The 2023 Topps baseball card set is highly anticipated by collectors thanks to several factors that could make certain cards very rare and valuable in the years to come. After massive production runs in 2021 and 2022 to meet surge of interest during the pandemic, Topps took a more measured approach in ’23, and the odds of pulling coveted rookie cards or parallel insert variations have significantly decreased compared to recent years.
Topps’ flagship baseball release has always been the most collectible and desirable set on the market. While the base rookie cards of up-and-coming stars like Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr., and Spencer Strider will be widely available, low print runs and distinct parallels could turn a handful into truly rare gems worth thousands down the road. Here’s a primer on some of the scarcest 2023 Topps issues collectors will be hunting.
Refractors are the first parallel collectors chase after each season, and ’23 Refractors will be noticeably rarer finds in hobby boxes compared to the past couple years. Topps cut back Refractor odds to around 1 per hobby box on average according to early reports, down from 2-3 commonly pulled in ‘21 and ’22. This makes Refractors of top rookies like Oneil Cruz, Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson highly coveted short prints.
Another parallel collectors go nuts for annually are Rainbow Foils, which feature vibrant color matching the player’s uniform. Rainbow Foil rookie cards of 2023 breakouts will command big money long-term since they’re estimated to hit around 1 per every 3 hobby cases. That scarcity means Witt Jr, Rodriguez and Strider Rainbows could easily fetch $500+ raw once the dust settles.
Topps Chrome update Series 2 releases around August/September and usually homes in on the season’s top prospects being promoted to the majors. Given the condensed print runs however, any prized Chrome rookie refractor or parallel from ‘23 Uppers will hold immense long-term value. Look for names like Gavin Stone, Druw Jones and Termarr Johnson to shine extra bright in the set.
As in years past, Topps Finest remains the pinnacle high-end baseball release featuring refractors, colors and laser inscriptions parallels at extremely low odds. Finest rookies are considered the true short prints of any given season. Witt Jr, Cruz and Cruz’s Topps Finest rookie refractors have potential to rise above $1000 raw in the collector marketplace down the road.
An exciting new addition to the 2023 offerings is the ultra-premium Topps Chrome RED refractor parallel, limited to a minuscule 1:1000 packs. Pulling the red refractor of a transcendent rookie like Rodriguez would give any collector instant riches – conservatively valued around $10,000 based on past short prints. Topps Chrome RED is destined to become one of the set’s holy grails.
As Topps experiments with various dimensions to their signature style, experimenting with dimension, more inset designs, Marvel collaborations and novel aesthetic choices, certain variation errors or one-offs could end up being the rarest finds of all. Mistakes, manufacturing flaws or forgotten prototypes that sneak into packs may become the most prized oddities in collections due to their utterly singular nature. While impossible to predict, such errors always excite the hunting instincts of die-hard collectors.
While certainly tough pulls, savvy collectors can still land scarce parallels and short prints by collecting through reputable breakers, bundle sites or the trading marketpost-release. The most dedicated will pursue 2023 Topps with vigour knowing that patients and preserving cards in Near Mint+ condition will yield the best returns long-term. Rare rookie refractors, colors and other parallel injections of stardom that occur this season are sure to delight collectors for decades as the shining stars of baseball’s next golden era.
Whether pursuing base sets, chase cards or oddball variations, the 2023 Topps release promises an exciting new hunt. Only time will tell which fresh rookie sensations emerge to take the baseball world by storm. But for modern collectors, finding that one transcendent rookie refractor or spectacular parallel locked inside the upcoming crop of packs could lead to a long-term scoring far greater than any on-field feat. The chase is on!
