The 2022 Topps baseball card release features several highly coveted chase cards that collectors will be eagerly pursuing. Topps has a long tradition of including short print and autograph cards in their flagship baseball sets that take on a life of their own in the collecting community. These scarce insert cards add excitement to the hobby and entice collectors to purchase boxes and packs with the hope of landing a big hit.
Some of the top chase cards from the 2022 Topps base set include the coveted rainbow foil parallels. Topps inserts hyper-short printed rainbow foil parallel cards into their releases that are hand numbered to only 10 copies or less. Landing one of these rare parallel cards in 2022 would be a huge score, as they command enormous resale value due to their extreme scarcity. The designs are also eye-catching with their iridescent foil patterns.
Another sought-after parallel are the gold label parallel cards. Topps inserts gold label parallels, which are hand numbered to only 50 copies, into their standard baseball sets. These shiny gold parallels immediately stand out in a collection. While not quite as scarce as the rainbow foils, the gold labels are still extremely tough pulls that excite collectors when they emerge from a pack. Top rookies and star players on the gold label parallels are especially valuable.
Topps also has a long tradition of including autograph and memorabilia cards as chase inserts in their baseball releases. For the 2022 set, some of the most coveted autographed inserts include:
Topps Chrome Autographs – Topps Chrome is known for its refractors and color parallels, but the autograph parallels take the insert to another level. Top rookies and stars signed on the Chrome stock are beautiful cards that can be worth thousands. The short prints are incredibly rare.
Topps Fire Autographs – Topps Fire inserts utilize a translucent orange parallel card stock that refracts light in a mesmerizing fashion. When paired with an on-card autograph from a big name player, these inserts create a true fireworks display in a collection. Only a handful are produced of each signature.
Topps Holiday Parallel Autographs – For several years now, Topps has inserted autographed parallels of its cards on special holiday designs around Christmas. These Christmas-themed and New Years-themed autographs have become highly anticipated chase cards that collectors hope to uncover on December pack-busting nights.
Topps Transcendent Collection Autographs – The flagship Transcendent Collection insert set features 1/1 autograph cards crafted from rare game-used materials that Topps has preserved in its vast memorabilia archives. Past editions have included patches from jerseys, pieces of bats, and other rare signed memorabilia cards that are truly one-of-a-kind collector’s items.
The 2022 Topps base set also has several exciting short print variations that collectors will be on the hunt for, including the elusive SP variations. Topps inserts SP parallel cards into their standard releases that are printed in far lower quantities than the base cards. Rookie SPs and star player SPs in particular hold premium value. Another variation collectors chase are the gold SP parallels, which take the scarcity of SPs to an even rarer level with their limited 50 card print runs.
Topps Allen & Ginter’s baseball mini-set, which is randomly inserted into Hobby Jumbo Boxes of 2022 Topps, also contains several chase cards. The A&G mini boxes offer collectors a fun bonus product with various parallel and autograph chase cards of their own. Popular inserts include the Hand-Collated Autographs, which feature unique collage-style autograph relic cards cut and signed by the players themselves.
With so many scarce and coveted short prints, autographs, parallels and variations distributed at extremely low print runs, the 2022 Topps baseball release provides a fun and rewarding chase for collectors. While the odds of landing the true 1/1 hits are astronomical, the excitement of the hunt is what keeps collectors eagerly ripping packs and boxes with hopes of getting lucky with an elusive chase card. For the serious collector, it’s a rush not to be missed. Whether collecting for investment purposes or to simply enjoy the artistic cards, the 2022 Topps release delivers an abundance of chase opportunities for the hobby.
