Let’s face it — a huge chunk of the modern sports card hobby revolves around nostalgia. Retired players, century-old designs and brand familiarity all play into the notion. 2004 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites Baseball goes all-in on the concept, delivering an all-retired player checklist and plenty of old designs.
Like Archives today, All-Time Fan Favorites isn’t just about the Hall of Famers. In 29 baseball cities, Alvin Davis is just another in a long line of really good players. But in Seattle, he’s a legend. That’s the sort of thing that this set’s about — honoring the old guard even if they aren’t found atop the career leaders boards in any prestigious categories.
The base set has 150 cards. They recycle old designs but with different photos. It’s like an old friend with a new haircut. Photos should match the general timeframe of when the design was used. Base cards have Refractor parallels, each of which has 299 copies. These fall 1:18 packs.
For most, the big draw of All-Time Fan Favorites Baseball is the autographs. Inserted two per box, the checklist is a big 120 cards. Among them is Sy Berger, the late Topps executive who was a driving force in the evolution of baseball cards and trading cards in general.
Hobby boxes also have a memorabilia card. Basic Relics are inserted 1:26 and have uniform and bat swatches. Best Seat in the House (1:240) has pieces of old stadium seats.
2004 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites Baseball Cards Breakdown
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Base Set: 150 cards
Cards per pack: 8
Packs per box: 24
Boxes per case: 10
Release Date: June 7, 2004
Shop for 2004 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites Baseball boxes on eBay.
Base Set
150 cards.
Refractors
150 cards, 1:19 packs.
Base set parallel. Cards are numbered /299.
Autographs
122 cards, 1:12 packs.
All are signed on-card. Click here for a detailed list of short prints.
Best Seat in House Relics
4 cards, 1:240 packs.
Relics
34 cards, 1:26 packs.
