搶先看:2018 Topps Opening Day Baseball

Ysponder

2018 Topps Opening Day Baseball is about being affordable. It’s about not have to spending hundreds of dollars to build a base set. It’s part of a brand where mascots rule. Most of all, it’s a product that stresses fun.

This is a set that is easy for kids to collect. It’s also one that other collectors who are not really into the modern high-end scene can dig into. And while autographs and memorabilia cards are in 2018 Topps Opening Day Baseball, they’re clearly not the focal point and come with no box guarantees.


Base Set

The 2018 Topps Opening Day Baseball base set has 200 cards. Standard to the brand, the design is virtually identical to the year’s flagship release only with the MLB Opening Day logo added to the front. More than a third of the checklist consists of players who appear in 2018 Topps Series 2, offering a preview of sorts.





Base cards have a few styles of parallels: Opening Day Edition (/2018), Opening Day 1/1 Edition (1/1) and Printing Plates.





Variation short prints also return. According to Topps, more than 25 players have cards with alternate photos on the front. These have become standard for the line over the past few years.


Inserts

Every pack of 2018 Topps Opening Day Baseball comes with an insert. Many of these dig into ceremonies and events found at MLB ballparks. Taken on their own, they offer some fun themes and photography. Put them together and they offer a deeper insight into the sport, something that might help a young fan learn about the game and its stars.

Opening Day inserts return, this time highlighting moments from the first games of the 2017 season. Before Opening Day is a new insert that offers images from Spring Training.

Scenes from around the stadiums are captured in National Anthem, Team Traditions & Celebrations, and Stadium Signatures, which show players interacting with fans and signing autographs.





Dugout Peeks are another new insert. These have players having fun and chilling on the bench between plays.

Opening Day Stars Stickers offer up something that can be stuck to books, bedposts and fridges (and maybe even the back of the occasional street sign).





Of course, Mascots return in 2018 Topps Opening Day Baseball.


Autographs and Memorabilia Cards

Yes, you can find autographs and relics in 2018 Topps Opening Day Baseball. But be warned that they’re tough pulls. While most modern products promise hits on a per-box or even per-pack basis, this isn’t one of them. They’re best regarded here as a bonus of sorts.





Opening Day Autographs and Opening Day Relics are self explanatory, delivering the autographs and pieces of game-used gear.





Diamond Relics come with bits of stadium dirt embedded in them.





2018 Topps Opening Day Baseball at a glance:

Packs per box: 36
Cards per pack: 7
Boxes per case: 20
Set size: 200 cards
Release date: March 14, 2017


What to expect in a hobby box:

• Inserts – 36

Ysponder

2018 Topps Opening Day Baseball hits stores on Wednesday. Opening Day is an entry-level set great for children, novice collectors and anyone who loves baseball cards. See a few highlights here.