Topps has been the premier producer of baseball cards since the 1950s and their 2021 baseball card releases were highly anticipated by collectors. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the best and most sought after cards from Topps’ Big League and other 2021 baseball card releases.
The Topps Big League 2021 base set featured current stars from across MLB on 555 total cards. Some of the most valuable base cards included star rookies like Reds 2B Jonathan India and White Sox OF Andrew Vaughn. India and Vaughn had tremendous rookie seasons that have kept collector interest in their base rookie cards high. Other highly-coveted base cards depict perennial All-Stars and likely Hall of Famers such as Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Ronald Acuña Jr. These types of cards of established superstar players can often gain long-term value as their careers progress.
Topps Big League 2021 also included various insert sets beyond the base cards. The Archives Gallery insert set featured retro designs inspired by Topps cards of the past. Some of the most sought after parallels in the Archives Gallery set were low-numbered parallels of stars on aesthetically-pleasing vintage designs that triggered collectors’ nostalgia. The “Mythic” parallels featuring cards like Tatis Jr., Acuña Jr. and Pete Alonso on a 1969-style design design were hot commodities.
Another acclaimed insert set was Topps Big League 2021 Gold Label. These refractors featured foil and holofoil techniques to make certain cards like Christian Yelich, Shane Bieber, and Bo Bichette shimmer in collectors’ hands. The 1/1 super-short printed parallels were white-whale holy grails that commanded huge price tags. Certain parallels like Acuña Jr. and Juan Soto Gold Label /10 cards experienced tremendous collector demand.
Topps Big League Series 2 brought another wave of sought-after rookie cards like Rays SS Wander Franco. Franco is considered a true “once in a generation” superstar prospect and his cards exploded in popularity and value after his much-anticipated MLB debut. His Series 2 base card rocketed up collector rankings and price guides. Another standout rookie from Series 2 was Guardians 3B Nolan Jones who showed promise in his inaugural season.
The Elite Extra Edition insert set in Topps Big League Series 2 was a favorite among collectors. Featuring die-cut shapes and sharp crisp photography, cards like Tim Anderson and Corbin Burnes really popped on card show tables. The most intensely pursued parallels spanned various numbers between /10 and /5 copies, making them verifiably rare collector targets.
To fuel even more collector fervor, Topps Big League Series 2 included a small assortment of 1/1 Printing Plates. These one-of-a-kind collector treasures that featured the untouched printing plate material spawned bidding wars online and at conventions. Plates of superstars like Trout, Betts, Tatis Jr. and more broke collector bank accounts.
Beyond the main Topps Big League releases, several special parallel sets branched out to entice collector avidity. Projects 2020 featured a nostalgic throwback design with parallel issues of stars like Freddie Freeman and Juan Soto at ultra-short prints. Tons of collector hype surrounded the super high-value color variations. Additionally, Topps Heritage had a coveted parallel featuring vintage designs that collectors fawned over en masse. Parallels of Acuña Jr. and deGrom like Heritage Minors /99 sold out lightning fast.
In conclusion, Topps’ 2021 Major League Baseball releases like Topps Big League Series 1 and 2 contained a well-balanced assortment of the game’s brightest stars, top rookies and intriguing inserts that kept collectors engaged all year long. Chasing short-printed parallel versions of emerging talents like Franco and established superstars like Tatis Jr. and Trout continues to drive collector fervor in the modern hobby. As time passes, the cards from these 2021 releases that depict iconic player performances and milestones will likely achieve elite status as long-term collectibles.
