Two of the most important releases of the year for collectors drop this week with 2024 Topps Series 2 Baseball and 2023-24 Donruss Optic Basketball both arriving.
Here’s a look at the key details for both.
2024 Topps Series 2 Baseball
Release date: Wednesday
Overview: Series 2 returns this week with another 350-card base checklist featuring new players and rookies. Combined with Series 1, set collectors have 700 total cards to chase across the two sets.
In addition to hobby formats, HTA Jumbo and Blaster configurations also arrive with exclusive parallels.
Each Hobby Box comes with one exclusive silver pack while HTA Jumbo Boxes get two.
New York Yankees star Juan Soto is the cover athlete.
Parallels: Now in their second year, Golden Mirror Image Variations return for all 350 cards — these will be easily spotted by gold foil backs.
Gold parallels numbered to the set year (2024) return again for Series 2, while Gold Foil (1:2 packs) is an HTA Jumbo exclusive, and Black /73 is only available in Hobby and HTA formats.
Holiday-themed parallels such as the Mother’s Day Hot Pink /50, Father’s Day Power Blue /50 and Memorial Day Camo /25 also return.
Inserts: All-new inserts for Series 2 include City to City, Around the Horn, Covering the Field, Fantasy Favorites, 2023 First Pitch/Play Ball and the hobby-only 40/70. The new Platinum Performs insert is considered an SSP.
Coveted returning inserts include Heavy Lumber, the Homefield Advantage case hit and Social Media Follow Back Redemptions. Hand-drawn 1/1 sketch cards are Hobby/HTA exclusives.
Autos and relics: Topps doesn’t have the NBA trading card license yet, so it has been using Victor Wembanyama’s first pitch at a Yankees game to get him into the newest products — his autographs are expected to be some of the most coveted cards from Series 2.
Along with First PItch Autographs, Baseball Stars Triple Autographs and 1989 Topps All Star Baseball Autographs are new for Series 2.
Cut Signatures include Cy Young, Joe DiMaggio, Honus Wagner, Stan Musial, Ted Williams and Warren Spahn.
City Connect Swatch Collection, 1989 Topps All Star Baseball Relics and In the Name Relics are among the new memorabilia sets.
- Hobby Configuration: 12 cards per pack, 20 packs per box
- Hobby Box Break: One autograph or relic card per box
- Secondary market price: $87.95 (subject to change)
2023-24 Donruss Optic Basketball
Release date: Friday
Overview: The regular chromium upgrade to the paper Donruss set, Optic arrives Friday with its typical lineup of parallels and coveted inserts. The typical 250-card base checklist returns with 200 veterans and 50 of the popular Rated Rookies.
Parallels: This year’s parallel lineup is led by the all-new Hobby Box-exclusive SSP Optix: The design features a variety of waves and geometric designs along the card border. Other Hobby-exclusive parallels include Pink Velocity /79, Black Velocity /39, Green /5 and the short-printed Photon. Aqua /249 and Jazz are also all-new Hobby-exclusives.
Inserts: Popular inserts such as Elite Dominators, The Rookies, Lights Out and Raining 3s all return for another season with Hobby-exclusive parallels. New inserts include Rising Suns, Red Hot Rookies and Alter Ego as well as the SSP Slammy! insert — collectors will notice this is based on the popular Whammy! set from Donruss Baseball.
Autos and relics: Rated Rookies Signatures are the main draw for this release with on-card autographs across a variety of parallels. Rookie Dual Signatures are new for 2023-24 with the highlight of the checklist, featuring brothers Amen and Ausar Thompson on the same card.
- Hobby Configuration: Four cards per pack, 20 packs per box
- Hobby Box Break: One autograph and 20 inserts or parallels per box
- Secondary market price: $569.95 (subject to change)
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct.