As expected, Topps has confirmed that the dark back cards #426-#500 are considered Short Prints found on average of 1 in 3 packs. The list is:
426 Scott Rolen
427 Ben Francisco
428 Jermaine Dye
429 Dustin Pedroia/Ichiro
430 Kevin Slowey
431 Jason Bartlett
432 Glen Perkins
433 Carlos Gomez
434 Jon Garland
435 Joe Crede
436 Billy Butler
437 Zach Duke
438 Chris Coste
439 Daisuke Matsuzaka
440 Elijah Dukes
441 Fausto Carmona
442 Joe Mauer
443 Marcus Thames
444 Mike Fontenot
445 John Smoltz
446 Pedro Martinez
447 Adrian Beltre
448 Kevin Millar
449 Nick Swisher
450 Justin Morneau
451 Shane Victorino
452 Placido Polanco
453 Ryan Dempster
454 Frank Thomas
455 Baltimore Orioles Coaches
456 Boston Red Sox Coaches
457 Chicago Cubs Coaches
458 Chicago White Sox Coaches
459 Cincinnati Reds Coaches
460 Cleveland Indians Coaches
461 Detroit Tigers Coaches
462 Tampa Bay Rays Coaches
463 Los Angeles Dodgers Coaches
464 Atlanta Braves Coaches
465 New York Yankees Coaches
466 Philadelphia Phillies Coaches
467 Pittsburgh Pirates Coaches
468 St. Louis Cardinals Coaches
469 New York Mets Coaches
470 Washington Nationals Coaches
471 Brad Ausmus
472 Melvin Mora
473 Austin Kearns
474 Josh Willingham
475 Derek Lowe
476 Nick Punto
477 A.J. Pierzynski
478 Troy Tulowitzki
479 CC Sabathia
480 Jorge Posada
481 Kevin Youkilis
482 Lance Berkman
483 Dustin Pedroia
484 Chase Utley
485 Alex Rodriguez
486 Chipper Jones
487 Derek Jeter
488 Hanley Ramirez
489 Josh Hamilton
490 Ryan Braun
491 Manny Ramirez
492 Kosuke Fukudome
493 Ichiro
494 Matt Holliday
495 Joe Mauer
496 Geovany Soto
497 Roy Halladay
498 Ben Sheets
499 Cliff Lee
500 Billy Wagner

I’ve just seen the first error/variation card from the new 2009 Topps Heritage baseball set on eBay. It seems Topps issued the #70 Tom Glavine card with his name spelled as “Thom” instead of Tom. This is reminiscent of the original 1960 Topps #70 Lew Burdette card that had his name misspelled as “Lou Burdette”, although the 1960 card was never corrected.

I haven’t opened any yet, but cards are showing on on eBay already! Will there be any surprises for us in Heritage this year? I will probably hold out for retail Heritage, of which I hear there will be the regular 8-box 24-pack cases, but also “Jumbo Packs” that contain 14 cards (20 packs per box, 6 boxes per case), but supposedly, 2009 Topps Heritage production was cut by up to 40% from last year, making for a scarcer product.

I’ll be updating the CHECKLIST HERE as I am able.

The first packs I’ve seen opened were by Kevin at http://heritageking.blogspot.com. Rightfully so, as he is one the most dedicated Topps Heritage collectors around. Check out his blog to see some cool scans.

This is the first I’ve purchased of any 2008 Topps Heritage High Numbers. I bought the box online, too. I haven’t seen any at Wal-Mart or Target, but I haven’t looked much. Only 8 packs, but still fun.

Pack One:

• #633 Joel Hanrahan
• #682 Zach Miner
• #567 Denard Span
• #654 Brett Gardner
• #623 Eric Hinske
• C248 CHROME Rod Barajas
• Topps #UH319 Ruben Gotay
• Topps #UH302 Brandon Moss

Pack Two:

• #556 Colorado Rockies
• #611 Max Ramirez
• #528 Darrell Rasner
• #609 Troy Percival
• #598 Brian Anderson
• RP5 Kosuke Fukudome
• Topps #UH171 Brian Bixler
• Topps #UH188 Ray Durham

Pack Three:

• #707 Wilson Betemit SP
• #559 Luis Mendoza
• #629 Dennis Sarfate
• #572 Bobby Jenks
• #681 John Bowker
• #673 Willy Aybar
• Topps #UH324 KEN GRIFFEY JR. (White Sox)
• Topps #UH3 Freddie Bynum

Pack Four:

