6 Things to Know About 2019 Topps Heritage

Year after year, Topps never fails to impress me with the annual release of my favorite set; Topps Heritage and 2019 served as no exception to this tradition.

After the initial hobby box that I opened, I ended up breaking a little bit more Topps Heritage to explore this impressive product even further. However, rather than doing the standard recap of what I purchased and pulled, I'd rather write one final post on Topps Heritage in a more creative way.

While I've been opening packs of 2019 Topps Heritage, I've noticed multiple different details about the product, both large and small. Even though you generally know what to expect from Heritage every year it's released, Topps continues to surprise collectors with different variations and retro-style insert sets.

There's truly not a product quite like Topps Heritage where, even though the inserts are reoccurring and the set design is constantly expected, Topps pulls out all the stops and creates one of their most beloved products. 

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Topps will probably be doing the same thing with Heritage 50 years from now with products from the 2010s-2020s. Honestly, it's pretty odd to imagine modern-day sets recreated with Heritage cardstock, but I truly have faith that Topps can pull it off when the time comes.

Alright, back to 2019 Topps Heritage and some important things to know about this product and everything that comes with it.

#1 Be prepared for way too much sky

Having ballpark backgrounds on their cards isn't something revolutionary for Topps, so I'm confused as to why such a high percentage of the product features blue sky photographs. It would be fair to estimate that roughly 80% or more of 2019 Topps Heritage features photos with blue sky backgrounds, and this premise isn't new to 2019.

Since 2017, we've seen a major increase in blue sky backgrounds in Topps Heritage, and while I understand Topps' decision to include in-game action variations as SPs, does one variation have to come at the cost of almost every single card featuring the same background?

#2 The inserts are more colorful than ever

The colorful inserts that we've grown accustomed to seeing in Topps Heritage are a direct reflection of the year that Topps is commemorating. This likely means, unfortunately, that these incredibly colorful insert cards won't last forever. 

With that being said, simply looking at these Baseball Flashbacks and New Age Performers cards makes me hope otherwise. While the 2 different flashbacks insert sets feature the same design with different colors, the New Age Performers set design is one of the cleanest and most creative styles that I've ever seen out of Topps Heritage.

#3 This years' SPs are... complicated

One thing I've found through all the packs I've opened thus far is that it's become increasingly difficult to pull major names, even as far as the base set is concerned. I'm well aware that the superstars are once again SPs, but is that really the case?

For example, Sonny Gray is in the base set and Miles Mikolas is a short print. I'm well aware that Gray has had his struggles, but Mikolas only had 1 respectable season and gets an SP? I didn't even know his name until he signed an extension last week. 

Not to mention, the 2 MVPs, Betts and Yelich, are in the base set as well. Weird.

#4 Don't expect to pull many rookie cup cards

Last year, All-Star rookies like Andrew Benintendi were featured in the base set and, thus, pulled fairly often from packs. However, with the superstars making up the short-print checklist once again this year, don't expect to find many sophomore stars when you open packs of this product.

Other than a Harrison Bader base card, showcasing a rookie cup, the only other All-Star rookie card I pulled was an SP of Miguel Andujar. Besides a base card and a lucky SP pull, I've ended up with zero All-Star rookie cards through my Heritage openings so far.

#5 The Scratch Off inserts are my favorites

Falling at 1 per hobby box and some relatively tough retail odds, the Scratch Off insert set is a recreation of the original mini set from 1970. Back when these were first released, you and a friend could play a fantasy Baseball game of sorts with these cards, and the replicated cards are designed for the very same purpose.

I, however, will attempt to complete this insert set rather than play the game, but I am blown away by Topps' sheer attention to detail with these cards, even if 0 Red Sox players are featured.

#6 Expect the expected and the unexpected

In many different ways, Topps Heritage is a very predictable product, and in a ton of other ways, the same thing cannot be said. For instance, with the year 1970 being replicated, you can thoroughly expect guys like Yaz and Bench to be showcased in the Then & Now set. 2018 was a stellar year for rookies, so I'm not shocked to find a surplus of 2nd-year guys in the New Age Performers set.

However, Topps has certainly thrown in a few surprises with this years' product, keeping Heritage fanatics like myself on their toes. Take the Baseball Flashbacks set, a checklist that usually consists of all Hall of Fame players. Well, this time around, Thurman Munson and Joe Torre have their own cards.

There are also new "French text" variations where the blurb on the card back is written in both English and French. Topps has also introduced a new "metal" parallel in addition to the numerous other variations and parallels that have become mainstays in the set.

See what I mean, Heritage encompasses the expected and the unexpected all in 1 product, and the result is stellar, no matter the year. It's the creativity and craziness behind the set that has suckers like me coming back for more, even if the replicated set design isn't my favorite.