How Many 2023S2 GPK InterGoolatic Mayhem Were Produced? Part 2

This is Part 2 of a two part series on the production of 2023S2 GPK InterGoolatic Mayhem. If you missed Part 1 you can go here to catch up.

In the first post we looked at how many packs/boxes/cases were produced of 2023S2 Garbage Pail Kids InterGoolatic Mayhem. Here’s a review of what we came up with.

  • Total Production – 900,600 Total Packs
  • Collector – 465,000 Collector Packs or about 19,375 Collector Boxes or about 2,422 Collector Cases
  • Hobby – 435,600 Hobby Packs or about 18,150 Hobby Boxes or about 2,268 Hobby Cases

I’ll be using these numbers to try to come up with an idea of how many of each type of parallel and insert were created for the set. This will give you a good idea how rare a set is and how quickly you need to snap up that card for your rainbow! I’ll also compare some of this info to the previous sets for reference. As a reminder, in addition to using the sell sheet and odds, we will also have to make some assumptions and flat out guesses when trying to figure some of these out.

So how many of each type of card was made? Since there are only two pack types and the supplied odds by Topps seem to be correct, figuring out production on everything should be easy! Like previous sets, Topps has continued to number many card types. This means we already know most of the parallel and insert numbers already! Makes this post a lot easier! We know Gray /199, Blue /99, Red /75, and Gold /50 for the parallels, Artist Autos /75 /50 1/1, and Patches /199 /99 /75 /50 1/1. We now need to figure out all the unnumbered parallels and inserts.

First let’s figure out production for the two parallels that aren’t numbered.

  • Black Borders – 465,000 Collector packs / 1 Odds (doh) = 465,000 total Black borders / 200 cards in set = 2,325 per card.
  • Green Borders – 435,600 Retail packs / 1 Odds (doh) = 435,600 total Green borders / 200 cards in set = 2,177 per card.

Figuring out production for the unnumbered parallels ends up being very easy. Collectors are used to seeing Black border production much less than Green border. This is the first set where Green borders are actually rarer than Black borders! On Black borders, this is the also highest number of Black borders per card ever produced, even more than Book Worms! Green borders marks the lowest number produced since the We Hate the 90’s set in 2019. Much different experience for collectors on the unnumbered parallels.

Now let’s take a look at the various insert sets.

  • Wacky Packages – 465,000 Collector packs / 24 odds = 19,375 total Wacky Package / 8 cards in set = 2,421 per Wacky
  • Kosmic Krashers – 465,000 Collector packs / 24 odds = 19,375 total Krashers / 5 cards in set = 3,875 per Krashers
  • 3D Morph – 465,000 Collector packs / 24 odds = 19,375 total Morph / 4 cards in set = 4,843 per Morph
  • Time Warp – 900,600 Total packs / 3 odds = 300,200 total TW / 20 in set = 15,010 per Time Warp
  •  Space Farce– 900,600 Total Packs / 3 odds = 300,200 total SF / 10 cards in set = 30,020 per card

Given what we learned about the number of each box type, these numbers make sense. Time Warp and Space Farce are in line with recent retail only insert sets. The Collector exclusive insert sets meanwhile all have higher than usual print runs.

That covers all the various card types in the set. As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, very easy to figure out numbers this time. One final thing I wanted to point out was the huge discrepancy in where the “big hits” are in each box type. Most of the bigger hits in the product can be found in both box types. However, as the odds show, Hobby boxes have very few of each type. Let’s take a look at the numbers for each one.

