The Topps Company, Inc. is an American company that manufactures trading cards, stickers, imprintables, sports-related collectibles, posters, and pop culture items. They are most famous for their American sports cards including their iconic baseball cards which they have produced continuously since 1951. In the mid-1990s, Topps formed an exclusive partnership with the retail chain Kmart to sell their baseball card products in stores. This Kmart exclusive deal lasted from 1995 through 2003 and produced some memorable and collectible baseball card sets during that time period.

One of the major perks for collectors during the Kmart era was that it allowed Topps to experiment with unique designs, parallels, and insert sets that may not have been as viable in the broader trading card market that was dominated by Upper Deck and Fleer at the time. Card collectors could find treasures at their local Kmart that they wouldn’t see elsewhere. While regular Topps products were still widely available, the Kmart exclusives gave an extra layer of scarcity and excitement to the hobby.

Some of the most notable Kmart exclusive baseball card sets and products included:

1995 Kmart Collector’s Choice – This was the debut set that kicked off the partnership. Highlights included full-bleed photography, veteran stars, and rookie cards of Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Varitek.

1996 Kmart Collector’s Choice – Featured a patriotic theme to coincide with the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Inserts highlighted Olympian athletes. A-Rod’s rookie card stood out.

1997 Kmart Collector’s Choice – Cartoon-style drawings replaced photos on the base cards but popular parallels added to the interest. Chipper Jones and Nomar rookie inserts attracted attention.

1998 Kmart Collector’s Choice – Modern design with no borders presented the players in a unique way. Rare parallels boosted the hunt. Juan Gonzalez and Kerry Wood rookie inserts were popular.

1999 Kmart Collector’s Choice – Moving toward artist renditions, the vivid watercolors were a radical change. Craig Biggio appeared on the cover. Rare parallels and a Hit Matrix insert set created mystery packs.

2000 Kmart Collector’s Choice – Colorful action photos highlighted the modern stars. Veterans and rookies like Derek Jeter and Todd Helton drew collectors. Rare parallels, such as a blue refractor parallel numbered to 10 copies, tantalized the hobby.

2001 Kmart Collector’s Choice – Players were shown in home AND away uniforms on the same card in a dual Image style. Veterans from the prior year’s World Series stood out along with sons of baseball legends.

2002 Kmart Collector’s Choice – A clear shift toward artists interpretations represented the players through various styles. Veterans and prospects like Alfonso Soriano drew interest. Superfractor parallel inserts numbered to 1 copy each became the “Holy Grail” chase cards.

2003 Kmart Collector’s Choice – The final set featured painted portraits and included a special Ken Griffey Jr. record-breaker subset. Rarity and parallel inserts remained key themes to keep collectors coming back to Kmart.

Aside from the annual Collector’s Choice sets, there were also many special Kmart-exclusive insert sets produced over the years between 1995-2003. Examples include the 1995 All-Time Greats autograph insert set, the 1997 Top Prospects autograph and memorabilia cards, 2000 Captains Club jersey parallel inserts, and the 2001 Generation Next prospect cards. All of these short-print inserts were only available through Kmart retail packs and often included some of the scarcest parallels in the entire trading card hobby during that late 90s/early 2000s period.

Due to this exclusivity, many of the higher-end rare parallels and inserts from the Kmart era sets have achieved legendary status among card collectors today and can trade hands for thousands of dollars depending on the player, parallel, and condition. Even relatively common base cards from these sets carry premium value simply due to their direct tie-in with the popular Kmart/Topps partnership during its eight year run. While collector interest has waned for the late-date issues as the years roll on, the earlier 1995-1999 Kmart Collector’s Choice sets in particular remain some of the most eagerly pursued vintage issues for collectors hoping to re-capture the fun and mystery of finding these unique cards in big box retail packs years ago.

The Kmart/Topps partnership ended abruptly in 2003 when the retail giant fell into deep financial troubles and eventually went out of business in 2006. This left collectors on a cliffhanger with the final 2003 Collector’s Choice set and wondering what unique ideas Topps may have come up with next. In the years since, Topps has generally moved away from dedicated retail exclusives with big box companies. But the memory of the Kmart era Topps baseball card run from 1995 to 2003 lives on as a special cult-favorite chapter in the company’s illustrious baseball card history thanks to the exclusive, experimental, and sometimes downright rare nature of the products that could only be found on store shelves at Kmart.