MJ Holding Company Baseball Cards
MJ Holding Company is one of the largest and most prominent private holding companies in the baseball card industry. Founded in 1990 by Michael Jordan in Los Angeles, the company holds ownership stakes in several iconic American baseball card companies that shaped the hobby in the 20th century. While MJ Holding Company does not actively produce its own cards, it aims to preserve the legacy of classic card brands and grow the sport of baseball through strategic investing and partnerships.
Topps Baseball Cards
Topps’ most famous and valuable property is its association with the modern baseball card era. In 1951, Topps secured an exclusive license to produce gum-backed baseball cards, which helped popularize the young hobby. This coup gave Topps a multi-decade monopoly that allowed it to define the standard baseball card format. In the 1990s, Topps’ exclusive deal expired and Upper Deck emerged as its top competitor. However, Topps remains a household name in cards and maintains the longest continuous presence in the industry.
In 2007, MJ Holding Company acquired Topps from a private equity firm. Since the purchase, Topps has refocused on premium offerings like trading cards, stickers, and memorabilia while diversifying into other sports, entertainment, and conventional trading cards. Topps also thrives as a brand licensor, partnering with MLB, NBA, NFL, and others to release officially licensed products. The baseball heritage remains at the core of Topps’ identity and drives significant nostalgia and collector interest to this day.
Fleer Baseball Cards
Fleer is another iconic American card brand that helped popularize the modern baseball card era. Founded in 1885 as a bubble gum manufacturer, Fleer entered the scarce baseball card market in 1956 when the Bowman Gum Company decided to exit the field. Early Fleer issues are some of the most desired by collectors, boasting innovative designs and colorful photography ahead of its time.
In 1992, Fleer was acquired by MJ Holding Company. Subsequently, Fleer continued producing licensed sports cards through the 1990s and 2000s. Business challenges arose as the sports card market consolidated around fewer dominant brands like Topps and Upper Deck. Fleer baseball production halted in 2011 and the brand was later acquired by Panini America. Despite this, prized vintage Fleer releases still captivate collectors with their nostalgic designs and historically significant rookie cards.
Under MJ Holding Company ownership, both Topps and Fleer were able to preserve much of their storied legacies in the baseball card market and beyond. The brands continued distributing new releases, maintained official MLB licenses, and introduced innovative products. Shifting consumer demand and intensifying competition ultimately led Topps and Fleer’s card production arms to consolidate or change hands. Through strategic investments and stewardship, MJ Holding Company ensured these pioneering brands lived on even after adjustments to their respective businesses models.
Investments and Partnerships
In addition to Topps and Fleer, MJ Holding Company owns or held interests in several other iconic sports and entertainment brands. This includes Bowman Baseball, a manufacturer of premium trading cards founded in the late 1940s. MJ Holding Company also maintained a partnership with The Topps Company, Inc, a popular confectionery and gum producer known for its eponymous trading card origins with Topps Baseball Cards.
More recently, MJ Holding Company has diversified its portfolio beyond card brands alone. It has taken equity stakes in companies like Fanatics, Inc, an online retailer and licensed merchandise behemoth that streams exclusive sports video content, operates e-commerce marketplaces, and manufactures sports apparel and collectibles. MJ Holding Company also invested in WinCollective, a sports and esport data analytics platform that provides competitive info, fantasy projections, and betting lines.
Through long standing brands like Topps and newer partners like Fanatics, MJ Holding Company aims to both preserve baseball card history and stake out the industry’s future across physical cards, technology platforms, and licensed sports merchandise. By backing innovative companies and products, MJ Holding Company ensures that emerging generations can experience and enjoy baseball fandom much like generations before through their favorite ballplayers, cards, collectibles and beyond.
In summary, MJ Holding Company has played an integral role stewarding the legacies of collectible giants like Topps and Fleer baseball cards for over 30 years. While business adjustments were inevitable, its brand investments and thoughtful partnerships continue growing the baseball card and collectibles industries worldwide. MJ Holding Company’s balanced approach of cherishing storied legacies while embracing innovation positions America’s pastime and its classic cardboard collectibles strongly for generations to come.
