One of the products I look forward to every year is Topps Finest Baseball. The chrome finish, on-card autographs and strong rookie checklist make it one of the most appealing modern baseball releases, but it also comes with a price tag that forces collectors to think carefully before opening a box.
As a collector in Europe, my costs are considerably higher than those in the United States. Once shipping, customs duties and import taxes are added, a single 2026 Topps Finest Hobby Box costs me roughly $470. At that price, pulling attractive cards is no longer enough. You need cards that have a realistic chance of holding or increasing their value after grading.
I also recorded the entire box break for my YouTube channel. If you’d like to watch every pack being opened and see my live reactions to the biggest hits, you’ll find the full video embedded in this article.
A Chase DeLauter On-Card Autograph Was The Headliner
The biggest card in the box was undoubtedly a Chase DeLauter Rookie On-Card Autograph, numbered 171/199.
I genuinely like this card. DeLauter continues to be viewed as one of Cleveland’s most interesting position-player prospects, and Topps Finest on-card autographs are usually much more desirable than sticker autos. Collectors tend to place a premium on signatures that are signed directly on the card, and I completely understand why. They simply look better.
Whether this card becomes a long-term winner obviously depends on DeLauter’s development, but as far as box hits go, I certainly can’t complain.
Samuel Basallo Continues To Show Up In Premium Products
Another card I was pleased to pull was a Samuel Basallo Pink Refractor Rookie, numbered 247/250.
I always enjoy seeing Basallo in premium products because I still believe he has one of the highest ceilings among Baltimore’s young hitters. The numbering is also interesting. This copy is one of the final cards produced in the print run, which doesn’t change the value dramatically, but it is a detail many collectors enjoy.
Baltimore has developed an impressive pipeline of young talent in recent years, and Basallo remains one of the names many prospect collectors continue to follow closely.
Carson Benge Adds More Prospect Depth
The third notable card was a Carson Benge Green Refractor, numbered to 199.
Cards like this probably won’t justify the cost of a hobby box on their own, but they do add depth to the overall break. Prospect collecting has always been about patience, and it only takes one strong major league career for an overlooked card to become much more interesting a few years later.
PSA Will Probably Decide Whether The Box Was A Success
My plan is to submit these cards to PSA, particularly the Chase DeLauter autograph. A PSA 10 can significantly change the value of premium modern cards, especially numbered on-card autographs. The raw card is only part of the equation. Condition, centering, surface quality and the final grade all influence the eventual resale value.
That is one reason I still enjoy products like Topps Finest despite the high entry price. Sometimes the grading result becomes just as important as the original pull.
Will this particular box return my investment? It is far too early to answer that question. But it certainly produced enough quality to make the upcoming PSA submission interesting, and that is often exactly what collectors hope for when opening a premium hobby product.