The 1993 Topps triple play baseball card set saw Topps turn up the heat in the competition against rival card maker Fleer. In 1993, both card companies were pulling out all the stops to attract young collectors with innovative card designs, premium materials, memorable rookie cards and chase cards featuring the game’s biggest stars. Topps answered Fleer’s popular 1992 World Series subsets with the 293 card 1993 triple play set that featured dynamic photography, wood grain borders and higher overall production values. Now over 25 years later, this iconic 1990s card set has developed quite a following among vintage baseball card collectors. Let’s take a closer look at some of the top variants, parallels, rookie cards and stars cards from the 1993 Topps triple play set that command the highest values in today’s market.
The standard base set of 293 cards features dynamic action photography throughout with wood grain borders that give each card a vintage, antique look. In excellent mint condition, common base cards from this set trade hands for around $1-3 each. Certain stars, rookie cards, and variants have appreciated greatly since the 1990s. The biggest chase card from the standard base set is undoubtedly the Ken Griffey Jr. card, one of the most iconic baseball cards of the 90s era. High grade Griffey Jr. rookies from this set can fetch $50-75+ in gem mint condition. Another star that commands strong premiums is the Barry Bonds card, which has appreciated steadily due to his late career dominance and home run records. Pristine Bonds cards change hands for $15-25.
Some key rookie variants that fetch high prices include the Chipper Jones rookie, which has surged in recent years due to Jones’ Hall of Fame induction and Atlanta Braves legacy. A flawless Jones rookie can bring in $75-125 depending on buyer interest. The Derek Jeter rookie is another hot commodity, consistently selling for $30-50 in top condition. The Jorge Posada rookie is a personal favorite of mine growing up – and it too gains momentum each year. In top shape the Posada fetches $15-25. Some other top 90s rookie cards to watch for include the Jim Leyritz, Darren Daulton, Terry Mulholland, Brady Anderson and Wilson Alvarez issues which range from $5-15 each in top condition depending on the specific player demand.
While the standard base cards are certainly collecting highlights in their own right, there were also numerous parallel and insert variants produced that boosted the overall complexity of the 1993 Topps Triple Play set. Some examples that have gained popularity with collectors include the gold foil parallel issues that were inserted roughly 1 per pack. These foil variants featuring the same photography but with gold accents are highly sought after by completionists and have appreciated significantly since the 1990s. Top graded examples of key stars like Griffey Jr., Bonds or Jeter can range anywhere from $75-150 for an immaculate gold parallel.
Topps also inserted diamond parallel cards with hologram effects throughout the set roughly 1 per 50 packs or so. While not quite as sparse, mint diamond parallels still hold good value today – with premium examples moving for $25-50 steadily. As for broader insert sets, two particular highlights were the All-Star Cafe’ subset featuring additional photography/variations of All-Star players – with the scarce ’93 AS Game’ box score insert being the biggest hit in the subset currently selling for $75-150 in top condition. The Diamond Kings parallel subset spanning base cards 186-293 and featuring custom diamond/gemstone logos were also popular, with the key stars like Griffey Jr., Frank Thomas and Bonds parallels reaching $25-50 ea. Today.
Perhaps the most visually striking variant were the elusive “Wood Grain Printing Plates” inserted very sparsely throughout packs. Meant as printer proofs for quality control, only a handful are believed to exist of any particular player. As such, the printing plates command astronomical prices today when they rarely hit the open market. Reports of pristine printing plates for the likes of Griffey Jr. and Bonds trading for well over $1000 show just how significant and limited these anomalies have become in the eyes of avid triple play collectors. Overall, 25 years after its original release, the diversity and visual flair of Topps Triple Play cards have certainly helped this classic early 90s set develop a well-deserved cult following among vintage collectors today. With iconic stars, rising rookie stars and myriad scarce parallel issues, it’s easy to see why the 1993 Topps Triple Play baseball card set continues gaining momentum and appreciation within the hobby.
