Target has been a leader in offering affordable trading cards and sports collectibles to fans for decades. With the 2022 MLB season in full swing, Target continues this tradition by stocking shelves with the latest Topps baseball card releases. Whether you’re a casual collector, die-hard fan, or looking for a fun new hobby, Target provides an accessible way to add to your collection or start a new one.
Topps has reigned as the chief manufacturer and licensee of MLB trading cards since the 1950s. Each year, they produce numerous baseball card products timed around the regular season. This includes flagship releases like Series 1, Series 2, Update, and Highlights. These multi-player sets are the backbone of the modern baseball card hobby, offering affordable wax packs and boxes filled withtoday’s top players.
One of Topps’ earliest and most anticipated drops for 2022 was Series 1, which arrived at Target stores in late February/early March. The base cards feature crisp photography on a thicker stock than years past. Ranging from common to highly sought-after short prints and parallels, Series 1 cards capture the excitement of Spring Training and get collectors excited for opening day. Target offered Series 1 in multiple formats, from basic 12-count packs to fat packs and value boxes.
Building on the success and nostalgia of their annual releases, Topps introduced several new baseball card products exclusive to major retailers in 2022. At Target, collectors could find exclusive Jumbo Packs containing three extra bonus cards alongside the standard 12-card packs. With higher odds of hitting coveted rookie talents, these jumbos became a hot seller fast. Additionally, Target introduced “Value Boxes” packed with even more bonus cards than jumbos for greater card-pulling potential.
Throughout the season, Target stocked new Topps Series 2 which began arriving on shelves in late May/early June. Following a similar format to Series 1, Series 2 cards spotlighted updated stats, performances through the season’s first few months. Of course, collectors hoped to pull the highly sought-after short prints and autographs only available within the Series 2 checklist. The Target-exclusive jumbos and value boxes once again provided advanced strategies for completing sets quickly.
Updating collections with the year’s prominent rookies and breakout players was the mission of Topps Update. Released throughout August and September, Topps Update added any players who debuted after Series 1 and 2 to the annual checklist. Rookies like Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez and Atlanta’s Michael Harris II became overnight fan favorites, and their Update cards and parallels were chased avidly. Target’s Update product selection made it easier than ever to efficiently hunt these coveted rookie cards.
Throughout the summer, Target also carried special Topps baseball releases centered around key pop culture moments and milestones. Highlights sets paid homage to historic achievements like Albert Pujols hitting 700 career home runs. Retail exclusives like Topps Golden Moments highlighted recent postseason stars. Around the All-Star break, Topps Stadium Club and Chrome hit Target with dazzling foil treatments and autographs of the games brightest names. There was always something new for collectors to discover on Target’s baseball card aisle each month.
For the more intensive collector seeking higher-end cards, Target locations exclusively offered luxury Topps products as well. Starting in the hundreds of dollars, these included special autographed and memorabilia boxes with hits from legendary players past and present. Ending the season in triumph was the Target-exclusive release of Topps National Baseball Card Day, timed for August 13th. Filled bonuses and commemorative cards, these souvenir boxes rewarded devoted collectors for following the baseball card releases all season long.
Target has distinguished itself as the definitive one-stop shop for baseball cards in 2022 and beyond. Whether hunting flagship Topps Series releases, exclusive retail products, or high-end memorabilia boxes, collectors have appreciated the wide scope of baseball card offerings always in stock at affordable prices. By maintaining massive inventories and stocking new products instantly upon release, Target allows every level of fan easy participation in the exciting world of MLB card collecting. As long as baseball and Topps trading cards endure, Target will continue fueling this beloved American tradition for generations to come.
