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ARE BASEBALL CARDS COMING BACK

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Baseball cards have experienced a significant resurgence in popularity over the past few years after nearly disappearing from mainstream culture. There are a few key factors that suggest baseball cards may indeed be coming back and restoring their nostalgia-fueled hold on sports fandom.

First, younger generations who grew up during the downfall of baseball cards in the 1990s-2000s have rediscovered their childhood pastime as adults with more discretionary income. Millennials and Gen Z fans now have the means and motivation to start new baseball card collections, reliving memories of sorting and trading with friends and bonding with their fathers and grandfathers over cards. As these younger collectors enter their peak spending years and start families of their own, they are passing on the baseball card tradition.

Secondly, sports card companies have put major efforts into revitalizing the baseball card industry and appealing to new demographics. For example, Topps—the longest-running and most iconic baseball card manufacturer—has launched innovative new products like limited-edition “Heritage” sets recreating classic designs and “Allen & Ginter” sets incorporating non-sports entertainment. Panini has also made deep investments in signing exclusive MLB player licensing rights away from Topps, creating greater competition.

Such companies are better utilizing advancements in card stock, protective coating, autograph relic swatches, and memorabilia parallels to give avid collectors high-end, valuable chase cards alongside the mainstream wax packs. They have also implemented strategic marketing partnerships with popular streaming services, video games, box stores, and memorabilia shops. These multi-pronged efforts indicate the baseball card industry recognizes it must evolve to survive long-term.

Promisingly, sales figures demonstrate baseball cards already are coming back. The annual industry suffered a decline from over $800 million at its peak in the 1990s all the way down under $300 million by 2009. Sales have rebounded to a reported $500-600 million currently according to industry sources as of 2022. Specifically, 2021 sales were up an estimated 25-40% year over year. Much of this revitalization stems from renewed interest from younger collector demographics.

Another factor fueling baseball card’s resurgence is the overall sports memorabilia and collectibles boom that has taken hold during the pandemic. With live sports on hiatus, fans looked to hobbies like assembling rookie card collections of emerging stars like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or hunting coveted vintage treasures. As individual card values soared into the thousands and millions on the burgeoning online marketplace, greater media exposure brought new eyeballs to the potential investment aspect of card collecting.

Despite economic uncertainty in 2020, collector spending on trading cards far surpassed any projections. The number of eBay users bidding on and buying cards doubled year-over-year. Robert Edward Auctions saw record sales in their sports collectibles division. Several industry leaders estimated a pandemic-prompted 50% uptick in the collectibles market. As more people appreciate cards not just for nostalgia but potential future earnings, interest should remain on an upswing.

Looking at recent signs, many industry observers believe baseball cards have turned the corner and reestablished themselves among collectors. Participation rates from the youth they hope to capture long-term are also encouraging. The comeback story shows no signs of stopping as both veteran and new collectors fuel demand. With sports card companies iterating new innovations, an untapped international fanbase, and the enduring romance of chasing down that elusive rookie gem, baseball cards seem firmly on track to complete their recovery and cement their place in the sports and collecting worlds for years to come. The multi-decade decline may be over, and baseball cards’ enduring popularity has baseball card companies and collectors convinced that they are truly coming back.

WHEN IS TOPPS 2023 BASEBALL CARDS COMING OUT

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Topps has been the premier brand for baseball cards for decades, holding the exclusive license to produce MLB players’ standard card issues each year. The Topps 2023 baseball card release dates and set details are something many avid collectors look forward to each offseason.

Based on historical release schedules from Topps, collectors can expect the flagship Topps 2023 baseball card series to begin arriving in retail outlets and shipments to online sellers around the second week of January 2023. This is right around the time that MLB clubs hold their annual winter meetings and negotiations on major player contracts and trades heat up as teams prepare for spring training.

Topps will likely officially announce set details like card designs, parallels, hits, autographs, and memorabilia cards included sometime in mid-December 2022. They may share initial sneak peek photos and checklists on their website and social media accounts in November and early December as baseball awards season wraps up.

