One of Topps’ most anticipated releases of the year, 2024 Topps Heritage, is in stores now. This year’s release takes collectors back to a classic set and the most imaginative design from a decade of simple designs that ranged from iconic to downright boring.

The first half of the decade featured iconic single-color designs in 1970 (gray), 1971 (black), and 1973 (white), as well as the 1972 picture frame design. The second half of the decade led to Topps using mostly white designs with splashes of other colors for mostly forgettable products.

However, 1975 gave collectors a product with an imaginative and bright two-toned product in a set that features several baseball icons—filled with legends like Hank Aaron, Bob Gibson, Al Kaline, and Brooks Robinson, rising stars like Mike Schmidt and Dave Winfield, and rookie cards of future Hall of Famers Gary Carter, George Brett, Robin Yount, and Jim Rice, as well as Mets legend Keith Hernandez.

For Mets fans, the 1975 product featured Mets legends Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Jon Matlack, Tug McGraw, Rusty Staub, Ed Kranepool, Cleon Jones, and many more.

The 2024 Topps Heritage product resurrects the colorful designs of 1975 while ushering in the biggest and brightest in today’s game. The Topps Heritage set is a 500-card set that is structured differently than its previous iterations. In previous products, short print cards made up the final 100 cards in the set; however, Topps flipped it around and decided to begin the 2024 set with the first 100 cards being the short prints. For the Mets, you can find short prints of Kodai Senga and the first Mets card of Luis Severino in the first 100 cards.

As with other Topps Heritage products, you can expect to find the insert sets New Age Performers and Then & Now, which pairs former and current stars together. And of course, there are plenty of certified autographs and memorabilia cards.

Below is a full checklist of all Mets cards found in 2024 Topps Heritage.

Base

34 Luis Severino (short print)

93 Kodai Senga (short print)

110 Brandon Nimmo

117 Francisco Lindor

219 Brett Baty

257 Edwin Diaz

266 Starling Marte

295 Jeff McNeil

296 Ronny Mauricio (rookie card)

373 Joey Wendle

410 Pete Alonso

411 Francisco Alvarez

1975 Baseball Sensations

75BS-1 Tom Seaver

75BS-11 Pete Alonso

1975 Topps Zoo’s Who Stick-Ons

75Z-9 Polar Bear

75Z-10 Flying Squirrel

1975 U.S. Postal Stamp Relics (serial-numbered to 50)

75US-TS Tom Seaver

Baseball Flashbacks

BF-7 Tom Seaver

BF-9 Tom Seaver

Chrome (serial-numbered to 999)

93 Kodai Senga

110 Brandon Nimmo

117 Francisco Lindor

410 Pete Alonso

Clubhouse Collection Dual Relics (serial-numbered to 75)

CCDR-AT Joe Torre/Francisco Alvarez

Clubhouse Collection Relics

CCR-BN Brandon Nimmo

CCR-FL Francisco Lindor

CCR-JMC Jeff McNeil

CCR-PA Pete Alonso

CCR-RM Ronny Mauricio

Clubhouse Collection Triple Relics (serial-numbered to 25)

CCTR-ABT Francisco Alvarez/Joe Torre/Brett Baty

Color Swap Variations

110 Brandon Nimmo

117 Francisco Lindor

410 Pete Alonso

Missing Facsimile Signature Variations

411 Francisco Alvarez

New Age Performers

NAP-11 Francisco Lindor

Nickname Variations

295 Jeff McNeil

Oversized 1975 Topps Baseball Box Loaders

OB-17 Joe Torre

OB-45 Tom Seaver

OB-46 Yogi Berra

Real One Autographs

ROA-PA Pete Alonso

Then & Now

TAN-5 Spencer Strider/Tom Seaver

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Coming less than a month after the release of 2023 Topps Stadium Club, the release of Topps’ flagship product and the first product of 2024, Topps Baseball is a 350-card set that may be the best design Topps has had for its flagship product in nearly two decades. A simple two-toned black and white border design with the player photo outlined in team color with the team’s name across the top and the team logo, player’s name, and position across the bottom.

Series 1 is filled with veterans and rookies, as well as a vast array of parallels, the usual insert sets, and numerous certified autographs to go with the League Leaders and Future Stars included in the base set. Although there is obscene 32 parallel versions of each card in the base set, there are two new parallel sets that are sure to draw some interest from collectors and fans alike.

The True Photo variation removes the two-toned border and accoutrements from the card and is nothing but the actual player photo. The other is the Team Color parallel, where the black and white border is replaced with the player’s team colors.

As with recent years, Topps’ flagship product will be celebrating a previous card design throughout several of this year’s planned releases. For 2024, it will mark the 35th anniversary of the 1989 Topps Baseball. The last release from a decade filled with strong designs, this Junk Wax release featured rookie card of future Hall of Famers Craig Biggio, John Smoltz, and Randy Johnson. The 1989 Topps inserts will also include several parallels and certified autographs. You can expect to see the 1989 design to appear in several other Topps releases throughout 2024.

You will find a handful of Mets throughout Series 1, but do not be alarmed by players not featured. Francisco Álvarez, Brett Baty, Francisco Lindor, and Jeff McNeil are not included in Series 1 and can be expected to appear in Topps Baseball Series 2, which should be released in late spring or early summer. Despite being absent from the base set, you will find several cards of Lindor in various insert sets.

The question then becomes, what can be found in the 2024 Topps flagship’s first of three releases?

Well, collectors and Mets fans will find the rookie card of prospect Ronny Mauricio. The injured rookie is featured throughout Series 1 in several different insert sets, including multiple certified autographs.

Mets mainstays such as Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo also can be found in Series 1, with Alonso heavily featured in the many insert sets. You can also find certified autographs of Mets legends Darryl Strawberry and David Wright.

Below is a full checklist of all Mets cards in the 2024 Topps Baseball Series 1.  You can find them in stores on February 14.

