What’s New
Topps has announced that original buyback cards, including the iconic 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, will be inserted into the 2026 Topps Baseball flagship set. This initiative celebrates the brand’s 75th anniversary as a baseball card manufacturer. The buyback program will span across 2026 Topps Series 1, Series 2, and Update releases. The most notable inclusion is an authentic 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card, selected as the best Topps card of all time by a panel of industry and baseball experts.
The panel included Topps CEO Mike Mahan, Topps president of trading cards David Leiner, Topps SVP of product Clay Luraschi, MLB deputy commissioner Noah Garden, MLB historian John Thorn, Beckett founder Dr. James Beckett, Collectors CEO Nat Turner, and former MLB player Evan Longoria.
Configuration at a Glance
- Buyback cards from the Top 75 list will be randomly inserted as redemptions in 2026 Topps Series 1, Series 2, and Update.
- Each buyback card redemption is for a PSA-graded original card from the Top 75.
- The original 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle is the top prize.
- Modern 1/1 or low-numbered cards from the Top 75 will not be included in the buyback program.
Key Inserts & Parallels
- The main insert is the buyback redemption for original Topps cards selected as the 75 best of all time.
- No details on additional insert themes, parallels, or serial-numbered content related to the buyback program have been provided.
Autographs & Relics
- The buyback program focuses on original vintage and modern cards, not new autographs or memorabilia cards.
- Some cards on the Top 75 list are autographed or feature relics in their original release, but only eligible cards (not modern 1/1s or low-numbered cards) are part of the buyback program.
Top 10 Topps Cards of All Time
- 1952 Topps 311 Mickey Mantle
- 1952 Topps 261 Willie Mays
- 1954 Topps 128 Henry Aaron RC
- 1952 Topps 312 Jackie Robinson
- 2024 Topps Chrome Update Rookie Debut Patch Autographs RDPA-PS Paul Skenes
- 1968 Topps 177 Nolan Ryan RC/Jerry Koosman RC
- 1986 Topps Traded 11T Barry Bonds XRC
- 1955 Topps 164 Roberto Clemente RC
- 1980 Topps 482 Rickey Henderson RC
- 2018 Topps US285 Shohei Ohtani RC
Additional Notable Top 75 Cards
- 1952 Topps 1 Andy Pafko
- 1952 Topps 407 Ed Mathews RC
- 1953 Topps 1 Jackie Robinson
- 1953 Topps 220 Satchell Paige
- 1954 Topps 1 Ted Williams
- 1954 Topps 94 Ernie Banks RC
- 1955 Topps 123 Sandy Koufax RC
- 1956 Topps 30 Jackie Robinson
- 1956 Topps 135 Mickey Mantle
- 1957 Topps 20 Henry Aaron
- 1958 Topps 47 Roger Maris RC
- 1958 Topps 476 Stan Musial AS
- 1959 Topps 514 Bob Gibson RC
- 1960 Topps 148 Carl Yastrzemski RC
- 1960 Topps 316 Willie McCovey RC
- 1960 Topps 563 Mickey Mantle AS
- 1963 Topps 537 Pete Rose RC/Pedro Gonzalez RC/Ken McMullen RC/Al Weis RC
- 1964 Topps 125 Pete Rose
- 1965 Topps 160 Bob Clemente
- 1967 Topps 581 Tom Seaver RC/Bill Denehy RC
- 1969 Topps 95 Johnny Bench
- 1969 Topps 260 Reggie Jackson RC
- 1969 Topps 653 Aurelio Rodriguez RC UER
- 1971 Topps 5 Thurman Munson
- 1973 Topps 50 Roberto Clemente
- 1973 Topps 615 Mike Schmidt RC/Ron Cey/John Hilton RC
- 1974 Topps 1 Henry Aaron 715
- 1975 Topps 228 George Brett RC
- 1977 Topps 10 Reggie Jackson
- 1978 Topps 36 Eddie Murray RC
- 1982 Topps 21 Cal Ripken Jr. RC/Bob Bonner RC/Jeff Schneider RC UER
- 1982 Topps Traded 98T Cal Ripken Jr.
- 1983 Topps 482 Tony Gwynn RC
- 1983 Topps 498 Wade Boggs RC
- 1984 Topps 8 Don Mattingly RC
- 1985 Topps 181 Roger Clemens RC
- 1985 Topps 401 Mark McGwire RC
- 1985 Topps 536 Kirby Puckett RC
- 1986 Topps Traded 20T Jose Canseco XRC
- 1986 Topps Traded 50T Bo Jackson XRC
- 1987 Topps 170 Bo Jackson FS RC
- 1989 Bowman 220 Ken Griffey Jr. RC
- 1989 Topps 233 Gregg Jefferies FS
- 1989 Topps Traded 41T Ken Griffey Jr. RC
- 1990 Topps 414 Frank Thomas NNOF RC
- 1991 Stadium Club 200 Nolan Ryan
- 1991 Topps 333 Chipper Jones RC
- 1992 Bowman 302 Mariano Rivera RC
- 1993 Finest 110 Ken Griffey Jr.
- 1993 Topps 98 Derek Jeter RC
- 2001 Topps 726 Ichiro Suzuki RC
- 2001 Topps Traded T247 Albert Pujols RC
- 2006 Topps 297 Alex Gordon Cut Out
- 2007 Topps 40 Derek Jeter
- 2008 Topps Update UH240 Clayton Kershaw RC
- 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects BDPP89 Mike Trout AU
- 2011 Topps Update U175 Mike Trout RC
- 2012 Topps 661 Bryce Harper RC
- 2013 Bowman Draft Draft Picks BDPP19 Aaron Judge
- 2017 Topps 287 Aaron Judge RC
- 2018 Bowman Chrome Rookie Autographs BCRASO Shohei Ohtani/Batting
- 2018 Topps Base Set Photo Variations 698A Ronald Acuna Jr./Bat head down S2
- 2024 Topps Dynasty Black 50/50 Auto Relic SOD1 Shohei Ohtani
- 2025 Topps Chrome Dual Gold Logoman Patch GLDA-OJ Shohei Ohtani/Aaron Judge
- 2025 Topps Chrome Gold Logoman Patch Autographs GOLDA-SO Shohei Ohtani
Players with Most Top 75 Cards
- Shohei Ohtani: 5 cards
- Ken Griffey Jr.: 3 cards
- Aaron Judge: 3 cards
- Henry Aaron: 3 cards
- Mickey Mantle: 3 cards
- Jackie Robinson: 3 cards
- Roberto Clemente: 3 cards
- Derek Jeter, Mike Trout, Bo Jackson, Cal Ripken Jr., Reggie Jackson, Nolan Ryan, Pete Rose: 2 cards each
Collector Notes
- Each buyback card is a PSA-graded original, not a reprint.
- Buyback redemptions are randomly distributed across 2026 Topps Series 1, Series 2, and Update.
- Modern 1/1 and low-numbered cards from the Top 75 are excluded from the buyback program.
- The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle is the headline card, chosen by a panel as the greatest Topps card ever produced.
- No announced odds or print runs for the buyback redemptions have been provided.
- The Top 75 list includes a mix of vintage rookies, modern stars, error cards, and notable autographs.
0 Comments