Hidden value in rare parallels. Do these just get lost in the sea of too much?

[corockies]

Wanted to start a thread asking you all what you think about some rarer, non serial #ed parallels that don't get nearly the attention they deserve. I'm keeping it to flagship / topps chrome in the past couple of years, but feel free to list any sets you know of that this could possibly apply to.

2025 Topps Series 1 & 2 Aqua Foil parallel - pack pull odds are tough across all formats. Per Baseballcardpedia 165 copies per card print run.



2025 Topps Series 1 Easter Egg parallel - exclusive to Topps holiday egg packs. These are extremely rare, no exact print run has been determined (45 copies per card have been floated around in some eBay auctions).



2025 Topps Series 1 Easter Rabbit parallel - exclusive to Topps holiday egg packs. These are extremely rare, with tougher pack pull odds than the above egg parallel. No exact print run has been determined (15 copies per card have been floated around in some eBay auctions).



2024 Topps Series 1, 2, & Update Yellow Foil parallel - only found in hangers, they are almost impossible to tell apart from gold foils in online scans. Per Baseballcardpedia Series 1 200 copies per card print run, Series 2 135 copies per card print run, Update 175 copies per card print run.

Gold Foil on the left, Yellow Foil on the right:


2024 Topps Series 2 Statue of Liberty parallel - found in exclusive holiday blasters. Per Baseballcardpedia 210 copies per card print run.



2024 Topps Update Halloween Ghost parallel - found in exclusive holiday blasters. Per Baseballcardpedia 175 copies per card print run.



2023 Topps Update Halloween Ghost parallel - found in exclusive holiday blasters. Per Baseballcardpedia 140 copies per card print run.



Added from a post further down this thread:

2024 Topps Chrome Big Apple Refractors. Exclusive to Fanatics Fest NYC packs the distribution method for these were during the weekend of August 15th-18th 2024. Limited to 50 copies per card, they paralleled the entire 300 card set. These are gonna be super tough to find in the future with the unique distribution method.



2024 Topps Chrome Lightboard Refractors. Only found in retail and mega boxes. Per Baseballcardpedia 135 copies per card print run.

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Supply might be low, but so is demand.

[ThoseBackPages]

without serial numbering they will wash away in the sea of other unnumbered parallels

eta: with how Fanatics is doing things now we can expect new parallels annually and the quiet sunsetting of any of them, at anytime really

[espnfanco]

Originally Posted by MiamiMarlinsFan

Supply might be low, but so is demand.

I imagine this would only cater to single player collectors.. not as a set.

[JMStang]

Demand might low now, but could change over time.

Could be good buy low candidates.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ThoseBackPages]

"2024 Topps Series 1, 2, & Update Yellow Foil parallel - only found in hangers, they are almost impossible to tell apart from gold foils in online scans. Per Baseballcardpedia Series 1 200 copies per card print run, Series 2 135 copies per card print run, Update 175 copies per card print run."

These were awesome IMO. i was such a fan of them i intentionally bought an Ohtani PSA 10

[base set]

I thought Aquas could only be pulled from blasters purchased online direct from Fanatics?

[ThoseBackPages]

Originally Posted by base set

I thought Aquas could only be pulled from blasters purchased online direct from Fanatics?

that was in 2024

[hermanotarjeta]

Yeah, without serial numbers, forget about trying to convince the collecting public that they really are as rare as they are.

Especially parallels - they are all falsely scarce, not truly scarce.

[base set]

Ten-ish years of Topps Holiday might well illustrate eventual value of ultra-gimmicky parallels, I would think.

[corockies]

Originally Posted by base set

Ten-ish years of Topps Holiday might well illustrate eventual value of ultra-gimmicky parallels, I would think.

It's tough though, I'd imagine the serial #ed holiday parallels will draw better long term than no serial #s.

[PapaStu]

Topps Holiday didn't really have much in the way of parallels for it's first few years, having just the 'metallic snowflake' that came a few per mega box and then gold metallic snowflake /1. Nothing wild, but just a little flavor and shine to a quirky but fun set.

Topps started the SP/SSP parallels in 2019 Holiday as the chases (in addition to the metallic snowflakes) and then in 23 started to drop numbered cards in with the red /99 snowflake in addition to the metallic snowflake (that now had a silver border) and the gold /1 and boosted the SP quantity. In 24 they broke it with the 3 packouts (ornament tins, megas and advent calendars), and the tins/megas had an exclusive parallel that had 4 numbered versions each, in addition to 2 unnumbered parallels before the silly SP's which lost it's SP/SSP/SSSP versions and they dropped it down the 'SP' only. I can't imagine any of those are worth much if the card isn't Ohtani/Judge level player.

As for the really hard to find unnumbered stuff these last few years out of Flagship, I don't think there will be much value assigned to most of it, despite it's rarity because of the gimmicky-ness of it. Getting a rare ghost parallel doesn't carry much weight compared to a /99 vintage stock or lower parallel that's been more established (Indy/Black/Mothers-Father Day/ Memorial Day/Clear) across the product the last decade+.