Base

20 Pete Alonso

38 Pete Alonso (checklist)

59 Brandon Nimmo

78 Mark Vientos

98 José Quintana

120 Edwin Díaz

130 Grant Hartwig (rookie card)

212 League Leaders: Kodai Senga w/Justin Steele & Blake Snell

224 Ronny Mauricio (rookie card)

260 League Leaders: Pete Alonso w/Matt Olson & Kyle Schwarber

292 Kodai Senga

293 League Leaders: Pete Alonso w/Ozzie Albies & Matt Olson

317 Starling Marte

345 Daniel Vogelbach

1989 Topps Baseball

89B-22 Francisco Lindor

89B-87 Pete Alonso

89B-93 Ronny Mauricio

1989 Topps Baseball Autographs

89BA-DST Darryl Strawberry

89BA-DW David Wright

1989 Topps Baseball Chrome Silver Packs

T89C-3 Ronny Mauricio

T89C-27 Pete Alonso

T89C-67 Francisco Lindor

1989 Topps Baseball Chrome Silver Packs Autographs

T89C-3 Ronny Mauricio

T89C-27 Pete Alonso

1989 Topps Baseball Foil Mega Box

89B-22 Francisco Lindor

89B-87 Pete Alonso

89B-93 Ronny Mauricio

1989 Topps Baseball Relics

89BR-MP Mike Piazza

89BR-PA Pete Alonso

2023 Greatest Hits

23GH-21 Pete Alonso

2023 Greatest Hits Autographs

GHA-PEA Pete Alonso

Baseball Stars Autographs

BSA-DS Darryl Strawberry

BSA-SMA Starling Marte

Baseball Stars Dual Autographs

BSDA-PAL Pete Alonso/Mike Piazza

BSDA-WA Pete Alonso/David Wright

Companion Cards

COTB-10 Pete Alonso

COTB-14 Ronny Mauricio

Cut Signatures (One of One)

CSR-TS Tom Seaver

Grand Gamers

GOG-26 Tom Seaver

Heavy Lumber

HL-5 Pete Alonso

Home Run Challenge Cards

HRC-15 Pete Alonso

HRC-16 Francisco Lindor

Home Sweet Home Stadium Medallions

HSH-FL Francisco Lindor

HSH-PA Pete Alonso

HSH-RMA Ronny Mauricio

Home Sweet Home Stadium Medallions Autographs

HSHA-MAU Ronny Mauricio

HSHA-PA Pete Alonso

In the Name Relics

ITN-KS Kodai Senga

ITN-PA Pete Alonso

Major League Material

MLM-FA Francisco Álvarez

MLM-FL Francisco Lindor

MLM-PA Pete Alonso

Major League Material Autographs

MLMA-PA Pete Alonso

MLMA-RM Ronny Mauricio

Oversized 2024 Topps Baseball

OTB-10 Pete Alonso

OTB-14 Ronny Mauricio

Stars of MLB

SMLB-11 Ronny Mauricio

SMLB-24 Pete Alonso

Stars of MLB Chrome

CSMLB-11 Ronny Mauricio

CSMLB-24 Pete Alonso

Superstar Blueprint

SB-13 Pete Alonso

Superstar Blueprint Autographs

SBA-PA Pete Alonso

Team Color Border Variations

20 Pete Alonso

59 Brandon Nimmo

78 Mark Vientos

98 José Quintana

120 Edwin Díaz

130 Grant Hartwig

224 Ronny Mauricio

292 Kodai Senga

317 Starling Marte

345 Daniel Vogelbach

Topps Mega Star

TMS-9 Pete Alonso

Topps Reverence Autograph Patch

TRAP-DW David Wright

TRAP-MP Mike Piazza

TRAP-TG Tom Glavine

The post 2024 Topps Baseball Series 1 Returns on Valentine’s Day appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Collectors eagerly await the yearly release of Bowman Draft and Topps Heritage High Number every December. Bowman Draft is known for featuring top prospects and newly drafted prospects, while Topps Heritage High Number serves as the update series to Topps Heritage.

Unfortunately, both products hit differently. Hindered by an earlier cutoff date, Topps Heritage High Number lacks some of the rookies that debuted after June. Added to that, all of the free agents that the Mets signed last offseason only to trade in the days leading up to the trade deadline all appear for the teams they were traded to, leaving only two Mets cards in the base set, Kodai Senga and David Peterson, although both Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer appear as Mets in the Clubhouse Collection relics insert sets.

Senga, along with Brett Baty and Francisco Álvarez, are featured in some of the product’s insert sets. However, Senga’s inclusion in the Real Ones Autographs insert set is the jewel here for Mets fans.

Then, there is Bowman Draft. If there are any products worth spending your money, this is the product. Bowman Draft, which also comes in a Chrome variation, features top prospects and recent high school and college players taken in the 2023 MLB Draft. And the 2023 Bowman Draft product is a dream for Mets prospect aficionados.

The Bowman Draft product includes a whopping 16 Mets prospects and draft picks. You can see the first Mets cards of trade deadline acquisitions Luisangel Acuña, Ryan Clifford, and Drew Gilbert, top prospects Kevin Parada and Jett Williams, and recent draft picks Colin Houck, Nolan McLean, Kade Morris, and many more.

Top draft pick Colin Houck has three autographed cards in Bowman Draft, and you will also find autographs of other top picks from the 2023 draft.

Of course, the biggest draw for 2023 Bowman Draft belongs to an autographed card of a high school catcher who was drafted in 1995 by the Montreal Expos that chose to spurn baseball to attend the University of Michigan on a football scholarship instead. Signed cards of this unsigned draft picks feature him in an Expos uniform on the classic 1995 Bowman design.

Topps even released a “What If?” commercial featuring Hall of Famers Vladimir Guerrero, Larry Walker, and Pedro Martinez singing the praises of their “teammate” despite still losing to the Giants twice.

Below you will find a full checklist of the Mets cards included in both the 2023 Topps Heritage High Number and the 2023 Bowman Draft.

