Topps Project 70 and Project 2020: Artist Series Print Runs, Prices & Sealed Relevance

Quick facts

Box formats for Topps Project 70

Single Card (Project 2020)

Project 2020 was 400 cards: 20 artists (Blake Jamieson, Ermsy, Gregory Siff, Keith Shore, Sophia Chang, Jacob Rochester, Efdot and others) each reinterpreting the same 20 rookie cards, from the 1952 Mantle and 1954 Aaron to the 2011 Trout and 2018 Ohtani. Cards went on sale at $19.99 each, or $34.99 for the day's pair, with a 48-hour window and print-to-order production. Gold Frame versions were randomly inserted, and a Silver Frame Artist Proof limited to 20 copies was sold separately at $99.99, later rising to $299 as the series took off.

Single Card (Project 70)

Project 70 expanded to 51 artists and a planned 1,020 cards, finishing at 936 after the final release on February 9, 2022. Each artist chose a player and a Topps design from any year 1951-2021. Cards were $19.99 with a 70-hour window. Parallels were sold or seeded alongside: Rainbow Foil numbered to 70, Silver Frame Artist Proofs numbered to 51, and a Gold Frame 1/1. Select cards were also offered signed by the player in Base, Blue /10, Red /5 and Gold 1/1 versions at significantly higher prices.

Unopened Topps Shipment

This is the only thing in either series that a seller can honestly call sealed. Topps shipped each card in a semi-rigid holder inside a Topps-branded mailer, and some buyers, especially those who ordered full artist runs, never opened them. Unopened shipments trade on eBay but they are priced as the cards inside plus a small premium at most; there is no pack randomness and no unknown contents.

Recent years: prices and key rookies

Project 2020 prices were the peak of the boom: several cards ran into the tens of thousands of copies, with the biggest Ohtani and Trout cards approaching six figures in print run and selling for hundreds of dollars raw at the time. Almost all of that has come back down, and most Project 2020 base cards now trade for $10-$40, with the early low-print cards, the Gold Frames and the /20 Artist Proofs holding real value. Project 70 followed the same arc on a smaller scale. The cards that have aged best are the 1/1 Gold Frames, the Rainbow Foils of the elite artists (Alex Pardee, Mikael B, CES, Ermsy, Andrew Thiele), and PSA 10 copies of the lowest-print base cards.

Chase cards, parallels and hit rates

There are no pack odds because there are no packs. In Project 2020 the chase was a Gold Frame version randomly shipped in place of a standard card, plus the fixed /20 Artist Proof. Project 70 made the structure explicit: Rainbow Foil /70, Silver Frame Artist Proof /51, Gold Frame 1/1, and the player-signed versions on select cards. Print runs were public for every card; Project 70 ranged from 474 copies at the bottom to 25,182 at the top, and a card's run is the first thing a buyer checks. The design matters too: reinterpretations of the 1952 Topps Mantle, the 1989 Griffey and the 2011 Trout Update are the most collected subjects across both series.

Is Topps Project 70 worth buying sealed?

Strictly, there is nothing to buy sealed. Both series are complete and every card exists as a known quantity with a published print run, so "sealed" listings are either unopened mailers or lots of cards still in their Topps holders. Paying a sealed premium for those is not justified. What is worth doing is buying the specific cards that have shown staying power: 1/1 Gold Frames, Rainbow Foils and Artist Proofs by the artists whose work has an audience outside cards, and low-print base cards of Ohtani, Trout, Griffey and Mantle. The bulk of the 1,336 combined cards will probably stay near or below the original $19.99, because supply is fixed but so is demand, and the boom-era buyers who drove prices have largely moved on. Treat these as art and player collectibles, not as wax.

How to spot fakes and resealed boxes

Because the high-end cards are one-of-ones and numbered parallels, forgeries focus on the Gold Frame and Rainbow Foil versions. Genuine Project 70 Rainbow Foils have a distinct holographic surface across the entire front and a stamped serial number to 70; Project 2020 Gold Frames use a printed metallic gold border, not a foil sticker. Check the card back for the correct artist bio, edition text and print run where applicable, and compare against the Topps.com archive images. Unopened Topps mailers can be resealed easily, so buy the card, not the packaging. For graded copies, verify the PSA or BGS certification number online before paying a premium.

Where to buy Topps Project 70 sealed

New cards are gone; the market is entirely secondary. Some local shops bought deep during 2020-2021 and still have Project 70 and Project 2020 singles and Rainbow Foils in the case, and the card shop directory is the way to find them. Card shows are where full artist runs and unopened mailer lots surface, usually from collectors who bought every card. On eBay these searches keep results clean:

• Topps Project 70 Rainbow Foil /70
• Topps Project 2020 Gold Frame
• Topps Project 70 Artist Proof /51 sealed

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Topps Project 2020 and Project 70?

Project 2020 (2020) had 20 artists each remaking the same 20 iconic rookie cards for 400 cards total. Project 70 (2021-2022) had 51 artists choosing any player and any Topps design from 1951-2021, finishing at 936 cards.

How were Topps Project 70 cards sold?

Each card was sold on Topps.com for $19.99 during a 70-hour window and printed to the quantity ordered. Rainbow Foil /70, Artist Proof /51 and Gold Frame 1/1 parallels were sold or seeded alongside.

What are Topps Project 70 print runs?

Print runs ranged from 474 copies for the least ordered cards to 25,182 for the most popular. Project 2020 runs were larger, with the biggest Ohtani and Trout cards running into the tens of thousands.

Is Topps Project 70 still being made?

No. The final Project 70 card was released on February 9, 2022, and Project 2020 ended in 2020. Both series are complete and only trade on the secondary market.

Are Project 70 cards worth anything in 2026?

Most base cards trade for $8-$30, below the original price. Gold Frame 1/1s, Rainbow Foils and Artist Proofs by the top artists, and low-print cards of Ohtani, Trout, Griffey and Mantle hold real value.

Are Topps Project 70 cards licensed by MLB?

Yes. Both Project 2020 and Project 70 were produced under the full MLB and MLBPA licenses, so team logos and uniforms appear in the artwork.

Related sets

• Topps Living Set
• Topps Now
• Topps Archives
• Topps Gallery
• Topps Chrome