The 2023 Topps Heritage Baseball card set is one of the most anticipated releases each year from Topps. The Heritage set pays homage to the classic design styles of baseball cards from the late 1960s through the 1980s. For the 2023 edition, Topps is drawing inspiration from the 1979 Topps design.
Some key things to know about the 2023 Topps Heritage Baseball Hobby Box:
The set contains 132 cards total, with 108 base cards and 24 special/insert cards included in each hobby box. This is on par with recent Heritage releases.
The design of the base cards closely mimics the look of 1979 Topps cards. This means a solid color border around each photo, with team logo and player name/position below the image. Fun retro touches like the team logo watermark in the background as well.
The card stock is thicker and higher quality than a modern Topps base set. Heritage cards have a nice premium feel when holding them that harkens back to the original releases they pay tribute to.
Each hobby box on average contains one autograph or memorabilia card. The odds of pulling an autograph are approximately 1:3 boxes. Possible hits include on-card autos, patch cards, and dual relic cards.
Insert sets within include Heritage Minors (minor league prospects), All-Time Fan Favorites, Special Edition photo variants, and Star Performers highlight cards for great plays. These provide additional collecting opportunities beyond the base roster.
Top rookies and prospects like Bobby Witt Jr, Adley Rutschman, and Julio Rodriguez can be found as base rookies in the set. Their cards may be worth grading and holding long-term given their future star potential.
Veterans and Hall of Famers like Albert Pujols, Clayton Kershaw, and Yadier Molina also receive base cards paying tribute to their stellar careers. These can make for nice additions to collections focused on specific players.
Parallels in the set include Rainbow Foil, Gold Foil, and Black Foil short prints. These give the set additional layers of complexity for parallel collectors to pursue different colored versions of key cards.
When it comes to the resale market and secondary pricing of 2023 Topps Heritage items, a few things typically hold true:
Hobby boxes can be pre-ordered for $90-100 leading up to the official release date in late March/early April 2023. Once the set is out, the boxes may rise above $120-150 depending on initial card pulls and demand.
Autograph and memorabilia cards from hits can vary wildly in price based on the player. A no-name prospect patch may sell for $20-30 while a 1/1 Mike Trout auto could fetch thousands. Most autographed rookies or stars sell in the $50-200 range.
Key rookie cards like Witt Jr, Rutschman, Rodriguez can appreciate nicely in a PSA 10 gem mint grade if those players break out as expected. Their base rookies may sell for $10-20 raw but $50-100+ graded once proven performers.
Popular veterans, Hall of Famers and legends from the set like Kershaw, Pujols, Derek Jeter tend to hold strong resale prices. Their cards are always in high demand from collectors.
Parallels like the Rainbow Foil short prints of top players can sell for 2-5X the price of the base card. Collectors love chasing these harder to pull parallel versions.
The insert sets like Heritage Minors and All-Time Fan Favorites add to the fun of each box but individual cards usually don’t carry huge resale value unless a major star is featured.
The 2023 Topps Heritage Baseball card set is a must-have release each year for collectors looking to get their baseball card fix with a retro-styled twist. The design pays homage to the 1970s and 1980s while still highlighting today’s top players. Each hobby box is a fun rip containing base cards, inserts, and a chance at a hit. Even if you don’t pull an autograph, the vintage aesthetic of Heritage cards is enough to make the product worth adding to any collection.
