2023 Topps Star Wars High Tek

[BobCollects]

I stumbled upon a listing for boxes of this at a Blowout competitor. Apparently they were sold for $100 each at New York Comic Con earlier this month. Boxes have one pack of six cards each with two numbered parallels guaranteed and three different High Tek patterns. Plus autographs. The boxes also came with an exclusive NYCC Star Wars pack. There was also a different exclusive promo pack given away at NYCC.

I can't find any information about the set anywhere. There are two breaks on YouTube. 100+ listings on eBay and around 70 completed sales, both sealed boxes and singles.

This seems like a bizarre way for Topps to introduce a new Star Wars set, assuming a full hobby version is coming out eventually.

[cj828282]

Bought a box off of ebay the during NYCC. Fun break and made my money back but it was early sales. Looks like a fun product and would like to open a case if these are available at a decent price but could not find a checklist or odds. The extra Disney SW pack was nice and provided extra value.

[Rictor]

High Tek is always a quick way to turn $100 into $10 for me. True for most box breaks though with all the junk auto and no autos boxes.

[Dagre]

I primarily collect High Tek and have a chat group with other High Tek collectors. Here’s what we have figured out/speculated so far:

- The push out at NYCC seemed rushed. We think that something else must haven fallen through and they hastily put Tek into the empty slot.

- The full release is later this year (December I think).

- They changed it from 8 cards to six, 5 patterns to three, 112 base cards to 50, and removed a guaranteed auto.

- Autographs have been coming about one per case. We have not seen any autos numbered higher than /50. So far almost all the autos have been from the Mandalorian with the only exception being Indira Varma from Obi Wan.

- There is a 10-card insert set of Mandalorian characters. Inserts used to be only /50 but this set has /25, /10, /5, 1/1, and proofs.

- Prices of eBay sold items have been much higher than previous sets but hopefully that settles once the full release happens.

I’m happy to answer any questions that anyone has if I can. I’m always looking for Tek cards from 2015, 2016, and 2017 if you have some sitting around gathering dust!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cj828282]

Up on Topps:

Box $110: https://www.topps.com/cards-collecti...hobby-box.html


Case $1280: https://www.topps.com/cards-collecti...aled-case.html

[sandyfrank]

Originally Posted by Dagre

I primarily collect High Tek and have a chat group with other High Tek collectors. Here’s what we have figured out/speculated so far:

- The push out at NYCC seemed rushed. We think that something else must haven fallen through and they hastily put Tek into the empty slot.

- The full release is later this year (December I think).

- They changed it from 8 cards to six, 5 patterns to three, 112 base cards to 50, and removed a guaranteed auto.

- Autographs have been coming about one per case. We have not seen any autos numbered higher than /50. So far almost all the autos have been from the Mandalorian with the only exception being Indira Varma from Obi Wan.

- There is a 10-card insert set of Mandalorian characters. Inserts used to be only /50 but this set has /25, /10, /5, 1/1, and proofs.

- Prices of eBay sold items have been much higher than previous sets but hopefully that settles once the full release happens.

I’m happy to answer any questions that anyone has if I can. I’m always looking for Tek cards from 2015, 2016, and 2017 if you have some sitting around gathering dust!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you for this info I love the Star Wars High Tek and was super pumped they were bringing it back but are you kidding me one auto per case??? I bought 3 boxes but was thinking this was going to be like the old High Tek with one auto per box...Plus almost all the older High Tek autos were on card not stickers like they are showing here. Well shame on me...

[Dagre]

The plus side of one auto per case is that most of the autos are decent. Seeing the recent Black Chrome release with all of the no-name autographs makes me glad that this set didn't do that. Here's the list of the autographs that we have seen so far in the set:

Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka)
Katee Sackhoff (Bo-Katan Kryze)
Ming-Na Wen (Fennec Shand)
Carl Weathers (Greef Karga)
Amy Sedaris (Pelo Motto)
Nick Nolte (Kuiil)
Emily Swallow (The Armorer)
Taika Waititi (IG-11)
Indira Varma (Tala Durith)
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Carson Teva)
Giancarlo Esposito (Moff Gideon)
Moses Ingram (Reva)

[x78089]

What is the differentiator between the NYCC exclusive cards, and the regular cards that will be available next year?

