The 2006 Topps baseball card set featured several rare and highly sought after cards that have become very valuable collectors items over the years. issued in packs from March 2006 through the end of the season, the flagship Topps set from that year contained several autograph and serially numbered parallels that have major significance for collectors.
One of the rarest cards from the 2006 Topps set is the legendary Chipper Jones 1/1 printing plate autograph card. Printing plates are the thin sheet of aluminum used to make the images that are transferred onto the cardboard stock for each card. After being etched, printing plates are usually disposed of, but on rare occasions Topps has obtained one to autograph for extremely limited collector’s editions. The Chipper Jones printing plate auto from 2006 is widely considered the crown jewel among collectors from that year as it is truly one-of-a-kind. After changing hands privately a few times, it was auctioned by Goldin Auctions in 2018 for an astounding $92,400, setting the record for highest price paid for a single 2006 Topps baseball card.
Two other ultra-rare 2006 Topps autograph parallels that command high prices are the Albert Pujols and Ken Griffey Jr. 1/1 autograph patch cards. Both feature on-card autographs with swatches of game-worn jersey material embedded on the front of the cards. The Pujols auto jersey parallel in particular has become the holy grail for collectors of the slugging Cardinals star and consistently trades in auctions for $30,000-50,000 when it comes up for bidding. The rare Griffey Jr. auto patch only the second of his entire career following an iconic 2001 Upper Deck issue – also regularly achieves 5 figures due to his legendary status and the scarcity of quality game-used memorabilia cards from his playing days.
Along with Printing Plates and Autographed Patch cards, Numbered Parallels are always a big draw for collectors chasing the rarest 2006 Topps variants. Some highly valuable serially limited inserts include the /50 Blue Refractor parallels of rookie sensations Justin Verlander, Ryan Braun and Troy Tulowitzki. While their base rookies can be acquired for a couple hundred dollars, mint condition copies of their bright blue refractor parallels still command over $1,000 each given only 50 were produced.
Other desired numbered parallels include Gold Refractors (/50), Platinum Refractors (/25), and White Refractors (/10). Featuring superstar veterans like Derek Jeter, Ken Griffey Jr., Roger Clemens and Alex Rodriguez, pristine examples of their lowest numbered refractors regularly bring 4 figures at auction. That’s a far cry from the, at most, few dollars their basic base cards sell for.
The 2006 Topps set also had several rare serialized insert sets that are big ticket items for devoted collectors. Among them, the Treasures of the Hunt autograph relic cards numbered to only 25 copies featuring legends like Hank Aaron, Bob Gibson and Yogi Berra. Grading a gem mint 10, they can fetch $5,000-10,000 depending on the player featured.
Short prints also carried a premium, such as the coveted Jim Thome All-Star card mistakenly omitted from Series 1 packs which had to be distributed as a mail-in reward. High grade specimens trade hands for $800-1200 in the secondary market. Meanwhile, the ultra-tough to find Hank Aaron 700th Home Run retrospective mini cards numbered to only 100 copies have achieved $600+ prices due to their exclusivity and subject matter highlighting the Hammer’s historic career milestone.
While base cards and most commons from the 2006 Topps baseball set can be acquired cheaply in bulk lots today, the premium autograph, relic and short print parallels remain widely demanded by collectors willing to spend top dollar to add true icons and one-of-a-kind pieces from that memorable season to their lifelong collections. Years after their original packaging, the rarest of the rare still hold strong appeal and value for those seeking out the most exclusive contemporary keepsakes from the sport’s rich history.
