Topps produced 508,957,904 cards for 2026 Series 1 across 25 formats. That is a 16.2% increase over the 437.8 million cards from 2025 Series 1. The content creators called it on rip day: they printed this to the moon.
But total volume only tells part of the story. The official odds sheet reveals shifting format strategies, some surprising value plays, and print runs ranging from half a million copies down to fewer than 25. This is the full breakdown of every format, every hit rate, and every print run that matters for collectors.
2026 Topps Series 1 Total Production
Total cards produced: 508,957,904 across 25 formats. Year-over-year increase: +16.2%. Base cards per player: ~1,281,202 copies (up 17.3% from 1,092,061 in 2025).
These numbers cover all 25 formats listed on the official odds sheet. They do not include factory sets releasing later in 2026 or a Celebration-style box (similar to last year's) that will likely share the base checklist. The final count will climb.
Getting upset about Series 1 being overproduced is like getting mad that McDonald's makes more cheeseburgers because customers keep buying all the cheeseburgers. Series 1 is the entry point. Topps prints to meet demand, and demand keeps growing.
The real question is not how much they printed. It is where the value hides within those 509 million cards.
Production by Format: 2026 vs 2025
Every major format saw changes this year. Some grew significantly while others were cut in half. Here is the complete format-by-format comparison.
| Format | 2026 Production | 2025 Production | YOY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hobby | 200,200 boxes (16,683 cases) | 163,449 boxes (13,621 cases) | +22.5% |
| Jumbo | 116,288 boxes (14,536 cases) | 100,342 boxes (12,543 cases) | +15.9% |
| Hanger | 1,102,500 boxes (17,226 cases) | 962,534 boxes (15,040 cases) | +14.5% |
| Fanatics Value Box | 63,200 boxes (1,580 cases) | 100,168 boxes (2,504 cases) | -36.9% |
| Fat Pack | 1,313,064 packs (12,158 cases) | 889,726 packs (8,238 cases) | +47.6% |
| Floor Display | 24,144 boxes (2,012 cases) | 72,404 boxes (6,034 cases) | -66.7% |
| Mega Box | 296,980 boxes (14,849 cases) | 156,098 boxes (7,805 cases) | +90.3% |
| Super Box | 245,184 boxes (20,432 cases) | 557,400 boxes (46,450 cases) | -56.0% |
| Tin | 717,700 tins (19,936 cases) | 300,016 tins | +139.2% |
| Value Box | 1,239,520 boxes (30,988 cases) | 929,394 boxes (23,235 cases) | +33.4% |
Key Takeaways from Format Production
Mega Boxes nearly doubled with a 90.3% increase. Topps is clearly betting on this format as a retail anchor. Tins surged 139.2%, which is not a good sign for tin buyers (more on that below). Super Boxes were cut by 56%, and Fanatics Value Boxes dropped 36.9%.
Hobby and Jumbo both grew in the 15-22% range, consistent with overall product growth. Hangers saw a modest 14.5% bump. Fat Packs jumped 47.6%, making them one of the most widely available retail formats this year.
Hit Frequencies by Format
Hit rates vary dramatically across formats. This table shows what you can expect per box (or per X boxes for retail formats where hits are less frequent).
| Format | Autos | Parallels/Box | Inserts/Box | Numbered Cards | Relics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jumbo | 1 per box | 9.7 | 19.8 | 2.7 per box | 1.3 per box |
| Hobby | 1 per 3 boxes | 3.4 | 10 | 1.4 per box | 0.66 per box |
| Hanger | 1 per 44 boxes | 3.1 | 6 | 1 per 4.8 boxes | 1 per 22.9 boxes |
| Fanatics Box | 1 per 44 boxes | 10 | 10.7 | 1 per 4.1 boxes | 1 per 16.3 boxes |
| Fat Pack | 1 per 96 packs | 0.5 | 2.5 | 1 per 18.2 packs | 1 per 45.2 packs |
| Floor Display | 1 per 5.3 boxes | 5.5 | 26.7 | 1 per 1.4 boxes | 1 per 2.3 boxes |
| Mega Box | 1 per 18.2 boxes | 3.5 | 22.5 | 1 per 1.9 boxes | 1 per 8 boxes |
| Super Box | 1 per 25.2 boxes | 10.9 | 15.4 | 1 per 2.8 boxes | 1 per 12 boxes |
| Tin | 1 per 480 tins | 2.4 | 2.1 | 1 per 32 tins | 1 per 135 tins |
| Value Box | 1 per 129.2 boxes | 3.4 | 8 | 1 per 4.3 boxes | 1 per 54.9 boxes |
Hit Rate Analysis
Hobby autos are roughly what you would expect for Series 1, though noticeably less frequent than 2025 Update. These rates do not include White Packs (formerly Silver Packs), found 1 per Hobby and 2 per Jumbo. Those will add a small number of parallels and possibly an auto or two per case, but exact rates are not listed on the odds sheet.
