2023 Topps Series 1 Variation Guide
Let's talk Variations. Topps thought it was time to change up the Variations for 2023. Well, for the flagship product as far as we know. We'll see how the other releases handle them. But for Series 1, they really varied the variations checklist.
The biggest difference for 2023? All 330 cards are represented with a Golden Mirror Variation. Each Golden Mirror Variation is a Super Short Print (SSP) that can spotted with 4 easy tells. Aside from them being easy to spot in the packs. Here's what to look for...
- Alternate Image
- Topps Logo in Gold Foil
- SSP in Gold Foil on the back of the card
- CMP Codes
Personally, I like the changes they made here. Variations are a fun addition to products, but over the last couple years they seemed to lack a good vision. Obviously Rookie SP's and SSP's really hold value, but most of the others sit at around 5-10 dollars. Even Action Variations from Heritage don't hold the value they used to.
This new format should be a great way to limit the variations so they hold value, but also give you a clear vision of what you're looking for. The rarity of the SSP Variations this year will surely keep the value where a true variation should be.
The only thing I'm struggling to decide my feelings on is the fact that the whole checklist has a SSP. I understand why they did it, but I think we can all admit that there's a lot of these variations don't really need to exist. To be lucky enough to pull an SSP but it's a middle reliever for a team you don't follow, could be a bit of a let down. At least previously, all of the variations seemed "relevant".
GIVEAWAY
Comment below with your thoughts on what you think of the Golden Mirror Variation (make sure to sign in or sign your reply) and I'll enter you into the giveaway for The Card Swap Break and Series 1 Blaster.
Thanks for reading! I'll do a blog entry for each major set with variations and then keep the quick guide here.
If you want to check out more on the site, we've been posting lots of singles over the last week with a lot more to come. Plus we'll be breaking more Bowman's Best tonight. Thank you! AB
I enjoy the way they are doing SSPs now. Although I also agree the entire checklist doesn't need them it has to be cool for people with niche PCs of active players to be able to get a nice flagship image variation. My favorites are the league leader image variations. I've only seen a few of those but theyre awesome.