As base cards have gone out of fashion in the hobby, parallels and variants have become increasingly important. To ensure you get good value out of products, sports card companies produce a dizzying array of alternative versions of cards. Sometimes they hit the jackpot and create beautiful and valuable baseball cards. Other times, they put monstrosities into our favorite boxes. But this article will focus on the weirdest and most unexpected parallels. There were many candidates to consider, but we finally settled on these top 10 strangest baseball cards: abnormal variants and wild similarities. Some are valuable; others are practically worthless. But they are all truly bizarre.
2016 Topps Black Jean Segura /65 Parallel #409
Jean Segura is a baseball players kid of player. Though not a marquee star, every team needs a utility infielder who can do a top-notch job at different positions. And in 2013 and 2018, he shined so hard that Segura made the All-Star team.
Many parallels don’t really work. But few have the weird majesty of the 2016 Topps Black /65 Parallel series. It looks like a film negative that was prematurely exposed to sunlight. It’s very distracting and strange, to the point that it ruins the whole card. I picked out the 2016 Topps Black Jean Segura /65 Parallel #409 because his expression and that black stripe on the bottom left make it a truly ghastly card. Meanwhile, the overly dark nameplate at the bottom of the card gives the card a sort of unlicensed feel.
2023 Topps Series 1 Randal Grichuk Green Foil /499 #110
There are so many ugly foil cards in the 2023 Topps Baseball card set. They really outdid themselves. Of course, we have nothing against our boy Randal Grichuk. He is baseball royalty, after all, starting with his double appearance in the Little League World Series for Lamar National and winning the All-Houston Area Most Valuable Player. His MLB career has been a rollercoaster, but we are rooting for the guy.
But the 2023 Topps Series 1 Randal Grichuk Green Foil /499 #110 has a special flair. The almost obscene pose of the Rockies outfielder in the background of that horrifying pile of green flakes makes for a truly distressing viewing experience. What really clinches the card for me is that Randal looks like he is starting a duel in a particularly bad science fiction movie and is using his trusty bat. I have a complex love/hate relationship with this item that I just picked one up. It didn’t break the bank, as the card is worth about $ 5$.
2022 Topps Series 2 Raymond #215
The best-known card in 2022 Topps Series 2 is, of course, the Wander Franco rookie. At the time, he was considered the next big thing in baseball. And as of now, he seems to be living up to that promise. So, Topps did well in choosing a picture for him, showing Franco beating his chest triumphantly after getting a hit.
But if you were “lucky” enough to get a variant on this card, you could end up with Devil Rays mascot Raymond’s head superimposed on this soon-to-be iconic rookie. What is Raymond, you might ask? No one knows. He is described by the Devil Rays website as a "seadog" from somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico. I will let their PR team take it from here: “Raymond is a previously undiscovered species of dog known as "Canus Manta Whatthefluffalus" or, in layman's terms, a Seadog. Seadogs have all the traits of normal dogs. They enjoy going for walks, playing with kids, and fetching. Unlike other dogs, they are five to six feet tall, walk upright, are blue in color, and chase catfish.” According to the Rays, his favorite book is “HAIRY Potter.” Groan.
Personally, I would rather have the original than the 2022 Topps Series 2 Raymond #215 monstrosity. But note that some of the other variants and parallels can have good value. The gold foil is worth about 12 times the base card, and some graded copies of the Black Parallel /71 have sold for well over $1,000. But if you like this player with a mascot head variant, there are plenty of others in the 2022 Topps Baseball set.
2023 Topps Golden Mirror Image Variations
In 2023, Topps decided to shake up the SSPs. Instead of complex tiers that no one can follow, the Golden Mirror Image Variations offered a simple and valuable alternative. The pictures often featured more personality than the regular snaps. The cool gold lettering in the corners makes them beautiful and easily recognizable.
What makes them wild? Blowout Cards offered $250,000 for 330 cards that appeared in Series 1. If you get the full series from all the Topps flagship products and grade them PSA 10, they offer $1,000,000. Although, honestly, that sounds practically impossible.
Any Topps Holiday Variant
Every year Topps produces its Topps Holiday Baseball product in time for Christmas. And since they keep making these boxes, someone must be buying them. That is how it works, right? Still, you can accuse me of being the Grinch if you want, but does anyone like these? Does anyone look at these cards with badly superimposed “snowflakes” and say, "I am so glad these are here? There is a reason we don’t play baseball in winter. If you want to put players in the snow, then at least CGI a real snowstorm that will give me that “winter is coming” feeling.
The 2022 Topps Holiday product is a good example. Cards came in the regular variety (which is just with those fake-looking snowflakes). But you could get the more rare editions such as the SP (with a candy cane bat), the Rare version (with a supposed Christmas lights necklace, but I don’t see it), and the Ultra rare variant, with a Christmas tree in the background. Meanwhile, some catchers enjoy wrapping paper leg guards, Santa belts, or even Santa legit sitting in the environment. Is this a good way to get kids involved in baseball cards and collecting?
