In the bustling, rhythmic cadence of a New York City subway, most passengers remain deeply engrossed in their own worlds, headphones in, eyes on phones, minds elsewhere. But for Phil Imbriano, a senior designer at Topps, that daily commute was anything but ordinary. As if in a cinematic script, inspiration awaited him in an unassuming form – a red-and-silver badge etched into the subway car. The convergence of these slick designs sparked an epiphany. Imbriano, sensing potential amidst the mundane, captured it with a quick snap of his phone, unintentionally setting in motion the creative process that would shape the face of the 2025 Topps Series 1 baseball cards.
Back at his desk, amidst art supplies and nostalgia-bathed posters of past Topps card sets, Imbriano turned his subway instincts into a flurry of sketches. Those early morning flashes of creativity soon matured into the base design for the 75th edition of the legendary Topps Series 1 collection launching this year. It’s a testament to how life’s simplest situations often plant the seeds for the most profound ideas.
“I love drawing inspiration from everyday things,” Imbriano enthused, as he settled into his studio space surrounded by a collage of visual inspirations. “Buildings, signs, anything that could catch my eye. You never really know when something simple can translate into something grand.”
True to Imbriano’s vision, the final product showcases two bold arches streaking up and across the top of the card’s surface. It’s an unexpected homage to the resemblance it bears to the iconic 1982 Topps set, albeit inadvertently. Initially, Imbriano’s designs were cultivated from more far-flung sources: the subtle woodgrain finish of the 1962 and 1987 sets. Yet history has a funny way of repeating itself in ways we rarely anticipate. This coincidence highlighted the new design’s seamless balance between nostalgic connection and contemporary update, capturing the hearts of collectors past and present upon its unveiling.
As with any creative endeavor, birthing this masterpiece into existence involved a grueling run-the-gauntlet selection process. Within the vibrant corridors of Topps, designers submit and refine concepts, each undergoing cycles of vigorous scrutiny and revision. Phil’s subway-inspired concept stood as the valiant victor over more than 20 other proposals, all eyeing a chance at immortality in the hallowed card collection ranks. Some snubbed designs would offer up elements to future sets, ensuring innovation and variety within Topps’ offerings.
Every detail was meticulously rehearsed and adjusted. Imbriano spun numerous iterations—approximately ten versions in total—before reaching the decisive design. It’s a process underscored by a commitment to the craft few outsiders realize. “Most people don’t recognize just how much passion and energy goes into the cards before they’re cradled in collectors’ hands,” Imbriano reflected.
But sketching is just part of the evolution. Clay Luraschi, Topps’ Senior Vice President of Product, oversees the subsequent transmutation from digital and fantasy to tactile and tangible. With each milestone narrowed down, the team’s excitement peaks at the prototype phase.
“When we’re down to the final five designs, we print them and go through the experience of opening a fresh pack,” Luraschi explained. “It’s competitive and the discussions are some of our most heated all year.” Such meticulous care is reminiscent of the beginnings, when Topps’ pioneer, Sy Berger, designed on his kitchen table, the birthplace of baseball cards now elevated to art.
Of course, the base design is merely the starting whistle for the marathon of variety that is the Series 1 pack. Fans are introduced to a host of crowd-pleasing subsets like Future Stars, All-Topps Team, and First Pitch, each card alive with its own vivid storyline. A quirky addition this year includes special base-card variants for Dodgers enthusiasts that showcase celebrative antics like the dance moves of Freddie Freeman, captured forever in glossy cardboard.
The year 2025 also pays tribute to yesteryears with a lavish 35th-anniversary nod to the 1990 Topps set whose quirky, vibrant patterns still dance across collectors’ brains. Yet at the heart of it all lies the essence of innovation – Imbriano’s groundbreaking design, turning each card into a canvas, each picture, a poster to be prized.
Designing these cards is akin to producing bite-sized movie posters: dynamic, individualized, and standing out solidly in one’s memory. As Phil put positively, “Each card should hold its own—a mini poster in every collector’s hands.”
The heart of Topps’ enduring allure is deeply embedded in this philosophy, spawning not just collector’s items, but cultural bookmarks. It’s a legacy that demands to be handled with care, love, and a spark of innovation—a legacy Imbriano, inspired by a mere subway ride, fulfills deftly.
To Luraschi, the current design embodies this ethos gloriously. Fifty years down the line, when someone stumbles upon a 2025 card, they should be able to recognize the year instantly. The fusion of everyday inspiration and sacred tradition ensures that this isn’t just a card of the present, but a trove of timeless appeal.
