Why This Card Rules: Topps Chrome #2 Max Verstappen - IV/SSP

This card has way more than the “wow! factor. It combines clean card design with a photographic image that captures so many stories of the, at that moment, world champion to be. Because the card is a variation itself, it has a limited and comprehensible set of numbered color variations. Sweet, simple, and beautiful. We set out to collect the full rainbow. And we succeeded...

 All stories come together. First of all this card has driver number 33 on it. That might seem insignificant at the moment as we all know this has been Max's number all throughout his career. But as he continues on his record-breaking journey, #1 will become the obvious and #33 the obscure, or at least proof that this is a pre-champ Max card. The more he wins championships, the more special this card gets. It also shows Max win the very first Zandvoort grand prix since 1985 when Nik Lauda won, 36 years before this edition. The photo drills it home with the flag and #33 on the car. This card will remain one of the best Verstappen cards ever created for many years, wins and championships to  come... 

Chasing papa. No rainbow is truly complete without the 1/1. That is tough because getting your hands on the 1/1 is, in most cases, almost impossible. When the opportunity arose we chose to go for it. We had collected the rest of the rainbow including the notoriously difficult /15 because it is black and white and does not look as special..

Papa means Padparadscha. It takes a while but in the end most collectors are able to type this color name into the eBay search bar. The term “padparadscha” is derived from the Sinhalese word for an aquatic lotus blossom, which has an unusual salmon color.  Many agree that padparadschas straddle the color boundary between pink and orange. Padparadscha sapphires may be little known to the general public, but they are treasured by gemstone connoisseurs. Yet after decades of debate, collectors, dealers, and gemologists cannot agree on a uniform standard for the padparadscha color range....