2018 Topps Baseball Hobby Set
Topps is a legendary name in the sports card industry, having produced baseball cards continuously since 1954. They remain the largest and most recognizable licensee for MLB cards and memorabilia to this day. In 2018, Topps released their standard annual baseball card hobby set for collectors consisting of 524 total cards featuring current and legendary MLB players, managers, coaches, and teams. Let’s take an in-depth look at the makeup and notable cards from the 2018 Topps baseball hobby set.
The 2018 Topps set featured a new modern updated design similar to recent years but with some tweaks. The front of each card featured a large action photo of the player or team with their name printed in a stylized metallic typeface across the bottom in team colors. Statistics from the previous season were printed on the bottom right of each card front. The card back continued with basic career stats and a brief biography. As with all Topps baseball sets, each pack contains either 11 or 12 randomly assorted cards with no guarantees on parallels, inserts, or hits.
The base card checklist was made up of current MLB players from all 30 teams, totaling 396 cards. This included base rookies for players who debuted in 2017 or 2018 like Cody Bellinger, Andrew Benintendi, and Rhys Hoskins. Some of the biggest stars were featured on parallel short prints including Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Jose Altuve, and Aaron Judge. Fan favorites like Ichiro Suzuki and Mariano Rivera were also included despite being retired from MLB play.
Beyond the base rookie and star cards, the 2018 Topps set included several inserts and parallels to chase after. Some of the notable insert sets included “Legendary Pitchers” (20 cards), “Legendary Batters” (20 cards), “Topps Now” moment captures (50 cards), and “Topps Archives” throwback replicas (50 cards). Parallel variations included various numbering techniques, autograph and memorabilia card “hits”, and refractors – adding substantially to the overall 524 card checklist.
The 2018 Topps set was loaded with hits that collectors eagerly sought after. These included standard autographed “rookie AUTO” and veteran “star AUTO” variations. Premium 1/1 printing plate autographs added extreme rarity. Relic cards contained game-worn jersey, batting glove, or other Memorabilia pieces. The coveted “1st Bowman Autograph” cards honoring top prospects in their very first MLB card were always highly sought after by collectors. Numbered parallels and high-end hits like dual autographed cards added additional levels of desirability and value.
Perhaps the biggest highlights of 2018 Topps were the inclusion of several brand new types of hit cards that had never been seen before in Topps flagship sets. “All-Star Autographs” featured current MLB all-stars, “Diamond Anniversary Autographs” celebrated players who were featured in 1988 Topps to commemorate the 30th anniversary, and “Postseason Performers Autographs” honored players who made key contributions during the 2017 playoffs and World Series. These innovative new categories of autograph cards created major excitement for collectors new chase cards to look for.
Pack searching and collecting the 2018 Topps set provided countless hours of enjoyment and thrill of the hunt for baseball card hobbyists. Finding base rookies, chasing parallels, and hoping for the chance of pulling a coveted autograph or relic card hit brought the excitement of opening a pack to life. As with every annual release, the 2018 set functioned as the foundation for many collectors beginning or expanding their hobby collections. For others, it was the thrill of trying to complete a master set or chase the biggest star autos. Nearly a year later after release, singles from the set can still be found on the secondary market as collectors look to fill holes or upgrade their copies.
In summary, Topps’ 2018 baseball hobby release brought another quality annual flagship set for collectors to enjoy with a modern design, extensive base checklist, desirable inserts, hits and parallels, and innovative new autograph concepts. It built upon Topps’ rich legacy spanning several generations as the most iconic and popular brand in the baseball card world. The excitement of collecting and surprises found in each pack kept the hobby engaging for both casual and die-hard collectors alike well into the new season. Topps remains the gold standard setter for the yearly documentation of MLB’s biggest stars through their beautifully crafted trading cards and memorabilia.
