The 2017 Topps Baseball Complete Base Set is the flagship baseball card release from Topps for the 2017 Major League Baseball season. For collectors looking to build a complete run of cards from the 2017 season, acquiring the full base set is key. The 2017 complete set contains several special parallel and insert sets in addition to the standard base cards, making for a robust collecting experience.
The 2017 Topps Baseball base set contains 650 cards in total. This includes individual cards for every MLB player on an Opening Day roster as well as managers, coaches, and league executives. Rostered players receive multiple cards each showcasing different action photos while backup and non-rostered players receive single cards. The standard base cards feature a photography-driven design with clean white borders and gray card stock. Players are organized by team on the front with player details like position, batting stats, and career highlights on the back.
In addition to the standard base cards, Topps included five parallel sets within the complete set. Chrome, Diamond Anniversary, Gallery, Independence Day, and Screaming Orange parallels provide collectors with shiny, refractory, and serialized parallel variations of the base cards. The Chrome parallels feature a glossy finish and numbered to /199 copies. Diamond Anniversary cards celebrate Topps’ 75th anniversary of making baseball cards with stylized gold borders and diamond accents. The Gallery parallels feature artistic photography treatments with a metallic foil finish. Independence Day parallels emphasize red, white, and blue designs released around July 4th. Screaming Orange variants stand out with a brilliant orange foil treatment. Collecting a full parallel run adds significant challenge to completing the set.
Several insert sets are also included within the 2017 Topps Complete Set. Highlights Sigs features autographed cards of star players with on-card autographs. Short Prints contain unique photo variations of base cards inserted randomly in packs at an extremely low ratio. Sizzlin’ Stats highlight accomplished players through graphic statistics embeds on the front. Topps Retired include cards of players who have since retired from the MLB. Veteran’s Weekend and Turn Back the Clock Focus On past MLB eras and celebrate heritage uniforms and retired numbers respectively. Collecting a full run of each popular insert set increases the size and depth of the complete 2017 collection significantly.
In addition to the standard English base set, Topps released the set in Spanish and Japanese language variations as well. The Spanish base set parallels the English counterpart but features translated player details, stats, and text on the back. It provides Hispanic collectors an accessible way to follow the sport. The Japanese base set features vertical writing per Japanese publishing standards with Japanese text on the fronts and backs. It allows international fans and collectors to participate. Collecting a tri-lingual or international run of the 2017 set increases its scope worldwide.
Topps has been the undisputed leader in baseball card production since the early 1950s. Their annual flagship release is considered the definitive baseball card set of each season by the collecting community. Completing a 2017 Topps Baseball Complete Set offers collectors ownership of all standard base cards, parallels, and popular inserts from that season. It serves as a snapshot archive of that year in baseball. For avid players and team followers, it’s a must-have keepsake. And for investors, a full set represents an asset that will sustain and potentially increase in value long-term as the sport’s history grows. Amassing a 2017 Topps Complete Baseball Set provides recognition as a true enthusiast within the hobby. It’s a challenging but rewarding undertaking for any dedicated collector.
While the 2017 Topps Baseball cards were released like normal in packs, boxes, and sets during that season, collecting a full complete set years later takes significant effort and determination. Base cards that initially retailed for under $1 each now sell for upwards of $5-10 each depending on the player. Popular parallels and low-print inserts command premium prices well above their issue values. Building a 2017 complete set requires patience, strategy, and accessing the extensive secondary market of online auction sites, trading card forums, and specialty collectibles shops. It’s an intensive scavenger hunt to track down the necessary cards to finish the project.
Not only must a collector obtain each of the over 650 base cards across the various teams and leagues, they must also track down the precise parallel and insert variants within the established numbering and ratios. Misprints, anomalies, and coveted 1/1 printing plates take the challenge to an extreme level. Consulting checklists, guides, and community expertise is crucial to ensuring nothing is missed. With the depth of included subsets and variations, a true complete 2017 Topps Baseball set easily tops 1500 unique cards before accounting for player duplicates. The financial commitment to see such an undertaking through to completion runs into the thousands of dollars even years after initial release. But for a dedicated collector, the satisfaction of attaining this epic assemblage of baseball history is immeasurable.
The 2017 Topps Baseball Complete Set represents the definitive collection and microcosm of that singular MLB season. For fans and longtime collectors, acquiring and possessing a full 2017 set serves as a genuine accomplishment and keepsake for the ages. It memorializes the athletes, performances, and nostalgia of that campaign for future generations to enjoy. While no easy task, the reward of finishing such an intensive collecting goal is well worth the effort for any true baseball card aficionado. The 2017 Topps Complete Baseball Set will remain a highly coveted release and important touch point within the broader hobby and the sport’s broader history.