Jumbo boxes did not get the extra auto bonus like 2025 Update. However, about 30% of Jumbo boxes should include an extra relic beyond the stated 1 per box.
Hangers now have fewer than the typical 2 autos per case we have seen in recent sets. They still hold up well on inserts and parallels, but the auto drought can feel brutal in small quantities.
Fanatics blasters have gone downhill from an auto perspective and can no longer be relied on for consistent value. They technically offer the cheapest cost per parallel, but almost all of that comes from Topps Foil parallels with little else going on.
Avoid tins. One auto per 480 tins. One relic per 135 tins. Production jumped 139% over 2025. Unless you are buying for a young collector who just wants to open packs, there are better options at every price point. Even then, there might be better options.
Value Boxes for Flagship have never been great. This year, Topps is not even trying to make them competitive.
Value Landscape: Cost Per Hit
These calculations use release-day pricing: $100 per Hobby box, $210 per Jumbo box, and MSRP for all retail formats. Here is where your money goes furthest across three key metrics.
Cost Per Card
| Rank | Format | Cost Per Card |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fat Pack | $0.19 |
| 2 | Hanger | $0.25 |
| 3 | Tin | $0.25 |
Cost Per Parallel
| Rank | Format | Cost Per Parallel |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fanatics Box | $3.00 |
| 2 | Super Box | $3.62 |
| 3 | Hanger | $4.92 |
Cost Per Auto
| Rank | Format | Cost Per Auto |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jumbo | $210 |
| 2 | Hobby | $294 |
| 3 | Floor Display | $370 |
| 4 | Hanger | $660 |
Cost Per Numbered Card
| Rank | Format | Cost Per Numbered Card |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanger | $72.30 |
| 2 | Hobby | $72.46 |
| 3 | Jumbo | $78.95 |
Best Formats to Buy in 2026 Series 1
Based on the complete value analysis, here are the recommended formats ranked by overall return.
Jumbo Box ($210)
Best auto value at $210 per auto with a guaranteed auto in every box. Strong parallel count (9.7 per box) and nearly 20 inserts. The slight edge over Hobby for auto chasers. About 30% of boxes should deliver a bonus relic.
Hobby Box ($100)
Solid all-around value with 3.4 parallels, 10 inserts, and 1.4 numbered cards per box. One auto per 3 boxes means you need about $300 to hit an auto, but the supporting cast of hits fills the gap. White Packs (1 per box) add uncounted value.
Hanger Box (Retail MSRP)
The clear retail winner. Hangers sit at or near the top for cost per card ($0.25), cost per numbered card ($72.30), and provide strong insert hits. At 1 auto per 44 boxes, small quantities feel dry. But 7 Hangers roughly equals 1 Hobby box worth of cards, and Hangers are actually a cheaper path to desirable inserts like Golden Mirrors, Heavy Lumber, All Aces, and All Kings.
Parallel Print Runs
These are the estimated print runs for every unnumbered parallel in 2026 Series 1, sorted from rarest to most common. Numbered parallels (/25, /50, /99, etc.) are self-explanatory. The unnumbered ones are where hidden value lives.