When the cards do arrive in January, the first retail products available will almost always be Topps Series 1 hanger boxes, blasters, and jumbo packs at big box stores, hobby shops, and mass merchants like Target and Walmart. These will contain about 75-100 base cards and a selection of special inserts focusing on the upcoming season.

Series 1 is usually followed by Series 2 arriving around the third or fourth week of February. This second series adds another 100-150 base cards to complete rosters. It also layers in more hit odds and parallel variations with each subsequent series building on the previous checklist total. Heritage High Numbers and Allen & Ginter’s usually join the mix in March before Opening Day.

As for hobby-exclusive releases through LCS’s and online card shops, expect pre-orders to go live on those outlets in late November/early December for the various premium Topps 2023 products at higher price points. This includes Flagship Mega Boxes, Museum Collection, Archives, and High Tek. Limited releases like Topps Chrome and Finest follow shortly after the spring season starts.

Flagship retail products like Series 1-3, Heritage, and Allen & Ginter’s can also be pre-ordered through major online hobby sellers at direct distributor cost ahead of their delivery dates to guarantee allocations and prevent sellouts. Pre-sales provide Topps and LCS’s access to working capital.

In 2023, Topps has to finish producing and distribution of its 2022 licensed products by the end of December before full focus shifts to the new season. A few annual retro re-release sets may bridge the calendar year transition period in early January too as a special bonus for diehard collector completionists.

Then starting in late January through May, the monthly rollouts of Topps Series 1-3, Heritage, Allen & Ginter’s, and all those premium hobby boxes keep the card season going strong leading up to the summer. By then, Topps Update and other post-season/playoff issues will be gearing up followed by the next year’s cycle in the fall/winter again.

As the exclusive MLBPA license holder, Topps doesn’t face direct competition from other card companies for standard baseball issues like in the past. But companies like Panini still produce competing licensed NBA, NFL, soccer and mixed sport products that may siphon some discretionary collecting dollars. Overall it’s an exciting time for any baseball card fan eagerly awaiting the first glimpses of the 2023 Topps series to arrive.

BASEBALL CARDS COMING BACK

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The Humble Beginnings of Baseball Cards

The tradition of collecting baseball cards dates back to the late 19th century. In the 1880s, cigarette and tobacco companies began inserting illustrated baseball cards into their products as a marketing tactic. Players saw these early cards as novel collectibles, but little did they know it would spark a hobby that has lasted well over a century. Throughout the early 1900s, tobacco companies like American Tobacco and Goodwin & Company dominated the baseball card market by including them in packs of cigarettes.

The Golden Age and Decline of Baseball Cards

The 1950s are widely considered the golden age of baseball cards. Major League Baseball was exploding in popularity during this post-World War II era and card companies like Topps, Bowman, and Fleer were pumping out sets featuring the biggest stars of the day like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron. Kids across America traded, collected, and stored these iconic cardboard treasures in shoeboxes under their beds. The 1970s brought about changing attitudes towards smoking that would shake up the baseball card industry. Concerns over the health impacts of tobacco led to the decline of cigarettes as the primary vehicle for distributing cards. This caused Topps to become the sole producer of modern baseball cards by the late 1980s.

The Card Resurgence of the 1990s

Just as it seemed the baseball card craze may have run its course, the 1990s sparked an unexpected revival. Several factors contributed to renewed interest that has lasted to today. Firstly, the arrival of high-priced rookie cards for future Hall of Famers like Ken Griffey Jr. and Chipper Jones attracted investors and speculators. Also, the nostalgia factor kicked in as baby boomers rediscovered their childhood collections. Perhaps most importantly, the rise of online trading via the internet made it easier than ever to buy, sell, and trade cards with collectors around the world. Sites like eBay facilitated a booming secondary market. Upper Deck also entered the scene in 1989 and challenged Topps’ monopoly. Their innovative card designs and exclusive licenses helped attract a new generation of collectors.

Modern Baseball Cards Thrive Despite Challenges

While the digital age has brought many changes to the sports card industry, physical baseball cards remain popular among both casual fans and serious investors. According to The Atlantic, the sports card market was estimated at $400-700 million in 2016. Challenges remain. The pricing of high-end vintage cards has become cost-prohibitive for many. Also, with so much sports media now consumed online or via streaming, some worry younger fans won’t develop the same passion for collecting that past generations did.

