The 2014 Topps Baseball Card series, released in 2014 to commemorate the 2013 MLB season, contained a total of 782 cards in the base set. As with previous years, Topps included both rookie cards and veteran player cards along with team cards and league leader cards. The 2014 set served as one of the most popular and noteworthy Topps releases in recent memory.
Some key details and highlights about the 2014 Topps Baseball complete base set include:
The set consisted of 782 total cards, with card numbers ranging from 1 to 782. This was larger than the 726 cards in the 2013 Topps set but smaller than some sets from the late 1980s and early 1990s that would contain 800 cards or more.
Topps included rookie cards for many of the top young prospects and call-ups from the 2013 season, such as Jose Fernandez, Wil Myers, Yasiel Puig, and Matt Harvey. These rookie cards have become some of the most valuable from the set in subsequent years.
Veterans like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte received special final season tribute cards since they had all announced 2013 would be their last in the major leagues. These “last hurrah” cards are fan favorites.
Each team received 18 cards dedicated to that franchise, including current players as well as classic past players and managers for that organization. This helped complete team sets that were popular with collectors.
Statistical leaders from 2013 earned “league leader” cards highlighting their accomplishments. Examples included cards for Miguel Cabrera for leading the AL in batting average, Adam Wainwright for ERA in the NL, and others.
Short prints were included throughout the set, ranging from SP to SSP parallels. These variations created challenges for collectors to locate the “harder to find” cards.
Insert sets within the base collection included Topps Legends, All-Time Fan Favorites, and others highlighting classic players throughout MLB history.
Designs and photo quality took a creative step forward versus recent years. Card stock quality was also improved to withstand the test of time and heavy use from collectors.
Upon its initial release, the 2014 Topps Baseball set received widespread acclaim across the hobby. Checklists were eagerly awaited online and in hobby publications. Such enthusiasm from the collector base drove active trading, breaks, and participation in the online community.
Within the first couple years post-release, the 2014 Topps set saw cards appreciate quickly in value, driven by the aforementioned rookie cards and other notables capturing rising on-field popularity and production. Fernandez, Puig, and Harvey especially were in high demand. Fan favorites like Miggy Cabrera and Wainwright also gained secondary market value as their careers progressed.
Team collectors fueled interest in completing local club sets. Challenging variations like the short prints became popular chase cards. Meanwhile, the design innovations and attention to quality established 2014 Topps as a respected, desirable release that collectors aimed to finish. Secondary market price averages for the base set hovered around the $100-150 range in near-complete form by 2017-2018.
In the years since, the 2014 Topps set has endured as a prized vintage release. Rookie cards of established stars that have sadly passed like Fernandez only gain more significance over time. Other notables remain elite talents still performing at the top of their games like Mike Trout, whose Topps rookie received immense focus from collectors. Key veterans like Jeter and Rivera cement their all-time great careers with final-season tribute cards.
Altogether, these factors – the prominent rookies, special parallels, tributes to legends, team-centric approach, innovation in design and production quality – coalesced to make the 2014 Topps Baseball complete set a memorable and respected release. Its longevity is a testament to how Topps captured the essence of the 2013 MLB season through card form in a way that connected with collectors and preserved it for future appreciation. The 2014 Topps set stands out as one of the premier Topps releases in the modern era.
