2025 Topps basketball signers

[fabiani12333]

I had a strong feeling there was a huge discrepancy between the quality and number of signers for Topps flagship basketball and Topps Series 1 baseball, so I crunched the numbers. I used former MVP Award winners as a proxy for top autograph cards -- obviously, the number of top rookie autograph cards depends on that year's draft and how they perform going forward, so I excluded them:


2025/26 Topps basketball:

-- former MVP autograph cards:

Flagship Real Ones Autographs:
TFRA-AI Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers
TFRA-JH James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers
TFRA-KD Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
TFRA-LB Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
TFRA-LJ LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
TFRA-MJ Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
TFRA-SC Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
TFRA-SO Shaquille O’Neal, Orlando Magic

1980-81 Topps Basketball Autographs:
80B2-LB Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
80B2-MJ Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
80B2-SO Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers

1980-81 Topps Chrome Basketball Veteran Autographs:
80CA2-HO Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets
80CA2-JHR James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers
80CA2-KG Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
80CA2-LBJ LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

Marks of Excellence:
ME-HO Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets

Topps Notch Signatures:
TNS-DR David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs

Number of different former MVP signers: 11
Number of active former MVP signers: 4 (vs 9 total active)
Number of different autograph cards of former MVPs (not including parallels): 17


Now here is the breakdown for baseball:


2025 Topps Series 1 baseball:

Number of different former MVP signers: 47
Number of active former MVP signers: 10 (vs 16 total active players)
Number of different autograph cards of former MVP (not including parallels): 199


Even when accounting for MLB having double the amount of MVPs each year (one for each league), it's laughable how many more quality signers you get with 2025 baseball than you do with 2025/26 basketball.

With 2025 S1 baseball, you got nearly every great active player in the game -- only a few missing big names like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. But with 2025 basketball, you miss out on several current great players -- namely, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards.

With the high print runs typically found with flagship, you wonder how Topps is able to provide enough justification to buyers for them to open 2025 Topps basketball in any volume beyond a box or two for fun.

[Chris P]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

I had a strong feeling there was a huge discrepancy between the quality and number of signers for Topps flagship basketball and Topps Series 1 baseball, so I crunched the numbers. I used former MVP Award winners as a proxy for top autograph cards -- obviously, the number of top rookie autograph cards depends on that year's draft and how they perform going forward, so I excluded them:


2025/26 Topps basketball:

-- former MVP autograph cards:

Flagship Real Ones Autographs:
TFRA-AI Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers
TFRA-JH James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers
TFRA-KD Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
TFRA-LB Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
TFRA-LJ LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
TFRA-MJ Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
TFRA-SC Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
TFRA-SO Shaquille O’Neal, Orlando Magic

1980-81 Topps Basketball Autographs:
80B2-LB Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
80B2-MJ Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
80B2-SO Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers

1980-81 Topps Chrome Basketball Veteran Autographs:
80CA2-HO Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets
80CA2-JHR James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers
80CA2-KG Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
80CA2-LBJ LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

Marks of Excellence:
ME-HO Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets

Topps Notch Signatures:
TNS-DR David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs

Number of different former MVP signers: 11
Number of active former MVP signers: 4 (vs 9 total active)
Number of different autograph cards of former MVPs (not including parallels): 17


Now here is the breakdown for baseball:


2025 Topps Series 1 baseball:

Number of different former MVP signers: 47
Number of active former MVP signers: 10 (vs 16 total active players)
Number of different autograph cards of former MVP (not including parallels): 199


Even when accounting for MLB having double the amount of MVPs each year (one for each league), it's laughable how many more quality signers you get with 2025 baseball than you do with 2025/26 basketball.

With 2025 S1 baseball, you got nearly every great active player in the game -- only a few missing big names like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. But with 2025 basketball, you miss out on several current great players -- namely, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards.

With the high print runs typically found with flagship, you wonder how Topps is able to provide enough justification to buyers for them to open 2025 Topps basketball in any volume beyond a box or two for fun.

