2017 Topps Definitive Collection Baseball caters to the high-end collector
Topps has revived its Definitive Collection set, bringing it out of a two-year sabbatical by tweaking it for MLB collectors. The result is a set packed with chase-worthy hits for the collector willing to pay the price.
The Definitive Collection was last seen as a high-end NFL product in 2015, and many of those same elements have been brought into 2017 Topps Definitive Collection Baseball. The facts about this set which stand out the most are the quality and quantity of autograph and relic cards, along with the price of acquiring a box.
The set’s primary selling-point is a bevy of on-card autographs, which are complemented by patch cards and a super-rare parallel set. According to the official checklist from Topps, the autographs come in five different varieties, there are seven relic variations, and five subsets combine relics and autographs.
Each box contains eight cards, out of which purchasers should expect to pull four autographed relics, two patch cards, a dual autograph and a rookie autograph. The MSRP for a box is $1,000. While that may put this product out of reach for many collectors, the contents of the set have to be taken into consideration.
It’s easy to make an argument for many of the set’s contents as the most chase-worthy element, and much of that will depend on a collector’s personal goals in buying a box. If rare rookie autographs are the primary motivation, this set delivers that from the likes of Aaron Judge, Andrew Benintendi, Alex Bregman, Dansby Swanson and many more in several of the variations.
Collectors who are eyeing relics from Hall of Fame players instead, Definitive Patches for Barry Larkin, Greg Maddux and Ken Griffey Jr. are among the possible hits. Those are just some examples of the value that the set provides, which should make collectors salivate.
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It’s hard to argue that Definitive Collection doesn’t deliver the goods. It’s also hard to argue that the price point doesn’t make the product one that most collectors will pass on. This product is a short run, as Topps knows that the amount of collectors who not only have the resources but are willing to pay $1,000 for eight cards is small. For those few collectors, however, this set is a home run.