[Cujobyte]

Originally Posted by Dagre

The plus side of one auto per case is that most of the autos are decent. Seeing the recent Black Chrome release with all of the no-name autographs makes me glad that this set didn't do that. Here's the list of the autographs that we have seen so far in the set:

Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka)
Katee Sackhoff (Bo-Katan Kryze)
Ming-Na Wen (Fennec Shand)
Carl Weathers (Greef Karga)
Amy Sedaris (Pelo Motto)
Nick Nolte (Kuiil)
Emily Swallow (The Armorer)
Taika Waititi (IG-11)
Indira Varma (Tala Durith)
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Carson Teva)
Giancarlo Esposito (Moff Gideon)
Moses Ingram (Reva)

What are the odds of the autos, I couldn't find them in that link. Thanks!

[Dagre]

This is a question that we can't answer until we know what is released next year. We are divided a bit in out chat group. Some think that the Tek boxes that were released at NYCC are the same boxes that will be released next year. I fall in this camp. I don't see them creating and packaging more cards than the 50-card set that's in this release.

The other thought is that this is just the first 50 and they will release another 50 next year to make it a 100 card set. Previous year's Tek were all 112 card sets with 5 patterns. What was released at NYCC is a 50 card set with three patterns.

There has been NO official statement or checklist from Topps about the set so we are only guessing about what will happen with the "official" release.

They only cards that were NYCC exclusive that I know of were the packs that they handed out when you bought a box at the con. They contained four cards that were a shiny set of Flagship cards. There was usually one numbered parallel per pack.

[Dagre]

Originally Posted by Cujobyte

What are the odds of the autos, I couldn't find them in that link. Thanks!

We have no information on the odds of autos in the set. Every case that I've seen opened contained one autograph. It looks like every auto has up to a /50 parallel so far. There's a possibility that there are some bigger autos that only go to /10 or /25 but we've never seen anything like that yet.

[Cujobyte]

Originally Posted by Dagre

We have no information on the odds of autos in the set. Every case that I've seen opened contained one autograph. It looks like every auto has up to a /50 parallel so far. There's a possibility that there are some bigger autos that only go to /10 or /25 but we've never seen anything like that yet.

Just one auto per case? Jeesh that seems terrible from previous sets. Also shows how big this print run may be as well. Thanks for that info!

[jdhaugh11]

If Topps is only going to put 1 auto a case in some of these products, then they need to just make the auto set top names. At least with the Strangers Things 4 set, 2 of the 3 autos you got in a case were main cast autos.

[Joshi City]

Purchased one box with the extra pack for a "Black Friday" deal, and I don't usually do well with Star Wars but I consider this a big W. Kylo 1/1, Obi-Wan /75, Grogu /50.

[jdhaugh11]

Originally Posted by Joshi City

Purchased one box with the extra pack for a "Black Friday" deal, and I don't usually do well with Star Wars but I consider this a big W. Kylo 1/1, Obi-Wan /75, Grogu /50.

Nice work, but stop there, don't press your luck! Lol

[aggie4ever]

The small auto list and the signers coming from the two newest Disney+ tv shows makes sense, the box and the listing page on Topps notes the autos are from actors who haven't had a High Tek auto before. Still surprising it's 1 auto per case though, hope this isn't a sign of things to come. Star Wars boxes are a poor buy already, this would make them even worse.

[Joshi City]

Originally Posted by Dagre

I primarily collect High Tek and have a chat group with other High Tek collectors. Here’s what we have figured out/speculated so far:

- The push out at NYCC seemed rushed. We think that something else must haven fallen through and they hastily put Tek into the empty slot.

- The full release is later this year (December I think).

- They changed it from 8 cards to six, 5 patterns to three, 112 base cards to 50, and removed a guaranteed auto.

- Autographs have been coming about one per case. We have not seen any autos numbered higher than /50. So far almost all the autos have been from the Mandalorian with the only exception being Indira Varma from Obi Wan.

- There is a 10-card insert set of Mandalorian characters. Inserts used to be only /50 but this set has /25, /10, /5, 1/1, and proofs.

- Prices of eBay sold items have been much higher than previous sets but hopefully that settles once the full release happens.