On the other hand, trading card companies have found ways to stay relevant. Strategic inserts featuring rare autographs and memorabilia cards entice collectors to keep opening fresh packs. Exclusive partnerships with players generate buzz and new product lines outside of the traditional cardboard format have emerged, such as immaculate patches featuring game-used fabrics. Perhaps most importantly, the sports card industry has embraced its online community. Social media allows the sharing of finds and trades while third party grading services like PSA/BGS add value and liquidity to the modern collecting experience.

The Future Looks Bright for Baseball Card Enthusiasts

All signs point to baseball cards maintaining their cherished place in sports fandom and popular culture for years to come. As today’s children get hooked on rip videos and box breaks on YouTube, a new generation of lifelong collectors is being created. Meanwhile, the existing fanbase continues to trade and invest in the nostalgia of their favorite players and teams. New technological developments like crypto trading cards that utilize blockchain may further engage digital natives. As long as the national pastime of baseball thrives, its cardboard companions will remain a beloved part of the sport’s history and living memorabilia for aficionados everywhere. Whether enjoyed casually or taken seriously as an alternative asset class, baseball cards seem poised to maintain their status well into the 21st century and beyond.

BASEBALL CARDS COMING SOON

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Baseball Card Companies Preparing for New Releases in 2023

The baseball card industry is gearing up for what many insiders believe will be another strong year of sales and collector interest. With the 2022 season now in the books and awards being handed out, the major card manufacturers are putting the finishing touches on their 2023 baseball card releases.

Topps, Panini, Leaf, and others have been teasing collectors on social media about some of the exciting sets that will be hitting store shelves starting in January. With a new crop of rookies making their mark in the big leagues and star players changing teams via free agency, there is plenty of fresh content to feature. Here’s a look at some of the notable baseball card releases that collectors can expect to see over the coming months.

2023 Topps Series 1: As the longest-running and most iconic brand in the hobby, Topps Series 1 is always one of the most anticipated releases each year. The full checklist has not been revealed, but Topps has shared images of some of the new rookie cards that will be in the set like Oneil Cruz, Bobby Witt Jr., and Adley Rutschman. The base design has a clean, classic look featuring action shots of the players. Hobby boxes of Series 1 are expected to hit stores in late January/early February.

2023 Topps Chrome: Topps Chrome parallels the base Series 1 set but with a photo-variant refractor design on the cards. Chrome is highly sought after by collectors due to its shiny, eye-catching presentation. Topps has shown a sneak peek of rookie refractor cards for some of the top rookies from 2022 like Spencer Strider and Julio Rodriguez. Hobby boxes will be available shortly after Series 1 in February/March.

2023 Topps Heritage: Topps Heritage pays homage to the vintage designs of the 1950s and 1960s with a retro-styled checklist and card art. The set is expected to feature stars like Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Aaron Judge. Heritage will also have prized rookie cards for players who made their MLB debuts in 2022. Look for the set to arrive in hobby stores in March/April.

2023 Topps Transcendent Collection: This high-end offering from Topps features extremely short prints of the game’s biggest stars encased in acrylic. Past Transcendent cards have showcased Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, and others. While full details are not public yet, Topps is teasing “game-used” memorabilia cards and 1-of-1 rarities. The ultra-premium Transcendent Collection boxes usually sell for thousands and will be available in April.

2023 Panini Prizm: As Topps’ chief competitor, Panini also has some exciting baseball releases on the docket. Prizm is their flagship brand known for “prismatic” parallels and colorful refractors. Rookie prizm cards of 2022 standouts like Julio Rodriguez and Bobby Witt Jr. are sure to be hot commodities. Look for Prizm to be released in March/April along with parallels like Prizm Black and Prizm Gold.

2023 Panini Contenders: Panini’s Contenders set focuses on capturing the biggest moments and performances from the previous MLB season. The checklist will feature the league leaders and award winners from 2022 like Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, and Justin Verlander. Rare 1-of-1 Contenders cards cut from game-worn memorabilia also create a buzz. Expect Contenders boxes in April/May after the new season begins.