But far worse than the snowflakes are the ugly sweater cards. I’m not sure having a sweater background to cards makes them more enjoyable. But Bowman outdid themselves by using a not particularly ugly or interesting pattern. The purists will roll their eyes at these cards because they are dumb. Meanwhile, those looking for cute holiday cards will be disappointed at the lack of boldness. These bad cards left everyone dissatisfied. Maybe. But it leads to some very curious-looking cards.
The Topps Holiday Santa Claus Relics
We have already had fun at Topps Holiday's expense, so you might think I have done enough. But only after we examine the ultimate Topps Holiday genre, the Santa Claus relics. We all love a good game-worn memorabilia card, like a patch from the uniform or part of the bat. Starting in 2021, Topps had the idea of doing the same thing, but for Father Christmas. So, according to Topps, you can find a bit of Santa’s suit. Did the card company verify it from the North Pole, or did they tear a piece from a Santa in a mall in suburban New Jersey? We will probably never know. Although the back of the card does say, “the relic on this card is not from anything at all.”
Despite this honest disclaimer, the craziest part is that these cards are worth a decent amount of cold hard cash. For example, an auto (yes, don’t ask) Santa Claus relic /25 recently sold on eBay for $2,500. And I have to admit; I have questions.
Any Topps Chrome Negative Parallel
Topps Chrome has a legit list of parallels. They have been cultivating them since the 1990s, and the most beloved is, without a doubt, the X-Fractor. I don’t get what the fuss is about, but they go for strong values and will definitely help Topps reintroduce basketball and football card fans to their products.
But the most surreal parallel is the Topps Chrome negative. They routinely come at the bottom of the rating of Chrome parallels made by collectors. After all, these negatives do turn players’ faces into dark-colored blobs. But looking at these parallels as a form of surreal artwork is a lot better. On occasion, these items look like something out of a horror movie. Look, for example, at the 2020 Topps Chrome Dan Vogelbach Negative Refractor #30.
Because collectors don’t love them all that much, they aren’t worth as much as some alternatives. But good ones, like a Shohei Ohtani rookie Topps Chrome negative, can go for nice prices.
Any Alex Pardee Project Topps Card
While not a variant in the strictest sense of the word, the original Project Topps cards are variations on real baseball cards. So, they count. Sort of. Many collectors have soured on Project Topps because it was over-printed and didn’t deliver the value they hoped for. But that doesn’t take away from the artistry behind the best cards in this release. And none of the artists in Project Topps made as much of a splash as Alex Pardee.
Previously best known for designing the album covers for The Used and other artists, he put those talents to great use in the release. His monster versions of baseball stars have become iconic, and posters can be seen adorning hobby shops everywhere. The Mike Trout teeth head card has become a particular favorite. However, the value has suffered because everyone ordered a copy of this fearsome beauty.
2011 Topps Allen & Ginter's - Fabulous Face Flocculence Minis #FFF10 - The Closer
There aren’t many cards featuring a player without mentioning their name. But this card is not about Brian Wilson, the former San Francisco Giants closer. Rather, it features his magnificent beard. Indeed, his facial hair is so notable that he recently turned down $1 million from 800Razors.com to shave it as part of a promotion. Knowing who the real star is, the Topps dedicated the Fabulous Face Flocculence Minis #FFF10 to the beard rather than the player. The weird series included tributes to other forms of facial hair, including “The Bib,” “The Ironing Board,” and, of course, the dreaded “Neck Beard.” Because of the novelty, these cards can sell for a few hundred dollars. What can we say? That great patch of facial hair is worth the price of admission.
1991 Topps Micro Chipper Jones #333
Chipper Jones is an absolute legend. He was an 8-time All-Star, an MVP, a one-time batting champion, a World Series champion, and he ended his career with a .303 batting average and 468 home runs. All his rookie cards have good value, despite coming in the middle of the “junk wax” Baseball card era. But not many of his cards are funny. Well, his Bowman rookie is hilarious for how Chipper is dressed, but that is a different story.
In 1991, Topps put this fantastic pun card into their flagship release as a tribute to Microsoft. It is a tiny 1” x 1-3/8” card featuring rookie Chipper Jones in the size and shape of a microchip. And, of course, with the Brave’s future Hall of Famer named Chipper, it was a match made in heaven. Because it’s a rookie and it has that funny pun going for it, a PSA 10 of the 1991 Topps Micro Chipper Jones #333 can get for upwards of $500.
Final Word On The Top 10 Strangest Baseball Cards Weird Variants and Wild Parallels
We have only scratched the surface of the wild world of baseball card variants and parallels. There are many creative people in the hobby and many checklists to fill. And every year, there are some sublimely ridiculous cards out there. Look carefully among all the boring and pretty ones, and you will find them. The weird and questionable choices that make this hobby fun.
