Topps Maintains Dominance of Baseball Card Market with 2022 Releases
Topps has long been the industry leader when it comes to producing trading cards for Major League Baseball players, and 2022 was no exception. With several highly anticipated sets released over the course of the year, Topps once again dominated baseball card sales. Let’s take a closer look at some of their 2022 offerings and how certain cards from these sets are faring in the collectibles marketplace based on sales data from platforms like eBay.
2022 Topps Series 1 (Released in February):
The annual flagship Topps Series 1 set is always one of the biggest releases of the new year. This year’s 330-card base set featured every MLB player along with additional inserts, parallels, and rookie cards. Some key rookie cards that have held strong value include Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez ($50-75), Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson ($25-40), and Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene ($15-25). Vintage stock parallels of stars like Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Juan Soto can fetch $10-15 while their base rookies trade for $5-10. Popular veterans like Mike Trout, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have base cards selling in the $3-5 range.
2022 Topps Series 2 (Released in June):
Similar in design to Series 1 but with a new photo for each player, Series 2 also included the usual assortment of inserts, parallels, and rookie debuts. Top rookies from this set include Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II ($20-30), Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman ($15-25), and Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco ($10-15). Top veteran cards include Tatis ($5-7), Trout ($4-6), and Judge/Ohtani ($3-5). Rare foil parallels and autographs of top stars can sell for much more.
2022 Topps Series 2 Update (Released in September):
Issued to account for midseason player movements and call-ups, Update typically features fewer rookie debuts but often has impact performers from late in the season. This year’s key rookies included Cardinals utilityman Brendan Donovan ($10-15), Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos ($8-12), and Mariners reliever Matt Brash ($5-8). Popular veterans held steady or increased slightly from Series 1/2 values.
2022 Topps Allen & Ginter (Released in August):
Taking a break from just baseball players, A&G is one of Topps’ most unique non-sports sets. It mixes in characters, landmarks, hobby inserts and more. While player cards don’t carry high values generally, rare parallels and autographs of stars can exceed their standard release prices. Unique mini cards and autographed landmarks tend to attract the most attention.
2022 Topps Heritage (Released in May):
Paying homage to classic baseball designs, Heritage is a nostalgia favorite. This year’s top rookies include Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts ($15-20), Blue Jays outfielder George Springer ($12-15), and Brewers catcher Saul Gonzalez ($8-10). Parallels and autographs of stars can outpace their modern issue prices. Complete mini sets and team/league collection values also factor into this set’s appeal.
2022 Topps Chrome (Released in September):
As the premier “hit” product, Chrome features slick photo variants, refractors, and autographed Young Gun rookie cards. Big rookies this year were Mariners’ Rodriguez ($75-100), Tigers’ Torkelson ($50-75), and Reds’ Greene ($40-60). Top base veterans ranged from $5-10 with parallels and autographs much higher. Complete Chrome sets remain quite valuable investments long term.
2022 Topps Transcendent Collection (Released in November):
Offering high-end, one-of-one autographs with brilliant blue refractor photography, Transcendent is the pinnacle Topps brand. Boxes contained one autograph per case. Key pulls included Ohtani, Trout, Acuña and Soto automatics. Individual cards sold from $500-5000+ depending on the player signature, with the biggest stars reaching five figures.
As shown here, Topps once again delivered on all cylinders with multiple tiers of baseball cards reaching collectors of every budget and interest level. With the storied brand’s production quality and eye for design consistently recognized, Topps sets maintain strong active aftermarket resale demand overall. Factoring in the intrinsic appeal of collecting today’s game’s brightest young stars alongside established veteran talent, Topps’ diverse 2022 lineup underscores why it remains the standard in the baseball card world year after year. Be sure to bookmark this guide for a quick reference to relative values across their modern releases moving forward.
