The 2022 Topps Baseball card season is well underway, with several highly anticipated releases already hitting shelves and more on the way. As with any new season, collectors are eager to get their hands on the latest cards and start building their collections. They also want to be smart consumers and understand relative card values. Let’s take a closer look at some of the 2022 Topps Baseball releases so far and analyze typical pricing trends for different parallels, rookies, stars and more.
One of the flagship releases each year is the 2022 Topps Series 1 Baseball cards. This was the first major set released and included the debut cards for many of the top rookies from 2021 like Bobby Witt Jr. and Riley Greene. For the base Series 1 cards, most common parallels can be found for under $1. Some of the short printed parallels have more value. The Chrome and Rainbow Foil parallels typically sell in the $3-5 range depending on the player. Top rookie cards like Witt Jr. and Greene Chrome parallels have sold for $10-15. Superfractors and 1/1 parallels of stars can reach into the hundreds of dollars.
Another early release was 2022 Topps Heritage Baseball. This set pays homage to the design styles of the 1960s and 1970s. The base Heritage cards also sell for under $1, with Chrome and Rainbow Foil parallels in the $2-4 range. The biggest hits in Heritage are the Mini parallels, which feature a smaller photo on the card. These have sold from $10-25 depending on the player, with top rookie mini parallels reaching $50-75. The ultra-short printed Heritage High Number mini parallels have reached over $100 for star players.
In May, 2022 Topps Tier One Baseball was released and featured some of the most elaborate parallels in recent years. The base Tier One cards still hold value at $3-5 due to the low print run. It’s the parallels that excite collectors the most. Gold parallels have sold from $15-30 on average players, and $50-100 for stars and top rookies. The even rarer Red parallels reached $200-500 depending on the player. The extremely short printed 1/1 White parallels have sold well into the thousands of dollars for superstar cards like Mike Trout.
Another highly anticipated release each year is 2022 Topps Chrome Baseball. This set features the same base design as Series 1 but with a modern “chrome” foil treatment on the cards. The base Chrome cards hold more value than Series 1 at $2-4 typically. It’s the parallel hits that excite collectors most. Refractors and Orange Refractors sell in the $10-20 range on average players but can reach $50-100 for stars and rookies. The ultra-rare 1/1 Chrome Refractors have reached thousands on star rookies like Witt Jr. Overall, Topps Chrome remains one of the most collected modern sets.
In addition to the flagship releases, Topps also produces smaller specialty sets throughout the season catering to certain player tiers, positions or themes. For example, 2022 Topps Archives Baseball pays tribute to classic designs from the past. The base cards sell for under $1 usually, but parallels hold more value at $3-5. 2022 Topps Fire Baseball features a “flame” foil treatment and parallels sell from $5-10 on average. 2022 Topps Update Series and 2022 Topps Finest Baseball are also upcoming and usually include rookie debuts and updated stats from the season so far. Base cards are $1-3 typically, with parallels in the $5-10 range depending on the player.
As the 2022 MLB season progresses, Topps will continue releasing new sets to keep collectors engaged. The base cards from flagship products like Series 1, Chrome and Heritage remain quite affordable. It’s the short printed parallels, especially 1/1s, that have the biggest potential for high prices running into the hundreds or thousands of dollars for star players. Understanding typical values within each set helps collectors be smart when pursuing their PC guys or looking to invest in the future. The 2022 season is shaping up to be another exciting one for Topps Baseball cards.
