Baseball card collecting saw a resurgence in popularity in 2020, in large part due to people spending more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. One of the most popular modern card sets released in 2020 was Topps Chrome baseball cards. Let’s take a deeper look at these coveted cards that are still highly sought after by collectors.
Topps Chrome has been a staple of the baseball card industry since its introduction in 1999. The set stands out from traditional paper baseball cards due to its use of chrome-infused cardboard stock. This gives the cards a shiny, refracting appearance that pops under light. Collectors appreciate the premium look and feel that chrome cards have compared to standard card stock.
The 2020 Topps Chrome baseball set was no exception when it came to its popular design. The base cards featured player photos on a silver background with team logos and player info. As with past years, parallels and short prints added to the excitement of the product. Topps Chrome is known for including popular parallels like negative, gold, and black refractors that draw significant collector interest. In 2020, the negative refractors featured a dark photo negative look, while gold and black had the standard chrome design but with those accent colors added to the borders.
Perhaps the biggest chase in 2020 Topps Chrome were the coveted 1-of-1 printing plates. These one-of-a-kind cards feature the printing plate image used to create the base cards, without any photo or design elements. Collectors relentlessly search hobby shops and breakers hoping to find one of these ultra-rare 1/1 plates featuring their favorite players. Examples that have surfaced include plates of superstars like Mike Trout, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Fernando Tatis Jr. Given their scarcity and popularity with collectors, printing plates from 2020 Topps Chrome routinely sell for thousands of dollars online.
Rookies are always a major focus for collectors looking to potentially land cards of future stars very early in their careers. The 2020 Topps Chrome set featured several rookies who went on to have stellar debut seasons, making their rookie cards very desirable. Players like Kyle Lewis, Ian Anderson, and Cristian Javier exploded onto the scene and immediately became collector favorites. Their Topps Chrome rookie cards have appreciated greatly in value since release. Even lesser-known rookies saw card values rise dramatically if they had breakout years.
An example is Seattle Mariners outfielder Kyle Lewis. His 2020 Topps Chrome base rookie card was readily available for under $10 upon release. But after Lewis was named American League Rookie of the Year, demand for his rookie skyrocketed. Near mint Lewis rookies now sell for $100-200 each online. Topps Chrome captured Lewis in his debut season before his stardom was apparent. For savvy collectors, finding rookie gems like this in 2020 sets provided great returns.
The pandemic had collectors flocking to the hobby in new droves. This led to an unprecedented demand for newly released 2020 products like Topps Chrome. Boxes and blasters that previously sat on shelves were rapidly cleared out. The surge in interest also drove up the prices of individual cards on the secondary market. Sites like eBay saw bidding wars and record sale prices for top rookies, parallels, and short prints from 2020 Topps Chrome. Even base cards of superstar veterans like Mike Trout and Christian Yelich commanded high prices.
As we move farther away from the initial 2020 release period, the collector fervor for Topps Chrome has remained quite high. The pandemic hobby boom brought in many new lifelong collectors. They now seek out 2020 sets to build complete rainbow collections of their favorite players. This sustained demand means vintage 2020 Topps Chrome boxes still fetch prices well above their original MSRP a year and a half later. Singles also hold strong secondary market value.
Looking ahead, the 2020 Topps Chrome rookie class and standout parallels will likely achieve iconic status among collectors and investors. Their cards were produced at the dawn of a new generation of fans entering the hobby. Sets capturing memorable seasons and players during unprecedented times often become highly valuable in the long run. For those reasons, the 2020 Topps Chrome release will surely be regarded as a seminal set in the future. Serious collectors would be wise to hold examples they acquire for potential great appreciation down the road.
In summary, 2020 Topps Chrome baseball cards proved to be an immensely popular and valuable modern release. Its sharp chrome design, exciting rookie class, and well-timed release during the hobby’s revival have collectors still eagerly seeking out cards from the set today. Examples remain reasonably obtainable, though premium rookies, short prints and 1/1s carry premium secondary market prices. Overall, 2020 Topps Chrome solidified its place as one of the most iconic and investment-worthy annual issues in the modern era of the hobby.
