In 2022, Topps released their 70th Anniversary baseball card set to celebrate seven decades of producing America’s favorite collectible. As the leading brand in sports and entertainment cards, Topps has become synonymous with baseball cards over the years. They first started producing gum-backed cards in 1951, quickly dominating the market and becoming the most iconic manufacturer for the childhood hobby.
To honor their rich baseball card history, Topps released a prestigious insert set featuring some of the biggest stars from each decade of their existence. There are a total of 70 cards in the set split into decades from the 1950s through 2010s. Each card features a different legendary player from that era, with various parallels and autographed versions for advanced collectors. Some of the biggest names included are Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Tom Seaver, Cal Ripken Jr, Derek Jeter, and Mike Trout.
The design of the cards pays homage to different Topps sets from each decade represented. For example, the 1950s cards mimic the look of the famous 1952 Topps set with a solid color background. The 1960s cards have sparkling embellishments like the high-gloss 1968 issue. Perhaps the coolest touch is how the autographs are integrated – they actually appear on the baseball pictured on each card just like real signed balls. This adds a very special authentic feel for collectors excited to own game-used memorabilia.
In addition to the base parallel, Topps released several popular premium versions of the 70th Anniversary set. The Autographed Silver Prizm parallel features low-numbered parallels with dazzling colors and textures from the popular Prizm platform. Another big hit was the Hand-Numbered Gold Prizm parallel, limited to only 10 copies worldwide which immediately started bidding wars online. There was also a super short-print 1-of-1 Platinum Prizm parallel created for extremely high-end collectors.
The true crowning jewel was the Exquisite Collection parallel. Limited to a total of just 7 cards (one for each decade), these put an incredible new level of production value and handcrafted details into baseball cards. Each Exquisite card was meticulously designed to resemble an actual autographed photograph, andincludes game-used memorabilia from the player featured. For example, the 1950s Exquisite card combines a Mickey Mantle autograph with swatches of his pants and stirrups actually worn on the field. Needless to say, these instantly became the most valuable cards ever released by Topps with estimates of six figures for a single Exquisite card.
The massive demand and scarcity of this set showed how strong nostalgia can be for Topps’ classic retro designs integrating modern acetate technologies. Within days of release, virtually all versions of the 70th Anniversary cards were completely sold out online. This created a frenzy amongst collectors both young and old wanting to commemorate and collect a piece of Topps’ irreplaceable history in the hobby. Even months later, individual cards were still fetching huge sums in the aftermarket as people sought out their favorite players from the past.
This high-selling success demonstrated that while trends in sports card design and inserts may come and go, the brand equity and passion for Topps’ classic cardboard excellence remains as strong as ever after 70 continuous years. Their commitment to innovation as well as celebrating tradition has kept them at the forefront of the collectibles industry. The 70th Anniversary baseball card set was a true collector’s dream come to life, bridging nostalgia of the past with modern production qualities. It marked an incredible milestone worthy of Topps’ unmatched legacy as king of the baseball card industry.
