork rounded out the completely unique and memorable boxed product experience for A&G devotees.
Even with 330 cards and as many as a dozen mini and medallion subsets, the Allen & Ginter checklist had plenty of room for additional insert sets. In 2021, Topps delivered several popular short prints including “Faces of the Franchise,” profiling franchise cornerstones like Derek Jeter; “Then and Now” pairing classic players like Ty Cobb alongside modern stars; and fantasy-driven sets like “Beers of Baseball” aligning ballplayers with their favorite brews.
Additional inserts extended the reach of Allen & Ginter even further with innovative “Artifact Autos” cutting real vintage documents and pairing them with modern autographs. Legendary managers and executives were also recognized in 2021 through cards showcasing their lifelong contributions to the game. Finely crafted parallel variants provided new avenues for collectors at all levels to interact with the Allen & Ginter brand.
Whether chasing the base rookie cards of MLB’s next generation stars, pursuing the esoteric memorabilia relics and low-count parallel refractors, or simply enjoying the artistic hand-drawn players against a historical backdrop of non-sports culture, Allen & Ginter offered something for every collector in 2021. With its rich history and constant innovation, the 135-year old brand proved it continues to be one of the most unique and welcomed new releases on the annual baseball card calendar. Headlined by special memorabilia bonuses and highlights of the past, present and future of America’s Pastime, 2021 Topps Allen & Ginter cards created lasting memories for a legion of dedicated collectors.