  • Plates (Collector) 465,000 Collector packs / 1,220 odds = 381 plates in Collector Packs
  • Plates (Hobby) 435,600 Hobby packs / 26,577 odds = 16 plates in Hobby
  • Autos (Collector) 465,000 Collector packs / 65 odds = 7,153 autos in Collector Packs
  • Autos (Hobby) 435,600 Hobby packs / 1,377 odds = 316 autos in Hobby
  • Gold Autos (Collector) 465,000 Collector packs / 98 odds = 4,744 Gold Autos in Collector Packs
  • Gold Autos (Hobby) 435,600 Hobby packs / 2,065 odds = 210 Gold Autos in Hobby
  • Foilfractors (Collector) 465,000 Collector packs / 5,016 odds = 92 Foilfractors in Collector Packs
  • Foilfractors (Hobby) 435,600 Hobby packs / 106,308 odds = 4 Foilfractors in Hobby
  • Pano Sketches (Collector) 464,000 Collector packs / 1,422 odds = 327 Panos in Collector Packs
  • Pano Sketches (Hobby) 435,600 Hobby packs / 30,374 odds = 14 Panos in Hobby

Just 16 Plates in Hobby! 14 Pano sketches! 4 Foilfractors! While Hobby boxes do have the big hits in them, the odds are heavily skewed towards Collector boxes. Collectors should keep this in mind when choosing which boxes they want to buy.

InterGoolatic Mayhem marks unfamiliar territory for collectors. By not producing retail packs, it brings a whole new mindset to odds and production numbers. The big question is will this continue for the GPK brand? Will the 2024 sets also be Hobby only? Is this just the new Fanatics distribution model, or is there a marked decline in GPK popularity? 2024 will answer a lot questions on the direction Topps is taking the GPK brand.

Finally, can we figure out how many base cards were produced? Not really, but we can use what we know and give it our best guess! Both Collector and Hobby pack types seem to have 6 base cards. The number of inserts, parallels, and hits being the average down for this series. So we are going to go with 6 base cards in each pack type.

Base Cards – 900,600 total packs * 6 base cards per pack = 5,403,600 total base cards / 200 cards in set = 27,018 per base card

At just over 27k sets, it’s the lowest number of base sets since the Late to School set. Also, less than half of the base cards compared to the recent Vacation release. Still, there are plenty of sets for everyone that wants one! Go get one now!

This is Part 2 of a two part series on the production of 2023S2 GPK InterGoolatic Mayhem. If you missed Part 1 you can go here to catch up.

How Many 2023S2 GPK InterGoolatic Mayhem Were Produced? Part 1

This is Part 1 of a 2 part series on the production of 2023 Series 2 Garbage Pail Kids InterGoolatic Mayhem. Part 2 will be posting soon.

The second retail set of 2023 saw Topps eliminate all retail packs types, like Blaster and Retail Display. Collectors are deprived of impulse buying at their local Target and Walmart stores. That just leaves Collector and Hobby as the only two pack types. While it means less choice for collectors, it means figuring out production is very easy! Compared to some resent sets, this was a breeze. For the most part it even seems Topps got the odds right once again! That’s three sets in a row. By eliminating retail packs, that should mean production is down. Retail normally makes up 75% of the print run. But just how much lower was production this time around? Let’s take a look!

First my disclaimer! Production numbers are never an exact science, and Topps makes it tough on us. In order to attempt to solve this riddle we need to look very closely at sell sheets, odds, and real world breaks. Some things to keep in mind for this post. 1) Topps doesn’t want the public to know exactly how much of each card was made. Why? No idea really, I think it’s dumb, but historically Topps only provides enough information to get close. 2) We need to make some assumptions. Those assumptions will be based on the clues we have, but still some guessing has to happen. 3) The odds never quite seem to come out completely equal. However, we can round and get pretty close to how much was produced. 4) Keep in mind Topps historically holds back up to 5% of the print run to cover missing hits, damaged cards, and their No Purchase Necessary program. These numbers would include that 5%. With all that in mind let’s get started…(Warning lots of math coming up. If you don’t want to read about the process, skip to the bottom for the answer sheet!)

