The Topps Company, Inc. is an American company best known for producing baseball cards, and is one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of trading cards and collectibles in the world. Topps is most famous for its iconic baseball cards, which were first introduced in 1951 and have become a staple of the baseball card industry. Topps baseball cards have played an important role in documenting the history of Major League Baseball and capturing the likenesses and statistics of baseball players for generations of collectors.

Topps got its start in 1938 as a chewing gum company called the Topps Chewing Gum Inc. in Brooklyn, New York. In the late 1940s, Topps began experimenting with including collectible trading cards inside its gum packaging. In 1951, Topps secured the exclusive rights to produce baseball cards and released its first complete set featuring players from that year. At the time, Bowman and Leaf were the only other companies producing baseball cards. Topps’ cards were a big hit with collectors and quickly outsold the competition. The colorful and visually appealing cards featured a clear photo of each player on the front along with their stats and team information on the back.

Topps’ monopoly on baseball cards would last from 1952 to 1980, during which time it established itself as the premier brand in the industry. Each year, Topps released new sets containing cards of every Major League player. The company also experimented with innovative promotions, inserts, and variations to drive collector interest. Some of the most iconic and valuable Topps sets from this era include the 1952, 1954, 1956, and 1957 issues. During the 1960s, Topps introduced the first color photos on cards and included rookie cards of future Hall of Famers like Reggie Jackson and Tom Seaver that are highly sought after today.

In the 1970s, Topps continued to innovate with new subsets, parallel issues, and oddball promotions. Sets from this decade like the iconic 1975 and iconic 1977 issues are considered some of the finest ever produced. The 1970s also saw the rise of star power on baseball cards, as popular players like Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, and Nolan Ryan began to grace the covers of annual sets. In 1980, Topps’ exclusive license to MLB players expired. Fleer and Donruss entered the market, ending Topps’ nearly 30-year monopoly. This ushered in a new era of competition that changed the baseball card industry forever.

Through the 1980s and 1990s, Topps remained the dominant force but had to share the market with Fleer and Donruss, later joined by Upper Deck. Each company competed for the biggest star players and insert chase cards to entice collectors. During this time, the popularity of collecting baseball cards soared to new heights. Iconic Topps sets like the iconic 1987, iconic 1992, and iconic 1994 issues contained some of the most valuable modern rookie cards ever produced, including Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones, and Derek Jeter. The junk wax era of the late 1980s also saw production numbers skyrocket, making many common cards from this period worth little today.

In the 2000s and 2010s, the baseball card market contracted significantly due to overproduction during the prior decades and new entertainment/hobby options for collectors. Manufacturers began to focus more on memorabilia cards, autographs, and parallels to attract buyers. Despite the decline in the industry, Topps has remained the dominant brand due to its brand recognition and history. Each year it continues to produce the flagship Topps Series 1, 2, and Update sets containing the latest player photos and stats. Modern stars featured prominently in Topps issues include Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw, and Shohei Ohtani.

Through seven decades in business, Topps has maintained its position as the leading brand in the baseball card industry. Its cards have become an important part of documenting MLB history and the development of the sport. Iconic Topps sets from the 1950s-90s are some of the most valuable in the collecting hobby. Even as the market has changed, Topps has endured by continuing to produce new players’ cards each year. Its brand recognition and history ensure Topps baseball cards will remain a staple collectible for generations to come. The case of Topps is a prime example of a company that has successfully evolved with its industry while maintaining its core product.