Costco is known for offering great deals on bulk items and necessities for consumers. Many may not realize that Costco also offers a wide selection of trading cards, including some of the most popular sports card brands like Topps. Topps has been the dominant force in baseball cards for decades and Costco often carries Topps baseball card products at discounted prices.
Topps has held the exclusive license to produce MLB baseball cards since 1953. Each year they release new sets featuring the current season’s players and rookies. Some of their most popular annual releases include Series 1, Series 2, Allen & Ginter, Stadium Club, and Topps Chrome. Costco typically stocks a good selection of the latest Topps baseball card releases throughout the season.
One of the main advantages of shopping for Topps cards at Costco is the discounted pricing compared to hobby shops and online retailers. For example, a standard 36-count hanger box of 2022 Topps Series 1 retails for around $15 elsewhere but can often be found for $10-12 at Costco. Jumbo packs containing 24 cards instead of the standard 9 are normally $20 but Costco sells them for $15-17. Even high-end products like Topps Chrome jumbo boxes of 50 cards per pack are discounted 10-15% off MSRP.
In addition to current year releases, Costco also carries Topps baseball card products from past seasons. Their inventory tends to focus on sets from the last 2-3 years but occasionally they’ll have boxes and packs available from as far back as 5-10 years ago. This gives collectors a chance to add older and harder to find parallels, rookies, and stars to their collections without paying inflated secondary market prices.
Some specific Topps baseball card items that frequently show up in Costco warehouses include:
2022 Topps Series 1 & 2 hanger boxes, blasters, and jumbo packs
2021 Topps Series 1 & 2 blasters and jumbo packs
2020 Topps Series 1 & 2 blasters and jumbo packs
Topps Chrome baseball jumbo boxes from the last 2-3 seasons
Topps Allen & Ginter jumbo packs and blasters from recent years
Topps Stadium Club blasters and jumbo packs from 1-2 years ago
While the stock varies between locations and restocks, dedicated collectors can usually find some vintage Topps items too. Examples would be jumbo packs and blasters from sets like 2015 Topps Update, 2014 Topps Series 2, and 2012 Topps Chrome. It’s always worth perusing the trading card aisle to see what older Topps products they may have marked down.
One thing to note – since Costco deals in bulk, their Topps baseball card inventory usually consists of larger format packs and boxes. Things like standard hobby packs, fat packs, and value packs are less common. For collectors looking to build full sets or target specific parallels and hits, the jumbo packs are a more cost effective way to rip packs. And boxes offer the chance to pull valuable autographs, memorabilia cards, and numbered parallels.
While supplies do sell out quickly for in-demand new releases, Costco restocks their trading card section periodically throughout the season. Subscribing to their email list is a good way to stay on top of when fresh shipments of Topps baseball cards arrive in warehouses. It’s also worth checking the trading card aisle every few weeks even if an email isn’t received, as restocks can happen unexpectedly.
Dedicated collectors have learned that hunting for Topps baseball cards deals at Costco is absolutely worth the time. Being able to add boxes and packs to their collections for 10-20% less than elsewhere adds up over time. And the occasional finds of older, out of print Topps sets mixed in makes the shopping trips even more exciting. Whether seeking the latest rookies or building full vintage runs, Costco is a baseball card lover’s secret weapon.