Giannis, SGA Ant, and Luka are Panini exclusive..as is a legend like Tim Duncan. Nothing Topps can do about that. Jokic is a head scratcher cause he even signs for Leaf

[dirtywax]

Not as bad when you figure in there has only been 36 different MVP winners in the NBA versus 151 different MLB MVP winners.

That's about 4 times MLB MVP winners versus NBA. Topps has about 4x the amount of MLB MVP signers as NBA. Math kinda checks out. Take out Jordan (Upper Deck exclusive) and it's really not bad.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by dirtywax

Not as bad when you figure in there has only been 36 different MVP winners in the NBA versus 151 different MLB MVP winners.

That's about 4 times MLB MVP winners versus NBA. Topps has about 4x the amount of MLB MVP signers as NBA. Math kinda checks out. Take out Jordan (Upper Deck exclusive) and it's really not bad.

The problem for Topps is they need to find ways to fill out their mass-produced basketball products like flagship with chase cards other than autographs -- they need to do what Panini did and emphasize inserts. Producing more parallels isn't going to cut it.

[bss83]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

The problem for Topps is they need to find ways to fill out their mass-produced basketball products like flagship with chase cards other than autographs -- they need to do what Panini did and emphasize inserts. Producing more parallels isn't going to cut it.

There's a bunch of case hits in here, and I'm sure some of them will resonate with collectors.

Did hoops and donruss have desirable inserts?

[Mattsurewood]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

The problem for Topps is they need to find ways to fill out their mass-produced basketball products like flagship with chase cards other than autographs -- they need to do what Panini did and emphasize inserts. Producing more parallels isn't going to cut it.

We all know about the Golden Mirror set, many sell for over $100 apiece in baseball, I expect the big names in basketball will sell for a lot more. The Ohtani Golden Mirrors generally sell for over $1000, so Lebron/Curry/Big Rookies should sell for big dollars, but we will see.

***Topps has been preparing for this release for well over a year, and gave a preview on April 28th at the industry conference..they want to make a splash with this release. It's tough sifting through all the "print run" complaints, but this should be a big, fun release. Topps wants more people back in the basketball hobby, and this rookie class will definitely help their marketing efforts. What they will lack in ex-MVP cards, they will more than make up for in marketing to customers young and old with these new young future stars. The stars aligned a bit, as this year's class seems to be way more exciting and have more potential than if they would've gotten the license last year...

[oldgoldy97]

If the rookies end up flopping, it will only be a matter of time before the novelty of Topps having any license wears out.

[Giantrobot]

Topps is showing Jokic, Luka, SGA and others in their promos, so maybe their autos are just coming later, as in they couldn’t sign anything until the Panini contract expired?

[Chris P]

Originally Posted by Giantrobot

Topps is showing Jokic, Luka, SGA and others in their promos, so maybe their autos are just coming later, as in they couldn’t sign anything until the Panini contract expired?

They are showing Luka? Bc he has zero cards at all in flagship, I don't think Jokic is a Panini Exclusive signer. SGA, Ant and Luka are probably locked up for the forseeable future

[Giantrobot]

Originally Posted by Chris P

They are showing Luka? Bc he has zero cards at all in flagship, I don't think Jokic is a Panini Exclusive signer. SGA, Ant and Luka are probably locked up for the forseeable future

Ok no Luka, thought he was in there. Giannis, Ant, everyone else though.

[yiguiri2002]

Originally Posted by bss83

There's a bunch of case hits in here, and I'm sure some of them will resonate with collectors.

Did hoops and donruss have desirable inserts?

Donruss had Net Marvels, which at some point covered around 40% of the box value.

[sethc1020]

When did Lebron stop being UD exclusive for autos?

[Bosoxfan5990]

Originally Posted by sethc1020

When did Lebron stop being UD exclusive for autos?

https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1576956

[sethc1020]

Originally Posted by Bosoxfan5990

https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1576956

Wow, How did I totally miss that one

[Mattsurewood]

Originally Posted by sethc1020

When did Lebron stop being UD exclusive for autos?

