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HOW BASEBALL CARDS ARE MADE

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The baseball card manufacturing process starts long before fans ever get to open packs of fresh cards. It begins during the previous baseball season as card companies closely follow the performance and stats of every player. Scouts and evaluators work to determine which players should be featured in upcoming series of cards. Companies want to highlight breakout stars, big contributors to playoff teams, award winners, and other notable players from the season.

Once the season wraps up, card designers get to work on creating concepts and designs for the next year’s sets. They come up with visual themes, stylistic touches, photo selections, and other aspects that will define the overall look and feel of each particular card set. Designers work closely with marketing and licensing teams to make sure the final products align with the company’s broader plans and strategies.

After designs are approved, photographers begin arranging shoots to capture fresh photos of players for their new cards. This is a massive undertaking that requires coordinating with hundreds of athletes across the league. Photoshoots take place during spring training and the early part of the season. Players pose in uniform to get action shots as well static portrait pictures.

With photos in hand, artwork teams digitally design each individual baseball card template based on the approved visual concepts. Every detail from uniforms to backgrounds to fonts/colors is added. Player names, stats, team logos and more legal/licensed information is also included on the templates. Once all templates are complete, they are thoroughly quality checked.

Meanwhile, printing companies begin gearing up their massive production facilities to handle the large print runs. Presses, inks, papers and other materials are tested. Packaging designers also work on concepts and samples for things like wax pack wrappers, boxes and shopping displays. Mockups help ensure everything will fit together properly.

Card company licensing and marketing divisions work to officially approve all final assets. Legal teams thoroughly review every word, image, and design element to ensure proper usage of all trademarks, stats, and other intellectual properties. Minute adjustments may still need to be made at this stage.

With all creative and legal aspects fully approved, digital card templates are sent to printing facilities where millions of cards will be created. State-of-the-art printing presses use specialized inks and thick stock paper designed to hold up to handling. Presses run virtually non-stop, churning out sheet after sheet of multiple cards printed onto large panels.

At the same time, packaging assembly lines begin stitching together wax wrappers, filling boxes with carefully counted packs, sealing boxes, and readying them for distribution. All of this has to stay perfectly in sync with the card printing to avoid bottlenecks. Quality control thoroughly inspects every stage.

After printing and packaging, it’s time for logistics. Truckloads of freshly made cards and carefully assembled product are shipped to regional warehouses across North America. From there, individual cases are delivered to hobby shops, big box stores, online retailers and more.

Through this intensive months-long process, card companies work tirelessly to stock the collectibles aisles with the newest baseball cards in time for the next season. Only then can eager fans start digging through packs hoping to uncover the next big rookie card or autograph of their favorite star player.

WHAT ARE BASEBALL CARDS MADE OF

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Baseball cards are typically made from paper stock or cardboard. The specific materials used to produce baseball cards have evolved over the decades as printing and cardstock technologies advanced.

In the late 1800s when baseball cards first originated, they were typically included as promotional inserts in tobacco products like cigarettes or chewing tobacco. These early baseball cards were produced as a form of advertising and marketing by the tobacco companies. As a result, the original baseball cards from this era were made from very thin and low quality paper stock. They did not last very long and have not aged well over time due to their poor quality paper materials.

By the early 1900s, specialized baseball card companies started to emerge and mass produce dedicated baseball card sets rather than just tobacco inserts. The cardboard stock quality improved somewhat during this period but was still not very durable. Typical paper fibers and cardstock of the time included cotton, wood pulp, and other plant-based natural materials. Printing technology was also still rather basic which resulted in lower quality image reproduction on the cards.

Into the 1950s is when modern baseball card production really began in earnest. Several major companies like Topps, Bowman, and Fleer established themselves as the leading producers. The cardboard stock used for cards became thicker and of higher quality during this era. Materials shifted away slightly from plant-based fibers to include more wood pulp and some early synthetic fibers as cardstock technologies advanced. Color printing techniques also improved which allowed for more visually pleasing and accurate recreations of player photos and team logos on the front of cards.

The 1960s saw another leap forward in baseball card materials. Plant-based natural fibers accounted for less and less of cardstock composition. Wood pulp remained prominent but was supplemented heavily by the rise of synthetic polymers made from petroleum products. Plastics and other early manmade materials provided cardstock that was thicker, more durable, and less prone to damages over time compared to earlier eras. Front image printing became sharp and highly detailed in full color as well.

