2019 Topps Heritage

Topps Heritage is here for another year. 2019 copies the 1970 design. While the 1970 design is not the best design Topps has ever done, it is still beloved and has great elements to it.

I'm a big fan off the font for player names on the regular single player cards. I didn't truly appreciate it until I replicated it for other projects. There are some collectors who find the 1970 set to be their favorite. I thought a little differently, but respected their opinion.

It wasn't until I saw the Heritage set, that I really saw photos pop. I'm used to seeing the 1970 set through the eyes of the past. The colors have faded a bit and blend into each other in most examples that I have seen. The 1970 and 1971 sets are notoriously hard to find in mint condition, especially the 1971 set. That could have added to my perception.

For every cool Lowell Palmer card, there were many other examples of Topps photography choices that were a bit lazy or off. While this overall set has the Lowell Palmer equivalent in Pat Neshek, I don't see those bizarre choices in photos. For the record, I couldn't think of a better subject to replicate the Lowell Palmer card than Pat Neshek. If he ever joins the White Sox, that will be a great day.

What I do see is photos that pop. They pop better because of the grey background. There is only so much you can do with staged photographs, but this set doesn't feel like there are as many limitations.

Of course there are the obligatory airbrushed (now Photoshopped) images. If you are paying homage to a set full of airbrushed masterpieces (and I say that lovingly dripped with sarcasm), you need to replicate it.

The White Sox have a total of twenty cards, including one "action" variation and one "throwback" variation in this set.

7 - Michael Kopech, Caleb Frare

18 - Lucas Giolito

91 - Yolmer Sanchez

129 - James McCann

146 - Nate Jones

180 - Daniel Palka

217 - Tim Anderson

239 - Avisail Garcia

263 - Welington Castillo

274 - Carlos Rodon

299 - Nicky Delmonico

315 - Yoan Moncada

322 - Ivan Nova

342 - Alex Colome

352 - Jose Abreu AS

384 - Michael Kopech (Action Variation)

395 - Matt Davidson

483 - Jose Abreu SP

483 - Jose Abreu (Throwback SSP)

497 - Yonder Alonso SP

Another great job by Topps with their Heritage line. This team set is plentiful, yet not too crazy to collect. Only two short prints and a variation. That's not too bad in modern day card sets.

UPDATE: A super short print of Jose Abreu's card #483 has been found and this review has been updated to reflect this.