Topps Heritage is one of the most popular and iconic baseball card sets released each year by Topps. The 2021 Topps Heritage set paid tribute to baseball cards from the late 1960s and included designs, photos and artwork that replicated the look and feel of that era. While there were hundreds of cards in the 2021 Topps Heritage release, here are some of the most notable, valuable and desirable cards collectors were seeking.

One of the true gems of the 2021 Topps Heritage set was the Fernando Tatis Jr. rainbow foil parallel card. Only 10 of these ultra-rare parallel versions existed and they featured Tatis’ photo emblazoned with iridescent rainbow colors. Tatis had a breakout season in 2020 and was already one of the brightest young stars in baseball. His parallel from the Heritage set commanded prices well over $1,000 due to the extreme limited nature. Other top young stars like Juan Soto and Ronald Acuña Jr. also had desirable and pricey parallel cards in the set.

Veteran superstars still carried value as well. The Mike Trout base card remained a popular and worthwhile card to chase. While common, any Trout card holds value due to his status as perhaps the best player of his generation. The parallel versions of Trout’s card were even more special. Legendary players like Ken Griffey Jr., Nolan Ryan and Cal Ripken Jr. also had highly sought after base and parallel cards that paid homage to their incredible careers and legacies in the game.

Rookie cards were another major highlight and collection focus of the 2021 Topps Heritage release. Top prospects like Wander Franco, Bobby Witt Jr. and Jarred Kelenic were just beginning their MLB journeys but had already generated plenty of buzz and excitement. Their rookie cards, especially the parallel and short printed versions, were a hot commodity. More established young rookies like Luis Robert and Alec Bohm also had rookie cards that held significant value.

Vintage players and throwbacks to the 1960s were a big part of what made Topps Heritage unique. Cards paying tribute to icons like Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente allowed collectors a chance to obtain pieces featuring the legends of that era. Parallel and autograph versions exponentially increased the value. Hometown heroes were also highlighted with special cards honoring the likes of Harmon Killebrew and Tony Gwynn. International stars like Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Matsui received noteworthy cards as well.

Autograph cards were a major collector chase within the 2021 Topps Heritage release. Autographed versions of the top young stars like Tatis, Acuña and Soto could sell for thousands. Legend autographs of players no longer living exponentially drove up prices. Rare 1/1 parallel autographs featuring the biggest names were true holy grails. Topps did feature several prominent retired players in their autograph checklist like Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Craig Biggio to satisfy older collector demand.

Short prints were another major collector quest. Topps Heritage typically features several cards per box that are printed in extremely limited numbers, making them very difficult to obtain. Any card that was discovered to be a short print instantly spiked in value. Rarity is always a major factor for collectors and short prints epitomize that scarcity. Finding one of the elusive short prints was a true thrill and score.

While the 2021 Topps Heritage set had over 700 total cards, the standouts featured the biggest young stars, legendary veterans, coveted rookies, throwbacks to 1960s icons, and especially rare parallel, autographed and short printed specialty cards. The designs paid homage to the past while highlighting the present and future of the game. It captured the best of both vintage and modern collecting. The highly sought after hits and most valuable cards from the release will remain prized possessions in collections for years to come.