Step aside, Thanksgiving Day parades and Black Friday madness, because it’s time for the annual sprinkle of holiday spirit that Topps bestows upon eager card collectors every year. The 2025 Topps Holiday Baseball card set is here, ready to wrap you in the cozy warmth of yesteryears, much like a steaming cup of hot cocoa on a chilly December evening.
Topps Holiday embraces the whimsical aesthetic of the season, taking inspiration from 2025’s flagship Topps Series 1, Series 2, and Update sets, then adorning them with sparkling seasonal embellishments that could make even the Grinch crack a smile. Customers should mark their calendars and set their alarms for September 22 at 12 p.m. EST when the presale on Topps.com promises to be as heart-racing as a last-minute holiday sale.
As you dive into the world of Topps Holiday Baseball, you’ll find yourself navigating through three distinct paths: Advent Calendars, Collector’s Tins, and Mega Boxes. Each offers a unique flavor of collectible goodness, complete with exclusive parallels that are like rare ornaments on a Christmas tree.
The Advent Calendar is a delightful countdown experience, offering collectors twenty individual doors to open, each revealing a new pack. True to its namesake, this option also gifts you with an Evergreen parallel pack and a couple of buybacks, making it a perfect present for the collector in your life. After all, what better way to stoke anticipation for the big day than with daily card pack surprises?
Next, we have the Collector’s Tin—a cocoon of treasure that houses a single pack fat with cards. It’s the perfect choice for those after a swift, yet satisfying rip of the foil. Plus, the tin’s sturdy metal form is great for subsequent card storage or holiday knick-knack safekeeping.
Finally, the Mega Box embodies the traditional at-home card experience, presenting ten pacifying packs to enjoy at your own pace. Exclusive glitter parallels in this format will twinkle invitingly under your holiday lights, setting a festive tone for your collection.
The base checklist sees 200 beloved subjects handpicked from the flagship run, featuring stars, emerging talent, and crowd favorites captured through stellar photography. Holiday motifs encircle each card—candy cane stripes entwine with evergreen garlands and twinkling string lights, while snowflake patterns drift nonchalantly across the design. With a balanced touch that accentuates rather than overwhelms, the set ensures that player photos remain the focal point of display and preservation.
Topps Holiday wouldn’t fulfill its namesake without some dazzle in the way of parallels. Expect core seasonal variations like Holiday Lights, Holiday Plaid, and Glacier Glitter—named, one assumes, for their sparkle akin to the Northern Lights witnessed in a snow globe. Collectors can also hunt for the brand-new Chrome Holiday series, offering a shimmering Gold variation amongst others, tailored for those who prefer the glossy sheen of chrome to the classic feel of paper.
Unwrapping an additional layer of surprise, short-printed photo variations make a reentry. Mixing holiday cues with playful imagery, these can be a bit like finding Waldo—if Waldo liked baseball and wore silly hats. To check for these treasures, simply scrutinize the card’s back for telltale codes or consult a handy photo-guide app during your sort.
Adding nostalgic flair, Topps reintroduces buyback cards—genuine archived Topps cards slips into recent packs with a stamped label denoting their return journey. It’s a nostalgic trove that evokes a warm sense of discovery, especially for collectors with an affinity for certain eras.
While autographs and memorabilia feature in the checklist, they remain elusive yet delightful prizes, like sugar plums dancing in dreams. Any appearance of autographs may feature creative die-cut windows themed with stockings or holiday trees, lending captivating detail for display, if you can manage the sensation of heart-in-mouth tension with each tear of the pack.
Part of the decorative magic is found in insert lines that resonate with the holiday spirit. Ornament die-cuts, this year shaped like a stack of presents, return and are perfect for hanging on festive trees or pinning up with pride. Another set, “Making the Nice List,” highlights statistical leaders from the recent season—perfect for adding a seasonal spin to your collection of favorite players.
For those involving themselves in the merry scramble that is card collecting, consider sticking to a format whose exclusive parallels you adore: Holiday Lights with Collector’s Tins, Glacier Glitter in Mega Boxes, or the Red and Green extra perks of the Advent Calendar. Protecting the lustrous glitter-happy cards with soft sleeves and a gentle microfiber brush-down (to protect from handling bumps) is a habit that’ll ensure your collection shines on.
Presale opens at Topps.com on September 22, and while the wide release date remains under wraps, keen collectors should expect the festive products to deck the halls of retail locations, hobby shops, and online venues as the holidays get closer. It’s all part of the timeless magic known as Topps Holiday—a tradition cherished by many.