| Parallel | Est. Print Run (per player) |
|---|---|
| Golden Mirror Legend Variation | ~22 |
| Golden Mirror Image Variation | ~80 |
| True Photo Variation | ~90 |
| Base Holiday Rabbits | ~130 |
| Aqua Holo Foil | ~240 |
| Pink Diamante | ~300 |
| Base Holiday Eggs | ~340 |
| Aqua Rainbow Foil | ~580 |
| Base Holiday Polka Dots Purple/Blue | ~720 |
| Base Holiday Chicks | ~720 |
| Pink Holo Foil | ~1,070 |
| Sandglitter | ~1,110 |
| Team Color Border Variation | ~1,360 |
| Topps Logo | ~1,445 |
| Silver Crackle | ~2,335 |
| Base Holiday Polka Dots Green/Pink | ~3,590 |
| Diamante | ~6,300 |
| Spring Training | ~7,080 |
| Base Holiday Variations | ~7,180 |
| Holo Foil | ~8,750 |
| Rainbow Foil | ~12,170 |
The Golden Mirror Legend Variation at approximately 22 copies per player is the chase parallel of the set. Golden Mirror Image Variations (~80 each) and True Photo Variations (~90 each) are the next tier of scarcity. Everything above 1,000 copies starts entering "common parallel" territory for a set this size.
Insert Print Runs
Insert print runs vary wildly in 2026 Series 1. Some inserts exist in the hundreds of thousands, while others are rarer than most numbered parallels. Sorted by rarity.
Rare Inserts (Under 1,000 Copies)
| Insert | Checklist Size | Est. Print Run (per card) |
|---|---|---|
| Cover Athlete Cards | 10 | ~70 |
| 1952 Variation | 25 | ~90 |
| All Kings | 15 | ~250 |
| All Aces | 10 | ~260 |
| Home Field Advantage | 20 | ~435 |
| Heavy Lumber | 20 | ~450 |
| Stars of MLB Crackle Foil | 30 | ~480 |
| Titans of the Game Crackle Foil | 20 | ~480 |
| Funko Base Cards | 5 | ~490 |
| 2025 All Topps Team Pink | 12 | ~900 |
| Topps Profiles Pink | 25 | ~900 |
| Big Ticket Players Pink | 26 | ~900 |
| 2025's Greatest Hits Pink | 28 | ~900 |
| First Pitch Pink | 9 | ~910 |
| 1991 Topps Pink | 100 | ~910 |
Mid-Range Inserts (1,000 - 50,000 Copies)
| Insert | Checklist Size | Est. Print Run (per card) |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 Topps Koi Fish | 100 | ~3,000 |
| 1991 Topps Pink Crackle Foil | 100 | ~460 |
| 1991 Topps Crackle Foil | 100 | ~10,400 |
| Oversized Base Cards (Super Box) | 16 | ~15,325 |
| Companion Card | 16 | ~15,325 |
Common Inserts (50,000+ Copies)
| Insert | Checklist Size | Est. Print Run (per card) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025's Greatest Hits | 28 | ~89,360 |
| Big Ticket Players | 26 | ~91,980 |
| 2025 All Topps Team | 12 | ~92,550 |
| First Pitch | 9 | ~92,940 |
| Topps Profiles | 25 | ~95,290 |
| 1991 Topps | 100 | ~114,500 |
| Stars of MLB | 30 | ~473,430 |
| Titans of the Game | 20 | ~499,240 |
Cover Athlete Cards (~70 each) and 1952 Variations (~90 each) are the rarest inserts in the product. All Aces, All Kings, Home Field Advantage, and Heavy Lumber all fall under 500 copies per card, making them legitimate chase inserts despite being unnumbered.
On the other end, Stars of MLB (~473,000 each) and Titans of the Game (~499,000 each) are essentially as common as base cards. Treat them accordingly.
Auto and Relic Print Runs
Unnumbered autos and relics are where the real money hides. Here are the estimated print runs.
Unnumbered Autos
| Auto Set | Checklist Size | Est. Print Run (per card) |
|---|---|---|
| Funko Base Autos | 2 | ~10 |
| Heavy Lumber Auto Relic | 60 | ~25 |
| 75 Years of Topps Die Cut Autos | 77 | ~75 |
| Major League Material Autos | 86 | ~80 |
| Flagship Real One Autos | 48 | ~165 |
| 1991 Topps Autos | 185 | ~460 |
| Baseball Stars Autos | 83 | ~925 |
Scarcity check: Funko Base Autos at ~10 copies per card with only 2 cards in the checklist means roughly 20 total Funko autos exist across the entire print run. Heavy Lumber Auto Relics at ~25 per card across 60 cards means about 1,500 total. These are genuinely scarce pulls.