Topps Heritage High Number

Base

546 David Peterson

622 Kodai Senga (rookie card)

1974 Topps Baseball Deckle Edge Boxloaders

DB-4 Justin Verlander

DB-17 Francisco Álvarez

DB-18 Kodai Senga

DB-24 Francisco Lindor

1974 Topps Baseball Deckle Edge Boxloaders Autographs

DB-17 Francisco Álvarez

DB-18 Kodai Senga

1974 Topps Baseball Deckle Edge Minis

DE-34 Brett Baty

1974 Topps Baseball Stamps

74S-13 Kodai Senga

74S-14 Francisco Álvarez

74S-15 Brett Baty

74S-16 Mark Vientos

1974 Topps Puzzle Boxloaders

74PB-26 Justin Verlander

Award Winners

AW-7 Buck Showalter

Black & White Variations

546 David Peterson

Chrome

622 Kodai Senga

Clubhouse Collection Dual Relics (serial numbered to 73)

CCD-SV Justin Verlander/Max Scherzer

Clubhouse Collection Quad Relics (serial numbered to 10)

CCQ-LAAB Brett Baty/Francisco Lindor/Francisco Álvarez/Pete Alonso

Clubhouse Collection Relics

CCR-BN Brandon Nimmo

CCR-FA Francisco Álvarez

CCR_JV Justin Verlander

CCR-KS Kodai Senga

CCR-MS Max Scherzer

Clubhouse Collection Triple Relics (serial numbered to 25)

CCT-LAA Francisco Lindor/Pete Alonso/Francisco Álvarez

Now & Then

NT-4 Starling Marte

NT-12 Edwin Diaz

Oversized 1974 Topps Baseball Boxloaders

OB-BN Brandon Nimmo

OB-FA Francisco Álvarez

OB-JV Justin Verlander

OB-KS Kodai Senga

Player Name Position Swap Variations

622 Kodai Senga

Real One Autographs

ROA-KS Kodai Senga

ROA-SM Starling Marte

2023 Bowman Draft

Base

BD-17 Alex Ramirez

BD-32 Kevin Parada

BD-41 Drew Gilbert

BD-68 Jack Wenninger

BD-86 Kade Morris

BD-89 Jett Williams

BD-96 Nolan McLean

BD-108 Jesus Baez

BD-127 Daiverson Gutierrez

BD-142 Ryan Clifford

BD-147 Wyatt Hudepohl

BD-152 AJ Ewing

BD-175 Colin Houck

BD-176 Austin Troesser

BD-187 Zach Thornton

BD-193 Luisangel Acuña

Chrome

BDC-17 Alex Ramirez

BDC-32 Kevin Parada

BDC-41 Drew Gilbert

BDC-68 Jack Wenninger

BDC-86 Kade Morris

BDC-89 Jett Williams

BDC-96 Nolan McLean

BDC-108 Jesus Baez

BDC-127 Daiverson Gutierrez

BDC-142 Ryan Clifford

BDC-147 Wyatt Hudepohl

BDC-152 AJ Ewing

BDC-175 Colin Houck

BDC-176 Austin Troesser

BDC-187 Zach Thornton

BDC-193 Luisangel Acuña

Bowman ’54 Flag Variations

54FAV-CH Colin Houck

Bowman ’54 Flag Variations Autographs

54FAV-CH Colin Houck

Chrome Prospect Autographs

CDA-AE AJ Ewing

CDA-ATR Austin Troesser

CDA-CH Colin Houck

CDA-NM Nolan McLean

CDA-ZT Zach Thornton

Class of 2023 Autographs

23A-CH Colin Houck

Transformative Talent

TT-14 Colin Houck

The post 2023 Bowman Draft, Topps Heritage High Number Now Available appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Topps Pro Debut

Topps Pro Debut was released with a surprising whimper in mid-October. Usually, a product that has made waves in past years was barely a blip on the radar, whereas Topps Archives hit significantly harder in early November after the news that the 2023 Topps Stadium Club release was postponed until January 2024.

The 2023 Topps Pro Debut is a 200-card release of some of the game’s best prospects and is the minor league version of the flagship Topps Baseball. Much like the Topps Baseball product, Topps Pro Debut has several color variations of every base card that are serial numbered as high as 199 and as low as “1 of 1”.

A new perk of the Topps Pro Debut product is that the Topps Chrome variations are more widely available in 2023 instead of only being found in the jumbo packs. And of course, multiple variations of the Topps Chrome are serial numbered as high as 99 and as low as “1 of 1”.

Autographs are randomly inserted in the Topps Pro Debut product with four per hobby box. Autographs can be found on most base cards in the set on the different color variations and in Chrome. Jett Williams and Kevin Parada are the only Mets farmhands featured in the Base and Chrome autographs.

Jett Williams, Photo by Bronson Harris of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Williams is the most featured of the Mets farmhand in this release, with Williams included in the Farm Fresh Features insert set and other autograph inserts, such as Future Cornerstone Autographs and Pro Debut Draftboards.

Kevin Parada can be found in the Pick by Pick insert set, and Mets legend Jose Reyes is featured in the MiLB Legends insert set as well as the MiLB Legends Autographs set.

The base set of Mets farmhands is a bit underwhelming compared to last year’s Pro Debut product, with fewer prospects featured, probably due to both Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty‘s promotions late in 2022 and then catching on in 2023. The base set includes only four Mets prospects: Williams, Parada, Ronny Mauricio and Alex Ramirez. I’m still a bit disappointed that Topps has seen fit to continue to exclude Mike Vasil from any of its products, and the Pro Debut product was another wasted opportunity.

Topps Archives

The Topps Archives product is yet another industry staple that found its release window in early November. This release combines today’s stars and rookies with retired legends on designs from many of the designs used in years past of the Topps flagship product.

2023 Topps Archives 1956 Topps design

The 2023 Topps Archives release starts with the 1956 Topps design, a horizontal design with an up-close headshot on one side of the card with an action photo on the other side. Cards of Francisco Alvarez, Francisco Lindor, Tom Seaver, and Max Scherzer can be found on the iconic 1956 design.

Next, we fast forward to the 1965 design, which is quite underwhelming since it was the design used for the 2014 Topps Heritage design. Unlike the Topps Heritage products, Topps Archives does not have the feel of the cards used for the original design. The design also appears more vivid than the 2014 Topps Heritage product. Needless to say, I’m not a fan of the inclusion of this design. Cards of Brandon Nimmo, Mike Piazza, Justin Verlander, Brett Baty, and Kodai Senga can be found on the 1965 design.

Last, we jump ahead to the 2003 Topps design. This design continued the pattern of Topps including a headshot in the third year of every decade every twenty years (1963, 1983, 2003, and 2023 all have this unique feature). Whoever created this design for 2003 must have been a Mets fan, as the design includes a blue border with the player name, position, and headshot at the bottom of the card enclosed in an orange rectangle. Cards of Darryl Strawberry, Mark Vientos, Pete Alonso, and Edwin Diaz can be found in the 2003 design.

Autographs

The rest of the product is what makes Topps Archives so popular. Autographs are aplenty with the Fan Favorites Autographs and the Fan Favorites Autographs Premium, which features more big-name players, like former Met David Wright.

