2022 Topps Tribute Baseball Hobby Box Break & Review

Collector Type: Autograph/Relic/High-End Risk Takers

Its been awhile since I’ve opened a box of Topps Tribute Baseball. The last time I did was in 2016 and pulled a Mike Trout Auto #’ed/50 right before attending the 2016 National Sports Collectors Convention in Atlantic City, NJ.

That wasn’t the only time I struck gold with the Tribute brand. When I was in college I busted a pack of 2004 Topps Tribute Baseball HOF Cut Signature Edition, and hit the Willie Mays Cut Auto #’ed 1/1. It was an older signature of Willie Mays too, not just something he recently signed for that product.

Veterans and legends make up the 90-card base set for 2022 Tribute. Parallels include Green #’ed/99, Purple #’ed/50, Orange #’ed/25, Red #’ed/10, and Black #’ed 1/1.

(10) Short Print Rookies fall 1:18 packs. These would be cards #91-100, and have the same parallels as the main base set. Just more difficult to pull.

Every hobby-exclusive box comes with (6) packs. Each pack contains an autograph or relic. On average you should find (3) autographs, and (3) relics per box.

Autographs include Tribute Autographs, Iconic Perspectives Autographs, League Inauguration Autographs, Solid Gold Greats Autographs, Tribute Career Achievement Award Continuity Autographs, Tribute Career Achievement Award Continuity Dual Autographs, Tribute to MVPs Autographs, Tribute to World Series MVPs Autographs, and Tribute Tandems Autograph Book Cards.

Autograph/Relics include Autograph Patches, Milestone Relics Black Jumbo Autograph, Prime Patch Autograph Relics, and Tribute Stadium Signatures.

Relics include Dual Relics, Dual Relics 2, Milestone Relics, Stamp of Approval Relics, and Tribute Triple Relics.

Inserts come in the form of Tribute to 1953 Topps Framed Card Box Toppers. 1:489 boxes contains one of these jumbo inserts. Each framed insert houses an original card from the 1953 Topps Baseball set, and is serial numbered 1/1.

The Stamp of Approval Relics come with an MLB authentication sticker. You can lookup the code to see when and where that relic was used. We’ve seen this used with certain products over the years. Some products have clear plastic over the relic window which prevents the sticker from getting lost if it were to come loose. I noticed with 2022 Tribute this isn’t the case. That plastic would also make it more difficult for scammers to remove the sticker, and place it on a fake patch card of their own. The last thing we need in the hobby is a bunch of scammers with their hands on functioning MLB authentication stickers. You’re just asking for problems. All relic cards which utilize the MLB authentication stickers should have clear plastic covering the relic window.

From a price standpoint Tribute might not be for everyone. It has and probably always will be a high-end product. Buying singles on the secondary market might be the better choice for some people.

Checklist

Here is what I pulled:

Autos:

• Max Kepler Auto #’ed/199
• Trey Amburgey Auto #’ed/199
• Marcus Stroman Auto Blue #’ed/150

Relics:

• Rhys Hoskins Stamp of Approval Relic Green #’ed/99
• Dustin Pedroia Dual Relic Green #’ed/99
• Rafael Devers Tribute Triple Relic #’ed/199

According to the MLB authentication sticker this jersey was worn by Rhys Hoskins on 7/24/20. Marlins at Phillies.

Parallel:

• Randy Johnson Red #’ed/10

Short Print Rookie:

• Wander Franco #95

Base:

• Aaron Judge #53
• Rafael Devers #14
• Vladimir Guerrero #88
• Andy Pettitte #23
• Rod Carew #46
• Giancarlo Stanton #7
• Max Muncy #81
• Jose Berrios #25
• Freddie Freeman #30
• Manny Ramirez #50
• Mariano Rivera #32

Card of the Day: Walter Johnson 2004 Topps Tribute HOF #18

Card of the Day: John Smoltz 2009 Topps Tribute #29

Card of the Day: Tiger Woods 2009-10 Upper Deck The Cup Sidney Crosby Tribute Patch Auto

Product Highlight: 2001 Topps Tribute

Remembering the first truly high-end product you saw I guess depends on when you began collecting.  For me, the first high-end product I can remember is 1997 Donruss Signature Series.  At a cost of around $15/pack with a guaranteed autograph inside each pack I thought it was a very big deal.  Having the opportunity to open up a few was great, even though I wasn’t too familiar with the autographs I was pulling – Eric Young, Todd Hollandsworth, and Jeffrey Hammonds.

High-end is one thing.  Super-premium is another.  In 2001, Topps introduced us to their Tribute brand.  At the time I suppose you could consider it a super-premium product.  Packs cost $40.  2001 Topps Tribute marked a first for Topps.  It was the first Topps product to feature a “hit” in every pack.  Quite the norm today, but fairly a new idea back then.

