The longtime name in baseball cards that is often featured as a crossword puzzle clue refers to the Topps Company, which has been the dominant manufacturer and distributor of baseball cards in the United States for over half a century. Founded in 1938 in Brooklyn, New York by four Ukrainian immigrants, Topps started as a confectionery company that produced gum with pictures on the wrapper. In the 1950s they began experimenting with including sports trading cards in their gum and candy packages as an added bonus.
At the time, there was no standardized baseball card market. Several companies produced cards that were inserted randomly into products like bubble gum, candy, peanuts, and Cracker Jack. However, Topps was the first company to sign exclusive contracts with both Major League Baseball and baseball’s players association to produce and distribute the official MLB player cards. Their seminal contracts in 1956 granted Topps the sole right to place active professional ballplayers’ pictures on bubble gum and candy cards.
This monopoly allowed Topps to surpass their competitors and dominate the baseball card industry going forward. Companies like Bowman, Fleer, and Leaf were forced out of the baseball card market. Topps went on to sign similar deals with other pro sports leagues as well, gaining exclusive rights to produce cards for the NFL in 1961, NBL in 1967, and NHL in 1988. During the heyday of baseball cards in the 1960s-1980s, Topps reigned supreme as virtually the only producer of packs, boxes, and sets found at corners stores, pharmacies, and card shops nationwide.
Some key moments in Topps’ history that solidified their status as the longtime dominant name in baseball cards include:
1959 – Topps completed their first full color design set, featuring 598 cards. Full color printing helped cards come alive and captured kids’ fascination.
1967 – Topps released the first major league player souvenir photo card set, with separate American and National League formats consisting of 792 total cards.
1969 – Arguably one of the most famous and prized baseball card sets of all time, the 1969 Topps set featured rookie cards of Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Tom Seaver, and Reggie Jackson.
1970s & 80s – Countless popular and valuable rookie cards appeared during these boom years for Topps, including George Brett, Rickey Henderson, Wade Boggs, and more. Their monopoly was at its peak.
1987 – Topps issued the wishbone design, considered one of their most visually appealing trademarks that became nostalgically linked to the baseball card era.
1989 – Fleer re-entered the baseball card market for the first time since the 1960s, ending Topps’ exclusive run. Their deals with MLB and MLBPA expired.
While their exclusive deals disappeared over time, Topps remains the top brand still producing baseball cards in the present day. Often abbreviated as T206 in the hobby in reference to their iconic 1906 tobacco card release, Topps continues cranking out millions of cards annually in traditional wax pack and box form. In the internet age they have further expanded into insert sets, parallels, autographs, memorabilia cards, and online redemption sets.
When one finds the crossword clue “longtime name in baseball cards”, Topps is almost always the intended solution. No other company comes close to matching Topps’ over 60 year tenure crafting the plastic relics that fueled the childhood imaginations of generations of baseball fans. Though competitors like Upper Deck, Leaf, and Panini now supplement the market, Topps owns the title as the long-standing heavyweight and brand most synonymous with the classic baseball card collecting experience. Their name, designs, and logos are baked into the DNA of the pastime. Topps indeed reigns as the indisputable longtime name in the world of cardboard kings.
