Step onto a bustling subway, where the rhythmic hum of wheels on tracks accompanies the myriad conversations floating through the air. This is a place of transit and transition, and for most, perhaps a temporary refuge from the kaleidoscope of city life. Yet for Phil Imbriano, a senior designer at Topps, the ever-moving world of the New York City subway turned out to be a catalyst for artistic creation. Here, on an otherwise unremarkable day, tucked away in a shimmering corner of a train car was a red-and-silver badge that would capture Imbriano’s imagination and eventually evolve into the centerpiece of the 2025 Topps Series 1 baseball cards.
“I love drawing inspiration from everyday things,” shares Imbriano, reflecting on this serendipitous discovery. The sleek lines and curves of his fortuitous find were a beacon, urging his creativity to new heights before the day’s journey had even concluded. By the time he reached his office at Topps, photography morphed into preliminary sketches, and those sketches, in turn, became the foundational design for a new series that enthusiasts have eagerly awaited.
As collectors and baseball fans alike peel back the foil of a new card pack, they will find designs featuring two bold lines that brush dynamically up the card’s left side and arch across the top—a nod to the past wrapped up in a contemporary aesthetic. Out of serendipity or perhaps some unintended homage, these lines echo the style of Topps’ 1982 set. Curiously, Imbriano found his compass in the woodgrain aesthetic that defined the 1962 and 1987 collections. Yet, this accidental nod to the ‘82 collection strings a common thread through the fabric of Topps baseball card history, embracing nostalgia while simultaneously refreshing it with bold color matches for each team.
The transformation from a glimmer of inspiration to a tangible design is no leisurely endeavor. The creative process at Topps invites a competitive spirit, calling their designers to the creative mats in an in-house tournament of design. Imbriano’s concept muscled its way to the top, standing victorious amongst a field of 20 other submissions. It’s a Darwinian journey where only the fittest idea survives, enriched by the DNA of past designs that never made it past the drawing board.
These designs go beyond the sketchpad, transitioning into physical realities that Topps’ senior vice president of product, Clay Luraschi, holds dear. “When we’re down to the final five designs, we print them out and simulate opening a pack,” Luraschi notes. This tactile experience is paramount. It ensures the cards don’t just look good on paper (or pixels) but resonate with the very collectors who flip through them with child-like glee. The stakes are high—for matching the legacy set by Sy Berger, who designed the first Topps cards on his kitchen table, is no small feat.
Alas, the new base card is just the opening salvo in a year that promises variety and creative bounty. Beyond the baseline design, the 2025 Topps Series 1 set will play host to sub-series like Future Stars and All-Topps Team, narratives written through visuals like Training Grounds depicting spring training highlights and Call to the Hall scarves accentuating Hall of Fame inductees. For collectors with an ear for melody, look forward to Signature Tunes pairing up players with the tunes that herald their at-bat moments.
For Dodgers aficionados, a special nod comes in the form of base-card variations depicting celebratory moments, notably the ever-popular Freddie Dance—a delightful homage to Freddie Freeman’s lively, hip-swaying celebration. Additionally, this year’s 35th-anniversary edition pays vibrant tribute to the aesthetics of the unabashedly colorful 1990 Topps series.
In the theater of card design, each element commands the viewer’s gaze like a riveting movie poster, each card a small piece of cinematic theater pressed into service in the ongoing tapestry of collectibles. Imbriano approaches his task akin to the director inside a collector’s viewpoint, ensuring each card leaves a lasting, standalone impression.
“Fifty years from now, people should be able to look at a card and instantly recognize the year it’s from,” remarks Luraschi with pride. This aspiration drives Topps, ensuring every card is a historical stitch in the ever-evolving narrative of baseball and a reminder that inspiration can strike from the unlikeliest of places—even amid the roar and chatter of a morning commute.