Although I am a fan of Heritage, I am not usually interested in its counterpart. If not for a request to break the product, I would have skipped it altogether. With the brand’s homage-done-right approach, it’s easy to see why collectors love this product. On-card autographs also make Heritage a must-have hit, even within the High Number release.
As we have seen, this has been a great year for collecting. 2017 Topps Heritage High Number looks to continue that trend. Aside from its inherent popularity, the addition of Adrian Beltre and Cody Bellinger autographs help things along. Beltre, who recently signed an autograph deal with Topps, makes his in-pack Rangers autograph debut in Heritage High.
The modest 225-card base set is made up of traded players and recently debuted rookies. It wouldn’t be a Heritage release without some short prints, which appear as the final 25 cards on the checklist. You will also find a few parallels, which include blue borders, yellow backs, grey backs, and flipped stock cards.
Topps also includes minis and chrome parallels. The minis are numbered to 100, and the chromes have varying levels of numbering. While you can find the usual Gold and Superfractors, you could come across Hot Box refractors. These are only found in random hobby boxes.
Don’t forget about the variations, GOOD LORD don’t forget about the variations! After all, that’s what makes busting Heritage so fun. Find Error and Trade variations. Look for Throwback Uniforms, too! There are also Team Name Color and Action Image variations.
Box loaders make their way into Heritage High, and inserts can also be found. Then And Now, the standard Heritage insert, is featured alongside Award Winners, Rookie Performers, and Combo Cards. Box loaders include Posters, Ad Panels, and Originals. Some even include autographs!
Relics make up the bulk of the hits in 2017 Topps Heritage High, and include a few different configurations. Included are Single relics, Dual Relics, Triple Relics, and Quad Relics. While the Single relics feature Gold parallels, there are also 1/1 Patches.
Since autographs fall just one per hobby box, they are the real chase. Hard-signed, these Real One autographs feature legends like Nolan Ryan. Standard autographs are signed in blue ink, while special edition autographs are signed in red. These red autographs are also hand-numbered to 68.
If you’re not collecting the entire set, you may be chasing players or teams. Recently, Breaker Culture provided their checklist breakdown of 2017 Heritage High Number. It’s pretty clear to see who Topps is leaning on in this product. It’s also pretty clear which teams are getting the big shaft. Let’s just say the Angels may need JunkWaxTwins on their side at Topps’ Q&A sesh at next year’s National.
Oof. Angels.