We always start by figuring out the total print run. For the first time in quite a while Topps made things easy on us. In order to do this we need a numbered card that has the same odds in all pack types. We get two with this set, Gold and Gray borders! By the way, by all appearances the odds, for the most part, seem to be accurate. The only glaring thing wrong are the Green and Black parallels listed as 1:2 packs, when both are 1:1. Let’s start with looking at Gold and Gray numbers.

  • Gold borders – 200 cards in set * 50 made per card = 10,000 total Gold borders * 91 odds = 910,000 total packs made
  • Gray borders – 200 cards in set * 199 made per card = 39,800 total total Gray borders * 23 odds = 915,490 total packs made

First thoughts? Those numbers are very close! And wow, under 1 Million packs! Production does appear to be down, significantly! Now that we have a general idea of total production, let’s break it down by pack type. Once again, Topps making it easy on us. We just need to look at numbered card types that are exclusive to a pack type. Collector boxes have Red borders and Patches, while Hobby boxes have Blue borders.

  • Blue borders – 200 cards in set * 99 made per card = 19,800 total Blue borders * 22 odds = 435,600 Hobby packs made
  • Red borders – 200 cards in set * 75 made per card = 15,000 total Red borders * 31 odds = 465,000 Collector packs made
  • Patches – 10 cards in set * 199 make per card = 1,990 total Patches * 235 odds = 467,650 Collector packs made

These numbers reveal a lot actually. First, while production is down overall significantly, production is up big time on Collector and Hobby (FKA Retail Display) packs. This makes total sense. Historically, retail pack types made up about 75% of the production run. It only makes sense that the remaining packs types would increase to make up for no retail. Also, if you add up the total packs on Blues and Reds, you get 900,600 total packs. That number is really close to the total pack numbers we got from Gold and Gray. On the odds, real world case break examples are showing the odds to be accurate. For the most part each Hobby case yields 8 Blues, while a Collector case is right around 6 Reds per case. All this leads me to believe we are right on the production numbers. I’m going to go with the Blue and Red border numbers for each pack type, as well as their sum being the total production number.

Here’s what I believe the total production numbers to be for GPK InterGoolatic Mayhem:

  • Total Production – 900,600 Total Packs
  • Collector – 465,000 Collector Packs or about 19,375 Collector Boxes or about 2,422 Collector Cases
  • Hobby – 435,600 Hobby Packs or about 18,150 Hobby Boxes or about 2,268 Hobby Cases

Again, I’m surprised by just how little the set was produced compared to recent releases. Under 1 million packs hasn’t happened in years for a GPK set. At the same time, it’s not surprising. This is what happens when you eliminate retail pack types from a product. Let’s see how this release stacks up to recent releases.

  • Total Pack Production
    • 35th Anniversary – 1,113,000
    • Food Fight – 1,790,000
    • Book Worms – 3,635,000
    • Vacation – 1,737,000
    • InterGoolatic Mayhem – 900,600 (48.1% decrease in production vs. Vacation)
  • Collector Pack Production
    • 35th Anniversary – 130,000
    • Food Fight – 225,000
    • Book Worms – 405,000
    • Vacation – 180,000
    • InterGoolatic Mayhem – 465,000 (158.3% increase in production vs. Vacation)
  • Retail Display (Hobby) Pack Production
    • 35th Anniversary – 237,600
    • Food Fight – 356,000
    • Book Worms – 564,000
    • Vacation – 297,000
    • InterGoolatic Mayhem – 435,600 (31.8% increase in production vs. Vacation)

These numbers really need to be looked at in two parts. First overall production. You have to go back to 2020S1 GPK Late to School to find a set that had less than 1 million total packs. Looking at the latest production compared with the previous two releases is shocking. When looking at each pack type however, there is a different story. This release had the most Collector Packs ever produced, even more than Book Worms! Hobby packs were very high, but actually less than Book Worms. Collectors are going to see some of the rarer inserts that are exclusive to Collector boxes, will be easier than ever to get. While those unnumbered inserts and parallels that used to be retail only, will have lower print runs than normal. It’s a whole new world for collectors to have a product that has no retail packs. Is demand no longer there for GPK products? Maybe Topps just learned their lesson from overproducing sets the last couple of years. But if that’s the case, why no retail? Maybe it’s simply just a production issue, or is it more? Is this going to continue? We shouldn’t have the wait long as the next retail set, 2024S1, is set for the first quarter. If retail packs once again are not made, collectors might be looking at ever decreasing print runs.

