Topps Holiday doesn't just apply a seasonal border to a standard checklist; it builds real chase content around the theme itself. 2026's release carries four distinct insert concepts, each leaning into the holiday framing in a different way.
Hidden Elf brings a search-and-find mechanic, Making the NICE List! ties a die-cut design to statistical achievement, and Die-Cut Ornament along with its Oversized version give the release genuinely shaped, decoration-style chase cards. None of these feel like a standard insert with a holiday coat of paint.
Understanding how each one actually works, and how rare each is relative to the others, makes it easier to know what you're chasing once packs start opening on October 21.
Here's a full breakdown of every confirmed chase insert in the 2026 release.
Hidden Elf returns for 2026 across five variations for five specific players, with a small elf tucked into a different location on each card. The novelty here isn't just pulling the card; it's actually finding where the elf is hidden.
Because it covers only five players, Hidden Elf is a more targeted chase than a broad parallel that touches the entire base checklist, which makes a complete run a realistic goal for a dedicated collector.
Making the NICE List! is a die-cut insert highlighting standout players and the specific statistics behind their best single-season performance. It ties a holiday-appropriate name to a genuinely stats-driven concept.
This insert rewards collectors who care about a player's on-field accomplishments as much as the seasonal theme, giving it a slightly different appeal than the more purely novelty-driven Hidden Elf cards. It's a good fit for a collector who wants a holiday-themed card that still says something meaningful about a player's season.
Die-Cut Ornament cards are cut into an actual ornament shape rather than the standard rectangular card format. That physical difference makes them a genuinely different collectible object, not just a themed parallel of a normal card.
Their ornament shape also makes them a natural candidate for actual holiday display, blurring the line between a trading card and a piece of seasonal decor.
The Oversized Die-Cut Ornament takes the same ornament-shaped concept and scales it up, giving it a larger physical footprint than the standard version. That size difference changes how it needs to be stored and displayed compared to a standard-size card.
Collectors chasing both versions should expect the oversized cards to need different, larger protective housing than what works for standard-size cards or the regular Die-Cut Ornament.
Holiday Relics and Holiday Faux Relics round out the release's hit-tier content, with the faux relic pieces styled around holiday characters like an elf, a gingerbread man, and Mrs. Claus rather than standard memorabilia swatches. That novelty styling is unique to this release compared to standard flagship relic cards.
These sit alongside base autographs and Chrome autographs as the release's guaranteed-hit categories, giving collectors multiple hit types to track across the checklist.
Hidden Elf's five-player, five-variation structure and the ornament-shaped die-cuts are generally more limited than the broader Making the NICE List! insert, which spans a larger pool of standout players. Holiday Relics and Faux Relics sit in their own hit-tier category separate from these insert-style chases.
Understanding which inserts are narrowly focused versus broadly seeded helps set realistic expectations for how many boxes it might take to complete any one specific chase.
A collector chasing every insert type in this release, Hidden Elf, Making the NICE List!, both Die-Cut Ornament sizes, and the Holiday Relics content, needs a meaningfully larger box or pack commitment than someone just chasing base-set completion. Each insert type has its own separate seeding rate.
Prioritizing based on personal appeal, whether that's the novelty of Hidden Elf or the stats-driven angle of Making the NICE List!, is a more realistic strategy than trying to chase everything equally.
Five players, each with five card variations.
A player's best single-season statistical performance.
Yes, they're cut into an actual ornament shape.
They're styled around holiday characters instead of standard memorabilia swatches.
Finding the hidden elf is only half the fun if the card doesn't survive the search intact. A secure holder keeps the pull safe while you look for it.
A EVORETRO Magnetic One Touch Card Holder is a solid choice for any Hidden Elf or relic-tier pull.
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