Topps in the Modern Baseball Card Industry

In order to fill out a 132-card set (the quantity of cards that fit on a one sheet

of the uncut cardboard used in the production method), it would include a variety of rookie players who had just reached the main leagues and not previously appeared on a card. They also incorporated a few single cards of players who previously appeared in the typical set on a multi-player "prospects" card; one notable example is the 1982 Topps Traded Cal Ripken, Jr.. Given that a "rookie card" is typically the most important for any provided player, the businesses now competed to be the very first to generate a card of game enthusiasts who may well be future stars. This card from the 1984 squad appeared in Topps's typical 1985 set, but by the up coming Olympic cycle the team's cards had been migrated to the "Traded" set. Also starting in 1989 with the entry of Upper Deck into the marketplace, card companies commenced to create higher-end cards using enhanced technologies. Following Topps's example, other makers now commenced to diversify their product lines into various sets, each catering to a various niche of the market. Topps continued adding much more sets and attempting to distinguish them from each other, as did its competitors. The union announced that for 2006, licenses would only be granted to Topps and Upper Deck, the number of various items would be restricted, and players would not appear on cards before reaching the major leagues.

Even though most of its merchandise had been distributed by way of retail stores and pastime shops, Topps also attempted to create itself on the net, in which a substantial secondary market place for sports cards was establishing. Working in partnership with eBay, Topps launched a new brand of sports cards known as etopps in December 2000. The quantity marketed is dependent on how many individuals offer to buy, but is limited to a certain maximum. After a sale, the cards are held in a climate-controlled warehouse unless the buyer requests delivery, and the cards can be traded on the internet without changing hands except in the virtual sense.

Topps also acquired ThePit.com, a startup company that earlier in 2000 previously launched a site for online stock-market style card buying and selling. The purchase was for $5.7 million cash in August 2001 soon after Topps had previously committed to invest in a round of venture capital financing for the company. This undertaking was not very profitable, nevertheless, and Topps unloaded the internet site on Naxcom in January 2006. The quantity of the transaction was not disclosed, but Topps charged a $3.7 million after-tax loss on its books in connection with the sale.

In early 2007, Topps grabbed national attention when the new card of Yankees' shortstop Derek Jeter was discovered to have been altered to contain an image of Mickey Mantle standing in the dugout and President George W. Join me as I break the latest and coolest baseball card hobby boxes.

Topps in the Modern Baseball Card Industry

By: Trisha Davis

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