
In Baseball Cards
KuyaKards
Mar 28
Estimated Print Runs for 2024 Topps Heritage High Number
I sat down with the odds sheet Topps published and calculated the estimated print runs for the new 2024 Topps Heritage High Number set. I calculated these based on retail Hobby Box odds, and did not include print runs for autos and relics (which can vary from card to card. There's also a few important notes at the bottom of the list:
Base Set
Base: 49,000
Short Prints: 34,100
Flip Stock: 10
Minis: 500
White Border: 1,000
Aqua Border: 1,250
Dark Blue Border: 2,500
Black Border: 100
Black & White Border: 75
Inserts and Gimmicks
Color Swap: 500
Missing Facsimile Signature: 550
Throwback Uniform: 36
Image Variation: 3,215
Team City Name Swap: 509
Rookie Performers: 10,818
Now & Then: 10,818
Combo Cards: 10,993
Award Winners: 10,993
Fred Lynn Files: 10,993
1975 Team Quads: 10,818
Retires!: 10,818
Perfectly Programmed: 10,993
1975 Happy Birthday!: 119
Oversized Box Loader: 3,246
Chrome Variations
Base Chrome: /699
Short Print Chrome (Refractors): /699
Silver Border: /225
Black Border: /75
Gold Border: /5
Superfractor: /1
Notes
(1) Some sites like Beckett and Baseballcardpedia have written that the black border parallel is numbered to 50. This is incorrect—black borders are unnumbered (I pulled one this morning), and their estimated print run is around 100 copies each.
(2) According to my estimates, the stated odds for the Black Border and Gold Border chrome variations are incorrect. These cards are twice as rare as the printed odds suggest. Fortunately, they're numbered, which means their print runs are known and the error can be accounted for when calculating the rest of the set.
(3) There are base chrome variations and short print chrome variations. Both of these are numbered to /699, but only the short print chrome variations are refractors. If you aren't sure if you have a SP chrome refractor variation, check the card number on the reverse side of the card—SPs are numbered below 100 and above 700. This can be useful if you're targeting singles of the refractors online, where telling the difference between a base and refractors in photos can be difficult.
(4) Overall, this is a very fun set to rip. Thanks to the class of 2024, it's very heavy on rookie cards. I ripped two hobby boxes this morning, and I'd estimate that about 45% of my base cards were rookies with multiple copies of the big-name rookies. I pulled a white border Skenes, a black border Yamamoto, silver chrome Yamamoto, a Noelvi Marte on-card auto, a Jose Ramirez relic, a black chrome Oneil Cruz, a silver chrome William Contreras, and a bunch more. Value box is the best format if you can get it, but hobby boxes are great, too. Avoid scalpers online—I was able to get my boxes at my LCS for $190 each.
(5) Chromes and parallels seem more plentiful than in 2024 Topps Heritage. Unfortunately, the chrome cards seem more prone to minor print lines in this set, but they look amazing.