From Marilyn Monroe to John Hancock: cllct rates auto cards in Topps Transcendent Baseball

From the moment Topps Transcendent Baseball was first released in 2016, it was immediately clear the set had aspirations beyond those of the typical high-end product.

First produced to commemorate the 65th anniversary of Topps Baseball, just 65 factory sets were released. Its $25,000 price tag made it the most expensive baseball card product ever released.

The landmark release featured hyper-limited cards, autographs and even an invitation to a 65th anniversary party in Las Vegas with Kris Bryant.

In what would become one of the set’s most memorable and beloved features, cut signature box toppers featuring celebrities and historical figures from sports and beyond were inserted one per box, each a 1/1 card. In addition to Lou Gehrig, Satchel Paige and Roberto Clemente, other cut autos from names such as Neil Armstrong, Robin Williams and Tupac Shakur provided a unique flair to the set that continues today.

The 2024 Topps Transcendent release has kept up the tradition of unexpected cut autographs. Released Wednesday at $5,999.99 a box, some of the most intriguing non-sports cut autograph cards have already surfaced on social media.

Let’s break down five of the most interesting cards from the release and dive deeper into the autographs themselves.

1. Robert Oppenheimer

As far as “I didn’t have that on my 2025 Bingo card” goes, this offering takes the cake.

Oppenheimer doesn’t have the same cache among collectors as scientists such as Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawking, though Christopher Nolan's Oscar-winning film certainly boosted his profile in the public consciousness. So, it’s a pleasant surprise to see Topps taking a swing with an unexpected card here.

On the downside, the signature itself is quite poor. Compared to a far bolder example on an album page — precisely the sort of item that is ideal for producing cut signatures — which sold for $1,283 in 2022, it falls short.

Considering how relatively inexpensive Oppenheimer's signature is, albeit rare, there is no reason why the card can’t feature a far better autograph.

2. Quad cut featuring Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Robin Williams and Norm MacDonald

This card gets a standing ovation as far as the concept goes. This product is at its best when it brings multiple figures together on a single card, and it’s hard to think of a better comedy foursome than these guys.

Much like the quad auto Beatles card from last year’s release, which garnered plenty of buzz for obvious reasons, this card suffers from poor selection of signatures. The most egregious example is Pryor’s, which includes the inscription “to John.”

It’s a couple hundred dollars for a single-signed and PSA-authenticated Pryor autograph. There is no reason why Topps had to settle for such a sloppy example.

Carlin’s signature also includes a name other than his own (“hi Jamie?”), and McDonald’s and Williams’ are cut off slightly by the card’s framing.

Incredible idea, subpar execution. Though, admittedly, I really want this one.

3. Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio

This is certainly my favorite card of the set. Two cultural icons in their own right, connected forever as one of the most famous celebrity marriages in history.

Sports and pop culture combined is a recipe for success. The added allure of the rarity of a dual-signed DiMaggio-Monroe item — nearly all such pieces were signed during the brief relationship (their marriage last just nine months) — makes this combo all the more cool.

For reference, a baseball signed by the two of them, described as the finest known in the hobby, sold for $384,000 in 2021.

The autographs in the card are perfectly serviceable. While Monroe’s flowing signature is a bit faded, it fits beautifully within the allotted space, and DiMaggio’s is bold and well-centered. No notes.

4. Heath Ledger

Considering Ledger died shortly after his highly acclaimed performance as The Joker in “Dark Knight,” his inclusion here feels morbid, though I can’t quite put my finger on why.

After all, every one of the above names are dead. Perhaps it’s the recency of his tragedy which leaves me feeling a bit uneasy.

5. John Hancock

What an incredible John Hancock … from John Hancock. Far lesser examples fetch thousands of dollars. Simply perfect.

Add in the color and tone of the paper its written on, which resembles historical documents from his day, and you have the ideal example of a Hancock cut auto.

Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.