Inspiration is a mysterious voyager, often finding port in the most unanticipated locales—a lesson Topps senior designer, Phil Imbriano, grasped one ordinary morning amid the humming, bustling, rhythmic chaos of a New York City subway ride. This commuter journey, seemingly mundane and routine, unlocked the conceptual floodgates that would shape the face of the 2025 Topps Series 1 baseball cards.
It all kicked off when Imbriano’s curious eye snagged on a tiny detail during his train ride—a red-and-silver badge nestled inconspicuously in the corner of the car. Its sleek lines, curves, and understated elegance resonated with him. Impulsively, he whipped out his phone, capturing an image. By the time his commute concluded at the Topps offices, an idea had hatched, eager to burst forth. The energetic strokes of imagination turned quick snapshots into sketches, setting the baseline for what would become the gleaming visage of the latest Topps card collection officially launching today.
“I love drawing inspiration from everyday things,” mused Imbriano, his designer spirit always on the hunt for new muses, “It could be anything—a building, a sign, or just something that catches the eye. I take pictures and refer back to them later. Sometimes the mundane sprinkles a touch of magic.”
The new design of the 2025 Topps cards sports twin bold lines audaciously sweeping up the left side and across the top. The design may flirt with familiarity for seasoned collectors, echoing the 1982 Topps set. Yet, these lines deliver a modern zing, slickly color-matched to each team, turning a nostalgic nod into a fresh handshake.
This retro reverberation, however, was unintentional, more serendipitous blossom than purposeful planting. Imbriano initially portrayed inspiration drawn from the woodgrain aesthetic that graced the 1962 and 1987 sets. “The ’82 connection was a happy accident,” he admitted. “But it works—melding vintage flair with contemporary tones.”
Imbriano’s design was chosen through an intense in-house spectacle, a gladiatorial arena of creativity where designers fired their imaginative salvos in pursuit of triumph over 20 other concepts across grueling rounds of critique and selection. Such is the way at Topps; past unsuccessful design elements sometimes pulse anew in future sets—a tiny field graphic marking player’s positions on this year’s cards is such a phoenix.
From a fleeting subway glance to the breathless tangible card, Imbriano wove through ten different iterations to carve the final product.
“So much effort unspools behind-the-scenes,” Imbriano unveiled, “Many don’t realize the labor manifesting before collectors cradle that card.”
Beyond the sparks that forged the cornerstone design, Topps actively engages a meticulous hands-on process to bring these visions into physical form. Senior Vice President of Product, Clay Luraschi, elucidated that reaching the final design involves creating prototypes—tactile proofs of concept that allow designers to simulate the thrill of opening a fresh pack.
“When the countdown narrows to the final five designs, we actually print them out and simulate opening a pack. It’s a competitive ritual and one of our most spirited debates,” Luraschi explained, the fervor of a collector in his eyes. “This 74th edition echoes a legacy, tracing back to Sy Berger’s kitchen-table masterpieces. Its importance is monumental—a serious business, yet profoundly fun.”
But wait, there’s more! Enchantment of the base set extends into a whirl of vibrant subsets that adorn the 2025 collection:
– Future Stars prophesying the legends of tomorrow.
– All-Topps Team assembling the season’s crème de la crème.
– Training Grounds spotlighting Spring Training highlights.
– A ‘Call to the Hall’ tribute to freshly minted Hall of Famers.
– The City Connect Swatch Collection Autographs and Heavy Lumber Autographs, breathing history and rarity.
The playful Signature Tunes links players to their favorite walk-up jams, while First Pitch introduces celebrities who threw soaring first pitches. For the Dodgers aficionados, unexpected delights await with rare card variations commemorating jubilant moments—the Freddie Dance among them, capturing Freddie Freeman’s iconic hip sway as he claims a base.
The year’s tribute to the 35th anniversary of the 1990 Topps set adds splashes of bold color to the nostalgic reservoir. Yet, at the core stands Imbriano’s dynamic, epoch-defining design.
“I approach card design with the same spirit as crafting a sumptuous movie poster,” Imbriano enthused. “Each card stands alone, a jewel in a collector’s crown—a mini poster in their hands.”
This philosophy embodies the heartbeat of Topps’ design carapace, aligning with Luraschi’s vision. “Phil’s design is phenomenal,” he praised. “Decades from now, these cards should instantly evoke their era. This design, its head held high, unquestionably achieves that.”
The interplay of tradition, innovation, and a spark from an unlikely moment blend to write a new chapter in the rich tapestry of Topps baseball cards, while ever-captivating collectors, new and old, in the kaleidoscope of nostalgia and narrative woven into each card.
