Author: bsatttu

  • 2025 Topps Heritage Hobby Case Break

    2025 Topps Heritage Hobby Case Break

    Topps Heritage has been a fan favorite among sports card collectors since its debut in 2001. This long-standing product line celebrates vintage designs and player nostalgia, and the 2025 Topps Heritage Baseball release marks a major evolution in the series’ 25-year history.

    Here’s a full breakdown of what I pulled from a 2025 Topps Heritage hobby case, and what fellow collectors can expect when ripping this product.

    Case Configuration

    • Boxes per case: 12
    • Packs per box: 24
    • Cards per pack: 8

    That gives you a total of 2,304 cards per case — plenty of base cards, variations, inserts, and hits to dig into.

    Base Set

    The 500 card base set includes:

    • 400 standard base cards
    • 100 short prints (SPs), numbered 401–500

    In my case, I pulled exactly 8 SPs per box, for a total of 96 SPs — all different, which left me just four short of a full SP set. I also pulled a ton of non-SP duplicates, as expected.

    Base Parallels

    Topps included several parallel sets, including some exclusive to hobby boxes:

    • Dark Blue Parallels (hobby exclusives): 8 per box (96 total)
    • Black Parallels: 3 total
    • Color of the Year Parallels (numbered to 76): 2 total
    • Bicentennial Parallels (numbered to 200): 4 total

    Variations

    This year’s variations were a bit more diverse:

    • 3 image variations
    • 1 nickname variation – “Spaghetti” Spencer Arrighetti
    • 2 cartoon variations, including card #3 featuring Aaron Judge

    The image and nickname variations are clearly labeled on the back, just above the stat line. However, the cartoon variations aren’t marked — I had to compare them manually to spot the difference.

    Chrome Parallels

    One of the biggest changes in 2025 is that base Chrome parallels are no longer serial-numbered. Here’s what I pulled:

    • 68 base chrome cards
    • 24 unnumbered refractors
    • 5 blue refractors (#/150)
    • 3 green refractors (#/99)
    • 2 black refractors (#/76)
    • 2 gold refractors (#/50)
    • 96 light blue sparkle refractors (8 per box – hobby exclusive)

    Collectors may have mixed feelings about the unnumbered Chrome refractors, but the color variety remains strong.

    Inserts

    Topps Heritage completely revamped its insert lineup in 2025. Gone are long-standing favorites like New Age Performers and Then and Now. In their place are five fresh sets, each with Holographic parallels:

    • 1976 Refined (25 cards) – 9 regular / 3 holographic
    • 1976 Player Icons (25 cards) – 9 regular / 3 holographic
    • Heritage 25th Anniversary (25 cards) – 9 regular / 3 holographic
    • Through the Years (25 cards) – 9 regular / 3 holographic
    • Notable Americans (100 cards) – 23 total

    Plus, I pulled 5 buyback cards with the 1976 Topps 50th Anniversary foil stamp — a nostalgic callback to the set this design is based on.

    Box Hits

    Each hobby box is guaranteed one autograph or relic, and my case held to that promise:

    • 3 autographs:
      • Real One Auto – DJ Herz
      • Real One Auto – Christian Scott
      • Chrome Auto – J.T. Realmuto
    • 9 relics:
      • 8 Clubhouse Collection relics
      • 1 Gold Clubhouse Collection Single Player Dual Relic – Cody Bellinger

    The Real One Autos continue to be a collector favorite, with on-card signatures and classic Heritage styling.

    Final Thoughts: Is 2025 Topps Heritage Worth the Rip?

    The 2025 Heritage release offers a lot to explore — even with the changes to inserts and Chrome serial numbering. The case configuration feels familiar, but the refreshed inserts give it new life for longtime fans, so whether you’re a set builder, a variation hunter, or just love the vintage feel, this year’s Heritage is definitely worth a look.

  • 1948 Bowman Baseball – A Great First Vintage Set

    1948 Bowman Baseball – A Great First Vintage Set

    One of the most challenging aspects of vintage set collecting is deciding which set to collect, especially if it’s your first. There are many factors to consider, such as the cost, the time it takes to complete the set, and whether the set has too many or not enough significant cards. For me, my first vintage set was the 1948 Bowman set.

    If you used to look through the printed Beckett’s price guides back in the ’80s and ’90s, you may recall that the ’48 Bowman set was always the first one in the price guide section. Starting at the beginning seemed like a great place to start. The 1948 set was the first year of Bowman baseball cards and marked Bowman’s four-year reign as the top baseball card manufacturer, which ended with the 1952 Topps release.

    Although the ’48 Bowman set may not be the most visually stunning set, it has many qualities that make it enjoyable to collect. First, the set has only 48 cards, making it one of the smallest regular issue sets available. This allows a set collector to get to know each card and the players it features intimately.

