The 2021 Topps Heritage baseball card set brought back the retro design aesthetic that fans love from years past. While the vintage look was appreciated, card collectors also found an exciting surprise – several production errors that created quite a bit of buzz in the hobby. Error cards, which occur when something goes wrong in the printing process, can be extremely valuable depending on the type of mistake. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most significant error variants found in packs of 2021 Topps Heritage baseball.
One of the first errors noticed was on the card of Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani. On the standard base version of his card, the copyright information at the bottom incorrectly listed “TOPPS 2020” instead of “TOPPS 2021.” This small but noticeable typo generated interest right away since it clearly showed that 2020 copyright text was mistakenly left on the printing plates used to produce this year’s set. The 2020 Ohtani error quickly became a hot commodity online as savvy collectors recognized its significance. Near-mint copies now sell for $50-75, far more than the standard issue version.
Another popular error focused on Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman. A small subset within the Heritage set features player cards with a sepia-toned “Golden Greats” design parallel. On Freeman’s Golden Greats card, the photo was mistakenly replaced by that of Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto. This major image swap created a true one-of-a-kind oddball that had collectors scrambling to find. Only a handful are believed to exist in circulation. Recently, a pristine copy sold at auction for an astounding $850. Clearly, errors involving swapped photos or text have much greater appeal than minor printing glitches.
Speaking of swapped images, Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez had not one but two different photo errors found within the Heritage set. The first saw his standard issue card use an image of Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson instead. This became known as the “Jose Ramirez/Tim Anderson” mistake. Around the same time, collectors discovered that the photo on Ramirez’s Golden Greats parallel was wrong yet again – showing Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant posing in place of Ramirez. Both of these double-image swap errors instantly became must-have prizes for any error card collector. PSA Gem Mint 10 examples of the Anderson and Bryant versions now sell in the $300-400 range each.
In addition to image and text errors, alignment problems were also spotted within the 2021 Topps Heritage release. Perhaps the most visually striking was noticed on the base card for Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena. His name was misaligned significantly lower than normal directly above the photo. Some believe this occurred when the printing plate shifted slightly out of place during production. The “Low Name Randy Arozarena” error stood out immediately and holds value at $50-75 per copy in top condition. Another alignment error saw St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina’s name printed too high above his image. Like the Arozarena, this “High Name Yadier Molina” mistake is sought after.
The Heritage set is also known for its popular parallel variations like ‘Gold Mint’, ‘Silver Mint’, and ‘Rainbow Foil’. Errors were found amongst these premium versions as well. Most notable was an unreleased sample version of Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich’s card showing through on packs instead of the intended Rainbow Foil parallel. Topps had apparently forgotten to remove the test Yelich card from the printing plates before production. Only a tiny number are believed to exist. After much internet debate if it was real, one recently sold for a staggering $1,500.
In total, over 15 different error variants have been reported from 2021 Topps Heritage baseball so far. While fun to find, errors also hold greater value long-term for collectors. They represent accidental one-of-a-kind anomalies that add an extra layer of history and intrigue to the traditional vintage design of Heritage. As more discoveries are still being made, the hunt continues to find that special mistake that makes an ordinary card into an extraordinary financial prize. For error card aficionados, 2021 Topps Heritage provided some true gems to treasure.
