Ryan Barone (@ballcardgenius, Card Expert) is a lifelong member of the hobby. He has been quoted in PSA Magazine, and his content has regularly been mentioned in “Quick Rips” (the Topps RIPPED Newsletter) and across other hobby publications. hello@ballcardgenius.com; Last Time Ago LLC dba Ballcard Genius.
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The most valuable cards from 2023 Topps Series 2 include two Corbin Carroll cards at the top, #401 Independence Day /76 ($848) and Black /72 ($800), followed by Jordan Walker #344 Memorial Day Camo /25 ($736), and another Corbin Carroll Golden Image Variation SSP ($700). This is based on Market Movers data of highest sales prices since release day (raw cards only).
As you could imagine, date sold plays a big factor in sales price, which is why I’m including “max sale” and then the “last sale” (and date) in the top 10 list.
You can also use this quick search tool to quickly find what 2023 Topps S1 cards have been selling for lately:
| Card | Max Sale | Last Sale |
|---|---|---|
| Corbin Carroll 2023 Topps #401 Independence Day /76 Raw | $848.00 | $472.00 (06/26/2023) |
| Corbin Carroll 2023 Topps #401 Black /72 Raw | $799.99 | $799.99 (09/09/2023) |
| Jordan Walker 2023 Topps #344 Memorial Day Camo /25 Raw | $736.00 | $736.00 (06/19/2023) |
| Corbin Carroll 2023 Topps #401 Golden Mirror Image Variation (SSP) Raw | $700.00 | $700.00 (07/25/2023) |
| Anthony Volpe 2023 Topps #460 Memorial Day Camo /25 Raw | $650.00 | $650.00 (06/20/2023) |
| Masataka Yoshida 2023 Topps #471 Golden Mirror Image Variation (SSP) Raw | $597.57 | $202.50 (09/04/2023) |
| Josh Jung 2023 Topps #529 Golden Mirror Image Variation (SSP) Raw | $500.00 | $250.00 (08/31/2023) |
| James Outman 2023 Topps #395 Memorial Day Camo /25 Raw | $499.99 | $499.99 (07/25/2023) |
| Jordan Walker 2023 Topps #344 Independence Day /76 Raw | $485.00 | $366.00 (06/25/2023) |
| Jordan Walker 2023 Topps #344 Black /72 Raw | $450.00 | $215.00 (07/14/2023) |
| Josh Jung 2023 Topps #529 Father’s Day Powder Blue /50 Raw | $435.00 | $200.00 (08/31/2023) |
| Anthony Volpe 2023 Topps #460 Father’s Day Powder Blue /50 Raw | $425.00 | $210.50 (08/17/2023) |
Whether it’s the excitement of a new product or the fact that the market is less saturated (or both), buyers tend to pay a premium for cards when they are first released.
Either way, in addition to the table, let’s dive into the details of some of these card below. While S2 doesn’t have the firepower of 2023 Topps Series 1’s best cards, there is plenty to like.
Corbin Carroll Parallels
I’m not going to say that Corbin Carroll’s rookie card coming out in Series 2 should have been made a bigger deal before release, but looking at how he’s playing right now, it absolutely should have been a bigger deal (and is one of the best baseball cards of 2023).
Seeing a blakc /72 sell for more than $1,000 is just wild, with his Father’s Day blue parallel /50 and other low-numbered rookies selling in the hundreds as well. Needless to say, double-check those Carroll cards.
Hidden Gems
It just occurred to me that I’ve never covered these Hidden Gems cards, despite them being somewhat of a mystery to most collectors.
As you can see, even though we are talking about Topps Series 2, Hidden Gems cards are of the Chrome variety, making them a cross-brand insert that makes their way into a number of different Topps products.
Read More: Best Rookie Cards from 2023 Topps Series 2
Via the previous link, Baseballcard Pedia notes that “The first Hidden Gems cards began to emerge out of Series One retail packs, about a month after the product’s Hobby release. More Hidden Gems were pulled out of subsequent releases to include 2023 Bowman and 2023 Topps Heritage.”
Now we are seeing them in Topps Series 2, and they are just as valuable as ever.
Anthony Volpe Parallels
While Volpe’s numbers aren’t yet eye-popping, he remains one of the best rookies to chase in 2023 Topps Series 2. Being on the Yankees isn’t hurting his case, and with Jordan Walker’s demotion, Volpe continues to lead the collector chase.
Thus, be on the lookout for any and all of his cards. Like always, there are some really sneaky parallels, and while this Mother’s Day /50 is uniquely recognizable, others can easily slip through the cracks (and your hands) if you aren’t paying attention.
Star Parallels (Like Vintage Stock)
Feeding off of the above, there are always two specific parallels you want to keep an eye out for when ripping through your Series 2 boxes—vintage stock advanced stat parallels.
This Ohtani example happens to be the vintage stock parallel, which is numbered /99 if you flip the card over. On the front, though, the only minor difference between this valuable card and a base version worth a lot less is the Topps logo in the top left corner. Here you see the “vintage” or retro logo as opposed to the current design.
Of course, it’s called vintage “stock” because the card has a different feel, too…but again, it’s really tough to stop and feel the cardboard when excitement is brewing.
Home Field Advantage Inserts
Topps answer to Panini’s “Downtown” inserts, Home Field Advantage card continues to please collectors, especially those of ROY candidates like Corbin Carroll.
The rest of the checklist includes:
- HA-11 Julio Rodriguez – Seattle Mariners
- HA-12 Riley Greens – Detroit Tigers
- HA-13 Triston Casas – Boston Red Sox
- HA-14 Oneil Cruz – Pittsburgh Pirates
- HA-15 Corbin Carroll – Arizona Diamondbacks
- HA-16 Josh Jung – Texas Rangers
- HA-17 Eloy Jimenez – Chicago White Sox
- HA-18 Triston McKenzie – Cleveland Guardians
- HA-19 TBA
- HA-20 Salvador Perez – Kansas City Royals
Golden Mirror Image Variations
Yes, the “SSPs” that swept the card nation for both being the first of their kind in Series 1 and for having a pretty hefty bounty attached to them for anyone who could complete the entire set’s worth are back for Series 2.
If you aren’t familiar, every card in the set will have an image variation card (as shown on the front) that also has a gold back and a printed “SSP.”
Josh Jung Rookie Card Parallels
While Jordan Walker and Anthony Volpe are stealing headlines, Josh Jung is having an awesome rookie year for the 1st place Texas Rangers.
- 346 Plate Appearances (3rd in MLB)
- 86 Hits (1st in MLB)
- 17 Home Runs (1st in MLB)
- 52 RBI (1st in MLB)
- 2.0 WAR (2nd in MLB)
Jung also strikes out a lot, but that production more than makes up for it.
And thus, the card market is responding. Like Volpe mentioned above, keep an eye out for Josh Jung variations.
Given we are just past release day, there will be more to come—check back soon for more of the most valuable from ’23 S2!