*I* personally have been paying attention to all the parallels for Flagship for 2024 & 2025 and the unnumbered Yellow Foils, Rabbits/Statue of Liberty/Ghosts have all been VERY VERY tough finds, with very few showing up for all 6 players across the 5 product releases I'm rainbow chasing (2 in 24 S1, 2 in 24 S2, 1 in 24 U, 1 in 25 S1 and 1 in 25 S2).

I'm still missing a yellow foil for one of my 24 S2 rainbows that I've likely missed because it was scanned in poorly and mislabeled as gold because they look so similar and missing more of the low numbered blaster seasonal parallels across 24 S1/S2 than I am anything else deemed more "normal" parallels in those respective rainbows.

I'll avoid getting into the inconsistency of parallels across 25 S1/S2 because it's really really bad this year since they added so many more parallels to the stable. While removing so many parallels that had been consistent in past releases while padding out the huge boost in product with 4 (or more) of gold /50, orange /25, black /10, red /5 AND /1 cards that never used to be in the stable when they basically made almost all the parallels in a foil hue this year (as they started to mirror chrome colors for lower numbered stuff).

Heck 25 S1 and 25 S2 don't even fully line up because they didn't do another tin like they did the Easter eggs OR the Celebration confetti (which looks a lot like the sandglitter) or the Meijer tinsel (that replaced the Meijer purple) that was in the blister packs. Those Meijer tinsels in 25 S1 will also be super rare overall, but the folks who care... will again be small handful of people who PC someone, or that person chasing the rainbow, like me.

[mikejones]

Not flagship but no one is talking about tacofractors and they're limited to 5. These are fun, but don't expect them to hold value in the long run. Stick to Golds and blacks.

[hermanotarjeta]

Also remember that many unnumbered flagship parallels may appear hard to find simply because flagship is not a massively opened product where over 80% of the run is shredded.

Most of the scarcity of the inserts lies by the fact that most are stuck in pallets of unopened cases in a warehouse somewhere that may never see the light of day.

However, they do exist.

[corockies]

Originally Posted by mikejones

Not flagship but no one is talking about tacofractors and they're limited to 5. These are fun, but don't expect them to hold value in the long run. Stick to Golds and blacks.

At least we know these are /5. Definitely a fun parallel, but too rare. I'm trying to identify non serial #ed parallels that fall outside the norm of a generally accepted collected issue in any product that are deemed rare. Unless you player collect, team collect, or rainbow chase, most won't recognize the relevance or rarity of these parallels.

2024 Topps Chrome Big Apple Refractors are a good one. Exclusive to Fanatics Fest NYC packs the distribution method for these were during the weekend of August 15th-18th 2024. Limited to 50 copies per card, they paralleled the entire 300 card set. These are gonna be super tough to find in the future with the unique distribution method.



2024 Topps Chrome Lightboard Refractors are another. Only found in retail and mega boxes. Per Baseballcardpedia 135 copies per card print run.

[corockies]

Originally Posted by PapaStu

Topps Holiday didn't really have much in the way of parallels for it's first few years, having just the 'metallic snowflake' that came a few per mega box and then gold metallic snowflake /1. Nothing wild, but just a little flavor and shine to a quirky but fun set.

Topps started the SP/SSP parallels in 2019 Holiday as the chases (in addition to the metallic snowflakes) and then in 23 started to drop numbered cards in with the red /99 snowflake in addition to the metallic snowflake (that now had a silver border) and the gold /1 and boosted the SP quantity. In 24 they broke it with the 3 packouts (ornament tins, megas and advent calendars), and the tins/megas had an exclusive parallel that had 4 numbered versions each, in addition to 2 unnumbered parallels before the silly SP's which lost it's SP/SSP/SSSP versions and they dropped it down the 'SP' only. I can't imagine any of those are worth much if the card isn't Ohtani/Judge level player.

As for the really hard to find unnumbered stuff these last few years out of Flagship, I don't think there will be much value assigned to most of it, despite it's rarity because of the gimmicky-ness of it. Getting a rare ghost parallel doesn't carry much weight compared to a /99 vintage stock or lower parallel that's been more established (Indy/Black/Mothers-Father Day/ Memorial Day/Clear) across the product the last decade+.

*I* personally have been paying attention to all the parallels for Flagship for 2024 & 2025 and the unnumbered Yellow Foils, Rabbits/Statue of Liberty/Ghosts have all been VERY VERY tough finds, with very few showing up for all 6 players across the 5 product releases I'm rainbow chasing (2 in 24 S1, 2 in 24 S2, 1 in 24 U, 1 in 25 S1 and 1 in 25 S2).

