IN Hobby Glossary

The Collector's Glossary

The world of trading cards can be confusing and complicated, especially for newcomers. Trading cards have been around for over a century, and in that time collectors have developed an elaborate language of terms, concepts, and slang.

To help you on your journey, we put together this glossary covering the most important and widely-used lingo in "The Hobby".

Base Cards
A standard common card which makes up the majority of each card set.
Parallel
A card that is similar in design to a base card, but has a distinguishing quality and is printed in lower numbers. They can have a different colour in the cards, a new pattern, an image variation or are printed on a new material. These cards are often sequentially numbered to show how rare the card is.
Insert Card
These are generally themed sets within the product and not as common as base cards. These may also be numbered and have parallel versions depending on the product
Relic Card
These cards will contain a piece of memorabilia. This could be a piece of material from shirts, boots, gloves, goal net, tyres, ring mats etc. ‘Patch Pieces’ are often the highest tier, as they feature club crests, competition badges, racing team logos, and more. They can be ‘game worn’ which are the most desirable; other types include ‘player worn’ which was worn by the athlete, but not in competition.
Autograph (AKA Auto)
Autograph cards or ‘Autos’ are usually the most sought-after cards. There are generally 2 types of autographed cards: Sticker autos - an authenticated autographed sticker is placed on the card. On-card autos - which are signed by players directly onto the cards.
‘Autograph Relic’ cards
When one or more cards - generally, autographed cards or relics - are combined together to open like a book.
Rookie Card aka (RC)
Rookie cards will carry an ‘RC’ logo somewhere on the card. For Topps, this marks the player’s first season with a trading card. As the player’s first card(s) these can be some of the most desirable for long-term collecting. You may also hear the term ‘True Rookie’ which is the player’s first-ever card produced.
Book Card
These are generally more than one autograph card combined together to open like a book.
Graded Card
There are companies who will grade cards for a fee. These cards are certified after examination, rated, and sent back to you in a case (or ‘slab’) with a rating from 1-10. They will look at the print finish, the edges, card centering and general condition. Perfect cards are a graded 10 and will be the most valuable.
Case Hit
Boxes are shipped from manufacturers in ‘cases’. In some products a special card will be inserted ‘one per case’ which means these are normally very rare
Hobby Box
Most trading cards in the hobby come in branded boxes. Each box will have a specific configuration including ‘packs per box’ and ‘cards per pack’ and a checklist of players. It will also offer information about parallel, insert and autograph insertion rates. There are other types of boxes, each with different contents. You may see ‘blaster box’, ‘retail box’, or ‘On Demand box’. Each will have specific configurations and price points, the main thing is to familiarise yourself with all of the key information on cards within each box.
Checklist
Every product that is released will have a checklist showing all of the cards/players. This can be found within the product listing on Topps.com and in our checklist page.
1st Edition
These boxes are the first to hit the market. Will be printed in relatively low volume and will include some unique cards/variation. Each card will be branded with a 1st Edition logo. (Not every Topps release will have a 1st Edition version.)
Flagship
This is the first widespread release for the year, showcasing the new season design
Chrome
These sets are printed on Topps’ iconic chromium technology. Cards are thicker with a metallic finish. Chrome sets usually contain a rich number of autographs and parallel cards.
Chrome Sapphire
An online only release, printed with gemstone finishes and typically lots of low-numbered, exclusive parallels
Stadium Club
A classic Topps brand with a heavy focus on the sport’s iconic photography. Designs are minimalistic and give collectors a closer look at the athletes.
Dynasty
Premium brand which features one card per box. The premium checklist includes only autographs or autograph patch cards of the sport’s top athletes - past and present
Museum Collection
Premium product that contains a guarantee of autographs and relics in every box. Cards look and feel like they belong in a gallery.
Topps Finest
A classic Topps brand that focuses on the ‘Finest’ collectible subjects across the sport. These cards print on chrome technology. On average, this contains 2 autograph cards per master box.
Merlin
A revival of Topps’ classic sticker brand for added football nostalgia. Look out for heritage designs with today’s top players, printed on Chrome technology.
Bowman
A classic brand that focuses on young prospects. Many of these cards will have a 1st Bowman logo - meaning it is their first Bowman card. Most Bowman cards are “pre-rookie” - this is a common concept in North America and new in Europe.
Topps Now
This is our flagship online brand covering UEFA competitions, Bundesliga, Formula 1, Star Wars and more. Cards follow the biggest moments as they happen and are released quickly after each event. For each release there is a sales window (24 hours – 1 week) and at the end of the window the cards are printed on demand and sent to you. A ‘Print Run’ is then made available so collectors can see how many cards were produced. Sold as single cards, this can be an excellent way to acquire premium cards and start your trading card journey. Look out for exclusive parallel cards with lucky orders.
Living Set
Also printed on demand, Living Set cards are all illustrated. Players only get one card unless they transfer to another team, so there will be some you don’t want to miss for their first outing!
On Demand Sets
These are small, themed collections. They often have all the hallmarks of hobby collections in terms of parallels and autograph cards but at different frequencies, making this an affordable way to start collecting boxed products.
Online hobby sets
These are very similar to traditional hobby boxes, but sold exclusively online. Following the Topps social media channels and signing up to the email newsletter at the bottom of the Topps.com homepage is the best way to find out about upcoming releases. All ‘Print on Demand’ products have to be manufactured after the sales window ends and orders are collated, so it may take a few weeks to get cards to you. But this does mean we are only manufacturing what we need to and shipping direct to customers, so from an environmental point of view this is a very efficient process.