Topps Flagship Clear Parallels

Topps Flagship parallels have been really hot of recent, and the most shortprinted NON 1/1 (eg printing plates and the silver 1/1) parallels are the acetate clear cards.  I really dig these bad boys, as they are really fantastic looking cards that fade the entire background of the card out.  The serial numbering is on the front of the card as well, which makes them kind of unique.  Everyone knows about the black parallels, which increase every year, but the clear parallels stay the same, just numbered to 10.  The only problems that I've had with the cards is that they tend to have surface issues which make that portion of the card grade fairly poorly, in most cases.

It's probably mostly due to Mike Trout and the popularity of his 2011 Topps Update Series US175 that these flagship parallels have become insanely popular.  In any case, this trend has trickled down to other superstar players like Mookie Betts and Jose Altuve, the latter of whom doesn't have the standard Bowman Chrome prospect autographs either.  The same is also true for the hottest rookies, which for 2018 included Acuna, Soto, and Ohtani (and some others like Gleyber Torres and company).  There is nothing wrong with a short parallel of an old classic like flagship parallels.  As much as Chrome is king, there is nothing more classic than Topps Flagship Rookies.  This is just the pinnacle of those.