Each year, Topps releases its highly-anticipated baseball card sets to much fanfare. The 2017 Topps series was no exception, featuring cards of today’s biggest stars and most sought-after rookie cards. As with any collectible hobby, certain cards increase dramatically in value after release due to increased demand, low print runs, and other factors. Several 2017 Topps cards have already achieved immense prices in the secondary market. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most expensive 2017 Topps baseball cards just a few short years after the set hit shelves.
The card achieving the highest price so far from the 2017 Topps set is the Mike Trout autograph refractor card (#270). Trout is widely considered the best player in baseball today and his rookie cards from years past command enormous sums. The 2017 Trout autograph refractor was limited to only 10 copies printed. This extreme scarcity has driven the card’s secondary market price up over $30,000, making it easily the most valuable card from the flagship Topps release. With Trout still in his prime and on pace to go down as one of the all-time greats, his autographed rookies and star cards hold tremendous long-term collectibility.
Another massive hitter is the Aaron Judge rookie autograph refractor (#249). Judge’s monster 2017 rookie season that saw him break the rookie home run record still captivates collectors. The blue refractor parallel of his Topps rookie autograph card carries an estimate around $15,000 due to its limited quantity. Judge mania shows no signs of slowing and his continually rising playing ability maintains strong demand for this early prize piece from his collection. It remains one of the most iconic cards pulled from 2017 Topps hobby boxes and factories printed a reported mere 12 copies.
Turning to the common refractors, Gleyber Torres claimed the third costliest 2017 Topps card at around $2,500. Torres enjoyed an outstanding 2018 rookie season with the Yankees and cemented himself as a rising star. As a promising young player on a storied franchise, Torres attracts considerable collector attention. His red refractor parallel (#312) appreciates more each year removed from pack date. Topps is estimated to have manufactured approximately 50 of this sought-after rookie refractor, driving up the secondary value.
Beyond autographs and parallels of the game’s elite, certain base rookie cards command four-figure asking prices too. Corey Seager, the 2016 NL Rookie of the Year, appeared near the front of Series 1 in the debut Topps card of his sophomore campaign (#77). Seager had begun living up to his prospect hype and established himself as a cornerstone player for the Dodgers. Collectors pay around $1,000 for this early Seager rookie despite it not featuring any special parallels or signatures. His consistent excellence raises hopes that it may achieve Trout-like heights as his career progresses.
Cody Bellinger holds a similar rookie base card status after winning 2017 NL Rookie of the Year honors and rocketing out of the gate in 2018. Bellinger’s main Topps rookie card from Series 1 checks in at a robust $900-1,000 range. (#188) Bellinger remains one of the most intriguing young talents in baseball and his first Topps issue remains a hot commodity, showing his early promise translated into production. As he continues ascending, so too may this key piece of his rookie collection appreciate. Both Seager and Bellinger’s standard rookie cards represent important milestones for star players that fuel ongoing demand.
Rounding out the top valuable 2017 Topps regular issue cards are Ronald Acuña Jr. and Juan Soto, who both broke out as 19-year-old rookies. Acuña’s primary Topps debut sells for $500-700 and Soto’s goes for $300-500 depending on grade. These prices signify the high hopes collectors continue to hold for these exceptionally talented rookies following their early success and point to cards that may potentially become much more costly down the road should Acuña and Soto live up to lofty expectations. With so many premier prospects debuting each year, only the true stars tend to maintain heavy demand for their initial Topps issues years later.
Certain 2017 Topps cards have already reached five-figure prices barely three seasons after release due to star players like Trout, Judge and Torres, high-grade short-printed parallels, and enduring demand for budding stars’ earliest rookie issues. As long as collectors remain passionate about accruing sought-after pieces from newly blossoming careers, flagship sets like Topps Series 1 will birth numerous valuable modern era cards that hold promise of appreciating exponentially. The 2017 Topps season represented another opportunity to obtain scarce parts of burgeoning collections before prices became prohibitive.
