First Look: 2013 Finest baseball cards

02.22
13

Posted on February 22, 2013 – 4:21 pm | Author: chrisolds
Baseball | , , , , | Comments (13)

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

It’s been 20 years.

Topps has an anniversary to celebrate this year and it’s doing so in 2013 Finest, the 20th anniversary edition of the line that marked the birth of the Refractor.

Set to arrive on Aug. 14, Finest will include two six-pack mini boxes per box of this with one on-card autographed Rookie Card Refractor and one autographed Jumbo Relic found inside.

Also inside? Designs from 1993 and other memorable releases from Finest’s past.

The base set will consist of 100 cards, each with 12 parallels — standard Refractor, Xfractor, Green (/199), Orange (/99), Gold (/50), Red (/25), Atomic (/5) and 1/1 Superfractor and printing plates. Topps did not release a preliminary checklist for this product.

Up first will be the 1993 Finest inserts which bring back the original design for one more run. The Refractor versions of this one will be limited to just 25 copies. Also to be found are All-Star Finest inserts with Refractors limited to 10 and autographed Refractors limited to just five copies.

Autographed Rookies will have standard versions along with 11 parallels — Xfractors (/149), Green (/125), Orange (/99), Gold (/50), Red (/25), Atomic (/5) and 1/1 SuperFractors and printing plates.

Autographed jumbo Relics will include an oversized swatch and also have 11 parallels — same shades and quantities. A list of signers was not released.

There also will be triple autos to be found, while diecut fans will get their fix with Finest Prodigies Refractors. They also will have a 1/1 Superfractor and autographed versions limited to 10 or fewer copies.

Another throwback will be Finest Matsers Refractors, which will be limited to just 50 copies. These also will have 1/1 Supers and autographed versions limited to 15 or fewer copies.

With the anniversary, there will be autographed buyback cards limited to just five copies along with jumbo box-toppers, too. Collectors should also be on the lookout for rookie redemptions for autos limited to just 100 copies as well as Hot Boxes that are loaded with Refractors in the 1993 Finest design.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Red Parallel
PRODIGIES AUTO
Masters_F
Gold Parallel
Buyback Thomas
BASE Card
AUTO ROOKIE
AllStarFinest_F
93Finest_F
3AUTO
Relic Rookie

13 Comments

deeez

LIKEE EVERYTHING EXECPT THE HUGE FINEST LOGO AND A ANOTHER ROUND OF 1993 WHAT IFS/ORIGINALS/REPRINTS WHAT EVERY YOU WANT TO CALL THEM

Posted February 22, 2013 at 4:48 pm | Permalink
Patrick

I usually buy vintage but I buy more Finest than any other product each year. This trend may end… brutal design. Looks like someone just threw something together last minute to make a deadline.

Posted February 22, 2013 at 4:51 pm | Permalink
Caleb Marx

probably the worst topps finest design i have ever seen

Posted February 22, 2013 at 5:16 pm | Permalink
Robert

The 1993 Finest All Star Refractor autographs are going to bring HUGE $$$.

Posted February 22, 2013 at 6:46 pm | Permalink
Justin G

I haven’t bought Finest in years but 93 was the year that got me hooked on baseball cards. I love the throwback to that year and I will probably finally buy some Finest again.

Posted February 22, 2013 at 6:47 pm | Permalink
shad

wow that’s about one of the ugliest designs I’ve ever seen. I’m going to be seeing dots for days after that. lol

Posted February 22, 2013 at 6:53 pm | Permalink
Randy

If your old school like me then you would appreciate the look of the past.

Posted February 22, 2013 at 6:59 pm | Permalink
David Brewer

wahh you people cry about everything topps makes. These cards look like the bomb !

Posted February 22, 2013 at 8:14 pm | Permalink
AM

@Deeez… I doubt you were collecting in 1993 or your opinion would likely be different.

Also, those buybacks will fetch some huge coin

Posted February 22, 2013 at 8:53 pm | Permalink
kris

i like the look. colorful and bright. throwback. not the usual clean design for a change

Posted February 23, 2013 at 8:06 am | Permalink
Richard

I agree with David,there’s nothing worse than a man crying.If you don’t like it don’t buy it.Your probably not a collector anyway ,you just wanna wine like the the little boys that you are.

Posted February 23, 2013 at 8:24 am | Permalink
kmart for life

looks cool, will buy but does topps do anything original anymore???? They seem to just rehash the same ideas over and over. The main reason maybe the fact that most of the people who work for these card companies dont and havent collected cards before and no getting a pack when you were a kid doesnt count. There company employees look at this as a total business with no real love for the collecting. If they did they would support local card shop more and not retail or online dumpers, of course so would all the collectors that dont even buy from LCS but complain when they go out of business. just my 2 cents

Posted February 24, 2013 at 1:09 pm | Permalink
Matt K.

I would love to pull that Frank Thomas!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Posted February 26, 2013 at 12:03 pm | Permalink

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