    Regarding the players, ’48 Bowman has a high percentage of players who are in the Baseball Hall of Fame. As of this writing, 9 of the 48 cards (18%) feature players who have a plaque in Cooperstown. Five of those nine players are rookies, including two key cards, Yogi Berra and Stan Musial. Both players are widely considered to be among the greatest players of all time, as well as among the most beloved. Yogi, an 18-time All-Star and 10-time World Series champion, was one of the best catchers ever and a leader of the great Yankees teams of the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s. Stan “the Man” Musial is regarded as one of the most consistent hitters of all time. Both were U.S. Navy servicemen during World War II.

    Another interesting aspect of the ’48 Bowman baseball set is the short prints. As previously mentioned, the set has only 48 cards, but there are 12 short prints in the first 36 cards, and the last 12 cards (#37-48) are slightly harder to find than the first 36.

    I’ve provided some information below on this set including the checklist. If you decide to start this set, remember to stay within your budget and only select examples of the cards that you will be pleased with. These cards are not incredibly difficult to find, so remember that collecting is a marathon, not a sprint.

    1948 Bowman Information

    # of Cards: 48
    Card Dimensions: 2 1/16″ x 2 1/2″

    Checklist

    1Bob Elliott RCBoston Braves
    2Ewell Blackwell RCCincinnati Reds
    3Ralph Kiner RCPittsburgh Pirates
    4Johnny Mize RCNew York Giants
    5Bob Feller RCCleveland Indians
    6Larry “Yogi” Berra RCNew York Yankees
    7Pete Reiser RC, SPBrooklyn Dodgers
    8Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto RC, SPNew York Yankees
    9Walker Cooper RCNew York Giants
    10Buddy Rosar RCPhiladelphia Athletics
    11Johnny Lindell RCNew York Yankees
    12Johnny Sain RCBoston Braves
    13Willard Marshall RC, SPNew York Giants
    14Allie Reynolds RCNew York Yankees
    15Eddie JoostPhiladelphia Athletics
    16Jack Lohrke RC, SPNew York Giants
    17Enos Slaughter RCSt. Louis Cardinals
    18Warren Spahn RCBoston Braves
    19Tommy HenrichNew York Yankees
    20Buddy Kerr RC, SPNew York Giants
    21Ferris Fain RCPhiladelphia Athletics
    22Floyd “Bill” Bevens RC, UER, SPNew York Yankees
    23Larry Jansen RCNew York Giants
    24Emil “Dutch” Leonard SPPhiladelphia Phillies
    25Barney McCosky UERPhiladelphia Athletics
    26Frank Shea RC, SPNew York Yankees
    27Sid Gordon RCNew York Giants
    28Emil Verban RC, SPPhiladelphia Phillies
    29Joe Page RC, SPNew York Yankees
    30Whitey” Lockman RC, SPNew York Giants
    31Bill McCahan RCPhiladelphia Athletics
    32Bill Rigney RCNew York Giants
    33Billy “The Bull” Johnson RCNew York Yankees
    34Sheldon Jones RC, SPNew York Giants
    35George Stirnweiss RCNew York Yankees
    36Stan Musial RCSt. Louis Cardinals
    37Clint Hartung RCNew York Giants
    38Al “Red” Schoendienst RCSt. Louis Cardinals
    39Augie Galan RCCincinnati Reds
    40Marty Marion RCSt. Louis Cardinals
    41Rex Barney RCBrooklyn Dodgers
    42Ray Poat RCNew York Giants
    43Bruce Edwards RCBrooklyn Dodgers
    44Johnny Wyrostek RCCincinnati Reds
    45Hank Sauer RCCincinnati Reds
    46Herman Wehmeier RCCincinnati Reds
    47Bobby Thomson RCNew York Giants
    48George “Dave” Koslo RCNew York Giants


  • Set Collecting Sports Cards

    Set Collecting Sports Cards

    There are various types of collectors in the world of sports cards, including player collectors, team collectors, key card collectors, and random collectors. However, for those who enjoy completing things and ticking off boxes, set collecting is a great way to experience the hobby. Set collecting can take on different forms, with some collectors focusing on vintage sets, others on modern sets, and some on a mix of both. In this post, we’ll go through the different types of sets and provide some tips on putting them together.

    Types of Sets

    While there are other types of sets out there, we’ll focus on the more common ones that you’re likely to come across in your collecting journey. There’s no one correct way to collect sets, and some collectors focus on all of these types.

    Base Sets – These sets consist of all the cards in a regular issue of a card release. For instance, the base set for 2022 Topps Update would comprise cards #1-330. Base sets are usually considered complete without error or variation cards.

    Base Sets (with or without SP) – Brands that often include short printed cards, such as Topps Heritage, may have base sets that can be complete with or without the short prints.

