NEW RELEASES: Topps launches buyback program for Bowman Chrome duplicates; rating Panini Flawless Football, Leaf Signature Baseball

One of the most eagerly awaited products of the year, regardless of sport, was released during the second week of September when 2023 Bowman Chrome Baseball hit hobby shops and online marketplaces.

But immediately after the release, a major error was discovered as Topps acknowledged that duplicate, non-autographed Superfractors had surfaced in Hobby boxes. Topps confirmed that there was one duplicate of 95 non-autographed Superfractors that were included due to a production error.

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Topps addressed the error by offering a buyback program for each of the impacted cards, with prices ranging from $3,000 up to $75,000 for prospect Ethan Salas.

Topps set up a website showing which Superfractor duplicates are still on the market as well as offer prices. The total combined offers for the duplicate cards when the buyback program launched topped $550,000.

By buying back one copy of each Superfractor, Topps will take the duplicates out of circulation, leaving just one Superfractor on the market. The deadline for claiming a buyback offer is March 31.

“Please know that we take these matters seriously,” Topps said in a statement. “We have identified and addressed the issue as well as implemented new procedures in an effort to prevent this from ever happening again.

“We have made and will continue to make significant investments into improving our manufacturing and operational processes. We hold ourselves accountable to the hobby and will continue to work tirelessly in order to improve the experience of collectors.”

Here's a look at the Bowman Chrome set and other new releases to watch out for.

As we all know, Bowman Chrome is an extension of Bowman Baseball with the souped-up and wildly popular chromium factor.

Bowman, once known as the “Home of the Rookie Card,” has now become home of the prospect card, and in turn, home of the 1st Bowman card, which has become the main focal point and standard bearer for prospecting across the sport.

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Hobby boxes offer two autographs and come in at just under $300 per box. Hobby boxes offer five cards per pack with 12 packs per master box (including two minis) and 12 master boxes per case.

In a cool and original take on the 1st Bowman phenomenon, the company produced a 1st Bowman Legends edition for some of the most iconic players in baseball history, including Babe Ruth, Johnny Bench and Roberto Clemente. The parallels and numbered versions are hot sellers online.

As you might imagine, there is a huge list of parallels and refractors, from the more common Shimmer found one in every 12 packs all the way down to the 1/1 Superfractors.

Another aspect of the product that has become widely successful across other Topps products is the photo variation. Bowman Chrome includes a number of photo variations, which will have collectors chasing beautiful, varied images of a player's featured card.

Collectors have flocked to Bowman in the past because of the prospects, and the season is no different as there are 100 names in the Chrome prospect series with the 1st Bowman designation. Again, there is a wide range of parallels and refractors, numbered from 499 down to the 1/1 Superfractors.

For what the product offers in parallel refractors, there are just as many insert sets, including the 2022 AFL All Stars and 2022 AFL MVP Short Prints. Bowman Invicta and Bowman Ascensions features a tough-to-pull collaboration with artist Jeremy Fish.

Brand-new inserts include Bowman Iconic, which pays homage to a player’s earliest Bowman card in an updated, modern version, and Prospect Process, which follows a young player's developing career path.

The coup de gras is clearly the 1st Bowman Autographs. This season is no different as it brings the heavy hitters to the plate with Chrome Prospect Autographs and Chrome Rookie Autographs with a similar line of the aforementioned parallels.

The autograph search is not limited to prospects and rookies as many of the game's brightest stars also offered their signatures for the 2023 set. Some of the more noteworthy autograph sets are Bowman Iconic Autographs, Prime Chrome Signatures and Bowman Invicta Autographs.

Memorabilia cards enter the lineup with more AFL centric relics and the brand-new AFL Jumbo Chrome relics. There are two beautiful jersey auto sets in the form of AFL Relics Autographs, and Chrome Auto Relics feature some of the brightest stars in the game.

One of the big draws this year is Pearl Packs. Found one in every 10 hobby cases, each four-card pack houses one exclusive base Pearl Refractor and three Chrome Prospect Pearl refractor cards.

One of the top high-end football releases of the season also debuted in mid-September. 2022 Panini Flawless Football is about as high end as it gets, demanding more than $5,000 per box.

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Each 10-card box contains six on-card autographs with at least one gemstone card and two relic cards. The only non-on-card autos in the set are nice cut autographs.

Literal gemstones are a focal point of the set, with all copies being numbered to 20 or less. This is a breakdown of base Rubies numbered to 20 down to the base Black Diamond and base Platinum 1/1 copies.

To take it up another elegant notch, the incredibly limited on-card Rookie Gem Signatures features an autograph and a gem, all numbered to 20 or less. Look for last year's rookie studs such as Brock Purdy and Kenny Pickett to command big money.

All of the gorgeous autographs and relics are numbered to no more than 25 copies, including Rookie Patch Autographs and Dual Patch Autographs. A handful of these high-end sets feature veteran stars as well as many wonderful autographs. Don't miss Flawless Champions and Greats, all focusing on NFL legends.

Flawless Frame signatures, numbered to 25 or less, is a brand-new insert set that features veterans and rookies in a memorable freeze frame — an action shot and a beautiful on-card autograph.

Not to be outdone with the opulence, Flawless also offers collectors on-card booklets in Flawless Duals, Quad NFL Shield Autographs, Red, White, and Blue Autographs, Rookie Booklets, Signature Gems, Super Bowl Gems and Veteran Booklets.

Flawless is one of the top high-end products of the year and is always eagerly anticipated by serious collectors.

One of the most desired items in the hobby is the coveted 1/1 card. The ultimate in scarcity, collectors clamor to add these one-of-a-kind masterpieces to their collections.

2023 Leaf Signature Series Baseball, which was released Sept. 13, delivers in an almost unheard of way as every single card in entire set is a 1/1 autograph.

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Sticking with the one theme, each box includes one pack with one card per pack.

The lineup features a wide range of cards, from rookies and young stars to veterans and even retired players.

Like with most things that are too good to be true, there is a catch and the devil comes in the design details. The cards keep the all-important 1/1 designation across the set by simply changing the background colors (think 1980s elementary school picture backdrops) with only one version of each design for each player.

The lineup doesn't only feature single-signed cards as there are also nice dual-signature cards.

Some fun combinations, like Baltimore Orioles great Cal Ripken, Jr. and Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday, are found teamed up. Atlanta Braves aces Greg Maddux and Spencer Strider share a sticker auto card.

Former Bash Brothers Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco even share a card, although they wouldn't share a room in real life. And two of the top all-time strikeout kings share a card, too, with Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson found paired together.

With a price tag around $70, these cards might be worth the gamble.