Shortly before Thanksgiving, 2022 Topps Allen & Ginter finally came to market after a three-month delay. Historically released during the summer months, the November release date is the latest this product has ever been released. However, Topps’ Allen & Ginter is more than just a popular hobby release.

Allen & Ginter is the reason this hobby even exists.

Founded in 1872 in Richmond, Virginia, the John F. Allen Company manufactured chewing and pipe tobacco. Three years later in 1875, they began to manufacture cigarettes at the urging of a company executive named Lewis Ginter. It wasn’t until around 1880 that the company rebranded itself as Allen & Ginter.

Ginter was a New York native that moved to Richmond in the 1840s. He became a prominent businessman that served as a Major in the Confederate Quartermaster Department and was present for Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House. He took over Allen & Ginter when John Allen retired in 1882 and brought on a new partner, John Pope.

Allen & Ginter’s offices and warehouses were located in downtown Richmond, just blocks west from the state capital building and the Governor’s Mansion. It was in those offices that the idea was formed to begin creating baseball cards. Allen & Ginter baseball cards were the first ever produced and distributed at the national level.

Allen & Ginter’s first baseball cards were N28 and N29 World Champions. These sets also included champions from other popular sports of the time, such as boxing and tricycling. You can find some of these cards for sale on eBay.

The Allen & Ginter name was resurrected in 2006 by Topps. The player pictures on each card are designed to mimic the original Allen & Ginter cards that used paintings commissioned by a studio in Brooklyn, New York.

The 2022 product is no different from any of its predecessors. A borderless card with Topps Allen & Ginter 2022 The World Champions located in the bottom left corner in black and gold over a tree branch with each player’s last name at the center top of each card. The design automatically draws you into the player picture.

Unlike other baseball cards, Topps Allen & Ginter writes out the player stats on the card backs.


Much like their Allen & Ginter tobacco card beginnings, 2022 Topps Alen & Ginter is more than just baseball cards. You can find cards of other athletes, celebrities, animals and other oddities randomly inserted in packs. If you have no interest in those, I’d suggest simply buying the cards you are interested in on eBay or from your local card shop. Also, every card in this product features a mini card parallel, another throwback to the product’s tobacco origins in Richmond.

As always, you will find several different insert cards, including autographed cards and relics, the controversial Rip Cards, and two other insert sets.

Yet again, Topps Allen & Ginter knocks this release out the park as it continues to be the most aesthetically pleasing product on the market.

Below is a checklist of Mets cards found in 2022 Topps All & Ginter.

Base
6 Jacob deGrom
29 Pete Alonso
34 Francisco Lindor
126 Tom Seaver
132 Max Scherzer
147 Mike Piazza
153 Starling Marte
309 Darryl Strawberry (short print)
330 Brandon Nimmo (short print)

Allen & Ginter Autograph Relic Book Cards (serial numbered to 10)
ARBC-JD Jacob deGrom
ARBC-MP Mike Piazza
ARBC-PA Pete Alonso

Allen & Ginter Boxloaders
BC-9 Francisco Lindor
BC-12 Jacob deGrom

Allen & Ginter Framed Mini Baseball Autographs
MA-DW David Wright
MA-PA Pete Alonso
MA-TM Tylor Megill

Allen & Ginter Framed Mini Relics
MFR-FL Francisco Lindor
MFR-MP Mike Piazza
MFR-PA Pete Alonso
MFR-TS Tom Seaver

Allen & Ginter Full-Sized Relics Design A
AGRA-BN Brandon Nimmo
AGRA-DCO David Cone
AGRA-DWR David Wright
AGRA-PA Pete Alonso

Allen & Ginter Full-Sized Relics Design B
AGRB-PA Pete Alonso
AGRB-SM Starling Marte

Banner Season
BS-27 Jacob deGrom
BS-28 Tom Seaver
BS-49 Pete Alonso

Boxloader Rip Cards
BRC-FL Francisco Lindor
BRC-JD Jacob deGrom

Dual Rip Cards
DRC-LA Pete Alonso/Francisco Lindor
DRC-SD Jacob deGrom/Max Scherzer

Framed Mini Cloth (serial numbered to 10)
6 Jacob deGrom
29 Pete Alonso
34 Francisco Lindor
90 Javier Baez
126 Tom Seaver
132 Max Scherzer
147 Mike Piazza

Mini Artist Originals (all 1 of 1)
MAO-4 Francisco Lindor
MAO-23 Jacob deGrom

Mini Exclusives
357 Francisco Lindor
370 Jacob deGrom
394 Mike Piazza

Mini Metal
6 Jacob deGrom
29 Pete Alonso
34 Francisco Lindor
126 Tom Seaver
132 Max Scherzer
147 Mike Piazza

Mini Stained Glass
6 Jacob deGrom
29 Pete Alonso
34 Francisco Lindor
126 Tom Seaver
132 Max Scherzer
147 Mike Piazza

Pitching a Gem
PAG-8 Max Scherzer
PAG-12 Jaob deGrom

Rip Cards
RC-FL Francisco Lindor
RC-JD Jacob deGrom
RC-PA Pete Alonso