Topps Baseball Cards

A Brief History of the Topps Baseball Brand

Topps is a renowned brand in the world of baseball cards, and its history stretches back over seven decades. The company was founded in 1938 as Topps Chewing Gum, Inc. by brothers Abram, Ira, Philip, and Joseph Shorin. Initially, Topps primarily produced chewing gum, including Bazooka bubble gum, which became one of their popular products.

It wasn’t until 1950 that Topps ventured into the baseball card market. That year, they released their first baseball card set, which featured both current players and legendary stars. The cards were an instant success and marked the beginning of Topps’ journey into the world of sports collectibles.

In 1952, Topps released their most iconic set to date, known as the 1952 Topps Baseball set. This set included the highly sought-after rookie card of New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle. The card became synonymous with the hobby and is regarded as one of the most valuable and significant baseball cards ever produced.

Throughout the following decades, Topps continued to dominate the baseball card market. They secured exclusive licensing agreements with Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), allowing them to use official team logos and player images on their cards. This exclusivity provided Topps with a competitive edge over other manufacturers in the industry.

In the 1990s, the baseball card market experienced a significant boom, fueled by increased interest and speculation. However, overproduction and saturation led to a decline in the hobby’s popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Topps faced financial challenges during this period, including bankruptcy filings in 2007 and 2010. Nevertheless, the company managed to overcome these setbacks and continued to release baseball card sets which have continued to be considered the best and most valuable in baseball.

2020 Releases

2021 Releases

2022 Releases

2023 Releases

Other Topps Resources

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