Unnumbered Relics
| Relic Set | Checklist Size | Est. Print Run (per card) |
|---|---|---|
| Real One Relics | 80 | ~230 |
| City Connect Swatch Relic | 50 | ~420 |
| 1991 Topps Relics | 91 | ~2,150 |
| Major League Material | 87 | ~2,470 |
Real One Relics at ~230 copies per card are the standout relic set. City Connect Swatch Relics at ~420 each offer decent scarcity for team collectors chasing specific City Connect jerseys.
Key Highlights and Surprises
75 Gifts for 75 Years Redemption Program
The big one: Topps is distributing 75 different graded buyback cards as redemptions across all 2026 Flagship products. A 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle has been confirmed among the buybacks. The ceiling on these pulls is massive.
Based on the math, only about 19 of the 75 total redemptions appear allocated to Series 1. You might expect the largest baseball release of the year to contain the bulk of these prizes, but that is not the plan. A majority of the redemptions are being held back for later Flagship releases in 2026.
This means Series 2 and Update could carry extra excitement later in the year, but it also means the odds of pulling a 75 Gifts redemption in Series 1 are quite slim.
White Packs (Formerly Silver Packs)
Found 1 per Hobby box and 2 per Jumbo box, White Packs replace the old Silver Pack format. These add extra parallels and potentially an auto or two per case, but exact odds are not included on the main odds sheet. Consider them a small bonus on top of the stated hit rates.
Little League Packs
Topps produced 1.4 million packs for distribution to Little League players. These follow a similar program from previous years and are separate from retail distribution.
Build Your 2026 Series 1 Collection Smarter
Now that you know exactly how scarce (or common) every card in this set really is, you can make more informed decisions about how you acquire them. Ripping packs is part of the fun, but it is not always the most efficient way to build around the players you care about.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many 2026 Topps Series 1 cards were produced?
508,957,904 total cards across 25 formats. That is a 16.2% increase from 2025 Series 1, which had 437,853,600 total cards. The number does not include factory sets or potential Celebration-style boxes.
What is the best box to buy for 2026 Topps Series 1?
For autos, Jumbo boxes offer the best value at $210 per auto with one guaranteed per box. Hobby boxes are the best all-around option. For retail, Hangers provide the strongest mix of value across parallels, inserts, and numbered cards.
How many base cards per player are in 2026 Series 1?
Approximately 1,281,202 copies per player in the base set. That is up 17.3% from the 1,092,061 per player in 2025 Series 1.
Are 2026 Topps Series 1 tins worth buying?
No. Tins have the worst auto rate in the product at 1 per 480 tins, and relic odds are 1 per 135 tins. Production jumped 139% over 2025. Fat packs, hangers, and almost every other format offer better value.
What are the rarest cards in 2026 Topps Series 1?
Among unnumbered cards: Funko Base Autos (~10 copies per card), Golden Mirror Legend Variations (~22 each), Heavy Lumber Auto Relics (~25 each), Cover Athlete Cards inserts (~70 each), and Golden Mirror Image Variations (~80 each).
Start Building Your 2026 Collection
Now you know exactly what is in the set, what is rare, and what is not worth chasing in packs. Use that knowledge to build your collection efficiently. Browse player lots on PlayerLots to find curated 2026 Series 1 cards at fixed prices, or list your own pulls for other collectors to grab.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many 2026 Topps Series 1 cards were produced?
508,957,904 total cards across 25 formats, a 16.2% increase from 2025 Series 1 (437,853,600). This does not include factory sets or Celebration-style boxes.
What is the best box to buy for 2026 Topps Series 1?
Jumbo boxes offer the best auto value at $210 per auto with one guaranteed per box. Hobby boxes are the best all-around option. For retail, Hangers provide the strongest value across parallels, inserts, and numbered cards.
How many base cards per player are in 2026 Series 1?
Approximately 1,281,202 copies per player, up 17.3% from 1,092,061 in 2025 Series 1.
Are 2026 Topps Series 1 tins worth buying?
No. Tins have the worst auto rate (1 per 480 tins), minimal relic chances (1 per 135), and production jumped 139% over 2025. Almost every other format offers better value.
What are the rarest cards in 2026 Topps Series 1?
Funko Base Autos (~10 copies per card), Golden Mirror Legend Variations (~22 each), Heavy Lumber Auto Relics (~25 each), Cover Athlete Cards (~70 each), and Golden Mirror Image Variations (~80 each) are among the scarcest unnumbered pulls.