Topps UK MLB sets offer concentrated star power & surprises

Simplicity might lead to popularity -- as long as there are still some chase elements.

That might be a reason that Topps UK baseball boxes -- particularly the 2022 set but also the 2021 version -- have been among the most-popular sellers of late in the shop with some big stuff possible in some relatively affordable boxes.

There isn't a hit in every box -- instead the autographs are rarer (one in every third box or so), which helps the value of the big names when you find them -- and the overall lineup of inclusions in the product is smaller. The 2022 base set, for example, is just 220 cards with key names from Series 1, Series 2 and Update all in one spot -- also a plus given the rookies in play in that last one -- with parallels and then a modest number of inserts (three sets and that's it). Boxes are 24 packs of 10 cards, too, giving one a decent statistical shot at any one player in there if just seeking base cards.

Throw in surprises such as the mystery short-prints of the royal family ... and there can be fireworks. (There are at least nine of them by my quick searches and some can have steep asking prices.)

While the royals are a big chase with their big headlines to come (the new king is coronated next month), there are also big names among the MLB basics. (I'll keep a focus on 2022 as that's the newest -- 2021 also has similar finds but fewer signers.) Ink in the 2022 set includes Julio Rodriguez, Spencer Strider, Wander Franco, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuña Jr., Pete Alonso, Bobby Witt Jr., Cal Ripken Jr., Derek Jeter, Ichiro Suzuki, Mike Trout and Juan Soto for starters -- a stacked lineup because they are not as easily found.

There's also a good rookie presence in the inserts and base set since this one was a late arrival last year and they also have their own parallels. Base set parallels are also found several times per box with stuff from a smaller lineup perhaps selling better than one might think (click here to see the surprising sale price on the 2021 Trout above) ... perhaps because cards are not as easily found as a trip to a Walmart or eBay to find them all. They include Black (/125), Big Ben (/99), Blue (/75), Purple (/50), Gold (/25), Red (/5) and 1/1 Platinum. The odds on even the rarest isn't as high as one might see elsewhere at one in 1,540 packs. You can see more and chew on the 2022 checklist here.

Part of the value here is the chase -- landing the elite stuff isn't the easiest thing to do but it's not impossible with odds (and print runs) that aren't as large as the standard stuff ... and the checklists are better, too. In short, they're worth the look.

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