This is Part 1 of a 2 part series on the production of 2023 Series 2 Garbage Pail Kids InterGoolatic Mayhem. In Part 2 we will look at production numbers for all parallel and insert sets. Part 2 will be posted soon.

2023 Series 2 Garbage Pail Kids InterGoolatic Mayhem Explained

Be honest, who had to clear cards from their dining table to eat Thanksgiving dinner? With the holiday release of 2023 Series 2 Garbage Pail Kids InterGoolatic Mayhem, Topps remains on schedule with their retail GPK sets. However, there are many changes for collectors this time around. For reasons GPKNews have been unable to confirm, Topps did not make Blaster or Retail Display boxes of this set. Therefore, no big box retailers, like Target or Walmart, will sell packs. This eliminates the casual collector from finding them, and makes it slightly more difficult for longtime collectors to obtain product. What hasn’t changed are the artists. All four main artists return, David Gross, Joe Simko, Brent Engstrom, and Joe McWilliams, and did all the final card art for the base set. Original Series artist Tom Bunk joined those four with artwork on insert sets. The base set contains 200 cards, 100 new pieces with a/b versions. The  odds on the website appear to be correct for the most part, based on early case breaks. For some reason Topps did list Green and Black parallels as 1:2 packs for Hobby and Collector respectively. That is incorrect, as both parallels fall 1 per pack. Also both the 3D Morph cards and Loaded Puzzle sketches have odds listed as per pack, but both are box toppers. Production is down significantly from previous retail sets. This appears to be the lowest printed set since 2020. I’ll have a complete breakdown of production numbers in the next few days.

With only Collector and Hobby boxes, Topps had to make a few changes. Loaded Puzzle sketches moved to Hobby boxes, while Panoramic sketches can be found in both pack types. Artists autos are once again /75, but there are now also Fool’s Gold (Yellow) autos /50, and Foilfractor autos 1/1. The checklist shows autos for A & B cards, but that’s not the case as there is one auto per artwork. There are also artist autos for the Time Warp insert set. Since there’s no Blasters, yellow parallels are not in the set. Finally, Collector boxes have a number of exclusive insert sets, and Patch cards have multiple parallels.

I will have articles in the coming days looking at production numbers in more detail. To see the official Topps checklist click here. For now, here is what you can find, and where you can find it in 2023 Series 2 Garbage Pail Kids InterGoolatic Mayhem.

(Note: I will continue to update this post as new information comes to light and any new parallels/inserts are found.)

