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 Topps MVP Buyback Program is an offer for collectors to exchange their 2023 Topps Chrome cards of the 2023 MLB season’s MVPs from each league. This will be the second season of the MVP program, with cards being redeemed for store credit at participating local card shops at the end of last season.
The way the Topps Buyback Program works is you take your 2023 Topps Chrome cards of MVPs Ronald Acuna Jr. (card #39) and Shohei Ohtani (card #17) to participating card shops where they’ll give you store credit in exchange. You can also mail in your cards to online card stores like Dave & Adam’s, and others.
These redeemable cards include base Chrome, refractors, and others of the two MVPs, with credit amounts ranging from $20 to $200. That’s right, just when you think you’ve seen it all in this hobby and business, Topps comes out with a a curveball to shake things up more than any type of Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal could.
Want to quickly check your card value? Choose the card type from the dropdown to see how much value you’ll get in return:
MVP Buyback Value Calculator
The only difference with the 2023 program (so far) is that it was announced early in the season, before the 2023 Topps Chrome release and before we knew who the season’s MVPs will be.
Topps has an FAQ for that addresses pretty much all of the swirling questions, and I answered a few of the bigger questions below. I’ll be sure to update this once we learn more about the 2023 program!
Why is Topps Doing This?
In terms of why, here is a big takeaway from Topps’ card shop sign-in form:
“…is a part of Fanatics Collectibles’ commitment to invest in growing the hobby and support entrepreneurs and our small business partners.”
I also posted a TikTok video asking community members for their thoughts—you can check out the video and their comments via the link below. Many are mentioning the fact that 2022 Topps Chrome was a tough product this year, so this is one way for Topps to make up for it.
@ballcardgenius #greenscreen Someone talk to me about this Topps Buyback Program.
♬ original sound – ballcardgenius
Which Cards are Accepted?
Pretty much all Ronald Acuna Jr. and Shohei Ohtani 2023 Topps Chrome cards. I’ve added the full list below, and as you can see this includes refractors and numbered parallels (which even have a premium attached to them). You’ll also see that superfractors and cards numbered /5 are not part of the program.
| Player | Set | Base or Parallel | Type | Card Number | Buyback Price (Store Credit) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Base | Base | 99 | $20 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Base Alternative | Base | 99 | $20 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Refractor | Refractor | 99 | $40 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Prism Refractor | Refractor | 99 | $40 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Pink Refractor | Refractor | 99 | $40 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Sepia Refractor | Refractor | 99 | $40 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | X-Fractor | Refractor | 99 | $40 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | B&W MIni Diamond | Refractor | 99 | $40 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Negative Refractor | Refractor | 99 | $40 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Magenta Refractor - #/399 | Numbered >/100 | 99 | $100 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Magenta Speckle Refractor - #/350 | Numbered >/100 | 99 | $100 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Purple Speckle Refractor - #/299 | Numbered >/100 | 99 | $100 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Purple Refractor - #/250 | Numbered >/100 | 99 | $100 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Aqua Wave - #/199 | Numbered >/100 | 99 | $100 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Aqua Refractor - #/199 | Numbered >/100 | 99 | $100 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Aqua Lava Refractor - #/199 | Numbered >/100 | 99 | $100 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Blue Refractor - #/150 | Numbered >/100 | 99 | $100 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Green Refractor - #/99 | Numbered | 99 | $200 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Green Wave Refractor - #/99 | Numbered | 99 | $200 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Blue Wave Refractor - #/75 | Numbered | 99 | $200 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Gold Refractor - #/50 | Numbered | 99 | $200 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Gold Wave Refractor - #/50 | Numbered | 99 | $200 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Orange Refractor - #/25 (Hobby) | Numbered | 99 | $200 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Orange Wave Refractor - #/25 | Numbered | 99 | $200 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Base Card Image Variation - Green - #/99 | Numbered | 99 | $200 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Base Card Image Variation - Gold - #/50 | Numbered | 99 | $200 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome | Base Card Image Variation - Orange - #/25 | Numbered | 99 | $200 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome Sonic | B&W Ray Wave | Refractor | Unreleased | $40 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome Sonic | Purple/Yellow Sonic - #/299 | Numbered >/100 | Unreleased | $100 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome Sonic | Aqua/Pink Sonic - #/199 | Numbered >/100 | Unreleased | $100 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome Sonic | Aqua RayWave - #/199 | Numbered >/100 | Unreleased | $100 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome Sonic | Green/Yellow Sonic - #/99 | Numbered | Unreleased | $200 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome Sonic | Blue/Yellow Sonic - #/75 | Numbered | Unreleased | $200 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome Sonic | Gold RayWave - #/50 | Numbered | Unreleased | $200 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome Sonic | Orange/Black Sonic - #/25 | Numbered | Unreleased | $200 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome Logofractor edition | Refractor | Refractor | 35 | $40 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome Logofractor edition | Purple MLB Refractor - #/250 | Numbered >/100 | 35 | $100 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome Logofractor edition | Pink MLB Refractor - #/199 | Numbered >/100 | 35 | $100 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome Logofractor edition | Blue MLB Refractor - #/150 | Numbered >/100 | 35 | $100 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome Logofractor edition | Green MLB Refractor - #/99 | Numbered | 35 | $200 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome Logofractor edition | Gold MLB Refractor - #/50 | Numbered | 35 | $200 |