Insert sets from flagship releases of the late ’90s have been resurrected with 1997’s Season’s Best and Hobby Masters and 1998’s Baby Boomers. Autograph variations exist for both. There are several other insert sets in the product, and all have autograph variations. This product definitely packs more bang for your buck.

Below is a complete checklist of the Mets cards available in Topps Pro Debut and Topps Archives.

2023 Topps Archives 1965 Topps design

Topps Pro Debut

Base

PD-32 Ronny Mauricio – Binghamton Rumble Ponies

PD-69 Jett Williams – FCL Mets

PD-125 Kevin Parada – St. Lucie Mets

PD-182 Alex Ramirez – Brooklyn Cyclones

Base Autographs

PD-69 Jett Williams – FCL Mets

PD-125 Kevin Parada – St. Lucie Mets

Chrome

PDC-32 Ronny Mauricio – Binghamton Rumble Ponies

PDC-69 Jett Williams – FCL Mets

PDC-125 Kevin Parada – St. Lucie Mets

PDC-182 Alex Ramirez – Brooklyn Cyclones

Chrome Autographs

PDC-69 Jett Williams – FCL Mets

PDC-125 Kevin Parada – St. Lucie Mets

Farm Fresh Futures

FF-17 Jett Williams – FCL Mets

Future Cornerstone Autographs

FC-JWS Jett Williams – FCL Mets

MiLB Legends

MILB-19 Jose Reyes – Binghamton Mets

MiLB Legends Autographs

MILB-19 Jose Reyes – Binghamton Mets

Pick by Pick

PBO-9 Kevin Parada – St. Lucie Mets

Pro Debut Draftboards Foil Autographs

PDR-NWYE Mikey Romero/Cole Young/Zach Neto/Jett Williams

Topps Archives

Base

40 Francisco Alvarez (rookie card) – 1956

42 Francisco Lindor – 1956

74 Tom Seaver – 1956

87 Max Scherzer – 1956

114 Brandon Nimmo -1965

139 Mike Piazza -1965

163 Justin Verlander – 1965

170 Brett Baty (rookie card) – 1965

175 Kodai Senga (rookie card) – 1965

244 Darryl Strawberry – 2003

245 Mark Vientos (rookie card) – 2003

268 Pete Alonso – 2003

270 Edwin Diaz – 2003

1954 Topps Tarzan 3D

TZ3D-20 Brett Baty

1956 Image Variations

40 Francisco Alvarez

1956 White Back Variations

40 Francisco Alvarez

42 Francisco Lindor

1957 Topps Hit Stars Autographs

57HS-DW David Wright

1965 Inverted Variations

163 Justin Verlander

170 Brett Baty

175 Kodai Senga

1969 Topps Single-Player Foil

69T-37 Pete Alonso

69T-38 David Wright

1969 Topps Single-Player Foil Autographs

69T-37 Pete Alonso

1969 Topps Team History Oversized Postcards

H69-NYM Francisco Alvarez/Keith Hernandez/Kodai Senga/Francisco Lindor/Edwin Diaz/Pete Alonso/Tom Seaver/David Wright/Mike Piazza/Jose Reyes/Darryl Strawberry

1969 Topps Team History Poster Image Variations (serial # to 69)

69TH-37 Pete Alonso

69TH-38 David Wright

1969 Topps Team History Poster Image Variations Autographs (serial # to 20)

69TH-38 David Wright

1979 Topps Baseball Cards

79TC-5 Max Scherzer

1989 Topps Double Headers

89DH-15 Tom Seaver/Nolan Ryan

89DH-25 Mike Piazza/Francisco Alvarez

1989 Topps Double Headers Autographs

89DH-AM Francisco Alvarez/Gabriel Moreno

1997 Topps Hobby Masters (serial numbered to 23)

97HM-17 Francisco Alvarez

1997 Topps Season’s Best

SB-1 Jeff McNeil

SB-15 Pete Alonso

SB-24 Jose Reyes

1997 Topps Season’s Best Autographs

97SB-Pete Alonso

1998 Topps Baby Boomers

98BB-2 Francisco Alvarez

98BB-8 Brett Baty

1998 Topps Baby Boomers Autographs

98BB-BB Brett Baty

98BB-FA Francisco Alvarez

98BB-MV Mark Vientos

2003 1^st Year Foil Variations

245 Mark Vientos

Fan Favorites Autographs

72FF-JOR Jesse Orosco – 1972

83FF-JR Jose Reyes – 1983

90FF-BC Bartolo Colon – 1990

97FF-KS Kodai Senga – 1997

08FF-MW Mookie Wilson – 2008

Fan Favorites Autographs Premium

59FF-DWT David Wright

The post 2023 Topps Pro Debut, Topps Archives in Stores Now appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Topps is back with the release of its annual update set, the 2023 Topps Update Series. Essentially a Series 3, Topps Update Series serves as a bookend to Topps’ flagship product.

Using the same design as Series One and Two, the Update Series features some of the players who changed teams throughout the season and rookies who have made their debuts. However, this earlier release of the Update Series does not include players traded at the trade deadline in their new uniforms. It also excludes several rookies who made their debuts, including Reds star Elly De La Cruz.

Lucky for Topps, they had already included nearly all of the Mets traded at the deadline in Series One and Two, so the only former Mets included in the base set is Tommy Pham. However, you will find Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer in a few of the insert sets.

Topps Update Series is a 330-card set, much like Series One and Two. As is usual with Topps’ flagship releases, you will find more than a dozen different parallels of each card in the product, with some of the parallels being serial numbered from one of one or up to 2023.

The yearlong 35th-anniversary celebration of the release of the 1988 Topps Baseball set continues in the Update Series. These insert cards also come in six different parallel versions, plus there are also 1988 Topps Baseball Autographs included in the products. These autographs also have two parallel sets.

There are a few new insert sets in the Update Series product. You can find an entire insert set that highlights the 2023 All-Star Game that was held at Safeco Field in Seattle. Laid Out features some of the biggest plays from the biggest stars. 

Time-Spanning Tandems is a new insert set that is essentially a spinoff of the Topps Heritage Then & Now insert set that pairs one of today’s stars with a legendary star. Other returning insert sets from Series One and Two are Stars of MLB, Stars of MLB Chrome, All Aces, AKA, and Heavy Lumber. Also, Topps Black Gold makes its return in the Update Series.

As always, you can find autographs and memorabilia cards in various formats and parallels.