2023 Leaf Metal Universe: Leaf’s retro-styled Metal Universe set is a fan favorite known for its high-gloss foil cards and throwback design aesthetic. Past checklists have included emerging talents as well as veterans. While player images have not leaked yet, Metal Universe will likely arrive in late spring providing another affordable option for collectors.

2023 Bowman Draft: The annual Bowman Draft set is all about highlighting the top amateur players selected in that year’s MLB June amateur draft. Past Draft classes have included superstars like Wander Franco, Adley Rutschman, and Bobby Witt Jr. in their early career uniforms. Bowman Draft boxes usually hit the market in June/July after the draft concludes.

Those are just some of the major baseball card releases that companies have teased or provided details about for 2023 so far. As always, there will surely be surprise inserts, parallels and short prints mixed in along with the base rookies and stars. With the continued boom in popularity of the hobby, these new sets are sure to be hotly anticipated and quickly snatched up by the collecting community. 2023 is shaping up to be another exciting year to be a baseball card fan.

BASEBALL CARDS COMING OUT

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The tradition of baseball cards coming out of wax packs is an integral part of the sport’s history. Ever since the late 1800s, companies have been including small cardboard collectibles featuring baseball players inside sealed wax or paper packages as a promotional tool and money-maker. Over time, this simple concept evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry and childhood rite of passage for fans across North America.

The first true baseball cards resembling the modern format we know today were produced in the late 1880s by a tobacco manufacturer named Goodwin & Company. Their cigarette packs contained small promotional cards showing individual players from major league teams. It wasn’t until the 1890s that baseball cards started coming out of packs on a wide scale. In 1887, the American Tobacco Company began including baseball cards in packs of cigarettes and became the first company to mass produce them.

These early baseball cards came out of packs randomly, with no guaranteed players or teams in any given pack. Collectors would eagerly rip open wax paper envelopes hoping for stars or rare finds. The cards featured basic black and white images with no stats or biographical information. Still, they captured kids’ imaginations and sparked the beginning of a hobby. Throughout the early 20th century, dozens of tobacco brands like Fatima, Sweet Caporal and Old Mill issued baseball cards in their packs as ads for smokes.

The modern baseball card era began in 1909 when the American Tobacco Company launched its famous T206 set featuring color portraits of players. Distributed in packs of cigarettes and tobacco, these iconic cards included the first true rookie cards of legends like Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner. Their rarity and condition has made high-grade T206s the most valuable cards ever produced. In the following decades, other tobacco brands like Play Ball, Red Man and Star followed suit by randomly inserting baseball cards in packs as promotions.

During the 1930s-50s, the Topps Chewing Gum Company became the dominant force in the baseball card industry. They pioneered the pink slab design and started including stat lines and biographies on the back of cards. Topps cards came out of iconic rectangular wax packs that are still collected today. Excitement built as kids traded and searched packs, hoping for the stars of that season. The post-WWII era saw baseball cards reach new heights of popularity as a pastime for American children across all social classes.

In the late 1950s, the advent of bubble gum in card packs revolutionized the business model. Topps and other brands like Fleer started including a stick of bubble gum with each pack of cards to entice younger collectors. This strategic move helped baseball cards avoid increasing government regulations on tobacco advertising. It also broadened the collector base by appealing directly to kids. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, the tradition of opening wax packs and enjoying the gum inside became a rite of passage for generations of baseball fans.

The 1980s marked a renaissance period for the baseball card industry. New companies like Donruss and Score entered the market, increasing competition and innovation. Ultra-premium sets from Topps like the high-gloss 1987 issue sold for record prices. Ken Griffey Jr’s rookie card in the 1989 Upper Deck set, the first non-Topps/Donruss brand, shattered records and brought unprecedented media attention. The influx of collectors fueled the opening of hobby shops and card conventions nationwide.

In the 1990s, the baseball card boom turned into a speculative bubble. Overproduction of rare parallel and insert cards led to crashes in collector enthusiasm and card values. The rise of online selling also reduced foot traffic in brick-and-mortar shops. Opening packs is still a beloved tradition. Today, companies like Topps, Panini, Leaf and others continue randomly inserting autographed rookie cards, memorabilia cards and more in wax packs on release day.

