Topps Chewing Gum, Inc., commonly referred to as just Topps, is an American confectionery company and trading card company. They are best known for producing American football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, soccer, and entertainment trading cards. The company is headquartered in New York City.
Topps began producing gum and trading cards together in 1949 with the advent of Bowman Gum baseball cards. In 1951 they launched their own brand of baseball trading cards produced in the U.S. called Topps Baseball. This was the start of the iconic post-World War 2 era of baseball cards in America. For over 70 years Topps has manufactured and distributed the leading brand of baseball cards around the world.
The early Topps baseball cards were printed on a thinner stock paper than rivals like Bowman and Leaf. This led to production issues causing corners to wrinkle or cards to stick together more easily. However, Topps improved their card quality and production techniques over the following years. By the mid-1950s Topps had become the dominant brand in the baseball card market, to the point of boxing out all major competitors.
Some key aspects that contributed to Topps’ dominance in the post-war decades included securing the exclusive rights to photograph players and teams of the recently formed Major League Baseball players association. They wisely chose to focus solely on the American professional baseball leagues rather than splitting collecting attention with other sports. Topps also aggressively acquired the trademark and intellectual property rights to some of the biggest baseball stars to solidify their brand value.
An iconic design element incorporated into Topps baseball card sets starting in the late 1950s was the classic black border around each card image. Many collectors consider this the definitive aesthetic look for a traditional baseball card. Other innovations included color photography, multi-shot action scenes, statistical breakdowns on the back, and oddball puzzle or rocket model rewards in some series.
Topps released their sets on a yearly schedule, with the most famous and desirable series being those issued around the mid-1950s through the late 1960s. This was the golden era of post-war baseball before expansion diluted the talent pool and national obsession with the sport and its stars. Key legendary players who defined Topps sets of this era include Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Hank Aaron, and more.
The 1960s saw Topps embrace psychedelic pop art influence for some of their designs. Popular sets from this decade like 1965 Topps, 1968 Topps, and 1969 Topps featured revolutionary packaging, photography, and graphical elements that still stand out today. This aligned with the recreational and counterculture explosions of the 1960s.
The 1970s introduced the dawn of the modern baseball card collecting craze, fueled by the ability to purchase unopened wax packs at mass retailers for just 25 cents. Having an entire factory sealed box of 1975 Topps or 1977 Topps Cards was every kid’s dream. Parallel to the rising collecting boom, key players emerged like Nolan Ryan, Pete Rose, and George Brett who defined sets of that era, plusReggie Jackson’s record-setting 1973 season.
With the 1980s came new competitors like Donruss, Score and Fleer entering the fray. Topps responded by increasing exclusive player imagery licensing and premium special sets like the 1987 Topps Traded set. They also incorporated futuristic foil stamping and embossed designs signaling the flashy decade. Sets from the late 1980s like 1987 Topps, 1988 Topps, and 1989 Topps captured baseball’s changing landscapes and stars like Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, and Ozzie Smith.
Topps entered the 1990s maintaining their market dominance but facing new pressures. The introduction of upperdeck in 1989 with their premium pricier cards threatened Topps’ traditional affordable model and changing cultural tastes meant less kids in the hobby. They fought back with flagship sets from the era like 1992 Topps, which marked 100 years of baseball, and iconic late 90s stars featured like Ken Griffey Jr, Derek Jeter, and Pedro Martinez.
In the 2000s, Topps shifted more to focus on chasing an adult collector market and rights to international leagues and players to expand beyond North America. They had by this point stamped their name on over 70 consecutive years of baseball cards. In 2007 Topps signed a deal as the official MLB license holder through 2022. To attract kids again they reintroduced unopened wax packs at affordable prices. Stars of the 2000s and 2010s Topps sets includeIchiro Suzuki, Albert Pujols, Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw.
After 7 decades producing baseball cards for America, Topps remains a household name in the industry. Their iconic designs, classic player imagery and focus on the mainstream MLB market has allowed longevity while competitors rose and fell. As the collecting hobby evolves Topps has proven skill at survival by innovating formats like relics, autos and parallels to keep collectors engaged for the next generation. The legacy of Topps baseball cards from the last 70 years as the definitive chroniclers of the game is undoubtedly cemented. Their earliest 1950s and 1960s vintage cards remain the most coveted collectibles in the hobby.