Into the 1980s and 1990s, the compositional blend of cardstock had shifted almost entirely to petroleum-derived synthetic polymers rather than natural materials. Common plastic polymers such as PVC and polyester were most frequently used. These modern plastic compositions provided baseball cards that were especially resilient, long-lasting, and could faithfully reproduce high resolution color images on both front and back sides. Holograms, glossy finishes, and other additives were also introduced in card designs.

Today, while the basic materials have remained plastic polymers, further advancements have been made. Specific plastic formulations are engineered for maximum strength, durability, and visual quality possible. Multi-layer laminations, special inks, uv coatings, and precision cutting/cutting provide near-indestructible modern baseball cards. With care, cards produced now will maintain their collectability indefinitely thanks to innovative composite materials engineering.

Baseball cards have come a long way from their thin paper origins primarily meant as cigarettes advertising inserts. Through over a century of progress, card compositional materials transitioned from natural to almost entirely synthetic derivations correlated to advancements in Chemistry and Manufacturing technologies. Modern cards benefit from specialized durable plastic blends that allow them to withstand the test of time as cherished collectables and artifacts of baseball history. The evolution of cardstock mirrors broader development trends and ensures future generations can enjoy these small pieces of the national pastime.

HOW TO GET BASEBALL CARDS MADE

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The first step in getting baseball cards made is to decide on a design for the card. This includes things like what photos will be on the front and back of the card, what text will be included, what colors and fonts you want to use, etc. It’s important at this stage to think about things like licensing rights if using any team or league logos/images. You’ll want to have a full mockup or template of your card design before moving forward.

Once you have your card design finalized, the next step is to source high quality photos to populate your template. For individual player or team cards, you’ll need recent action shots and posed headshots of each person featured.stock photos can work but professional quality photos taken by a sports photographer will produce the best results. You’ll need the image files in a high resolution format like TIFF or uncompressed JPEG to ensure they print clearly.

Another key aspect to source for is relevant statistics and bio information to include on the back of the cards. For pros, you can find stats on sites like Baseball Reference but you may need to conduct your own research for less prominent players. Information like career highlights, season stats, and fun facts help make the cards more interesting for collectors.

Now it’s time to start reaching out to printing companies that specialize in sports and trading cards. Look for those with experience specifically in baseball cards. Provide them your card template design along with all necessary images and text content for review. Reputable printers can offer feedback on improving or finalizing your design before moving forward.

The printer will give you pricing options based on your order specs like card stock, printing process used, quantities needed, extra features, and turnaround time. Standard paper stock cards usually range from $0.10-$0.25 per card depending on volume for bulk common cards.Specialty stock, foil/hologram finishes, and low volume orders command higher per card pricing. Budget accordingly and get binding estimates in writing.

Before signing any contracts or placing a deposit, make sure you address important production elements like licensing, copyrights, and approvals processes. Establish clarity on who owns copyrights to images and who is responsible for any licensing fees/royalties that may apply. Also get timelines for proof approvals so you can sign off on final card designs before mass printing begins.

With everything in order, the printing process takes 2-4 weeks typically before shipping finished cards to your location. Quality checks are important so don’t hesitate to request replacements for any defective cards received. And create a marketing/distro plan for how you’ll introduce the new cards to collectors once available. Promoting strategically helps ensure your artistic vision comes to life in the hands of fans!

From concept to final product in collectors’ hands, getting professional quality baseball cards made takes planning but the result can be rewarding seeing imagery and information you curated come to life in physical card form. Starting early and choosing a reputable printer helps smooth the process from start to reported. With dedication, even independent creators can produce cards collectors enjoy adding to their collections.

WHAT ARE BASEBALL CARDS MADE OUT OF

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Cardboard stock – The primary material is lightweight cardboard stock that ranges from 12pt to 16pt thickness. This thin cardboard provides enough rigidity for the cards while allowing them to be very flexible without easily bending or breaking. The cardboard stock used is usually archival quality to prevent yellowing over time.

Paper laminate – Most modern baseball cards have a paper laminate or coating applied to the surface of the cardboard. This laminate protects the printed graphics and text from moisture, fingerprints, and general wear and tear over the years. Common laminates include clear plastic coatings made of polypropylene or PVC plastic. Some higher-end cards may feature UV-resistant laminates to protect colors from fading due to sunlight exposure.

