The 1999 Topps baseball card set is considered one of the classic and iconic issues from the legendary brand.Released in March of 1999, the 796 card base set featured all 30 Major League teams and included rookie cards and stars from the 1998 season. Some notable rookie cards included Nomar Garciaparra’s update card, Jorge Posada, and Derek Jeter. The design featured a photo centered on each card with a colored border and team logo in the bottom corner. Statistics and career highlights were featured on the back of each card.
Topps introduced parallel and insert sets that added to the excitement and chase to complete the entire collection. The Parallels included Gold Parallels /50, Silver Parallels /99 and X-Fractors which were extremely rare engraved parallel cards. Topps Finest and Topps Chrome were introduced offering refractors and alternative photo variations of base cards. The prized rookie cards parallel inserts included Nomar Garciaparra Gold Refractor /50, Derek Jeter Silver Refractor /99 and Jorge Posada X-Fractor.
Some insert sets featured in the 1999 Topps release included Topps Gallery of Glamour shots highlighting posed portrait shots of players in a glossy black border including Ken Griffey Jr., Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. All-Star Cards featured the 1998 All-Star teams in a silver foil design. Topps Total was a 52 card subset highlighting career statistics on the front with a season recap on the back. Topps Heritage recalled classic designs from the 1970s and 1980s Topps sets. Topps Traded matched the base design but featured players who were traded mid-season.
The chase for star rookies and future Hall of Famers made opening 1999 Topps packs an exciting experience for collectors. Derek Jeter’s base rookie card remains one of the most iconic in the modern era and regularly fetches over $100 PSA 10 gem mint condition. Other top rookie cards that year included Nomar Garciaparra, Jorge Posada, Jason Giambi, Mark Mulder, Ben Sheets, Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano and Chase Utley. The collection also featured veterans and legends at the twilight of their careers such as Nolan Ryan in his final season, Wade Boggs, Eddie Murray, Rickey Henderson, Barry Larkin and Roger Clemens.
Topps remained the undisputed king of the baseball card market in 1999 as the exclusive MLB license holder. Competition began to emerge from brands such as Upper Deck, Donruss, Bowman and Fleer who fought for market share. While the 660 card Upper Deck set contained fewer cards, they featured premium quality and parallel inserts including Refractors. Donruss Diamond Kings inserts were popular as were the traditional Donruss design. Bowman’s was one of the first brands to feature prospects and minor leaguers alongside MLB players. And Fleer EX captured the retro fever with designs inspired by the 1970s era.
The cultural impact of home runs and steroid speculation fueled interest in cards of McGwire, Sosa, Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds. The summer long home run chase of 1998 between McGwire and Sosa helped spark new interest from casual collectors. As a result, the prices of stars from the 1990s peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Near perfect 10 PSA graded examples of Griffey Jr., McGwire and Sosa routinely exceeded $1000 on the secondary market in the late 1990s through the early 2000s sports card boom period.
The 1999 Topps baseball card set encompassed the best players and rookies from a fantastic season memorable for drama both on and off the field. With an iconic classic design, exciting rookie and parallel inserts and featuring the stars of that era both in their prime and twilight, it has become one of the most fondly remembered issues from the modern era. Prices have stabilized in recent years but key Derek Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra and star player rookie cards still hold strong collector demand and value for completing vintage 1990s baseball sets.
