2014 Topps High Tek Baseball Cards

Product Review

2014 Topps High Tek Baseball Product Review

Reviewed by Ryan Cracknell

Good: Unlike anything in today’s hobby, stronger autograph checklist than similar recent sets, it’s fun.

Bad: Not enough patterns, splitting patterns between AL and NL confusing, short prints not necessary.

The Bottom Line: 2014 Topps High Tek Baseball is a polarizing product. Some look at the wild mix of acetate and foil and cringe. Others are taken back to one of the most challenging sets of all-time. Some seem to want to love it but are taken aback by the changes. Although not perfect, I like it. This is a set that doesn’t have anything else like it. It’s unique and, therefore, stands out. This is a hobby that needs more of this sort of thing (originality and distinctness, not brands like Tek).

Card Design: 4.2/5.0

Design is often a subjective thing. I’ve got a soft spot for acetate trading cards. It should come as little surprise then that I dig Tek both past and present. 2014 Topps High Tek baseball is one of the wildest looking releases in a long time. And while that won’t be for everyone, it is for me.

And as wild as the mix of acetate and foil is, it’s also very intricate. Each of the base patterns has a lot going on and that takes details. For the most part, the patterns are all distinct from one another giving the product a little more personality.

Autographs keep the designs of the main set and its various components. This takes away from the excitement, but they still look nice. The fact that all are signed on-card are a huge plus.

Checklist: 4.0/5.0

The 100-card base set keeps the player selection tight, especially with a large percentage of retired stars. While not all are home runs, there’s a nice mix as far as teams and generations go.

This carries over well to the autographs. Yes, there are some secondary market duds like Andrew Heaney and Eddie Butler, overall, it’s stronger than a lot of this year’s high-end products that come with loftier price tags.

The one thing I could really do without is the tiered pattern distribution. High Tek is confusing to begin with. Making some patterns significantly rarer than the base versions just makes it that much trickier, especially when they’re not announced. It would have also been helpful and less confusing if the patterns were labeled as part of the numbering like they were in early Tek sets.

Value: 3.7/5.0

Initially, I was skeptical about the small box configuration. When it came out originally, Tek was about the player chase. That was hard enough that tough inserts and autographs weren’t required. By switching to a single pack for $50+, High Tek is all of a sudden a lot riskier of a proposition. But with the strength of the checklist and autographs, it’s a lot better than a lot of other products in recent months.

The Fun Factor: 4.0/5.0

What stuck with me the most with 2014 Topps High Tek was the fact that is was a fun break. The configuration isn’t my favorite and there are definitely some changes that I think could make it stronger, but the distinctness trumps that.

While I’m not usually a fan of variations, Tek is an exception. They serve a purpose beyond a basic chase. The pattern variations are the reason why Tek exists. And with that, I was left wanting more. Outside of parallels, which only exist for the main pattern, players have “just” six patterns. This is a far cry from the 90 cards per player in 1998. I wouldn’t want 90 cards today, especially with the small box configuration, but six is not enough either. I’d rather see more patterns and see the progressively rarer tiers scrapped.

I think the brand would benefit from a second type of box that focuses on the pack experience rather than the autographs. Include anywhere from a dozen to 24 packs. The guaranteed-autograph single-pack box could stay for those interested in dabbling more than chasing, but this is the type of product that a lot of player collectors would love as a project, at least that what history shows for the brand.

High Tek isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s more confusing than it needs to be, but once I figured out what was going on (I think), I was able to look back and enjoy it for what it is.

Please note the box used for this review was provided by Topps.

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2014 Topps High Tek Clouds Defractor Autograph /25 Joey Votto REDS Auto

$60.00

2014 Topps High Tek Baseball Autograph #HT-EBU Eddie Butler AUTO

$15.00

2014 Topps High Tek Autograph Disco Diffractor #HT-AG Adrian Gonzalez 43/50 AUTO

$22.50

2014 Topps High Tek Baseball Autograph #HT-CO Chris Owings AUTO

$15.00

2014 Topps High Tek Auto Terry Pendleton #HT-TP Auto

$23.25

2014 Topps High Tek Auto David Wright #HT-DW Auto

$38.20

2014 Topps High Tek Auto Oscar Taveras #HT-OT Rookie Auto RC

$12.04

2014 Topps High Tek Auto Christian Yelich #HT-CY Auto

$17.79

2014 Topps High Tek Baseball Autograph #HT-SM Shelby Miller AUTO

$18.00

2014 Topps High Tek Chris Sale Autograph 🔥

$30.00

2014 Topps High Tek Auto Clouds Diffractor /25 Andres Galarraga #HT-AGA Auto

$29.28

2014 Topps High Tek Yoenis Cespedes A's #HT-YC *Noles2148* Autograph Auto

$29.95

2014 Topps High Tek Autograph Disco Diffractor #HT-SM Shelby Miller 25/50 AUTO

$22.50

2015 Topps High Tek Pattern #1 GOLD SSP Rainbow #d /50 Michael Taylor, AUTO RC

$19.99

2014 TOPPS HIGH TEK DISCO DIFFRACTOR REFRACTOR NICK CASTELLANOS AUTO RC /50

$99.99

2014 Topps High Tek Adrian Gonzalez Auto

$30.00

2014 Topps High Tek Auto Ron Gant #HT-RG Auto

$13.19

2014 Topps High Tek Auto Yordano Ventura #HT-YV Rookie Auto RC

$17.49

NICK CASTELLANOS 2014 Topps High Tek Auto Rookie Card RC Logo PSA 10 POP 1🔥🔥$$

$1,499.99

George Springer 2014 Topps High Tek Astros Rookie Auto #HT-GS 22267

$29.99