The 2021 Topps Baseball card release brought collectors a wide range of sets at various price points. Whether you’re chasing rookie cards of top prospects, parallels of star players, or add valuable accessories like autograph and relic cards to your collection – there was something for everyone in the 2021 Topps lineup. Let’s take an in-depth look at the primary 2021 Topps Baseball release and check out some estimated current market values based on eBay sales data.
Series 1 kicked things off in late January with several popular parallels like Mother’s Day Pink, Father’s Day Blue and Independence Day Red. Rated Rookie cards of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto remain some of the most in-demand common parallels from Series 1, with Guerrero and Tatis regularly selling in the $10-15 range and Soto in the $5-10 range. The Tatis and Soto Independence Day Reds can fetch closer to $20-30 due to their lower print runs.
Series 2 followed in mid-March and introduced Silver Pack Parallels along with additional Color Blasts and Rainbow Foil Variations. Like Series 1, the Tatis Jr. and Guerrero Jr. Rated Rookies continue to hold value at $5-10 for common parallels. The higher-end Silver Pack parallels can sell for $15-25. Top prospect cards of Wander Franco, Bobby Witt Jr. and Jarred Kelenic commonly sell in the $5-10 range as well from Series 2.
Toppschrome delivered a fan-favorite refractor parallel set in April. While the base refractors trade in the $2-5 range typically, the Tatis Jr. and Guerrero Jr. Rated Rookies command $15-25 due to their desirability. Other star rookies like Soto, Acuña Jr. and Albies have base refractors valued at $10-15. Several of the limited Green foil (/150) and Orange refractors (/75) have sold in the $30-50 range as well for top names.
Bowman was next on the docket in May with prospects like Franco, Witt Jr. and Kelenic receiving significant buzz. Base rookie cards from this set commonly sell in the $5-10 range. The Orange Paper (/299) and Green Paper (/499) parallels push values up to $15-25 while the coveted Chrome Autographs and Auto Parallels regularly command three-figure prices. A Wander Franco Autograph sold on eBay recently for just under $700.
Topps Gallery arrived in June with incredible photography on each card. While base rookie cards trade for $3-7 typically, parallels tell a different story. The Blue Foil (/150) rookies range from $15-30 while the super short-printed Silver Signature parallels (/10) have realized prices up to $300-500 depending on the player. Top talents like Tatis Jr. and Acuña Jr. routinely sell for $50-100 in their blue foil variations.
Update followed in late July with no shortage of stars and prospects. As with previous issues, the flagship Rated Rookies hold value in the $5-10 base and $10-20 color parallel range. Short-prints like Gold Foil (/2021) and Platinum Parallel (/1) variations have reached into the hundreds due to their extensive rarity. Standouts from Update include Soto, Juan Yepez and Alejandro Kirk – garnering $10-20 on average for their Update debuts.
Topps Finest arrived in September with its exquisite on-card auto and memorabilia cards coupled with luxurious Refractors and Difractors. Base rookie cards tend to sell between $5-10 each while the incredibly short-printed White Ice Refractors (/10) and Orange Ice Difractors (/5) regularly bring hundreds when major stars are featured. Autograph and memorabilia cards consistently realize prices in the three-figure range or above depending on the player signed or relic contained within.
The Heritage set surfaced in October boasting a retro design with today’s top stars and rookies. Commons trade for $3-7 each but special parallels like the 1950-style Green (/99), Glossy (/25) and Gold (/10) variants push values up significantly. Wander Franco’s Gold parallel sold recently for nearly $400 while Tatis Jr. and Acuña Jr. routinely fetch $100-200 in their low-numbered Heritage variants.
Topps Archives Reserve concluded the year as a high-end nostalgia option in November. Base rookies sell around $8-12 but parallels like the Gold Foil (/50), Atomic Refractors (/25) and White Whale Auto Variations (/5) reach lofty prices. A recent Mike Trout Atomic Refractor pulled in over $600 on eBay. RCs for star rookies of the year like Kelenic, Arozarena and Adolis Garcia also gained interest in the Reserve set at $15-25 each.
Overall, 2021 Topps Baseball was full of breakouts that added new fan-favorite rookie cards to the hobby. Short-printed parallels and luxurious memorabilia cards remained the big ticket items. While base rookies provide an affordable entry point, colors, refractors, autographed versions and low-numbered variations truly drove the high-end market. The 2022 Topps Baseball release is right around the corner continuing to shape today’s baseball landscape.