| Aaron Judge | Topps Chrome Logofractor edition | Orange MLB Refractor - #/25 | Numbered | 35 | $200 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Base | Base | 82 | $20 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Refractor | Refractor | 82 | $40 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Prism Refractor | Refractor | 82 | $40 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Pink Refractor | Refractor | 82 | $40 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Sepia Refractor | Refractor | 82 | $40 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | X-Fractor | Refractor | 82 | $40 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | B&W MIni Diamond | Refractor | 82 | $40 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Negative Refractor | Refractor | 82 | $40 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Magenta Refractor - #/399 | Numbered >/100 | 82 | $100 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Magenta Speckle Refractor - #/350 | Numbered >/100 | 82 | $100 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Purple Speckle Refractor - #/299 | Numbered >/100 | 82 | $100 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Purple Refractor - #/250 | Numbered >/100 | 82 | $100 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Aqua Wave- #/199 | Numbered >/100 | 82 | $100 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Aqua Refractor - #/199 | Numbered >/100 | 82 | $100 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Aqua Lava Refractor - #/199 | Numbered >/100 | 82 | $100 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Blue Refractor - #/150 | Numbered >/100 | 82 | $100 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Green Refractor - #/99 | Numbered | 82 | $200 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Green Wave Refractor - #/99 | Numbered | 82 | $200 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Blue Wave Refractor - #/75 | Numbered | 82 | $200 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Gold Refractor - #/50 | Numbered | 82 | $200 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Gold Wave Refractor - #/50 | Numbered | 82 | $200 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Orange Refractor - #/25 (Hobby) | Numbered | 82 | $200 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome | Orange Wave Refractor - #/25 | Numbered | 82 | $200 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome Sonic | B&W Ray Wave | Refractor | Unreleased | $40 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome Sonic | Purple/Yellow Sonic - #/299 | Numbered >/100 | Unreleased | $100 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome Sonic | Aqua/Pink Sonic - #/199 | Numbered >/100 | Unreleased | $100 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome Sonic | Aqua RayWave - #/199 | Numbered >/100 | Unreleased | $100 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome Sonic | Green/Yellow Sonic - #/99 | Numbered | Unreleased | $200 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome Sonic | Blue/Yellow Sonic - #/75 | Numbered | Unreleased | $200 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome Sonic | Gold RayWave - #/50 | Numbered | Unreleased | $200 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome Sonic | Orange/Black Sonic - #/25 | Numbered | Unreleased | $200 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome Logofractor edition | Refractor | Refractor | 68 | $40 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome Logofractor edition | Purple MLB Refractor - #/250 | Numbered >/100 | 68 | $100 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome Logofractor edition | Pink MLB Refractor - #/199 | Numbered >/100 | 68 | $100 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome Logofractor edition | Blue MLB Refractor - #/150 | Numbered >/100 | 68 | $100 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome Logofractor edition | Green MLB Refractor - #/99 | Numbered | 68 | $200 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome Logofractor edition | Gold MLB Refractor - #/50 | Numbered | 68 | $200 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | Topps Chrome Logofractor edition | Orange MLB Refractor - #/25 | Numbered | 68 | $200 |
Where Can You Redeem?
So as mentioned above, a big stated reason why Topps is doing this is to drive foot traffic to local card shops. Thus, these shops are the main redemption points for you if you have cards to trade it. Do note, though, that not all shops are participating, so be sure to check the map tool Topps has also provided:
You might find that you don’t have a local card shop that is participating in the program. In that case, major online card stores Dave & Adam’s and Steel City Cards are both participating, which means you can mail your cards in and receive credit. You’ll just want to read up on how to go about it here, which is your submission form.
Let’s also not forget that with this redeemable credit attached to these cards, their values have shot up tremendously on eBay. Thus, if you don’t feel like going through the redemption process, you can sell the cards on the secondary market for a lot more than what they are typically worth.
How Will This Play Out?
I have no idea, but I can tell you that as soon as information hit the airwaves, the still-cheap cards were flying off of eBay, COMC, and other platforms. Even a few hours after the news broke, I was still able to find a handful of cards at their normal prices (check out these many places to buy cards in case you want to do some treasure hunting yourselves).
In all honesty, I’m just itching to participate, and looking forward to reading more about how this is playing out for collectors across the country. So, stay tuned for my own personal experiences and report back with anything you’re finding on your own!
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