2022 Topps Inception Baseball Cards – An In-Depth Look at the High-End Release
The 2022 Topps Inception baseball card set is one of the most highly anticipated high-end releases of the year from card manufacturer Topps. As with past years, Topps Inception offers collectors the opportunity to pull rare, autographed, and memorabilia cards of their favorite players. Let’s take a deeper look at what collectors can expect from the 2022 Topps Inception baseball set.
Topps Inception has developed quite a following since its inception in 2013 as an ultra-premium baseball card product. The set features a retro design aesthetic with a modern flair that collectors love. For the 2022 version, Topps is using photo negatives as the backdrop for the player photos. This gives the cards a very cool, one-of-a-kind look that can’t be found in any other set.
In terms of base card design, each player is featured on a photo-negative style image with their name and team logo prominently displayed at the bottom. Serial numbers are on the front of the cards as well to denote rarity. The backs have standard stats and career highlights written in a stylized retro font. As with past years, parallels and short prints will be the chase for collectors looking to build full rainbow sets of their PC guys.
When it comes to parallels, Topps Inception really goes all out to satisfy collectors at every level. In addition to the standard base cards, parallels planned for 2022 include Gold Foil (#/50), Green Foil (#/25), Orange Foil (#/10), Red Foil (#/5), Printing Plates (1/1), and Negative Printing Plates (1/1). Topps also includes rare 1/1 card designs unique to specific players through “Inception Masters” inserts. Needless to say, parallel collectors have their work cut out for them!
On top of the abundant parallels, Topps Inception is known for its autograph and memorabilia card inserts that can yield huge returns for lucky collectors. Some of the biggest chase cards for 2022 include 1/1 Autograph Printing Plates, Dual Autograph Printing Plates, Triple Autograph Printing Plates, and Quad Autograph Printing Plates. For memorabilia, “Inception Icons” cards pair swatches or patches with autographs. Other popular relic inserts are Signatures, Dual Relics, and Triple Relics.
As for the base set checklist, Topps Inception will feature 300 major league players as in years past. Rookies, veterans, and superstars are all represented. Top young stars like Wander Franco, Bobby Witt Jr., and Julio Rodriguez will surely be hot commodities. Veterans like Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, and Fernando Tatis Jr. also get the Inception treatment with photo negative images collectors won’t see anywhere else.
When it comes to parallels and short prints, Topps Inception is famous for its low print runs. Gold Foils for example are limited to just 50 copies each. This scarcity is a big reason why the set holds such prestige and value long term. The autograph and relic cards have print runs in the single digits as well, practically guaranteeing that true 1/1 finds will emerge as six and even seven figure gems in the years to come.
Pack configurations and release details are still to be determined, but Topps Inception will almost certainly arrive later this year as a high-end hobby exclusive. Past years have seen boxes with 12 packs and 3-4 cards per pack selling in the $150-200 range. Individual packs can also be found on the secondary market for collectors looking for a more affordable way to rip packs. With its vintage style design, coveted parallels and autographs, and history of producing monster hits, Topps Inception is sure to excite collectors yet again in 2022. Only time will tell what 1/1 monsters emerge from the photo negative depths!
The 2022 Topps Inception baseball card set promises to continue the tradition of delivering the hobby’s most coveted parallels, autographs, and one-of-one hits in card form. With its unique retro photo negative aesthetic, ultra-low print runs, and history of producing six and seven figure cards, Topps Inception is a must-have for high-end collectors every year. While the financial investment is steep, those who can afford to collect the set are almost guaranteed to turn a profit or complete dazzling full rainbow runs down the road. The 2022 version is sure to create new collecting legends.