The Mets cards featured in the Update Series base set have more of a leftover feel to them. Series One and Two featured all of the Mets’ stars and offseason acquisitions, so the update series has mostly the leftovers with cards of Omar Narváez, Brooks Raley, and Danny Mendick. Topps manages to salvage the Mets team set with Rookie Debut cards of Kodai Senga, Brett Baty, and Francisco Alvarez.

Below is a full checklist of the Mets cards in the 2023 Topps Update Series product. You can preorder them now or buy them when they hit stores on October 11.

Base

US20 Kodai Senga – Rookie Debut
US23 Danny Mendick
US30 Drew Smith
US43 Brooks Raley
US90 Tommy Pham
US105 Tomas Nido
US121 Luis Guillorme
US152 Omar Narváez
US158 Brett Baty – Rookie Debut
US255 Francisco Alvarez – Rookie Debut
US292 Pete Alonso – Season Highlights

1988 Topps Baseball

88US-33 Kodai Senga
88US-34 Justin Verlander

1988 Topps Baseball Autographs

88BA-DST Darryl Strawberry
88BA-JB Jose Butto
88BA-KS Kodai Senga

1988 Topps Baseball Chrome Silver Packs

T88CU-30 Darryl Strawberry
T88CU-36 Gary Carter
T88CU-45 Brett Baty
T88CU-60 Francisco Alvarez
T88CU-71 Starling Marte
T88CU-79 Kodai Senga
T88CU-89 Justin Verlander

1988 Topps Baseball Chrome Silver Packs Autographs

T88CU-30 Darryl Strawberry
T88CU-45 Brett Baty
T88CU-60 Francisco Alvarez
T88CU-71 Starling Marte
T88CU-79 Kodai Senga

2023 All-Star Game

ASG-39 Kodai Senga
ASG-40 Pete Alonso

Action Stars

AS-11 Brett Baty
AS-13 Pete Alonso

All Aces

AA-63 Dwight Gooden

All Aces Autographs

AA-63 Dwight Gooden

All-Star Jumbo Patch

ASJP-PA Pete Alonso
ASJP-SEN Kodai Senga

All-Star Jumbo Patch Autographs

ASJP-PA Pete Alonso
ASJP-SEN Kodai Senga

All-Star Stitches

ASSA-PA Pete Alonso
ASSA-KS Kodai Senga

All-Star Stitches Autographs

ASSA-PA Pete Alonso
ASSA-KS Kodai Senga

All-Star Stitches Dual (serial numbered to 25)

ASSD-OS Shohei Ohtani/Kodai Senga

Clear

US20 Kodai Senga – Rookie Debut
US158 Brett Baty – Rookie Debut
US255 Francisco Alvarez – Rookie Debut

Commemorative Postseason Trophy Medallion Autographs

PTM-DS Darryl Strawberry

Heavy Lumber

HL-55 Brett Baty

Laid Out

LO-17 Francisco Lindor

Luke the Cardist Base Card Art

450 Francisco Lindor

Major League Material

MLM-FA Francisco Alvarez
MLM-PA Pete Alonso

Major League Material Autographs

MLMA- Brett Baty
MLMA-SM Starling Marte

MLB First Stitch Pitch

FSP-JVE Justin Verlander

Oversized All-Star Game Red Carpet Redemptions

Pete Alonso
Kodai Senga

Oversized Topps Big Baseball

BIG-10 Kodai Senga
BIG13 Pete Alonso

Oversized Topps Big Baseball Autographs

BIG-PA Pete Alonso

Own the Name Relics (serial number 1 of 1)

OTN-BN Brandon Nimmo
OTN-CC Carlos Carrasco
OTN-JMC Jeff McNeil
OTN-PA Pete Alonso

Stars of MLB

SMLB-61 Justin Verlander
SMLB-62 Kodai Senga
SMLB-82 Brett Baty
SMLB-83 Max Scherzer

Stars of MLB Chrome

SMLBC-61 Justin Verlander
SMLBC-62 Kodai Senga
SMLBC-82 Brett Baty
SMLBC-83 Max Scherzer

Time-Spanning Tandems

TS-16 Pete Alonso/David Wright
TS-17 Justin Verlander/Tom Seaver

Topps Black Gold

BG-15 Brett Baty
BG-16 Francisco Alvarez
BG-17 Kodai Senga

Topps Black Gold Autographs

BG-15 Brett Baty
BG-16 Francisco Alvarez

Topps Reverence Autograph Patch

TRAP2-FRA Francisco Alvarez

The post 2023 Topps Update Series: On Sale October 11th appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

2023 Topps Allen & Ginter is a 350-card product with the final 50 cards listed as short prints. The product’s checklist is filled with veteran stars, rookies, and retired stars while mixing in different non-baseball figures. If you’re not interested in the non-baseball cards, I’d suggest you avoid buying packs and aim to buy whatever it is you want from the set from eBay or other secondary market sellers.

Each pack of 2023 Topps Allen & Ginter includes a tobacco sized mini-card. The product also has several autographs and memorabilia cards, including Framed Mini Autographs, however, the autographs and memorabilia cards are not limited to the baseball players. In year’s past, I’ve pulled a Framed Mini Autograph of Nick Saban and a memorabilia card of Keith Law.

The Mets cards included in 2023 Topps Allen & Ginter is a bit of a mixed bag. Considering the team traded away so many players at the trade deadline, the inclusion of Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer has lost its luster.

Mets’ rookies are prominently featured with Mark Vientos, Francisco Álvarez, and Kodai Senga in the base set and Brett Baty’s rookie included as a base card and as a short print. The Mets somehow have a whopping seven cards included in the 50 short prints with retired stars Mo Vaughn, Endy Chávez, and José Reyes back in the orange and blue, but they aren’t the only former Mets included in the product. A Framed Mini Autograph of former second baseman Wally Backman can be found in the product and Rip Cards of Dwight Gooden, Gary Carter, and Tom Seaver are also included, plus many others.

The 2023 Topps Allen & Ginter product is in stores now. Below is a full checklist of the Mets cards included in the product.