  • Base Set – 100a/b (200 Cards).
  • Parallel Sets – Same exact cards from the Base set, except with a different speckled color border.
    • Black Hole Black Border (Collector) – 1:1 (200 Cards)
    • Galaxy Blue Border /99 (Hobby) – 1:22 (200 Cards)
    • Supernova Red Border /75 (Collector) – 1:31 (200 Cards)
    • Fool’s Gold Border /50 (Collector/Hobby) – 1:91 (200 Cards)
    • Booger Green Border (Hobby) – 1:1 (200 Cards)
    • Moon Rock Gray Border /199 (Collector/Hobby) – 1:23 (200 Cards)
    • Printing Plates –1:1,220 (Collector), 1:26,577 (Hobby) (400 total – 4 per artwork)
  • Insert Sets – All the various insert subsets that can be found in packs.
    • Wacky Packages Planetary Provisions – 1:24 – Collector (8 cards)
    • Space Farce – 1:3 – Collector/Hobby (5a/b – 10 Cards)
    • Time Warp –1:3 – Collector/Hobby (10a/b – 20 cards)
    • Kosmic Krashers – 1:24 – Collector (5 Cards)
    • 3D Morph Cards – 1 Per Collector Box Topper (4 Cards)
    • GPK Parch Card /199 – 1:235 – Collector (5a/b – 10 Cards)
    • GPK Parch Card Blue /99 – 1:471 – Collector (5a/b – 10 Cards)
    • GPK Parch Card Red /75 – 1:622 – Collector (5a/b – 10 Cards)
    • GPK Parch Card Gold /50 – 1:932 – Collector (5a/b – 10 Cards)
    • GPK Parch Card Foilfractor 1/1 – 1:44,636 – Collector (5a/b – 10 Cards)
    • Artist Autograph /75 – 1:65 Collector, 1:1,377 Hobby,  (100 Total Cards – 1 per card artwork)
    • Fool’s Gold (Yellow) Artist Autograph /50 – 1:87 Collector, 1:2,065 Hobby,  (100 Total Cards – 1 per card artwork)
    • Foilfractor Artist Autograph 1/1 – 1:1,056 Collector, 1:106,308 Hobby,  (100 Total Cards – 1 per card artwork)
    • Time Warp Artist Autograph /50 – 1:973 Collector, 1:20,250 Hobby  (10a/b 20 Total Cards)
    • Sketch Card – 1:138 Hobby (69 Artists)
    • Panoramic Sketch Card – 1:422 Collector, 1:30,374 Hobby (69 Artists)
    • Loaded Puzzle Sketch Card – 1:79 Hobby Boxes (69 Artists)
    • Shaped Sketch – 1:282 – Collector (69 Artists)
    • Triptych Sketch – 1:1,884 – Collector (69 Artists)

2023 Series 2 Garbage Pail Kids InterGoolatic Mayhem Odds

With today being the official release day, Topps has posted the odds for 2023 Series 2 Garbage Pail Kids InterGoolatic Mayhem. Like with the GPK Chrome 6 released earlier in the year, Topps is no longer printing odds on their packs. Instead, the packs point you to their website. There aren’t a whole lot of surprises on the odds sheet. All card types, parallels and inserts that show up on the sell sheet appear to be in packs. The Time Farce and Space Warp insert sets can be found in both Collector and Hobby pack types. As previously reported by GPKNews, there are no retail configurations for this set. Based on the early calculations, it appears the print run for this set is lower than GPK Vacation. However to make up for the lack of retail boxes, Topps did increase production on both Collector and Hobby boxes. I’ll have a detailed article in the coming days looking at production of the set. Check out the odds for 2023S2 GPK InterGoolatic Mayhem below, or click here for the PDF of the odds from Topps.

  • Moonrock Gray – 1:23 (Collector/Hobby)
  • Galaxy Blue – 1:22 (Hobby)
  • Supernova Red – 1:31 (Collector)
  • Fool’s Gold – 1:91 (Collector/Hobby)
  • Printing Plate – 1:26,577 (Hobby 1:1,220 (Collector)
  • Artist Autograph – 1:1,377 (Hobby) 1:65 (Collector)
  • Fool’s Gold Autograph – 1: 2,065 (Hobby) 1:98 (Collector)
  • Foilfractor Autograph – 1:106,308 (Hobby) 1:5,016 (Collector)
  • Time Warp – 1:3 (Collector/Hobby)
  • Time Warp Auto – 20,250 (Hobby 1:973 (Collector)
  • Space Farce – 1:3 (Collector/Hobby)
  • Wacky Packages: Planetary Provisions – 1:24 (Collector)
  • Kosmic Crashers – 1:24 (Collector)
  • 3D GPK Morph – 1 per box (Collector)
  • GPK Patch Card – 1:235 (Collector)
  • Galaxy Blue Patch – 1:471 (Collector)
  • Supernova Red Patch – 1:622 (Collector)
  • Fool’s Gold Patch – 1:932 (Collector)
  • Foilfractor Patch – 1:44,636 (Collector)
  • Sketch Card – 1:138 (Hobby)
  • Puzzle Sketch Card – 1:1,874 (Hobby)
  • Panoramic Sketch Card – 1: 30,374 (Hobby 1:1,422 (Collector)
  • Shaped Sketch Card – 1:282 (Collector)
  • Triptych Sketch Card – 1:1,864 (Collector)