    Parallel Sets – Parallel cards run parallel to the base set but have a uniform variation. For example, the 2022 Topps Update Gold set features all 330 regular issue cards with gold borders and serial numbers up to 2022. Other examples of parallel sets include refractor sets and “colored” sets.

    Insert Sets – Inserts are cards that come randomly inserted into packs, along with the regular issue cards. For example, the “Stars of MLB” insert set is one of the many inserts in the 2022 Topps Update release.

    Autographed Sets – Autograph sets come in different varieties. Some insert sets come autographed, and collectors may aim to put together a set of all the cards from that autographed insert set. Alternatively, some collectors try to get all the cards in a particular base, insert, or parallel set autographed by the player, either in person or through the mail.

    Memorabilia Sets – This is a subcategory of insert sets, as some inserts have a piece of game-used or event-worn memorabilia, such as a bat or jersey. Many collectors choose to focus on this type of set.

    Master Sets – These are the most comprehensive sets, containing all the cards in a given release, including the base cards, errors, variations, parallels, and inserts. However, some sets have extremely rare parallels or inserts, such as cards numbered 1 of 1, making it challenging to complete a true master set. In such cases, collectors may opt to complete the base set plus only the more common inserts, parallels, variations, and errors.

    Set Collecting Tips

    As mentioned earlier, there’s no one right way to collect sets, and collectors should focus on what makes them happy. However, here are some tips to help you get started:

    • Research sets before choosing one to collect. Consider factors such as the availability and cost of the cards, and whether you find the set visually appealing.
    • Set a budget and stick to it. Decide how much you can and want to spend on collecting each month.
    • Collect at your own pace. As the saying goes, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It can be very tempting to jump a every card you see that will get you closer to finishing your set. Take your time, though. Be selective about what card you buy, and again, stick to your budget.
    • For vintage sets, decide what condition you want the set to be in. Better condition cards will be more expensive and will take longer to collect. Don’t be afraid to collect a set in low or mid grade condition, as these cards can be just as exciting to procure and collect, at a fraction of the price.
    • Keep a checklist. Whether it be on paper or in digital form, you need to have a list of what you have and what you need to complete your set. There are many excellent resources for tracking your set completion. https://www.tcdb.com/ is one that I use often. It has a very comprehensive set of checklists for almost every set out there.
    • Buy large lots of cards to get started. “Starter sets” or lots or cards from a given release are great places to start your collection. Sometimes it
    • Trade your extras. When you buy lots or multiple lots, it’s inevitable that you will have duplicates of some cards. Use these to trade for cards that you do not have yet. If you are fortunate enough to have friends that collect, great! Trade with them. Otherwise, there are online forums where you can post your trade and want lists.
    • Take your extras and want list to card shows or your local card shop. There are many people out there that are willing to help you find the cards you need.

    In conclusion, set collecting is a great way to enjoy the hobby of sports card collecting. With various types of sets and different ways of collecting them, it allows collectors to personalize their collecting experience to their own preferences. Whether you collect vintage or modern sets, base sets or parallel sets, autographed or memorabilia sets, or even aim for a master set, set collecting can be a fulfilling and rewarding experience. With the tips provided, you can start your set collecting journey with confidence, knowing what to consider when selecting a set and how to budget and track your progress. Happy collecting!

  • Hello card collectors!

    Hello card collectors!

    Welcome to the Rockwall Sports Cards blog!

    In 1988, I stumbled upon a love for collecting sports cards that has stayed with me ever since. I remember going to Gibson’s with my mother, feeling like I had a few dollars burning a hole in my pocket but unable to find anything to buy. On a whim, I grabbed a mixed bag of cards that included a few packs and loose cards. From that moment on, I was hooked. In this blog, I’ll share more about my experiences collecting sports cards and the reasons why I find it such a fascinating and rewarding hobby.

    When I first started collecting, I didn’t know much about the world of sports cards. While my favorite team was the Dallas Cowboys, I didn’t follow baseball or basketball. However, I quickly became drawn in by the thrill of opening a new pack and discovering what cards were inside. Over time, I developed my own preferences and began seeking out specific cards and sets that I found particularly interesting.

    Now, decades later, my passion for collecting sports cards is stronger than ever. I love the thrill of the hunt, searching for rare and valuable cards to add to my collection. I also enjoy learning more about the history of sports and the players who have made an impact on the game. There’s something special about holding a piece of sports history in your hands, and I find that the more I learn about the cards and the players behind them, the more I appreciate the hobby.

    Through this blog, I hope to connect with other collectors and share my experiences and knowledge about the world of sports cards. I plan to cover a range of topics, from tips for collecting cards and card information to sharing my latest pickups and favorite sets. I also hope to hear from other collectors and learn about their experiences and insights.

    Whether you’re a longtime collector or new to the hobby, I hope that this blog will provide valuable insights and information about the fascinating world of sports cards. Thanks for joining me on this journey, and I look forward to sharing more with you soon!