After decades of dominance as the exclusive baseball trading card producer licensed by Major League Baseball, Topps recently announced that 2022 would be their final year holding that license. The news sent shockwaves throughout the baseball card collecting world since Topps had been synonymous with the industry for over 70 years.
Topps first obtained exclusive rights to produce MLB licensed baseball cards in 1956 and had maintained that monopoly ever since. Their exclusive deal expired after the 2022 season and MLB opted not to renew it. This opened the door for other companies to vie for the lucrative licensing rights going forward. In August 2022, it was announced that Fanatics, the dominant player in licensed sports merchandise, had acquired a long-term deal to become MLB’s new baseball card partner beginning in 2023.
The decision by MLB to end Topps’ exclusive license marked the conclusion of one of the longest sports licensing deals in history. Topps had come to dominate the baseball card marketplace through relentless innovation and their unparalleled access as the sole producer of licensed MLB cards. Generations of fans grew up collecting Topps cards of their favorite players throughout the 20th century and into the 21st.
In recent years the collectibles industry underwent massive changes which threatened Topps’ long-held monopoly. Chief among these changes was the explosion of new entrants in the trading card space, like Panini and Leaf, that produced competing unlicensed cards utilizing photographs and stats from players. These other companies aimed to gain market share that Topps had occupied exclusively for decades. Fanatics’ formidable resources and distribution strength represented another gigantic new competitor in sports collectibles.
On a financial level, Topps had also struggled in the years leading up to 2022. Despite the popularity of collecting, Topps’ baseball card sales had declined as the company diversified into other confectionery products outside of sports cards. In 2005, Topps even went private to help restructure away from declining baseball card sales. By the time 2022 arrived, Topps may have felt it could no longer afford to outbid competitors for the MLB license going forward.
For collectors and fans, the conclusion of Topps’ MLB license marks a significant change to the baseball card landscape after 66 years of familiarity. Topps had become the consistent, standard bearer of the industry with designs, sets, and release schedules that collectors could depend on annually. Not returning in 2023 means the end of classic Topps designs and the Jpeg code on the back that many learned to recognize as a child.
The response from within the collecting community has been mixed. Some see Fanatics and the possible new competitors they may bring as innovation and fresh perspectives that can revitalize the declining physical card market. Fanatics’ experience in e-commerce could boost flagging online baseball card sales as well. Their resources may allow for premium products to drive new collectors and speculation.
Still, there is skepticism that no single entity can replicate what Topps achieved through deep baseball history and proven brand loyalty. Concerns over competing artist designs, photograph quality, print runs and new IP issues abound. Nostalgia for Topps runs deep for older collectors who may feel disconnected from baseball cards without the company’s involvement.
Regardless of perspectives, 2022 will undoubtedly carry special significance as the final year of Topps’ long MLB reign. Special parallel and retrospective products are being released by Topps to commemorate their 66 year partnership. For many collectors and companies in the industry, Topps has been a enduring constant through multiple generations. While change is inevitable, the end of this exclusive deal truly marks the closing of a distinct baseball card era. How the industry adapts and what Fanatics and future licensees bring will shape the collectibles sector for decades ahead.
In the short term, 2022 Topps baseball products like Series 1, 2, Update and Allen & Ginter are hot commodities as their final Topps MLB releases. Values on vintage Topps cardboard from the 60s, 70s and 80s boom years are also being bolstered as collectors nostalgically reconnect with the past. Whether the category sees long term growth or decline post-Topps remains uncertain. But their indelible impact on the sport and collectors is forever cemented after building the modern baseball card industry since 1956. The golden age they defined may be finish, yet Topps’ legacy will endure for future generations to experience.