Base

15 Justin Verlander
55 Max Scherzer
71 Pete Alonso
80 Brett Baty (rookie card)
101 Mark Vientos (rookie card)
123 Francisco Álvarez (rookie card)
132 Brandon Nimmo
154 Francisco Lindor
177 Starling Marte
257 Kodai Senga (rookie card)
278 Edwin Díaz
306 Mo Vaughn (short print)
338 Endy Chávez (short print)
339 José Reyes (short print)
358 Justin Verlander (short print)
362 Francisco Lindor (short print)
374 Brett Baty (short print)
392 Pete Alonso (short print)

Allen & Ginter Relics A

AGRA-BBA Brett Baty
AGRA-David Wright
AGRA-FA Francisco Álvarez

Allen & Ginter Relics B

AGRB-BN Brandon Nimmo
AGRB-DG Dwight Gooden
AGRB-ED Edwin Díaz
AGRB-JM Jeff McNeil
AGRB-PA Pete Alonso
AGRB-TP Tommy Pham

Autographed Relic Book Cards (serial numbered to 10)

ARBC-BB Brett Baty
ARBC-PA Pete Alonso

Boxloader Autographs

BA-BB Brett Baty
BA-DW David Wright

Boxloader Cards

BC-7 Justin Verlander

Boxloader Rip Cards

BRC-BBA Brett Baty
BRC-FA Francisco Álvarez
BRC-JV Justin Verlander
BRC-KS Kodai Senga
BRC-TS Tom Seaver

Double Rip Cards

DRC-AG Gary Carter/Pete Alonso
DRC-AV Justin Verlander/Sandy Alcantara
DRC-BA Brett Baty/Francisco Álvarez
DRC-SV Justin Verlander/Max Scherzer
DRC-VS Justin Verlander/Tom Seaver

Framed Mini Autographs

MA-BB Brett Baty
MA-DWR David Wright
MA-FA Francisco Álvarez
MA-KSE Kodai Senga
MA-MV Mark Vientos
MA-PA Pete Alonso
MA-WBA Wally Backman

Framed Mini Cloth (serial numbered to 10)

15 Justin Verlander
55 Max Scherzer
71 Pete Alonso
80 Brett Baty
101 Mark Vinetos
123 Francisco Álvarez
132 Brandon Nimmo

Framed Mini Relics

MFR-GC Gary Carter
MFR-TS Tom Seaver

In Action Variations

55 Max Scherzer
80 Brett Baty

Metal Minis

15 Justin Verladner
55 Max Scherzer
71 Pete Alonso
80 Brett Baty
101 Mark Vinetos
123 Francisco Álvarez
132 Brandon Nimmo

Mini Artist Originals (one of one)

MAO-JV Justin Verlander

Mini Exclusives

358 Justin Verlander
362 Francisco Lindor
374 Brett Baty
392 Pete Alonso

N43 Boxloaders

N43-8 Justin Verlander

Only In Boxloaders

OIB-18 Apple

Only In Minis

OI-18 Apple

Rip Cards

RC-BB Brett Baty
RC-BN Brandon Nimmo
RC-DG Dwight Gooden
RC-FA Francisco Álvarez
RC-FL Francisco Lindor
RC-GCA Gary Carter
RC-JV Justin Verlander
RC-KSE Kodai Senga
RC-MS Max Scherzer
RC-PA Pete Alonso
RC-TGL Tom Glavine
RC- TS Tom Seaver

Rookie Design Variations Minis

RDV-Brett Baty
RDV-11 Francisco Álvarez

Spotless Spans

SS-38 Pete Alonso

Stained Glass Minis

15 Justin Verladner
55 Max Scherzer
71 Pete Alonso
80 Brett Baty
101 Mark Vinetos
123 Francisco Álvarez
132 Brandon Nimmo

The post 2023 Topps Allen & Ginter In Stores Now appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

And refractors. Bowman Chrome is filled with more refractors than are needed, as usual. The veterans and rookies have 11 different refractor parallels, all serial numbered as high as 499 to “one of one”. The Chrome Prospects refractor parallels are also serial numbered as high as 499 to “one of one”, but have twice as many different refractors, clocking in at a whooping 22 different refractors types.

The rookies in the set also are a key component of the product, too. Brett Baty, Francisco Álvarez, Mark Vientos, and Kodai Senga all have rookie cards included in 2023 Bowman Chrome. As a new new feature, Bowman Chrome includes a tie-dyed Color Run Rookie Variation for select rookies, all serial numbered to 23. Brett Baty is the only Mets rookie featured in the Color Run Rookie Variations. You can also find short print image variations for rookie cards of Baty, Álvarez, and Senga.

Another large component of any Bowman Chrome release are the Prospect and Rookie Autographs. Aside from being available in their base Chrome versions, the Prospect Autographs can also be found in 19 different parallel refractors, while the Rookie Autographs only has 7 refractors parallels.

Baty, Álvarez, and Senga are again featured in the Rookie Autographs, while nine Mets prospects are featured in the Prospects Autographs, including Blade Tidwell and Jacob Reimer.

There a few returning insert sets to the Bowman Chrome product, such as Bowman Invicta and It Came for the League, while adding newer inserts, such as Bowman Iconic and Prospect Process.

Below is a full checklist of all Mets featured in the 2023 Bowman Chrome release.

Base
8 Max Scherzer
15 Brett Baty (rookie card)
24 Francisco Lindor
35 Francisco Álvarez (rookie card)
39 Pete Alonso
43 Mark Vientos (rookie card)
77 Kodai Senga (rookie card)

Prospects
BCP-154 Daiverson Gutierrez
BCP-161 Dangelo Sarmiento
BCP-181 Jacob Reimer
BCP-201 Kevin Parada
BCP-211 Alex Ramirez
BCP-216 Jett Williams

Bowman Ascensions
BA-3 Brett Baty
BA-10 Francisco Álvarez

Bowman Ascensions Autographs
BA-10 Francisco Álvarez

Bowman Iconic
BI-7 Pete Alonso
BI-20 Brett Baty
BI-25 Francisco Álvarez

Bowman Invicta
BI-2 Alex Ramirez
BI-10 Willy Fanas

Chrome Prospect Autographs
CPA-BT Blade Tidwell
CPA-CE Chase Estep
CPA-DG Daiverson Gutierrez
CPA-DSA Dangelo Sarmiento
CPA-DM Diego Mosquera
CPA-JRR Jacob Reimer
CPA-JDZ Joel Díaz
CPA-VP Vincent Perozo
CPA-YHE Yonatan Henriquez

Chrome Rookie Autographs
CRA-BB Brett Baty
CRA-FA Francisco Álvarez
CRA-KS Kodai Senga

Color Run Rookie Variations
15 Brett Baty (serial numbered to 23)

It Came for the League
CFL-3 Francisco Álvarez

Prospect Process
PRP-16 Alex Ramirez

Rookie Short Print Image Variations
15 Brett Baty
35 Francisco Álvarez
77 Kodai Senga

WBC Flag Refractor Variations
WBC-72 Edwin Diaz – Puerto Rico
WBC-Francisco Lindor – Puerto Rico
WBC-Pete Alonso – United States
WBC-87 Jeff McNeil – United States

The post 2023 Bowman Chrome Now Available appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The fall out has been wide ranging since that initial announcement two years ago as numerous trading card distributors have been told that Fanatics will no longer conduct business with them, as well as new sales requirements being put on local card shops for purchasing Topps products. However, one of the biggest casualties of the Fanatics industry takeover is Panini America, who in the takeover lost out on the renewal of their licensing deals with the NBA, the NBAPA, the NFL, and MLBPA.