For over 130 years, the simple concept of randomly inserting small collectibles inside sealed packages has fueled the growth of baseball fandom. The anticipation of not knowing what player or hit card may come out of the next wax pack keeps the hobby exciting for collectors young and old. Whether hunting for stars, building sets or chasing rare pulls, cracking packs will always be a special part of baseball card collecting lore. The tradition started in the late 1800s ensures this fun part of the sport’s history lives on.

NEW BASEBALL CARDS COMING OUT

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The new baseball season will bring a fresh crop of trading cards for collectors to pursue. Panini America, Topps, Leaf, and other manufacturers are planning exciting releases to satisfy hobbyists. 2023 looks to continue building on recent interest and growth in the baseball card market.

Panini America will aim to drive the narrative with several high-profile sets. Their Donruss Optic product is setting the tone early by adding a special parallel featuring authentic swatches of game-used jersey materials. Numbered to only 25 copies, these jersey card autographs will be spotlight chasers. Later in the year, Panini also has Grandstand set to debut. It will focus on capturing iconic stadiums and ballparks through inserts showcasing historic venues. Top rookie picks will be highlighted as the future of their franchises.

Topps’ flagship series always generates buzz as the longest-running and most recognizable in the business. Several parallels are in store for 2023 Topps Series 1 including Superfractors. These 1/1 cards combine the rarity of gold refractors with special autograph or memorabilia inserts. The set checklist will spotlight emerging young talents and award-winners from the prior season. International players are also gaining more representation as the game continues globalizing. Topps Tribute pays homage to the brands rich history with retro-style designs honoring legendary players and moments from the archives.

Leaf is bringing back its high-end Metal Universe cards composed of actual metal slag material encapsulated with autographed memorabilia relics. Only 50 examples will be produced combining two hits in one unique package. Their sought-after Leaf Greatest Moments box sets return with on-card autographs and rare Memorabilia from iconic performances frozen in time on special artwork cards. Paramount and Fanatics are also launching new baseball niche products under their partnership exploring different concepts beyond traditional sets.

Vintage and retro styled releases seem primed to stay hot as collectors enjoy reconnecting to the nostalgia and artwork aesthetic of the past. Topps, Leaf and Panini all have Heritage/Gallery/Archive type throwbacks in the pipeline this year. While celebrating the history, innovations in parallel variations, autos, and especially hits with game used swatches or locks of hair continue expanding what’s possible in modern cards. Memorabilia collection elements offer investors and fans opportunities to literally own tangible pieces of their favorite players.

New players and rookie classes always drive excitement as collectors and analysts project debut campaigns. Shortstops Gunnar Henderson, Druw Jones, and Jackson Holliday will be heavily featured after going high in the 2022 MLB Draft. Young guns like Bobby Witt Jr, Julio Rodriguez, and Riley Greene who made impacts as rookies in 2023 will further build on their brands. Veterans Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, and Juan Soto remain perennially popular as superstars of the sport. Regional parallels for hometown teams and hometown players are also regularly produced to connect with regional fanbases.

Online exclusive releases broaden the availability of new cards beyond traditional hobby shops. E-packs, blasters and hobby boxes are offered direct to consumers digitally. Team and player affiliate box brands increase individual club memorabilia options. Social signature chase programs enlist athletes to engage fans. Digital streaming platforms also air special unboxings, autograph sessions and memorabilia breaks for remote viewers. These new distribution models increase accessibility while specialized products cater to a wide range of collector interests.

As the rising tide continues lifting all boats, even niche sports like baseball cards stay buoyed by mainstream interest. New investors entering the market hungry for exclusive, autographed and rare memorabilia cards push demand and secondary prices higher on the collectibles marketplace. With a fresh crop of stars emerging and storied brands innovating their releases, 2023 should keep the momentum going in this modern baseball card renaissance. Overall the future remains bright for this timeless American hobby and its thriving community of enthusiasts both old and new. Stay tuned for another exciting year of new baseball cards hitting the market!