First UEFA Champions League Chrome autos offer extra kick

There’s a newcomer in the Topps lineup this year with a legendary rainbow of Refractors that has thrilled collectors worldwide for years now in a number of sports. It's hit the Champions League pitch for the first time this year, though, with a roster of signers that that could contend for a World Cup if there was one for soccer cards.

It’s 2017-18 Topps Chrome UEFA Champions League and it arrived last week with some of the biggest autographs in the global game possible in every box — but without a high-end price.

Also helping this one heat up? Team colors -- stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo are featured in their natural uniforms. Also adding some power? Timing and a limited release. This one has arrived well before the World Cup, giving it time to gain momentum before demand for soccer cards kicks in even harder atop interest in this inaugural release. It's also only found in hobby shops, not at Walmart or Target.

Every 18-pack box of this hobby-only release includes one autographed card and the rainbow of possible parallel versions of those includes several shades for 41 signers also found in the 100-card base set. (That means there are two Superfractors for those who signed.) There’s also a good dose of simplicity with a handful of insert sets (each with their own autographs and parallels) and photo variation cards for the absolute biggest stars. That’s it and the simplicity may help make it even more collectable since it’s not as complicated as, say, its counterpart on the baseball diamond.

Autographed cards include basic ink and then Refractors found in Blue (/150), Green (/99), Gold (/50), Orange (/25) Red (/10) and 1/1 Superfractor versions. Check out the video below for a multimedia look at this one. Some of the autographs have begun popping up on eBay with some impressive prices, especially considering the affordable box prices right now. One highlight so far? This Red Refractor sale for Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho.

Those team colors and those colors of the Refractor rainbow are some of the reasons that this product -- a first in the rich history of the UEFA Champions League -- has the attention of Alan Narz who runs Big League Cards in Casselberry, Fla.

"For soccer a lot of fans like collecting players in their Champions League uniform instead of their International World Cup uniform," Narz said. "Michael Jordan would go to the Olympics wearing his USA uniform but people prefer to collect him in Chicago Bulls uniform. I think that's a strong selling point."

Besides Ronaldo, signers in this one include Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, Harry Kane, Gareth Bale and Luis Suarez to name a few -- and it's a stacked deck. See the entire checklist here.

"There are multiple players signing their first time ever for Topps," Narz said. "It's got many of the game's biggest players in their Champions League uniform, which is a big deal."

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