• #562 Jed Lowrie
• #667 Chris Dickerson
• #627 Kansas City Royals
• #522 Jason Kubel
• #591 Rod Barajas
• TN3 Larry Sherry & Mike Lowell
• Topps #UH248 Doug Mientkiewicz
• Topps #UF228 Joe Blanton

Pack Five:

• #581 Gabe Kapler
• #542 Ramon Castro
• #683 Jorge Cantu
• #635 Maicer Izturis
• #668 Kevin Mench
• FB4 Ken Griffey Jr. Flashback
• Topps #UH165 Burke Badenhop
• Topps #UH116 Odalis Perez

Pack Six:

• #556 Colorado Rockies
• #611 Max Ramirez
• #657 Jody Gerut
• #644 Andy Sonnanstine
• #534 Jesse Litsch
• #504 Todd Wellemeyer
• Topps #UH102 Matt Murton
• Topps #UH158 Chad Durbin

Pack Seven:

• #672 Taylor Teagarden BLACK BACK
• #525 Matt Harrison
• #517 Brian Burres
• #652 Glen Perkins
• #554 Vicente Padilla
• #503 Johnny Cueto
• Topps #UH200 Luke Scott
• Topps #UH177 Emmanuel Burriss

Come on now, make an auto magically appear in the last pack!

Pack Eight:

• #712 Jack Hannahan SP
• #585 Andy Marte
• #507 Skip Schumaker
• #535 Curtis Granderson
• #536 A.J. Pierzynski
• Topps #UH257 Casey Blake
• Topps #UH135 Jose Arredondo

Oh well, no autographs. The Griffey Jr. White Sox card is cool, it’s the first card I have of him in a White Sox uniform.

The 2009 Topps Heritage set will be designed the same as the 1960 Topps baseball set. Wax Heaven was the first with photographs, and Beckett provided more details today:
HIGHLIGHTS
– 500 stars of today and yesterday on the classic 1960 Topps Baseball design
– On-Card Autographs and Relics from 1960 legends and today’s stars
– One Autograph or Relic card per box
– Gum in every pack

DESCRIPTION  SRP:  $3 per pack
Insertion rates are based on estimated production levels, which may vary from the actual insertion rates to be published on product packaging.

BASE CARDS (500)
– 425 Rookies, veterans, legends
– 75 Short-prints (1:3 Packs)

CHROME PARALLELS
– Black-Bordered /50
– Refractor /560
– Chrome /1,960

INSERTS
– New Age Performers
– Then and Now
– Baseball Flashbacks
– News Flashbacks

AUTOGRAPHS
– Real One
– Real One Special Edition (Red Ink) /60
– Real One Dual Autographs /25
– Flashbacks /25
– 1960 Cut Signatures 1/1

AUTOGRAPHED RELICS
– Flashback Stadium Relics /25
– Clubhouse Collection Relics /25
– NEW! Clubhouse Collection Dual /10

RELICS
– Clubhouse Collection
– Clubhouse Collection Dual  /60
– Flashbacks
– Dual Flashbacks /10

HOBBY BOX LOADERS
– Advertising Panels one per box
– 1960 Topps Originals 1:2 boxes

2008 Topps Heritage High Numbers are live, and it seems to be a popular product so far. I haven’t purchased any for myself yet, but I plan to. Here is a link to the main page about the 2008 High Numbers, along with a list of Short Prints and Clubhouse Collection Relics.

Credit to T.S. O’Connell for being the inventor of “insert packs”.

I think it sounds like a great idea! He mentions on his blog that he imagines it in a case of 2010 Topps Heritage finding an unopened 1975 Topps Mini wax pack. In his own words:

 Imagine you are systematically working your way through a brand-new box of 2010 Topps Heritage Baseball (I picked Heritage because that’s a product I can actually imagine myself opening), and just as you get to the bottom of the box, there’s a pack of a different color, so to speak.

   There, surrounded by the last two packs of 2010 Heritage, is a pack that looks nothing like the others, and has a vintage look and feel and bright red-and-yellow graphic design, but for some reason it’s somewhat smaller than the other packs. That’s because it is a pristine wax pack of 1975 Topps Baseball Minis!

I doubt Topps would issue 1975 packs in the 2010 Heritage product, due to the fact that 2010 Topps Heritage is supposed to be styled like the original 1961 Topps set, but ”insert packs” are still a neat idea.

Also, Topps would need to have the packs authenticated and verified that they were unsearched. I can imagine the backlash if someone opened a pack and found evidence of tampering.