Inks – Various inks are used throughout the multilayer printing process to create the visual design elements of a baseball card. These inks include common process colors like cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks for photographs. Specialty metallic and fluorescent inks may also be used for logos, team colors and autographs. Spot varnish is often applied to certain image areas as well to make them glossier or add extra protection.

Adhesives – Thin, acrylic-based adhesives are used during the assembly process to adhere different layers of the card together. This includes attaching printed paper layers to the cardboard stock and applying any protective laminate coating to the surface. Carefully formulated adhesives are needed to bond layers securely without compromising the card’s flexibility.

Personalization – Higher-end and memorabilia cards may include additional personalized elements like autographs, relic game-worn fabric swatches or precious metal patch authentics. These inserted components are carefully integrated into the card’s overall design and construction. Proper adhesives and protective barriers are utilized to keep personalized touches intact over the long-term.

Manufacturing the cards is an intensive multi-step process. First, high-quality cardboard stock suitable for long-lasting collecting is carefully selected. Then repeat images are digitally printed onto paper using the layered CMYK color process at high-resolution. Individual printed layers are die-cut to shape before precise adhesive application joins all elements. An optional protective laminate may be applied at this stage as well to further shield the finished cards.

Quality control checks ensure proper registration and defect removal before final cutting and packaging. Many manufacturers oversee entire production from paper selection to final product in closely monitored facilities. This allows for careful materials sourcing, print consistency and adherence to strict manufacturer/league/player association standards. Proper handling and storage helps maintain the integrity of the original construction details and graphic designs over decades of enjoyment by collectors.

Through careful selection of archival-grade paper, cardboard and ink components combined with protective laminate coatings, modern baseball cards are created to last. Their durable yet flexible construction inherits the craft and care that goes into capturing a moment in time for collecting enjoyment and preservation of sports history for generations to enjoy. When properly cared for in sleeves and albums, cards can remain in excellent condition as artifacts of the game and players for decades of appreciation and memories.

HOW ARE BASEBALL CARDS MADE

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The process of making baseball cards begins long before the actual cards are printed. Sports card companies like Topps, Panini, and Upper Deck have large teams that work year-round to design the upcoming year’s card sets. Scouts and experts analyze the previous season to identify which players should be featured on special premium cards to drive collector interest. They also work with MLB, the MLB Players Association, and individual teams/players to secure licenses and image rights.

Once the card designs are finalized, photoshoots are scheduled with players from across the league. These photoshoots take place both during and after the season at spring training sites or select stadiums. High quality cameras and equipment are used to capture numerous action shots and poses of each player against plain backdrops. Additional headshots are also taken for standard base cards. Former players or baseball dignitaries may do specialty cameo photos as well.

With the photos complete, the card company’s design team begins laying out mockups for each base card and special insert. Details like the player name, team, statistics, and career highlights are added to individual templates. Special graphics, textures, and embellishments are also crafted for rare inserts. After approval from licensing partners, the final card designs are signed off on for printing.

Mass production of the baseball cards begins at large scale printing facilities. The fronts and backs of each individual card are printed using various processes depending on the specific product. Traditional cardstock is most common, with glossy coated stock used for higher end “hit” cards. After printing, the fronts and backs must be perfectly aligned and cut into individual card shapes.

Quality control is vital, as even minor defects could damage a card’s value. Samples from each print run are heavily scrutinized before full production. The verified good cards are then sorted, and prepared for special packaging processes. inserts and hit cards may receive extra treatments like autographs or memorabilia patches during this stage.

Packaging assembly is likewise completed at large factories. Basic common cards are bundled into plastic or aluminum foil packs by precision machinery. Boxes and cases to hold multiple packs or exclusive cards are also produced. Special subsets are separately packaged as needed.

Once assembled, the finalized card products must be stored short term, and then expertly distributed to meet early season retail demand. Transloading and freight operations ship pallets of boxes to the company’s national and international warehouse network. From there, individual orders and allocations go out to major retailers like Walmart, Target, and local card shops in time for the start of the new baseball season and core fan purchasing.

This is just a brief high-level overview of the intricate process required to produce modern sports cards year after year at the massive scale demanded by collectors, investors and casual fans alike. With planning far in advance and exacting quality control, top card makers keep the tradition and excitement of the hobby going strong each season through their innovative card designs and skilled manufacturing abilities.

