The Topps Company Inc. has produced iconic baseball cards since the early 1950s, becoming synonymous with America’s beloved pastime. While their standard flagship and special issue sets are released annually each spring, Topps also publishes limited holiday editions in the fall/winter months featuring fun, festive designs celebrating the various winter holidays throughout December.
The tradition of Topps Holiday Baseball Cards began in 1983 with their “Holiday Pack” issue. Containing 35 total cards across 5 different designs, each paid homage to a specific wintertime celebration such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Years, and Thanksgiving. Players were adorned with corresponding clothing like Santa hats, dreidels, kinaras candles, party hats, and more. The retro, whimsical visuals were a major hit with collectors.
Throughout the 1980s and 90s, Topps continued launching new Holiday Packs each year with updated themes and designs. Notable sets included the 1984 “Hats Off to the Holidays” that dressed players in various holiday headwear and the 1992 “Twas the Night Before Christmas” issue depicting players acting out verses from the classic poem. During this period, Holiday Packs typically contained 30-50 total cards of current MLB stars and were sold exclusively in specialty hobby shops or direct from Topps.
In 1998, Topps expanded their offerings by issuing the first dedicated Topps Holiday Baseball Card series as opposed to packs. The inaugural 110-card set took inspiration from Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” novel, showing players as characters from the story on uniquely illustrated cards. From there, annual dedicated Holiday sets with 100+ cards each became the norm sold primarily through mass retail. Design concepts have ranged from winter activities to classic stories and films throughout the decades.
Some notable Topps Holiday sets of the 2000s include 2004’s 144 card “Candy Cane Lane” issue featuring players amidst snowy suburbs. 2007’s 156 card “Jingle All the Way” set brought the festive spirit to the ballpark with players dressed as Santa or carrying presents on snow-covered diamonds. 2011 took collectors back to the 1950s with the 150 card “A Very Vintage Christmas” honoring mid-century holiday styles and advertisements.
Topps has also commemorated special milestones with premium Holiday releases. In 2013, they celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Holiday Card phenomenon with the premium “Holiday Treasures” issue featuring retrospective inserts and parallels. Another premium 150 card “Tinsel and Trimmings” set was issued in 2020 during the unprecedented Covid-19 impacted season to lift spirits.
In more recent years, Topps Holiday Baseball Cards have evolved designs to stay relevant for new generations of collectors. 2016’s 150 card ” 12 Days of Christmas” featured players unboxing presents in a popular YouTube-style short video format. The 2018 “It’s a Wonderful Life” inspired 152 card issue had short bios describing how the holiday season impacts each player personally.
A passion for tradition, history, community, and family are what drive the winter holiday spirit each year. Through their creatively crafted annual Holiday Baseball Card releases, Topps has become an integral part of spreading seasonal cheer among baseball fans and collectors for nearly four decades. Their popularity endures as one of the hobby’s most beloved special issues, offering a reminder to enjoy life’s simple pleasures both on and off the ballfield during this festive time of year.