Updates On 2023S2 GPK InterGoolatic Mayhem Sell Sheet

About those solid color parallels….There was quite a bit of collector excitement when the sell sheet came out last Monday for 2023 Series 2 Garbage Pail Kids InterGoolatic Mayhem showed pictures of solid color borders for the parallel cards. GPKNews has confirmed with Topps that those examples on the sell sheet were incorrect. The Splatter borders that have graced GPK cards for the last few years will continue in the new set. GPKNews was told there would be an updated sell sheet sent out by Topps, but as of this posting that hasn’t happened yet. Topps has heard the feedback, there could always be change in future sets.

2023S2 GPK InterGoolatic Mayhem to be Hobby Only Product

For maybe the first time ever, Garbage Pail Kids collectors will not be able find packs of a major GPK release in big box retailers. This past Monday, Topps released the Hobby Sell Sheet for 2023 Series 2 GPK InterGoolatic Mayhem. Generally, distributors will receive the Retail Sell Sheet the same day or shortly thereafter. That didn’t happen, instead distributors were contacting Topps to find out where the info was. GPKNews has confirmed with Topps that there will be no Value Boxes (Blasters) or Retail Display boxes for this series. The reason why was not completely clear. Some distributors were told by their Topps’ sales rep, that retail was not being produced due to a production issue. GPKNews was not given an official reason from Topps for no retail product.

So what will be available, and where will collectors find it? Both Collector and Hobby boxes are being produced, and will be the only two SKUs offered. It’s not clear if Topps will label the Hobby boxes with the “H”, or if the box will continue to be the Retail Display box, this time only sold as Hobby. Those boxes will continue to be available everywhere they usually are. Brick & Morter Hobby shops, along with large online card retailers and resellers should have product available either for pre-order or after release. This release isn’t the first product Topps has not offered retail boxes on this year. Certain baseball card brands have suffered the same fate. It’s unknown if Topps will offer a pre-order window on their website for the series as they have with a handful of baseball releases. Collectors can however expect boxes to be available at launch on Topps.com.

What does this mean for the inserts, parallels, and print runs? All the insert sets that were painted and planned for the set are being produced and will be inserted into packs. 3D cards, Patch cards, Kosmic Krashers, and Wacky Packages are all Collector only inserts. It’s not clear if Space Farce and Time Warp insert sets will appear in just Hobby or both box types. Collectors who like the yellow parallel cards will be out of luck, as those won’t be printed since there are no Blasters. Green and Blue parallels will be exclusive to Hobby boxes, Black and Red exclusive to Collector boxes, and Gray, Gold, Plates, and Autos in both box types. Sketches are changing up a bit. Loaded Puzzle sketches are moving from Blasters to Hobby boxes and will be exclusive to those along with the regular size sketch. Shaped and Triptych sketches remain exclusive to Collector boxes. Panoramic sketches will be inserted into both box types. Usually Blasters make up around 50% or more of the total print run. It’s unknown how the elimination of retail boxes will affect the print run. One distributor said he was told there would be plenty product available.

Not having product available at Targets & Walmarts is not good news for the brand. The casual collector will not come across product to continue their collection. It also makes it that much harder to get new collectors into the hobby. The big question will be, was this due to production issues and will we see the return of retail product in 2024? Or will GPKs be left to just current collectors who are familiar with where to find hobby product? It won’t be long until we find out as there is a retail set being planned for a Q1 2024 release.

