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2014 Topps High Tek Patterns and Variations Spotter

2014 Topps High Tek Patterns and Variations Spotter

If you weren't collecting in the late-1990s, 2014 Topps High Tek Baseball might be tricky to wrap your head around. Even if you were collecting back when Topps Tek made its first run, you might have a hard time figuring it out. That's part of the point. Before you even get into the parallels, every player has six different versions of their base card. Each has a different background. But what are the 2014 Topps High Tek patterns and variations?

While each player has only six variations, there are 12 total. American League players have six and National Leaguers have six more.

Past sets not only had the traditional card number but a pattern number as well. This gave player and set collectors an easy point of reference to build their lists and know what gaps need filling in. 2014 Topps High Tek doesn't have those pattern numbers. It takes more of a variation approach where you need to know what to look for.

Further complicating matters is the fact that patterns aren't available in equal quantities. The Wave and Spiral Brick patterns are extremely common. These are the base versions. American League players have Wave patterns and National League players have the Spiral Brick.

We've confirmed with Topps that the hypothetical Pattern 1, Wave, is more common than Pattern 2, which is more common than Pattern 3. It keeps going like this until you reach the final pattern.

2014 Topps High Tek Baseball Patterns and Variations Visual Guide

The following is a list of patterns for 2014 Topps High Tek Baseball. The first column is American League players while the second is for the NL. Cards are arranged from perceived rarity with the most common at the top to what's believed to be the rarest at the bottom.

American League

Wave - most common

2014 Topps High Tek Patterns and Variations Spotter 1

Spirals

2014 Topps High Tek Patterns and Variations Spotter 2

Laser Ice

2014 Topps High Tek Patterns and Variations Spotter 3

Cracked Ice

2014 Topps High Tek Patterns and Variations Spotter 4

Circuit Board

2014 Topps High Tek Patterns and Variations Spotter 5

Stripes

2014 Topps High Tek Patterns and Variations Spotter 6

National League

Spiral Brick - NL base, most common

2014 Topps High Tek Patterns and Variations Spotter 7

Grid

2014 Topps High Tek Patterns and Variations Spotter 8

Shatter

2014 Topps High Tek Patterns and Variations Spotter 9

Pipes

2014 Topps High Tek Patterns and Variations Spotter 10

Zig Zag

2014 Topps High Tek Patterns and Variations Spotter 11

Shatter Stripe

2014 Topps High Tek Patterns and Variations Spotter 12

(HT to eBay seller brianped for helping confirm the AL/NL distribution and rarity.)

2014 Topps High Tek Patterns and Variations Spotter 13Making purchases through affiliate links can earn the site a commission
Ryan is a former member of The Cardboard Connection Writing Staff.   His collecting origins began with winter bike rides to the corner store, tossing a couple of quarters onto the counter and peddling home with a couple packs of O-Pee-Chee hockey in his pocket. Today, he continues to build sets, go after inserts with cool technologies, chase Montreal Expos and finish off his John Jaha master collection.

User Comments

john
john

This is what I have and currently seen for Pudge Rodriguez

Wave and wave auto
Spiral
Lazer Ice
Circuit Board
Stripes
Low Tek and Low Tek auto
Gold #99
Cracked Ice #75
Disco Disfaction #50 and Auto
Clouds Disfaction #25 and Auto
Black and White #15
Red Storm #10 and Auto
Blue Dots #5 and Auto
Charcoal Galactic Auto #1
4 Proofs #1

Comes to a total of 25 for Pudge.

Don’t know if that helps or not.

Jamie
Jamie

Ryan >> There appears to be double the number of Cracked Ice parallels as there are Circuit Board listed on eBay. I also pulled double the amount of Cracked Ice in my 10 case break. Is there a chance that Circuit Board should be aligned with Zig Zag rather than Pipes? (Pipes were also double the circuit board in my break). Seems that maybe Cracked Ice and Pipes are the third rarest, with Circuit and Zig Zag being second rarest. Any thoughts?

Ryan Cracknell
Ryan Cracknell

Jamie » It’s possible. Nothing has been confirmed and we were going with what was provided to us from a few breakers and our observations early on.

Jason
Jason

Thanks for the clarification!

Jason
Jason

Does each pattern variation also have all the parallel version of it? If thats the case then even with only six patterns per player there are 8 different parallels, so wouldn’t that be 48 cards per player if you are trying to have EVERY possible card?

Ryan Cracknell
Ryan Cracknell

Jason » Parallels are only for the easiest patterns.

Brian P
Brian P

Only 6 versions of each player. NL and AL each have 6 unique patterns.

Brian M
Brian M

So this means each player actually only has 11 patterns, not 12?

10 shared patterns & 2 uniques depending on AL/NL?

Ryan Cracknell
Ryan Cracknell

Brian M » Still trying to figure that out (we’re piecing this together as little has been confirmed from Topps outside of sell sheet). The sell sheet did say 12 versions for each player, so likely one more pattern out there (that’s likely an SP). We should have it cleared up pretty quick, though.

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