I’m happy to answer any questions that anyone has if I can. I’m always looking for Tek cards from 2015, 2016, and 2017 if you have some sitting around gathering dust!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have a question!

So the Kylo Ren 1/1 I posted above, what do the High Tek collectors consider it? I sold it on eBay, but within a few hours the buyer messaged me asking me to cancel after he had paid, as he didn't realize it was a proof/printing plate. I gave him the refund, no problem, only want happy customers. But its not a printing plate, its on card stock and bends so its not what I'd consider a "printing plate." Would these be considered a Proof, and if so how can you tell as mine wasn't obviously pink/blue/etc.? I do see there are multiple colored 1/1s on eBay so I see where he is coming from, but I wasn't trying to be intentionally deceptive either. So I was just curious what the Star Wars Community considers the correct thing to call it and if there is a way to tell its a proof, especially without a full checklist I can reference.

[Dagre]

Good question. What you have is called a Proof. In the 2023 High Tek set a 1/1 base card is colored red. Much like printing plates for a cardboard set, there are four proofs of each card: Black, Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow. Unlike other sets, proofs are basically the same as the base apart from being only one color. There are no metal “plate” backs to them or stickers that say “you have a printing plate from X set”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dagre]

Here is what a base 1/1 looks like


Attachment 1


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Joshi City]

Originally Posted by Dagre

Good question. What you have is called a Proof. In the 2023 High Tek set a 1/1 base card is colored red. Much like printing plates for a cardboard set, there are four proofs of each card: Black, Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow. Unlike other sets, proofs are basically the same as the base apart from being only one color. There are no metal “plate” backs to them or stickers that say “you have a printing plate from X set”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks! What threw me off is in Kylo's case in particular, the black kinda matches his general color anyway so it didn't look like a proof. At least not as obvious as the blue and pink ones.

[glen87]

Originally Posted by Joshi City

Thanks! What threw me off is in Kylo's case in particular, the black kinda matches his general color anyway so it didn't look like a proof. At least not as obvious as the blue and pink ones.

one way to tell is the blue around the name area on the base card and the color in the light saber

[Jaysabz]

I loved High Tek!

I've bailed on Star Wars collecting and most sport card collecting but for singles since the pandemic drove prices up.

But I loved opening up Star Wars High Tek! Probably my favorite rip. And when the Force Awakens characters were included before the movie debut.. gosh I loved it!

Loved the Force Awakens ... Loved Rogue One ... then they ruined it with the Last Jedi and the Return of Skywalker

Wish they could retcon everything after Rogue One

[jdhaugh11]

High Tek cases once got down to $400, man if we only knew how great we had it back in the day. I used to be able to buy a case of cards every week.
I would sell some, keep some & then buy another case. I would occasionally hit it big, but generally just make enough to keep it rolling. Built up a nice collection over time.
The past few years I was spending more on less and ending up with mostly junk.
I have become much smarter with my spending & it seems like this is the case with many people on here.

[nabzy28]

Originally Posted by jdhaugh11

High Tek cases once got down to $400, man if we only knew how great we had it back in the day. I used to be able to buy a case of cards every week.
I would sell some, keep some & then buy another case. I would occasionally hit it big, but generally just make enough to keep it rolling. Built up a nice collection over time.
The past few years I was spending more on less and ending up with mostly junk.
I have become much smarter with my spending & it seems like this is the case with many people on here.

Spots in Stellar got down to around $100 in the group breaks and we ripped through, what, about a dozen of them? Another 12 to 15 cases of Cryptozoic Ghostbusters.... etc. It was way more fun going in on that stuff because the risk/reward was reasonable. Now, if you don't pull a top 10 product hit, you're getting destroyed on most stuff.

[jdhaugh11]

Originally Posted by nabzy28

Spots in Stellar got down to around $100 in the group breaks and we ripped through, what, about a dozen of them? Another 12 to 15 cases of Cryptozoic Ghostbusters.... etc. It was way more fun going in on that stuff because the risk/reward was reasonable. Now, if you don't pull a top 10 product hit, you're getting destroyed on most stuff.

Very true. There have been many breaks in the past few years where even the #1 spot is a loss. That should never happen.