Welcome to Ripped — where we tear into the hobby’s biggest new releases and show you what’s actually inside.
We caved so you don’t have to.
We said singles only in our Wax Watch of 2025-26 Topps Chrome Basketball… then immediately ignored our own advice. We ended up copping a couple Mega Boxes and hangers from Target.
The most surprising part wasn’t what we pulled. It’s how much product was still sitting on the shelf! Either this product has a massive print run, or Topps simply priced collectors out.
Our initial advice was simple. Wait to buy the players you want once the hype cools.
Let’s see if that holds true.
Base
Having just ripped into some of 2025 Chrome Update Baseball, we were nervous about what the quality of the base cards would be in this set. But it looks like Topps sent Basketball to the good printers this year.
The cards are clean, shiny, and centered with minimal defects. They feel premium — which they’d better, considering the price point.
We love the design as much as we did with flagship and still think it was much better utilized in Topps Basketball than it was in Baseball this year.
This checklist is solid. Cooper Flagg is getting better with each game and VJ Edgecombe has real “face of the franchise” potential. Kon Knueppel has also been using the winter months to enter the Rookie of the Year chat.
Verdict: A — Premium feel, strong QC, and a rookie class that’s actually holding up.
Inserts
Inserts are a mixed bag.
There are some really fun designs like with “Instinct” or “Go Time”. But some inserts just look bland or washed out. “Ball of Duty” should pop more than it does. The gunmetal grey and rough feel don’t wow us. It’ll be a collectible set to some. Just not to us.
From our rip, it seems like “Go Time” and “Ball of Duty” are some of the more common inserts you can pull from retail.
Verdict: B- — When they hit, they hit. But some of the commons are merely “meh”.
Parallels
The parallels look great. The color we pulled was nice and deep and all the refractor varieties really stand out. We really like the look of the Pulsars and X-Fractors.
QC wasn’t an issue here, either.
Verdict: A+ — Deep color, clean finishes, and a real chase feel.
Hit Consistency
Product odds tell one story. Actual box distribution tells another.
Our Rip: 2x Hanger Boxes & 2x Mega Boxes
Hanger Box 1
1x Numbered Pulsar • 2x Pulsars • 2x Inserts
Hanger Box 2
1x Pulsar • 1x Refractor • 2x Inserts
Mega Box 1
10x X-Fractors • 2x RayWaves • 2x Refractors • 1x Prism Refractor • 3x Inserts
Mega Box 2
10x X-Fractors • 2x RayWaves • 2x Refractors • 1x Prism Refractor • 3x Inserts
We got the same spread of parallels and inserts in each of our Mega Boxes, but there was some variance in what we pulled from our two hangers.
It feels like numbered parallels are supposed to be more of a “bonus hit” and not factored into what you can expect from your typical box.
⚠️ WARNING
Topps has come out to say that the large “Chase Exclusive Blue X-Fractors” printed in the middle of every Mega Box was a printing error in the design. Blue X-Fractors don’t exist.
There’s been a lot of uproar on twitter about how this could be false advertising. Regardless, collectors should know this before dropping $85+ on a Mega Box.
Final Thoughts
There’s no denying it. The cards look great, QC was on point, and we do like this rookie class.
But ripping should be fun, and at this price point, it’s hard to relax. With $85 on the line every time you crack a Mega Box, the odds just don’t inspire confidence.
If you’re really itching to rip, do your best to find Hanger Boxes out in the wild. We think those offer the best value out of retail.
Our original take still stands. Stick to singles.
Let someone else take the wax gamble.
Hit Me!
Check out some of what we pulled below! If you ripped any Update yourself, drop your best hits in the comments.
Disclaimer: The content in The Hobby Wire is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Commentary, analysis, and opinions on sports cards, rookies, and the hobby are not financial, investment, or professional advice. Collectors should always do their own research before buying, selling, or trading cards. Market values are volatile and can change rapidly—past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
Unless specified, all pricing references are based on the Prizm/Refractor parallels of an athlete’s Chrome rookie card, with prices from alt.xyz & 130pt.com.
Any odds mentioned were derived from DraftKings Sportsbook.