WHEN WERE THE FIRST BASEBALL CARDS MADE

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The earliest recognized commercially produced baseball cards date back to the late 1800s. The oldest complete baseball card set known to exist is the 1887 N172 Old Judge tobacco card series produced by the American Tobacco Company. It is believed that some earlier prototype baseball cards may have been produced on an experimental basis in the 1870s as the baseball card collecting hobby began to take shape.

In the post-Civil War era of the late 1860s and 1870s, baseball was rapidly growing in popularity across America. Cigarettes and other tobacco products were also starting to become widely popular consumer items. Several enterprising tobacco manufacturers sensed an opportunity to gain new customers by marketing their products toward baseball fans. In 1868, the American Colored Tobacco Company reportedly issued a set of thirty-six promotional photo cards of baseball players. While no examples are known to survive today, contemporary newspaper advertisements make reference to this pioneering effort, which are considered by historians to be the first true baseball cards produced specifically for promotional purposes.

In the mid-1870s, tobacco companies experimented further with baseball-themed promotions. The Allen & Ginter Tobacco Company issued various test baseball cards as part of their larger series of carte de visite photograph cards distributed through their cigarette packages. A small number of rare examples featuring stars like Al Spalding and Cap Anson from this developmental period still exist today. These did not constitute a complete dedicated baseball card set and were produced on a limited trial basis rather than mass-marketed nationwide.

The first true nationally distributed complete baseball card set put forth as a premium offer was the 1887 N172 Old Judge issue from American Tobacco. This landmark 48-card series featured leading professional players from the National League and American Association of the late 1880s. Players depicted included stars like Hawley, Brouthers, Ewing, Rowe, and Kelly. Cards carried factual information like team, position, and batting average. Inserted in packs of Old Judge tobacco, these cardboard cards achieved instant popularity among young baseball fans of the time. The 1887 set is credited as the first to commercially standardize the format and concept that defined trading cards as they developed going forward.

Over subsequent years through the late 1880s and 1890s, tobacco companies competed fiercely to offer new and better baseball card promotions. Allen & Ginter followed Old Judge in 1888 with a popular 90-card series called “Golden Fleece.” In 1891, Goodwin & Co. unveiled a mammoth 400+ card set known as Carlisle Indian Industry Schools. Also in 1891, Britain’s Ogden’s Guerilla War Cigarettes distributed an unusual 35-card player portrait and portrait of team owner John B. Day series. In 1890, Mayo Cut Plug released one of the rarest and most iconic early issues, a 100-card Baltimore Orioles set featuring stars of the legendary mid-1890s “Oriole” dynasty teams. Production and insertions became more sophisticated, and additional information like player biographies started to be included on cards.

By the late 1890s, tobacco companies regularly inserted complete baseball card sets as premiums with their products, usually numbering around 100 cards. Notable famous issues from this era included the 1896-97 style Old Mill and Murad cigarette card sets. Many early series uniquely captured iconic players from the 1800s whose careers pre-dated photography, relying on illustrated lithography techniques which granted additional historical significance. After 1900, the baseball card collecting hobby exploded in popularity among youth, driving further expansions and innovation in the format as companies designed card promotions to appeal to increased numbers of young fans nationwide.

While crude prototype baseball cards may have been produced experimentally in the 1870s, the dawn of truly commercial mass-market baseball card issues intended purely as promotions occurred with the landmark 1887 N172 Old Judge tobacco card set. This seminal 48-card offering standardized the newly established format and concept that fundamentally defined the entire baseball cards collecting hobby as it developed rapidly through the early 1900s Golden Age and remains beloved worldwide today. Those original Old Judge cardboard cards thus represent where the tradition of baseball cards truly began on a commercial basis over 135 years ago.

ARE BASEBALL CARDS STILL MADE

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The two main companies that dominate modern baseball card production are Topps and Panini America. Topps has been the longest running and most prestigious brand, having produced sets continuously since 1938. They still hold the license to MLB players which allows them to use official team logos and player names/likenesses. Their main flagship set is the annual Topps Series 1 release in the spring. Panini America entered the baseball card scene in 2011 after acquiring the Donruss/Leaf brands and has been steadily growing its share of the market since. Both companies release high-end sets targeting avid adult collectors as well as more affordable mainstream sets.

In addition to the standard cardboard trading cards, companies have also adapted to market trends by offering unique form factors. Topps has found success with its Chrome, Allen & Ginter, and Heritage sets featuring photo variations, relic cards with uniform swatches/contents, and retro designs appealing to nostalgia. Panini produces high-quality on-card autographed cards through its impeccable Memorabilia line. Both leverage their licenses through partnerships with the MLBPA to develop exclusive autographed/memorabilia boxes. Newer entrants like Leaf have targeted the hobby with revolutionizing equipment like the Slam Tracker app enabling digital gamification of collecting.

