For decades, solving crossword puzzles has been a daily pastime for millions of people around the world. One clue that consistently stumps puzzlers is “longtime name in baseball cards.” This refers to a company that was a foundational part of the baseball card industry for over 100 years.
The longtime name in baseball cards is Topps. Founded in 1938 in Brooklyn, New York, Topps Chewing Gum Inc. began as a manufacturer and distributor of gum, candy, and confections. Brothers Joseph and Abram Shorin started the company and quickly grew it to be one of the leading chewing gum brands in the United States. In the early 1950s, Topps began branching out beyond gum and inserted baseball card illustrations as incentives inside their products.
This marked the beginning of Topps’ dominance in the baseball card industry that would last for decades. Topps’ main competitors at the time, Bowman and Fleer, also produced cards but they did not have the distribution deals with gum stores, candy shops, and supermarkets that Topps possessed. By 1955, Topps had acquired the exclusive rights to produce packs of cards for the top professional baseball players and leagues. This near-monopoly allowed Topps to outsell and eventually force other companies out of the baseball card business in subsequent years.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Topps releases like ’57 Topps, ’59 Topps, and ’67 Topps are considered some of the most iconic and collectible vintage card sets ever made. Topps signed deals with other major sports leagues as well, notably with the National Football League starting in 1956. Part of Topps’ marketing success during this period was tied to the use of colorful, vibrant designs on their card fronts. Artists like Woody Gelman, Frank Naples, and Ira Snitzer helped give each Topps series a unique visual aesthetic.
By 1970, the rapid growth of the baseball card industry had also meant legal trouble was brewing for Topps. Fleer sued Topps for monopolizing the baseball card market. While Topps maintained their MLB agreement, the case opened the door for other companies to once again produce cards featuring current major leaguers not under Topps’ exclusive contracts. Fleer, Donruss, and later Upper Deck capitalized on this opportunity to grab a share of the lucrative card sales.
To stay competitive in the face of new rivals, Topps began experimenting with innovative new sets featuring oddball photography, action shots, trading card insert sets, and oddball parallels in the 1970s and 80s. The ’77 Topps and ’86 Topps sets stood out for capturing the sports card phenomenon of their respective eras. From the mid-1980s onward, Topps also heavily pushed the memorabilia card model by inserting autographed patches or swatches of game-worn jerseys into packs at higher price points.
The modern era of the 1990s saw Topps embroiled in a couple more antitrust suits from competitor companies claiming the corporation engaged in monopolistic practices. By this point, Topps had expanded into various other non-sports markets like entertainment, waxed paper packs, and premium memorabilia boxes. However, Topps lost some key sports licenses to competitors Upper Deck and Playoff during these legal fights.
In the 2000s, Topps transitioned to focus more on digital opportunities with applications, online virtual card games, and social platforms while still maintaining their legacy baseball roots. Even after over 60 years in the business, Topps found innovative ways to lure both casual fans and collectors. Iconic modern Topps sets centered around Derek Jeter, Ken Griffey Jr, and Mike Trout helped keep the company synonymous with America’s favorite pastime.
The Topps Company today remains the industry standard as the longest running and most historic brand in the trading card realm. While annual flagship baseball series like Topps Chrome and Topps Heritage connect to the past, subsets focusing on rookie cards, parallels, and new insert types constantly push the collectibility aspect. Topps also holds licenses in European soccer, UFC, WWE wrestling, Garbage Pail Kids, and various arts & entertainment properties.
At over 80 years in operation, Topps truly embodies being the longtime name in baseball cards. No other company can claim the historical significance, iconic set catalog, legal battles fought, or ability to evolve with the trends over the past century as the industry pioneer. Solving “longtime name in baseball cards” becomes an easy clue for any puzzle enthusiast familiar with Topps’ illustrious trailblazing legacy within the world of collectibles.
