2013 Topps Finest Baseball... Bigger, Better and Retro!

When Topps releases 2013 Finest Baseball in August they will be celebrating 20 years of Finest. They will be bringing a touch of the past in to each 12 pack master box. With a similar pack out to the 2012 release (2 mini boxes per master box, 6 packs per mini box, 5 cards per pack), the price will probably be pretty similar. Each master box will include one Autographed Rookie Refractor and one Autographed Jumbo Relic Rookie.

 

While the 1993 Finest set may not be the “prettiest” Finest product ever released this set holds dear to my heart. I got back in to collecting in late 1992 (basketball only at first) and the 1993 Finest Baseball was one of the first baseball releases that I started to bust. I wanted the Griffey All-Star Refractor so bad but it has eluded me to this day.

 

The 100-card base set has the typical Finest chrome/reflective surface with a dot-like background design with the dots in the team’s colors. The checklist will be made up of veterans and rookies and each base card will have 9 parallels: Standard Refractor (No #), X-Fractors (No #), Green (#/199), Orange (#/99), Gold (#/50), Red (#/25), Atomic (#/5), SuperFractor (1/1) and Printing Plates.

 

The Autographed Rookie Refractor cards are designed like the base cards with the chrome surface and a team colored dot pattern with a white fade/mist on the bottom. The preview cards appear to be on-card signatures. No checklist has been released yet. There will be 9 different parallels to each base card: X-Fractor (#/149), Green (#/125), Orange (#/99), Gold (#/50), Red (#/25), Atomic (#/5), SuperFractor (1/1) and Printing Plates.

 

The Autographed Jumbo Relic Rookie cards are horizontal so they can include both a large jersey swatch and the sticker autograph. No checklist has been released yet. There will be 9 different parallels to each base card: X-Fractor (#/149), Green (#/125), Orange (#/99), Gold (#/50), Red (#/25), Atomic (#/5), SuperFractor (1/1) and Printing Plates.

 

There are additional inserts that are based on cards from 1993, 1996 and 1997 as well as a couple of upper end hits.

The 1993 Finest cards use current players on the original 1993 design; there is also a 1993 Finest Refractor parallel (#/25)

The 1993 Finest All-Star cards also include current players but using the original 1993 design used in the sub-set as well as the jumbo box toppers. There are two parallels; Refractor (#/10) and Autographed Refractor (#/5)

 

The 1996 Finest Prodigies Die-Cut Refractors focus on young players using the 1996 subset design. There are two parallels; Autograph (#/10 or less) and SuperFractor (1/1)

 

The 1997 Finest Master Refractors come from the 1996 subset. There are two parallels; Autograph (#/15 or less) and SuperFractors (1/1)

 

Autographed Buybacks: These are original 1993 refractors that Topps bought and had the cards signed by the player and #/5

 

Jumbo Autographed All-Star Buybacks: Like the autographed buyback refractors, these are original Jumbo All-Star Box Toppers that Topps bought and had the cards signed by the player and #/5

 

This card image I pulled from eBay to show the comparison between the regular All-Star Refractors and the Jumbo All-Star Refractor Box Topper. I have not seen a final checklist so I do not know if Canseco will be included plus the Buybacks in the 2013 release will be autographed.

 

 

Triple Autographs include three player autographs, sticker autos, and they are #/5

 

Rookie Redemption Program: Topps will be announcing who the rookies are that will be included throughout the season; this is so they can include call-ups during the season. Each card will be autographed and #/100

 

Topps closes out with random Hot Boxes, an entire box filled with the 2013 Topps Finest Baseball 1993 Refractor inserts.