I'm still missing a yellow foil for one of my 24 S2 rainbows that I've likely missed because it was scanned in poorly and mislabeled as gold because they look so similar and missing more of the low numbered blaster seasonal parallels across 24 S1/S2 than I am anything else deemed more "normal" parallels in those respective rainbows.

I'll avoid getting into the inconsistency of parallels across 25 S1/S2 because it's really really bad this year since they added so many more parallels to the stable. While removing so many parallels that had been consistent in past releases while padding out the huge boost in product with 4 (or more) of gold /50, orange /25, black /10, red /5 AND /1 cards that never used to be in the stable when they basically made almost all the parallels in a foil hue this year (as they started to mirror chrome colors for lower numbered stuff).

Heck 25 S1 and 25 S2 don't even fully line up because they didn't do another tin like they did the Easter eggs OR the Celebration confetti (which looks a lot like the sandglitter) or the Meijer tinsel (that replaced the Meijer purple) that was in the blister packs. Those Meijer tinsels in 25 S1 will also be super rare overall, but the folks who care... will again be small handful of people who PC someone, or that person chasing the rainbow, like me.

Good stuff here PapaStu, I've always been a fan of the Toys R Us / Meijer Purples because of the color match and rarity for my Rockies sets. I'm not a fan of the 2025 tinsel design even though I know the overall rarity of them.

The yellow foils will always be a problem simply because they are so hard to identify in scans. You need to put them side by side with a gold foil to know the difference.

[OhioLawyerF5]

Originally Posted by ThoseBackPages

without serial numbering they will wash away in the sea of other unnumbered parallels

eta: with how Fanatics is doing things now we can expect new parallels annually and the quiet sunsetting of any of them, at anytime really

I believe this is the case for a while. But I would guess that in a couple decades, when people are looking back trying to complete runs (like so many of us do with 90s cards), low print run unnumbered cards will become ghosts and will command a premium. It reminds me of the 1999 Prism retail reds. Nobody cared for them back then. But now people pay absurd money for them to complete their runs. It's those things that get overlooked in the present, that tend to gain traction in the future, because they don't get preserved, but are hard to find. They get lost in a sea of unnumbered parallels now. But one day, people will start to realize how hard they are to find, and that will drive demand.

[BoSoxFan1999]

The Let's Go insert cards (doesn't matter what sport) don't get much love even though they are very hard pulls (most have PR's of 25 or less). Based on the rarity, you'd think they'd be more coveted, but unless they are of a superstar player, they usually don't sell for that much. I wonder if being unnumbered keeps them flying under the radar (i.e. most collectors don't actually know how rare they are).

[Bosoxfan5990]

Are the Hidden Gems (before they added the numbered parallel) too rare for this?

[Twalk1975]

Mentioned this in the 24 HHN thread, but with the expanded checklist, I think purple chromes for any one player are considerably more rare than they were in previous years.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by Bosoxfan5990

Are the Hidden Gems (before they added the numbered parallel) too rare for this?

The hidden gems print run is likely between 60-100 copies of each card.

[msink28]

Yeah, it's been my experience with 2000s stuff that most stuff is easy to find until it's not. Much of the rarer stuff could be had for next to nothing years ago, certainly not anymore.

Originally Posted by OhioLawyerF5

I believe this is the case for a while. But I would guess that in a couple decades, when people are looking back trying to complete runs (like so many of us do with 90s cards), low print run unnumbered cards will become ghosts and will command a premium. It reminds me of the 1999 Prism retail reds. Nobody cared for them back then. But now people pay absurd money for them to complete their runs. It's those things that get overlooked in the present, that tend to gain traction in the future, because they don't get preserved, but are hard to find. They get lost in a sea of unnumbered parallels now. But one day, people will start to realize how hard they are to find, and that will drive demand.

[BoSoxFan1999]

Originally Posted by BoSoxFan1999

The Let's Go insert cards (doesn't matter what sport) don't get much love even though they are very hard pulls (most have PR's of 25 or less). Based on the rarity, you'd think they'd be more coveted, but unless they are of a superstar player, they usually don't sell for that much. I wonder if being unnumbered keeps them flying under the radar (i.e. most collectors don't actually know how rare they are).

To expand on this, a 2023-24 Bowman Best Let's Go Caitlin Clark PSA 10 sold for $380 a couple weeks ago. According to the odds sheet, Let's Go cards are 1:94 hobby boxes pulls (hobby box only pull, not in BD boxes).

A *raw* CC Flight Club insert card from the same set that is a much easier 1:16 box pull sold for $900 around the same time. Almost 2.5x more for the nearly 6x more common Flight Club card, also a hobby box exclusive. (a CC Flight Club PSA 10 sold for $5.2k last September FWIW).

Both are unnumbered, low PR inserts, but the more common one commands a much higher price.

[hermanotarjeta]

All it takes is two people who really want a card and it can drive up the price to a strange place.

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

The hidden gems print run is likely between 60-100 copies of each card.

Not possible. If so, eBay would be filthy with Jazz Chisholm Hidden Gems.