9: 1993 Topps Finest Refractor Nolan Ryan

Topps Finest might be the most important set to be released of the 1990’s. Topps was trying to compete with Fleer Flair and Upper Deck SP in the high end baseball card market. This release was unlike anything that had been seen on the market before. The colors were bright and vibrant. They were printed on a high end gloss stock.
The refractors were a parallel set that came one per box. They immediately grew in popularity based on their rarity. While print runs weren’t officially released initially, it is believed that there were only 241 of each refractor made. Much like the last entry, I could have chosen a number of players to be this entry, but Ryan is one of the most consistently high sellers in the secondary market to this day.
This set ended up paving the way for the parallel sets that are so recognizable with today’s baseball product.

Random Nolan Ryan Fact: Over his 27 year career, Ryan averaged 246 strikeouts per season. In 2019, only six pitchers were able to throw for more strikeouts.