This week, Panini America has fought back by filing an antitrust lawsuit against Fanatics in their attempt to monopolize the trading card industry.

The lawsuit filed by Panini America in U.S. District Court in Florida this week is filed with a wide range of allegations against Fanatics and its CEO Michael Rubin.

The deal cut by Fanatics with the sports leagues and their unions will run for 20 years. The lawsuit claims it will eliminate any competition from the trading card industry for nearly three decades, thus hurting consumers by allowing Fanatics to exert their influence on the price of trading cards for decades.

The lawsuit also contains allegations that Fanatics disparaged Panini America with claims that the did not have the money to the money owed under its current contracts with sports leagues and their unions. Also included is the fact that Fanatics was able to raid the Panini America ranks of several high-ranking executives. The lawsuit claims that these Panini America employees were threatened by Fanatics to be locked out of the industry for years to come. On Monday, Fanatics filed a countersuit to Panini America’s.

This not the first time this type of lawsuit impacted the trading card industry. In the early 1980’s, Fleer and Leaf filed a similar lawsuit against Topps in an effort to break up their over three-decade long monopoly of the trading card industry. The victory by Fleer and Leaf ushered in significant competition to the Topps brand by flooding the market with new trading cards and jumpstarting the Junk Wax Era that essentially led to the entire industry crashing.

The post Trading Card Company Panini America Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Fanatics appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The 35th-anniversary celebration of the 1988 Topps Baseball product continues in the Chrome product with five different refractor variations, including certified autographs in three serial numbered refractor variations.

Numerous different insert sets are included in the Topps Chrome Baseball product, including the return of the popular Future Stars insert set that has been a part of the Topps Chrome Baseball product for several years. There are also several new insert sets, like Let’s Go, Radiating Rookies, and Topps In Technicolor, to name a few.

With some of the game’s most notable rookies, the Mets are heavily represented in the Topps Chrome Product. Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty appear in nearly every insert set, including the Rookie Autographs insert, along with Mark Vientos and Kodai Senga. Alvarez and Baty also have short print Image Variations of their base cards and Alvarez has a super short print image variation.

Below is a full checklist of the Mets cards included in 2023 Topps Chrome Baseball. The product is available on July 26th.


Base
8 Mark Vientos (rookie card)
19 Starling Marte
75 Pete Alonso
126 Justin Verlander
142 Francisco Lindor
149 Max Scherzer
203 Francisco Alvarez (rookie card)
204 Brett Baty (rookie card)
215 Edwin Diaz
217 Kodai Senga (rookie card)

1988 Topps Baseball
88BC-6 Pete Alonso

1988 Topps Baseball Autographs
88BA-PA Pete Alonso

Future Stars
FS-17 Francisco Alvarez

Image Variations
203 Francisco Alvarez
204 Brett Baty

Let’s Go
LGC-39 Brett Baty

Radiating Rookies
RR-7 Francisco Alvarez
RR-9 Brett Baty
RR-16 Kodai Senga

Radiating Rookies Autographs (serial numbered to 5)
RRA-BB Brett Baty

Rookie Autographs
RA-BBA Brett Baty
RA-FA Francisco Alvarez
RA-KSA Kodai Senga
RA-MV Mark Vientos

Super Short Print Variations
203 Francisco Alvarez

Tacofractors (serial numbered to 5)
TF-103 Francisco Alvarez
TF-104 Pete Alonso
TF-105 Mark Vientos
TF-106 Mark Canha
TF-107 Brandon Nimmo
TF-108 Eduardo Escobar
TF-187 Tommy Pham

Topps Chrome Authentics
TCA-JM Jeff McNeil
TCA-PA Pete Alonso

Topps Chrome Authentics Autographs
TCAA-PA Pete Alonso

Topps Chrome Expose (serial numbered to 10)
TCE-10 Francisco Alvarez
TCE-16 Brett Baty

Topps Chrome Legends Autographs
CLA-MP Mike Piazza

Topps Chrome Titans
CT-4 Max Scherzer

Topps in Technicolor
TT-25 Francisco Alvarez

Ultraviolet All-Stars Autographs
UVA-PA Pete Alonso

Youthquake
YQ-17 Francisco Alvarez
YQ-23 Brett Baty

The post 2023 Topps Chrome Baseball Available July 26 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Over 30 years later, the options for autographed cards in baseball card products has exploded. Three years ago, a 2009 Bowman Chrome Prospects Superfractor Mike Trout rookie card with a serial number of “1/1” was sold by Goldin Auctions for $3.93 million. Currently, there are multiple listings on eBay for other autographed Mike Trout cards in the four, five, and even six figure range.

However, that is not the only way to obtain your favorite player’s autograph.

Have you ever sent a letter to your favorite player asking for their autograph? If the answer is yes, you aren’t alone. Every year, baseball players get hundreds, sometimes thousands of letters in the mail asking for their autographs. Some players will actually take the time to personally sign cards and send them back, while others either ignore the letters altogether or have someone else sign cards for them. Either way, it can be difficult to be certain that the cards that you receive back are actually signed by the player.

Back during in the early 1990’s, I took a chance and sent a letter to a player on the Mets. Sometime later, I was surprised to receive a letter back with the Mets logo on in the top left. The card I had included was not signed by the player, but they did include a small 4-by-6 photo of the player. Typed on back was a message thanking me for my interest, but due to high demand, the player couldn’t respond to every letter. I packed it away and forgot about it.

Then, I read an article in Sport Illustrated For Kids about a young collector that had had quite a bit of success obtaining autographs through the mail from baseball players. I didn’t have any addresses for any teams, but remembered that letter I had gotten back many years before.