He was in 2023-24 chrome, 2024-25 chrome, the McDonalds chrome...so they've been peppering him in a little here and there..very limited numbers of course

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by bss83

There's a bunch of case hits in here, and I'm sure some of them will resonate with collectors.

Did hoops and donruss have desirable inserts?

Hoops or Donruss shouldn't be what flagship should be striving for, though. Flagship is considered in high regard with baseball collectors -- including myself.

If Topps is going to print flagship basketball like they do flagship baseball, they need to provide more value than what they are providing.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by Mattsurewood

He was in 2023-24 chrome, 2024-25 chrome, the McDonalds chrome...so they've been peppering him in a little here and there..very limited numbers of course

I feel like the unlicensed basketball crap Topps put out the last couple of years is going to hurt the perception of their fully-licensed products. Especially if they're going with a low-effort approach with their designs -- they obviously are, based on them re-using the baseball designs.

[Chris P]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

I feel like the unlicensed basketball crap Topps put out the last couple of years is going to hurt the perception of their fully-licensed products. Especially if they're going with a low-effort approach with their designs -- they obviously are, based on them re-using the baseball designs.

I don't understand the complaint about reusing designs..it isn't new..Topps used to do it when they had all the licences before. Panini did it too.

[bss83]

Originally Posted by Chris P

I don't understand the complaint about reusing designs..it isn't new..Topps used to do it when they had all the licences before. Panini did it too.

Yeah panini reuses designs between football and basketball (and unlicensed baseball)... Do people complain about that?

[bss83]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

Hoops or Donruss shouldn't be what flagship should be striving for, though. Flagship is considered in high regard with baseball collectors -- including myself.

If Topps is going to print flagship basketball like they do flagship baseball, they need to provide more value than what they are providing.

What kind of value are you looking for? They have on card autos, game used relics, case hits, product hits, parallels....

[Chris P]

Originally Posted by bss83

Yeah panini reuses designs between football and basketball (and unlicensed baseball)... Do people complain about that?

I guess? I don't know anyone that does. It's literally nothing new from any of these companies

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by Chris P

I guess? I don't know anyone that does. It's literally nothing new from any of these companies

It wasn't common back when Topps previously had all three of the major licenses. Although, they did do it for a few years -- 2007 and 2008.

All the iconic Topps base cards from the past -- 1996 Kobe, 1996 Iverson, 1997 Duncan, 2003 Lebron -- were printed on base cards with unique designs. Now the future greats will be printed with border designs previously used for Series 1 baseball -- it's kind of a letdown.

[Torro]

It’s cool they have these guys and prolly they can add some more, but it’s never gonna be anything similar to what it was like in 00s with upper deck products (MJ, Kobe and LeBron), miss those old good day..

[wilsonsingles]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

I feel like the unlicensed basketball crap Topps put out the last couple of years is going to hurt the perception of their fully-licensed products. Especially if they're going with a low-effort approach with their designs -- they obviously are, based on them re-using the baseball designs.

While almost everyone hated the unlicensed crap, everyone will almost instantly forget those releases and any past Topps perception after this years release unless it somehow completely tanks, which i think has about a 1-2% chance.
After another year, no one will care about the pre-licensed releases.

There may be some negativity from people if prices continue to rise and jumbo/hobby formats produce the majority of hits and become unaffordable.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by wilsonsingles

While almost everyone hated the unlicensed crap, everyone will almost instantly forget those releases and any past Topps perception after this years release unless it somehow completely tanks, which i think has about a 1-2% chance.
After another year, no one will care about the pre-licensed releases.

There may be some negativity from people if prices continue to rise and jumbo/hobby formats produce the majority of hits and become unaffordable.

I agree -- after a year of fully-licensed releases, no one will be thinking about the unlicensed stuff. In the short term, though, the unlicensed stuff is at the forefront of people's minds. A lot of people may not even be aware that Topps is releasing NBA-licensed basketball cards now -- they may be thinking they are still releasing the unlicensed crap. This was clearly not the most optimal way for Topps to start producing fully-licensed basketball cards again. They shouldn't have released all those inferior-quality cards -- they diluted their market and confused their customers.