Dog lovers and collectors, rejoice! The 2024 Topps Allen & Ginter series features a unique insert set of cards celebrating the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. For the first time, these collectible cards showcase the Best in Show champions, blending the excitement of the competition with the vintage charm of card collecting.
Whether you’re a passionate card collector, a fan of the iconic event, or both, these cards capture the elegance, history, and spirit of the Westminster Dog Show in every detail.
The Collaboration: Topps Meets Westminster Kennel Club
Topps teamed up with the iconic Westminster Kennel Club to create a special insert set for the 2024 Allen & Ginter series called Stars of the Show. These insert cards aren’t just a part of a regular set of cards you’ll find in every pack. Instead, they’re rarer, collectible, and designed to highlight the Westminster Dog Show’s incredible champions. Whether you’re new to card collecting or a seasoned enthusiast, these cards add an extra flair to the 2024 collection.
Other cards in the 2024 Topps Allen & Ginter series feature Flags of the World, World’s Tallest Mountains, and notable athletes and entertainers like Chuck Norris, Quavo, and Usain Bolt. The odds of pulling a Stars of the Show card are 1:4, meaning you should get at least one card in every four packs.
A Natural Fit for Topps
Founded in 1877, the Westminster Kennel Club has a rich history in the dog world. Its Dog Show is a symbol of tradition and excellence. Topps’ Allen & Ginter series, known for celebrating world-class athletes and cultural icons, was the perfect canvas to showcase this legacy.
Clay Luraschi, Senior Vice President of Product at Topps, said that when he saw the email about working with Westminster, he immediately knew it was a great idea, stating, “Oh, this is a no-brainer. We have to work with them.” And thus, the idea began to take shape.
Honoring Tradition and Celebrating Champions
For Westminster Kennel Club President Donald Sturz, partnering with Topps was a way to bring the legacy of the Dog Show to new fans and honor its faithful participants. “To have their dogs immortalized in this way, to become a part of someone’s personal collection, that’s what connected with everyone the most,” he said.
This collaboration is more than just a set of cards—it’s an opportunity to honor the tradition of the Westminster Dog Show and share a love of dogs with the world in a completely new way.
What Makes These Dog Show Cards So Special?
The 2024 Topps Allen & Ginter Westminster Kennel Club Stars of the Show set is a true celebration of the world-renowned dog show. They offer fans and collectors an exclusive look at some of the most memorable canine champions in history. What sets the cards apart from the rest of the pack? Here’s a closer look at what makes this insert set so special.
Best in Show Champions
Each card in the Stars of the Show insert set highlights one Best in Show winner, showcasing the amazing dogs who have earned this coveted title. These dogs represent the pinnacle of canine excellence, having captured the hearts of judges and spectators at one of the world’s most respected dog shows. From agility to elegance, these champion dogs each have their own story and the cards bring their triumphs to life for collectors to cherish.
Some standout canine champions in the set include:
- Sage (Miniature Poodle): Made history in 2024 by becoming the first female dog to win Best in Show since 2020. Sage is also only the third of her breed to take home this win.
- Wasabi (Pekingese): Claimed victory in 2021, making him the fifth of his breed ever to win. The last Pekigese winner was in 2012.
- Bee (Shetland Sheepdog): Captured mid-leap on her card after winning the 2022 Westminster Masters Agility Championship. Bee’s agility run was completed in just 29.81 seconds—just 1.37 seconds slower than the fastest time ever, 28.44 seconds by Kelso (Border Collie) in 2014.
The card designs aim to highlight each dog’s true talent and personality, showing them in action and celebrating their incredible skills and charm.
Relic Cards: A Real Piece of the Dog Show
The 2024 Topps Allen & Ginter series features some of the rarest and most coveted relic cards ever released, offering a unique way for collectors to connect with the legendary Westminster Dog Show. These relic cards contain small pieces of memorabilia from the competition itself, making them a highly prized find by both dog lovers and card collectors alike.
The slightly more abundant relics in this series feature authentic pieces of cloth cut from the Best in Show ribbon awarded to the winning dogs. Each of these relics is placed on a card of one of the 40 featured champion dogs, with only 20 created for each, increasing their rarity and value. These cards allow collectors to own a tangible piece of the Westminster Dog Show’s history.
Even rarer are the Winner Circle Relic cards, which feature the handler’s purple winner’s lapel, fully inserted into the card along with a paw print in the circle of the lapel. These Winner Circle Relic cards are one-of-a-kind, with only seven made, each showcasing one of the top championship dogs. The dogs include Mercedes, Louis, Sage, Micah, Frankie, Comet, and Monty. These incredibly rare cards are truly a once-in-a-lifetime find for collectors lucky enough to pull one from a pack. Some of them are listed on eBay for sale at more than $200 each!
Celebrating Westminster’s Top Dogs with Unique Cards
The 2024 Topps Allen & Ginter Westminster Kennel Club Stars of the Show insert set blends the prestige of the world’s most famous dog show with the timeless appeal of collectible trading cards.This set captures the history, excitement, and elegance of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in every card, whether you’re after a particular Best in Show champion or hoping to snag a rare relic card.
For collectors and dog lovers alike, these cards are more than memorabilia—they’re a piece of Westminster’s enduring legacy. From lifelong card collectors and Westminster superfans to those just discovering the joy of trading cards, this unique collaboration brings the thrill of the Dog Show to your collection. Which champion will you pull next?