Cheap Wax Wednesday Box Breaks: 2022 Topps 206 Wave 5 Baseball
2022 Topps 206 was released in five waves, each with a different 100-card base checklist. Base cards are available in many different backs, just like original 1909-11 T206 cards. These different backs are considered parallels in the modern Topps 206 releases. Here, there are nine different backs, each with different odds. There are also image variations as well as autographs. Wave 5 signers include Ronald Acuna Jr., Pete Alonso, Corbin Burnes, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Chipper Jones and Cal Ripken Jr.
Back in 2022, a lot of these online releases were print-to-order. Topps also announced the final order total when the online ordering window shut down for a product. Wave 5 was announced to have a print run of 9,433 packs. So even the base cards are fairly short printed. Assuming equal numbers for each base card, about 755 copies of each exists.
I grabbed a few packs of Wave 5 so I’m sharing all three.
2022 Topps 206 Wave 5 Baseball Box Break
Cards per pack: 10
Packs per box: 1
Price paid: $15 each
Shop for 2022 Topps 206 Wave 5 boxes on eBay.
Box 1
Base:
John Smoltz, Vidal Brujan RC, Cecil Fielder, Ramon Laureano, Blake Treinen, MacKenzie Gore RC, Joey Bart & Wade Boggs
Parallels:
Jesse Winker Piedmont back (one per pack) & Michael Kopech American Beauty back (limited to 10 copies)
Box 2
Base:
Rickey Henderson, Dansby Swanson, John Kruk, Whit Merrifield, Jake McGee, Jacob deGrom, Travis d’Arnaud & Josh Hader
Parallels:
Alex Cobb Piedmont back (one per pack) & Honus Wagner Sweet Caporal back (1:3 packs)
Box 3
Base:
Justin Verlander, Lancy Lynn, AJ Pollock, Josh Harrison, Walker Buehler, Jason Heyward, Gregory Soto & Tommy John
Parallels:
Rickey Henderson Piedmont (one per pack), Joey Bart Sweet Caporal (1:3 packs) & JD Martinez Wood Paper Stock (limited to 20 copies)
I have always enjoyed Topps 206 releases. They do keep changing the format, though. 2022 included five waves. 2023 was just a Low and High series. Now it looks like 2024 is just a single release. I did grab a box, though, so I will be able to share that down the road as well. I believe they are supposed to start shipping soon.
Shop for 2022 Topps 206 Baseball cards on:
Want more installments of Shane Salmonson’s Cheap Wax Wednesday? Check out his other breaks in the archives.