If your looking to put together the base set, it shouldn’t be that difficult.  Only (90) cards make up the entire set.  There are no parallels, short prints, or variations.  Just cleanly designed cards of retired stars.

The “hits” are what drive Tribute.  Its odd to think about Tribute not having any autographs, but the 2001 incarnation did just that.  “Hits” purely come in relic form only.  Zero autographs.  When opening a pack, you’re most likely going to pull a horizontally designed jersey, pants, or bat relic.

Franchise Figures Relics (1:34) is a (19) card set featuring multiple players and relics on the same card.  2-4 players per card all from the same team.

Game Patch-Number Relics (1:61) contain patches.  Although these aren’t serial numbered, the Game Patch-Number Relics are limited to (30) copies each.

Dubbed just Dual Relics (1:860), Casey Stengel and Frank Robinson are the only two individuals here.  Cards have two relics for each player.

By far the hardest card to pull is the Nolan Ryan Tri-Relic.  These fall 1:1,292 packs, and hold three Nolan Ryan relics.

Long expired now, Topps did include some redemption cards for original cards.  Jackie Robinson, Mickey Mantle, and Ted Williams each had (50) redemption cards thrown in.  You even had the chance of pulling a redemption for an original Mickey Mantle card graded by PSA.  The exact Mickey Mantle card and grade were not stated on the redemption.

Topps regularly released Tribute between 2001 and 2004.  Then it took a break for five years and returned in 2009.  I actually enjoy the earlier Tribute sets more compared to the newer stuff.  Those checklists have many older players who you just don’t see getting a lot of attention today.

Card of the Day: Mike Schmidt 2002 Topps Tribute Lasting Impressions #49

“Pin-Up” of the Week: 2017 NFL Draft Pittsburgh Steelers Dan Rooney Tribute Pin

Owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dan Rooney, passed away on April 13, 2017.  He was the son of Steelers founder Art Rooney.  Owners typically don’t have that many cards, but Dan Rooney had a few.

His most popular cards include:

• 2000 Goal Line Art Hall of Fame #203
• 2000 Goal Line Art Hall of Fame Auto #203
• 2000 Goal Line Art Hall of Fame Gold Auto #’ed/100
• 2000 Topps Hall of Fame Class of 2000 #4
• 2000 Topps Hall of Fame Class of 2000 Auto

In honor of Dan Rooney’s passing, Steelers staff wore the above pin during the 2017 NFL Draft.  I don’t have a problem with the Steelers wanting to pay tribute to Dan Rooney with this pin.  From a collecting standpoint it could easily cause some problems though.

With Dan Rooney passing away only two weeks prior to the start of the draft, there probably wasn’t enough time to design a new tribute pin from scratch.  Instead they had to improvise with what they had.  The Steelers simply took one of their misty gold lapel pins and pinned it to a green ribbon.

Does anyone else see a potential problem here?  What stops someone from buying a misty gold lapel pin for $4.95 and pinning it to easily accessible green ribbon which can be found at any craft store?  The answer is nothing.  Anyone could do that while attempting to spin a tale that it came from a Steelers staff member during the draft.

The odds of an authentic one showing up for sale are slim.  I highly doubt a large amount were put together.  It would be in poor taste if someone from the Steelers did try and make money off of it.  But it has been known to happen before.  I can imagine an authentic pin would fetch quite a bit more than $5.  The only way I’d trust that one of these Dan Rooney tribute pins is authentic is if I received one directly from a Steelers staff member.  Otherwise you’d never know.

Card of the Day: Joe Tinker 2003 Topps Tribute World Series #93

McGriff ’16 Topps Tribute Jersey Contest Winner Announced

Congrats to Gregory Zakwin on being the lucky winner of the Fred McGriff 2016 Topps Tribute Jersey #’ed/196.  Once Gregory Zakwin sends me his mailing address, I will ship this card ASAP.  Thanks!

McGriff ’16 Topps Tribute Jersey Contest! – NOW CLOSED

This contest is for a Fred McGriff 2016 Topps Tribute Jersey #’ed/196.  Good luck!!!

Contest Details:

• This contest will end Sunday, August 14, 2016 @ 8:00 p.m. EST.
• To enter, please leave a comment in this post.
• You can enter once per day.
• The winner will be selected at random.
• Please provide a valid e-mail address when entering.
• The winner will receive an e-mail when the contest is over.
• The winner has one week to send me their contact information or the contest will be held again.
• Once the contest is over, I will need the winner’s mailing address so I can ship them this card for FREE!!!