REVIEW:2017 Topps Heritage Baseball

Anyone wanna take a trip back to 1968 sometimes? Yeah, me to. But only because it must have been a much simpler time without all of the technology (1968 as a year was a tough one however for the country and not something I would want to experience). I feel sometimes technology takes over our lives and isn't always the best. Just ask the two washers and dryers and the laptop I have gone through the last 2 years lol. 

So lets avoid the technology and going back to 1968, and instead why don't we just crack a hobby box of 2017 Topps Heritage baseball. Best of all worlds.

In every box of 2017 Topps Heritage baseball, you will find 24 packs of 9 cards. There is one autograph or one relic card per box and boxes currently run around $90. So you are hoping you can land an Sp or a decent autograph.

When you bust open the box, you will find a box topper from a variety of options.

• 1968 Ad Panel: 3-card strip
• 1968 Poster Box Loader that are limited to 50.
• 1968 Topps 3D Set Based on the 1968 Topps 3D set featuring today's best stars
• 1968 Topps Originals that are original cards from 1968 foil-stamped

 My box was lucky and had one of the 1968 Originals

 

So I opened that first to find Clarence Jones. Not the best find as he only was in the majors for two years.

The base card design, is well, based on the 1968 design. The checklist is REALLY DEEP. There are 500 cards to collect with 100 short prints. Players who changed teams in the offseason are updated as well (some are even variations more below on that)

There are a ton of subsets to collect with a checklist that deep. Look for League Leaders, World Series Highlights, Topps News All-Stars, Rookie Stars, Team Cards, Combo Cards.

I got Bregman and Dansbury rookies in my box. Find other key rookies like David Dahl, Andrew Benintendi, Aaron Judge, Tyler Austin, Orlando Arcia, Alex Reyes, and Tyler Glasnow. 

I think my favorite subsets is the World Series ones done in the black/white and the team cards with some photogenic moments. All of them are themed and designed from that '68 set.

 The Topps News subset. Cool throwback design and as an added bonus.....

The back is a puzzle! These are base cards 361-380.

 

Here are those short prints in the base set. I pulled 6 so they are roughly 1:4 packs. These are cards 401-500.

As with most Topps products, base cards have Sp variations. I pulled an action variation of this guy,

How did I know that's what I pulled, well, lucky for us, Topps made it easy.

Like with past releases, Topps issues codes at the bottom of the base cards. Plain base cards have the code ending in 1867 like this:

 

High number Sp's, cards 401-500, have 1869 as their mark.

And anything else, such as this 1871 I found on the back of Noah, has different numbers I will list after the picture jump. Which is an action variation.

 

• Color Swap Variations – 74
• Error Variations – 70
• Throwback Variations – 72
• Traded Variations – 73

The base cards not only have variations, but they also have parallels. These are tough finds. I was lucky to find a /50 (not actually numbered on the card that I can find) blue border.

Other offerings that may not be as easy to spot are, 

- Gray Backs are limited to 10
- Bright Yellow backs are limited to 25.
- Blue-bordered Parallel are limited to 50
- Flip Stock Parallel are limited to 5

Speaking of trying to spot those, I suggest you use the Beckett spotter. That will be a huge help. You can find that, HERE.

If the product doesn't quench your thirst so far, we are just getting to the inserts.

Topps "rediscover" card give-away continues in Heritage. Two million cards from past releases over the lifetime of the Topps company will be randomly inserted into packs. You can find these in Heritage at a rate of 1:6 packs.

 

New Age Performers is a common insert theme in Heritage that showcases current players whose performances have eclipsed the giants of the past. These fall 1:12 packs

News and Baseball Flashbacks that look at moments from 1968 and fall 1:20 packs

Then and Now compare stats of a 1968 player to a 2016 player and fall 1:20 packs

And one of my favorites that I think makes the '68 design even sharper is the Heritage Chrome! These are 100 Cards from the Base Set featured on Chrome Technology! Base versions like this Springer are numbered to 999.

As with anything chrome, you know refractors are involved....

• Chrome Refractor Parallel that are #'d to 568.
• Chrome Blue Bordered Parallel that are #'d to 68.
• Chrome Gold Bordered Parallel that are #'d to 5
• Chrome Superfractor Parallel that are #'d 1/1.
• Chrome HOT BOX Refractor Parallel

Now time for my one and only hit!

And speaking of Springer, guess you can say this was a Springer Hot Box! My first every Heritage autograph find. From my understanding, autographs are 1:7 (thanks to Stubby for the info) boxes so they are not easy finds.

Other hits not in my box but are exceptional finds are, Clubhouse Collection Autographed Relics,

Clubhouse Collection Dual Autographed Relics, Flashbacks Autographed Relics, REAL ONE Autographs, REAL ONE DUAL Autographs, REAL ONE TRIPLE Autographs, 1968 Poster Box Loader Autograph, Clubhouse Collection Relics, Clubhouse Collection Dual Relic, Clubhouse Collection Triple Relic, Clubhouse Collection QUAD Relic, 1968 MINT that are relic cards featuring retired stars from 1968 and current stars along with a coin minted in that year that include Nickel #'d to 15, Dime #'d to 10, Quarter #'d to 5 and JFK Silver Half Dollar - #'d 1 of 1. There are also

1968 U.S. Postage Stamp Relics that feature stamps from 1968 and are #'d to 50. 1968 Baseball Cut Signatures that features players from the 1968 set and are #'d 1/1. and finally I wished I could have found, 1968 Celebrity Cut Signatures that features musicians and celebrities that were popular in 1968. #'d 1/1.

OVERALL, this product has it's following. If you loved it before in the past, you will love it again. This is also a product for those set collectors who like a bit of a challenge. If you love nostalgia too, you will like it as well. 

With only one hit per box and autographs running 1:3 boxes, it may not always be the best per-box hit chaser product especially for the price right now. It's more of a cardboard appreciation type of product that you may get lucky on. But, it's very solid from top to bottom when you do hit it big. 

Please make sure to take a minute out to thank Topps for providing this box for me to review and to be able to add cards to the MLB Pick Em promotion. The above Springer may be the prize up for grabs in April. Follow Topps on all social media sites and visit their site, HERE, as well.