Sure enough, the envelope included the address for Shea Stadium. I ended up sending letters to a handful of Mets players: Edgardo Alfonzo, Tim Bogar, Rico Brogna, Jeff Kent, Jose Vizcaino, John Franco, and a few more. About a week later, I was a bit surprised when I received a few letters addressed to me in my own handwriting. I began opening the letters and found inside the cards I had sent out requesting autographs. By including a self-addressed stamped envelope, it made it easier for the players to return the cards signed.

On the left, 1994 Upper Deck Collector’s Choice Silver Signatures of Tim Bogar & Jeff Kent. On the right are the cards both players returned signed thru the mail.

I did this for a few years and amassed autographed cards for nearly every player that wore a Mets uniform in the mid 1990’s, as well as some of the game’s biggest stars.

At the same time, there were a few products that featured facsimile signatures from contracts players signed with the baseball card manufacturers, including the Silver and Gold Signatures in packs of Upper Deck’s Collector’s Choice product, which would give collectors an idea of what a players signature actually looked, providing an opportunity to compare what players were sending back.

Fast forward to today, and thru the mail autographs are still a huge part of the hobby, but not just for current baseball players. However, the way collectors are obtaining thru the mail autographs has changed drastically.

Most collectors now avoid sending requests to current players in season, claiming that players in the game today are too busy to respond to autograph requests thru the mail. Instead, collectors have begun sending letters to retired players at their home address. Websites like sportscardforum.com and startiger.com provide collectors this type of information, along with the success rate of collectors and if players require a fee to sign.

Personally, there is something about sending an autograph request to a retired player’s home address unsolicited that feels a bit creepy. I don’t think that is something that I would feel comfortable doing.

Nonetheless, I have discovered from other collectors that former Mets like Jesse Orosco, Kevin Elster, Kevin McReynolds, and Bruce Berenyi have all returned signed cards as long as a $5.00 fee is included for each card, and there are several other former Mets, such as Bill Pulsipher, Ed Hearn, Terry Leach, and Glendon Rusch, that are open to signing through the mail. Numerous collectors now just focus collecting autographs thru the mail for players for their favorite team or to complete team sets with autographs.

Still, you take a big chance by sending autograph requests thru the mail because you never truly know if what you are receiving back is the real thing. While researching how collectors go about obtaining player’s autographs thru the mail, I found one website that serves as a way to connect autograph seekers with former professional athletes.

PastPros is a company founded in 2013 by former baseball player and Met Ellis Valentine and Expos fan Colin Greer. By using PastPros, fans can send items to be signed by former players with the cost based on the type of item or you can purchase autographed memorabilia straight from the PastPros collection. They also advertise private autograph signings for former athletes where fans can mail in items to be signed.

The PastPros roster includes nearly two dozen former Mets from Bernard Gilkey, Jeromy Burnitz, and Timo Pérez to members from the 1986 Mets such as Keith Hernandez, Wally Backman, and Doug Sisk. For each former player on past pros, a price is set by the item and 100% of the cost goes directly to the player.

Do you have a baseball card of Keith Hernandez that you want signed? For $25.00, Hernandez will sign cards from the Cardinals or Mets ($35.00 for cards from Cleveland; all memorabilia from Cleveland costs more). I have found several collectors that have used PastPros, especially to obtain an autograph from Hernandez, with zero negative results.

Although sending autograph requests through the mail can be risky, you can never go wrong with meeting players in person. If you ever been to a minor league baseball game, I’m sure you’ve seen dozens of kids lined up to get players autographs, as well as the obligatory old “binder” guys.

I was always one of those kids with a case of cards trying to get autographs. Growing up near the Mets former AAA affiliate Tidewater/Norfolk Tides, I got my share of autographs at both Met Park and Harbor Park. From Todd Hundley and the late Chuck Carr to Generation K to Rey Ordóñez and Carl Everett, summers at the ballpark on the Elizabeth River in downtown Norfolk was always a great time.

Living near a AAA affiliate also had some added perks, and not just seeing the guys from the Mets on rehab assignments. The best part was when the Mets would make their yearly trip to Norfolk for an exhibition game. Whether it was Dennis Cook playing second base, Mookie Wilson pinch hitting, or Dwight Gooden winning the Home Run Derby, the players would sign autographs for nearly an hour before the game would start. As fun as those games were, none compared to the game that was a week after the Mets acquired Mike Piazza.

Howard Johnson is a gracious signer that will indulge fans in conversation and pictures.

Those types of opportunities are not available for everyone, but meeting players in person at local card shows are always worth the time. Card shows are a great way to get autographs of players you may be interested in. There is always a cost involved, some payers will chat with you briefly and may indulge you with your request for a picture with them. Some of these conversations with the players may be a bit eye opening. One former Mets player that played for the team in the mid to late 1990’s very openly discussed their hatred for Bobby Valentine and Steve Phillips, and went so far as to say that Valentine forced Phillips to trade former outfielder Lance Johnson refused to take more walks after hitting over .330 (Johnson hit .333 with a .362 OBP in 1996 and was traded to the Chicago Cubs during the 1997 season). Another former Mets player claimed after being complimented on his signature that “kids today no longer know how to write their names because of computers.” Then there is recent Mets Hall of Fame inductee Howard Johnson that wore his 1986 World Series ring and seemed genuinely surprised to be asked about his grandson’s recovery from multiple foot surgeries from a freak accident. You really never know how former players will react to questions or what they will even say.

Of course, you always have the option of purchasing autographed cards or memorabilia from places like eBay. Although these can also be risky purchases, the dearth of certified autographs on the market makes it easier to compare an autograph that you are purchasing to the real thing. There are also multiple eBay sellers with listings for autographed cards that includes a Certificate of Authenticity, eliminating much of the risk from buying on eBay.

On the left is a 1987 Topps Dave Magadan card I purchased on eBay. On the right is a 2017 Topps Archives All-Time Favorites Certified Autograph. Notice the similarities in the signatures.

There are always more traditional ways of obtaining autographs. Numerous websites, including MLB.com, sell autographed memorabilia, however, at a steep price. Current players will also make autograph appearances during the season, some with exorbitant costs for an autograph. There really is no right or wrong way to go about obtaining autographs.

The post Chasing Ink: The Hunt for Autographed Cards appeared first on Metsmerized Online.