Count me out of the rat race

 

 

We're in February now and you know what that means -- the first new cards of the season.

 

I think Topps is still issuing 2025 sets but the first for real-for real 2026 set is scheduled for release a week from Wednesday -- Series 1 of flagship drops on Feb. 11.

 

Every year since connecting with the collecting community on social media I've had to fight the urge to find the first cards of the season as early as possible. When blogs were THE THING it was a race to find those cards and I'd lament never getting the jump on spotting them first. When Twitter was THE THING I'd marvel at how collectors would display the first cards of the season even before the release date. HOW? And I'd try desperately to get to Target or Walmart to find my own. Sometimes it would take 5 or 6 tries to spot the new cards.

 

In more recent years I've paced myself, ignored the "fomo" feeling and calmly collecting the current sets at my own rate. Each year for the last three years there's been a set to collect. In 2023 it was Heritage. In 2024 it was flagship and Heritage. In 2025 it was Heritage.

 

Here we are in 2026 with Feb. 11 rapidly approaching (we just got done with the fastest January ever) and I see no 2026 card chasing in the coming year. I don't plan to try to complete a single set. Heritage will be tempting -- the '77 design you know -- but I think this past year's Heritage experience will scare me off.

 

If anyone doubts me or if I have my own doubts, know that I've been practicing. Let's review the most recent sets to arrive:

 

2025 Topps Holiday (Oct. 22 release): Got a value box as a gift, haven't bought any myself
2025 Topps Update (Nov. 12): Have purchased none except a Dodgers team set

2025 Topps Allen & Ginter (Dec. 3): Have bought none

2025 Topps Archives (Dec. 12): Bought a blaster with a gift card. Underwhelming

2025 Topps Heritage High Numbers (Dec. 17); Have bought nothing

 

I am so ready to ignore 2026 cards.

 

I'm not quitting entirely. You'll still see 2026 card purchases here and there but it will be small sampling (again, we'll see with Heritage). And I will still want some of those 2026 cards in my collection, particularly Dodgers.

 

That's why I appreciate when collectors like Rod of Padrographs send me current cards. I get to see what I've been (intentionally) missing.

 

Here are some of the legends cards in 2025 Allen & Ginter. This is the most 2025 A&G I have seen in person. It's not my favorite design even with the colors changing on each card.

 

 

 A couple of 2025 Archives legends, too. My black border Bo is going away so it's nice to have the base version.

 

 

And Rod very nicely made the 2025 Dodgers the majority of the package. Some base with a couple inserts and parallels mixed in. Good deal.

 

 

 Some shiny current cards of Dodgers utility infielder Hyeseong Kim. Not feeling the 2025 Finest design but that's hit-and-miss every year.

 

 

Rod is into the online-only retro tobacco minis I guess? Here are three Dodgers. T205's are nice-and-colorful.

 

 

And a couple of Allen & Ginter minis for the frankenset binder! Both of these gain entrance into the binder -- not an easy task!

 

 

 Lastly, Rod included a nifty 1974 baseball guide. I'm guessing this is from his military days? The contents feature stats and write-ups on all the teams from that time. It's a lot of fun to see, for example, who was on the White Sox then and what their stats are -- I know there's baseball-reference but I still like the hard-copy book version.

 

 

So that's how it's going to be for the next year. I'll welcome 2026 cards from friends and I'll pick some up whenever the mood strikes. It definitely won't be on Feb. 11 or even in the week that follows. Who knows when it will be, but all I know is that when I do land a couple of packs it will all be new to me and that's what matters.