Topps Announces 2023 Series 2 Garbage Pail Kids Intergoolatic Mayhem

In the worst kept secret in the hobby, Topps today announced 2023 Series 2 Garbage Pail Kids Intergoolatic Mayhem. In its newest tradition, the announcement of the set comes just 4 weeks before the release date. The set features a space and sci-fi theme. There are no total number of base cards mentioned on the sell sheet, but collectors can expect 200 base cards, 100 new pieces with a/b version. All artwork for the set was done by Joe Simko, Brent Engstrom, David Gross, and Joe McWilliams.

Collectors will once again find many of the same parallels; Booger Green (Retail Display), Black Hole (Collector), Moonrock Gray /199, Galaxy Blue /99 (Retail Display), Supernova Red /75 (Collector), Fool’s Gold /50, and Printing Plates 1/1. The set will feature autograph cards from all the artists /50. In addition, brand new Foilfractor 1/1 autos can be found in packs! There will also be numerous insert cards that can be found in packs. The Time Warp insert set features new characters traveling through time, the sheet doesn’t mention which pack type these will be available, but they also include autograph versions. The Space Force insert set was done by Tom Bunk, and again doesn’t say which pack type they will be found in. Collector boxes will exclusively have Kosmic Krashers and Wacky Packages Planetary Provisions. Patch cards will once again make an appearance in Collectors. They can be found in Blue /99, Red /75, Gold /50, and Foilfractor 1/1. 3D cards also make a return to GPK and will also be a Collector box exclusive. Finally, sketch cards can be found in all pack types as follows, Regular (Retail Display), Puzzle (Retail Display), Shaped (Collector), Triptych (Collector), Panoramic (Not listed).

You can view the sell sheets below or the PDF can be found here. 2023 Series 2 Garbage Pail Kids Intergoolatic Mayhem releases in time for turkey day, 11/22/2023.

Updated GPK Retail Plans for 2023

When we last shared the Topps sales calendar, the company had big plans for four Garbage Pail Kids retail releases in 2023. They have since backed off a bit with an updated more “normal” GPK calendar. The company appears to now be back on track with GPK after three years of delays due to Covid, printer delays, and paper stock shortages. 2023S1 (2021S2) GPK Vacation was the first release of 2023 back in Feb. Since that release, things have been quiet from Topps, as no sets have been officially announced for the remainder of 2023.

That will change soon though. Originally, Topps had planned additional retail sets for May and Nov. of 2023. The May date has been removed from the calendar. The most updated Topps sales calendar, updated as of the last week of April, shows two additional GPK sets for 2023. First up will be Chrome OS 6, currently set for a 8/30/23 release date. Artwork has been already completed for the handful of new cards in the set. Following Chrome will be the next regular retail set, 2023S2, currently set for 11/22/23. Final card artwork for that set has been done for sometime. GPKNews has confirmed sketch card invites also went out recently for the set. Topps has worked a bit harder to keep the theme and sketch details quiet until the company officially announces the set.

It’s a bit of a mystery when Topps will officially announce the sets. So far in 2023, Topps has been announcing other sets just one month prior to release. There is then a short preorder window for distributors before the release date. Apparently, Topps is no longer printing sets based on preorder. Another thing collectors should keep their eye on is distribution. Topps changed the way 2023 Bowman Baseball was distributed, skipping most distributors and selling boxes direct to customers, including preorders on their website. This follows the plan Fanatics put forth when they purchased Topps two years ago. Collectors should expect to see these types of changes as the year goes on. Thanks to Jeff P. at the Garbage Pail Kids Superstore, for sending over the sales calendar! This info is just for retail sets and doesn’t include all the other various online and merchandise releases for the year. Release dates are just estimates and aren’t official until officially announced by Topps, expect delays!