The 2012 Topps baseball card series was one of the more popular and lucrative issues in recent years. Despite competition from brands like Bowman and Leaf, Topps remained the dominant force in the hobby. Their 2012 offering featured several highly sought after rookie cards and parallels that have held value well. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the top 2012 Topps baseball cards that were hot items then and remain so today among collectors.
Bryce Harper (card #57) – Widely considered one of the best MLB prospects of all time, Harper’s rookie card exploded in popularity and demand in 2012. Still just 19 years old at the time, Harper was already creating a buzz in his partial 2011 season with the Washington Nationals. Topps wisely made his base rookie card relatively scarce to drive collector demand. Today PSA 10 grades of Harper’s 2012 Topps RC routinely sell for over $1000, a true indicator of its elite status. Numerous parallel and autographed versions also carry premium prices.
Mike Trout (card #86) – While Trout had broken out in 2011 and finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting, few could have predicted his ascension to being one of the greatest players of all-time. His Topps rookie card became a must-have for Angels fans and trout collectors alike after his 2012 AL MVP campaign. Like Harper, it remains one of the most valuable modern rookie cards. PSA 10s trade hands for $800-1000 range. Topps Chrome and refractors hold special cachet with enthusiasts as well.
Jurickson Profar (card #143) – Considered the top prospect in the Rangers system and all of baseball in 2012, Profar’s minor league stats and tools had evaluators drooling. As such, his Topps rookie card saw heavy demand right out of the pack despite Profar not debuting in the majors until 2013. While injuries have slowed his career trajectory since, mint Profar rookies still pull in $125-200 due to his former top prospect pedigree.
Matt Moore (card #216) – A highly coveted pitching prospect, Moore had made his Tampa Bay Rays debut in 2011 with great success. His sophomore 2012 campaign where he went 11-11 with an ERA under 4 and over 150 strikeouts only increased demand for his Topps base rookie. PSA 10 grades have settled in the $75 range in recent years.
Wil Myers (card #302) – As a top prospect in the Kansas City Royals system, Myers’ combination of power and plate discipline had scouts big on his future. He didn’t make his MLB debut until 2013 after a mid-2012 trade to the Rays, but collector demand was there from the get go for his rookie card. While normally a $30-50 card in Gem Mint, short printed parallels command much premiums.
Stephen Strasburg (card #307) – After electrifying in his 2010 rookie season but missing nearly all of 2011 due to Tommy John surgery, Strasburg’s return to form in 2012 had Washington fans and the hobby excited all over again. The prized Nationals arm’s base rookie card remains popular around the $50-70 range over a decade later.
Mike Fiers (card #356) – Perhaps one of the more unexpected riser stars in recent years, Fiers broke out with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2012 to go 8-6 with an ERA under 3. While he flew under the radar prospect-wise, his relative scarcity and ace-quality seasons since have pushed his rookie card prices up. PSA 10s have sold for over $100 on the market.
Coco Crisp (card #386) – As a veteran having a career year with the A’s in 2012 while helping lead them to the AL West title, Crisp’s popularity rose. Theinserted Red Refractor parallel of his base Topps card, limited to just 5 copies, became one of the true holy grails for A’s fans and Oakland collectors. Estimated in the $1500-3000 range when it hits the resale market.
Miguel Cabrera (card #450) – Already a superstar by 2012 but having arguably his best season en route to a Triple Crown and AL MVP, Cabrera was a lock for any baseball collector’s want list. While his base rookie is out of most budgets, short printed parallels still carry demand. The 1/1 Gold Refractor parallel could garner a massive auction price someday.
Those represent some of the true blue chip 2012 Topps baseball cards that were hot out of the pack and retain strong collector interest to this day. Many factors influence the prices such as parallels, autographs, prospect pedigree and on-field accomplishments post-issue. But the brand power of Topps along with some all-time rookie talents ensured this set would produce several classics for the long run. 2013 saw more new star rookies like Jose Fernandez and Wil Myers take the hobby by storm as well. But the 2012 edition kicked off another golden era of mainstream demand and collecting enthusiasm.
While trends, tastes and player performance can fluctuate the hobby over time, sets like 2012 Topps prove their staying power through historically significant rookie cards, chase hits and attachments to contending teams and storylines from that season. The brands, talents and memories engrained in such phenomenal issues keep collectors hunting and these cards trading hands at robust values years after their initial release.
