Completed insert set – 2003 Topps Blue Backs

3 01 2024

This is only my second completed insert set from 2003 – though there’s another one coming up next!

Info about the set:

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Set description: Topps didn’t reprint old cards in the flagship set for 2003. Instead, they piggy-backed off of the Heritage theme that had gotten skipped when they started with 1952 Topps (in 2001 Heritage). Paying homage to the 1951 Red Back & Blue Back sets, Topps issued Blue Back cards in series 1 and Red Back cards in series 2. The cards are standard size – unlike the 1951 Playing card size set. They also deviated from the OG by only making 40 cards in each series (the originals had 52).

Set composition: 40 cards, 1:12 series 1

Hall of Famers: 13. Jeter, Guerrero, Griffey Jr., Piazza, Chipper, Ivan Rodriguez, Bagwell, Thome, Pedro, Randy Johnson, Larry Walker, Maddux, Rolen

How I put the set together:

6 cards (3 each) from the s1 hobby and HTA boxes I opened
3 cards from the National Sports Card Convention (2 in 2013, 1 in 2015)
2 cards from trades
15 cards from Sportlots
8 cards from Beckett’s Marketplace
6 cards from COMC

Thoughts on the set: Pretty cool set at the time, sucks they printed it on the same cardstock and not Heritage card stock. Also sucks they made it a different card size than the original. Also sucks they didn’t make the easy jump to make it a 52-card set. And finally – sucks they didn’t number it!

Card that completed my set: Derek Jeter

I got this one on COMC on Black Friday, which showed up at just at the end of last year. Their shipping times are coming back down!

Best card (my opinion): Todd Helton

The flipped up sunglasses for Helton was the coolest photo in my opinion.

My Favorite Reds card: Adam Dunn

This was a fun time to be a Reds fan. Griffey was still there and we hoped for some prime production for him, Sean Casey was the mayor, and Adam Dunn and Austin Kearns were young up-and-comers! Griffey and Kearns also had cards in this set.

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These cards have no number on the back – but there is an order that both Beckett and Baseballcardpedia follow. For tracking purposes while I was trying to finish this set – I used theirs.

I will say – I hate when cards aren’t numbered. It’s like Topps is saying “we don’t think of this as a set you should try to complete”. And the original ones had card numbers on the front – so it doesn’t even go with the history of their company they’re trying to pay homage to!

Soap box rant over. Here’s a scan of the set.