Three 2024 Topps Companion Cards Offer a More Manageable Elly De La Cruz Display

Three different images of Elly De La Cruz made for a more satisfying collecting project than a nine-card parallel chase. The collector’s experience with the 2024 Topps Flagship Companion cards shows how a focused player grouping can deliver visual variety without turning a personal display into an expensive checklist.

The original plan was to build a rainbow from the 2024 Topps flagship cards of De La Cruz, a Reds player whose cards had caught the collector’s attention. The design had grown on them over several months, and the idea of assembling multiple versions of the same player seemed like a natural next step. The proposed scope was limited to parallels with print runs of 499 or higher, leaving short-print cards out of the picture.

Even with that boundary, the math changed the appeal of the project. The collector found nine different parallels to consider and estimated that acquiring them would cost well over $700. That was enough to shelve the rainbow. The figure reflects this collector’s assessment of the cards they were considering; it isn’t a price guide or a claim about what every copy will sell for. Still, it captures the practical question behind many player collections: how much variety is worth paying for when the cards share a design and differ mainly by parallel treatment?

A smaller group with more image variety

The alternative was a set of three Elly De La Cruz cards from the Topps Flagship Companion set. The collector found the prices reasonable and liked that the cards featured different images. That distinction matters for a display. Parallel runs can make a group feel complete through color or scarcity, while different photographs offer a more direct change from card to card. For someone collecting a favorite player, the image itself can be as much of the draw as the finish or print-run detail.

The three cards also give the project a clear shape without requiring a long hunt. A collector can enjoy the group as it stands, then add another card if a suitable one turns up. That leaves room for the collection to grow at its own pace. It also makes the display easier to understand at a glance: the subject is consistent, while the images provide the variation.

Planning the display

The collector has another card in mind for the group: an Elly De La Cruz Reds team set card. If that addition happens, the plan is to show all four cards together in a BCW four-card screw-down holder. The idea gives the collection a defined endpoint for now, with the team card adding a different kind of context alongside the three Companion images.

A holder can make a small group easier to present as one unit, but it’s worth checking that the cards fit the holder’s intended format before mounting them. Collectors displaying cards should also consider where the holder will sit: a stable surface and a spot away from prolonged direct sunlight help keep a display practical and visible. The source doesn’t describe a grading result or card condition, so neither is needed to appreciate the project. Here, the appeal is the chosen images and the way the cards work together.

Let the collection follow the collector

There’s a familiar tension in modern card collecting: a checklist can make a project feel finite, while the cost of completing it can quickly make the hobby less enjoyable. The collector’s change of direction keeps the personal goal intact—building an Elly De La Cruz display—while replacing a broad parallel chase with a compact group they already enjoy. That’s a useful reminder that a collection doesn’t need every version to feel deliberate.

The three 2024 Topps Flagship Companion cards are the finished core for now. A Reds team set card remains a possible next addition, and the planned four-card holder would bring the pieces together. Until then, the group already has what prompted the purchase: distinct images, a favorite player and a scale that feels comfortable to its owner.