Every collector has at least a moment of excitement when a new product is released. The allure of something new and shiny, especially when it includes players that haven't been in products yet, is nearly impossible to ignore. With 2026 Topps Chrome Black, that allure has manifested in very high demand, but at the cost of the appearance of a familiar market phenomenon: release day prices.
We have all seen them. A product has only been out for a couple of hours (or sometimes even before the official release), and cards start popping on eBay for insane prices. Most of the time, they are just good for a laugh, but there are times when people actually pay those exorbitant prices, and it is brutal to watch.
Some collectors lost their minds with 2026 Topps Chrome Black and became members of the Hall of Shame
Look, we aren't telling people how to spend their money here. If you are well off enough to spend hundreds of dollars on a card that might be worth $50 in a month or so, go forth and be free. Most of us have taken advantage of bizarre markets in the past, and there is no shame in that. However, release days can be particularly egregious when it comes to pricing, and those who pay those prices deserve a place in the Hall of Shame.
Sal Stewart - Blue Parallel Auto - $549
Look, we love Sal Stewart as much as anyone, and he could very well end up winning Rookie of the Year. However, this blue parallel auto sale feels pretty high and hype-driven for a card that is numbered to 150. It wouldn't be shocking to see this card settle in the $400 range if Stewart is good (or higher if he turns into prime Mike Trout or something), but that would mean this is a pretty significant overpay with a ton of risk.
Cam Schlittler - Base Auto - $325
Okay, have we not learned anything, Yankees fans? We get it, you guys love your prospects, and Cam Schlitter has been legitimately awesome. No arguments there. However, if you are paying over $300 for a base auto of any pitcher that isn't a mortal lock to get into the Hall of Fame (or Paul Skenes, who is headed in that direction), you are asking for trouble. Pitchers are the riskiest bets in baseball, and as good as Schlittler has been, it is hard to see this looking like a smart purchase in the coming months, even if he is good.
Shohei Ohtani Base Card - $90
We need to stop normalizing paying some of these prices for Ohtani cards. If there are MVP buyback considerations or it is a rookie card, sure. We get it. There has not been a player like him in baseball history, and people want to get in on the ground floor. However, paying $90 for a base card of him in 2026 is obscene. The crazy part? This is not the only one of these sales. In fact, there are a lot of sales in this range, and that feels very optimistic long-term.
Paul Skenes - Blue nonauto parallel - $100
Again, the right player for the wrong price. $100 for a non-auto, non-rookie parallel numbered to 150 is pretty suspect. You need proof? The /49 of one of his ROOKIE Topps Now cards just went for 25% less, blue parallels of Skenes from this year's Series 1 are going for $25-30 max, and you can buy a raw copy of his rookie image variation from Topps Heritage for the same price. Just stop...or wait a month and pay a lot less.
Nick Kurtz - Purple Auto - $285
Now, if this was 2025 and this was a rookie auto, that would be very defensible. In fact, you can go out and buy Nick Kurtz rookie autos numbered to less than the /250 printed here for the same, if not less money. The problem, of course, is that this isn't a rookie auto and Kurtz's marketability is going to be limited as long as the A's are without a real home. Just wait a couple weeks and enjoy the discount instead of paying what this poor soul did.
Mike Trout - Depth of Darkness - $400
The Depth of Darkness SSP inserts from Topps Chrome Black have become a collector favorite, and at first glance, getting one that features a future Hall of Famer like Mike Trout for $400 isn't that egregious. The problem? His Depth of Darkness red refractor (numbered to just five) from 2025 Topps Chrome Black sold for half of that TWO DAYS BEFORE this sale. We know that the SSP insert craze is wild right now, but this is a valuable lesson to not shop online for singles as soon as a product comes out.
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