While the traditional brick-and-mortar hobby shop market has declined significantly, baseball cards have seamlessly made the transition to the modern online retail model. Websites operated by the major card companies like Topps.com and SteelCityCollectibles.com alongside dedicated third party marketplaces like eBay allow collectors to easily buy, sell, and trade cards from all over the world. Besides retail blaster/hanger boxes, the growth of high-end memorabilia boxes released in limited quantities through group breaks run by YouTube personalities has captured a new young collecting audience. Digital platforms also allow for the rise of various buy/sell/trade social groups on Facebook and Reddit.

On the secondary enthusiast market, the rise of online auctions through Heritage Auctions and Goldin Auctions has elevated the high-end vintage cards to an art-like collecting appreciation. Iconic specimens like the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, T206 Honus Wagner, and 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth routinely break records and garner headlines as multimillion-dollar investments. At the same time, affordable common vintage lots on eBay allow anyone to build a collection and enjoy the nostalgia of cards from the past. Whether spending $5 or $5 million, today’s collectors have never had more accessibility and options to enjoy America’s pastime on cardboard.

While the baseball card industry peaked in the late 80s/early 90s, it has managed to successfully evolve and thrive and remains going strong today through embracing new technologies, innovative product development keeping up with trends, and transitioning to online retail/secondary enthusiast market frameworks. Both vintage classics and modern releases remain extremely popular collectibles that allow fans of all ages to relive baseball memories and connect to the greats of the game in a tangible format, ensuring baseball cards will continue being produced for many years to come.

HOW MANY 1987 TOPPS BASEBALL CARDS WERE MADE

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In 1987, Topps produced their annual set of baseball trading cards for the 1987 MLB season. The 1987 Topps baseball card set is considered one of the most iconic and popular releases from the classic era of baseball cards from the 1970s through the early 1990s. For the 1987 set, Topps printed a total of 792 baseball cards that made up the base card checklist.

In addition to the base cards, Topps also produced several special and parallel subset series that were inserted randomly in packs. This included short print cards, rookie/star cards, traded sets, and international subset cards. When you factor in all the inserted parallel and special subsets, the total published number of unique 1987 Topps baseball cards reached over 800 different cards.

For the main 792 card base set, Topps’ print run was massive to meet the intense consumer demand for baseball cards during the late 1980s peak of the hobby. Reliable industry sources and sports memorabilia experts who have analyzed production records from Topps estimate that the total number of 1987 Topps base cards printed was around 1.3 billion individual cards.

This print run size of 1.3 billion was a drastic increase compared to print runs from just a few years prior. For comparison, the 1981 Topps set had a print run estimated at around 400-500 million cards. So the 1987 release more than doubled the output from just 6 years earlier. With millions of children, teenagers, and adults collecting at the time, Topps needed to mass produce cards to keep up with demand.

The 1.3 billion card estimate is also backed up by the sheer volume of 1987 Topps cards that still exist today on the marketplace over 30 years later. This huge supply is a testament to the immense print run that Topps undertook. While other 1980s sets have become quite scarce as the years pass, 1987s can still be readily found in collections, at card shows, and online due to the massive initial number printed.

To put Topps’ 1987 print run size into further context, it is important to note that they dominated the baseball card market in the late 1980s. Their closest competitors at Fleer and Donruss were smaller companies that did not have the printing capabilities that Topps possessed. Fleer is estimated to have printed around 400-500 million cards for their 1987 set. And Donruss production was even lower, likely between 200-300 million for that year.

The mammoth 1.3 billion card print run allowed Topps to saturate the market and make their 1987 set the most available offering for collectors compared to the smaller output from Fleer and Donruss. The high supply also helped 1987 Topps cards retain value better over time due to their ubiquity. Even though it has been over 30 years since the set was released, unopened 1987 packs can still occasionally be found at card shops and flea markets today.

In total, when considering all the special parallel and inserted subsets beyond the main 792 card base checklist, Topps’ complete 1987 output reached over 800 unique baseball cards. And the total number of individual 1987 Topps cards printed for distribution is estimated by industry experts to have been approximately 1.3 billion, making it one of the highest print runs in the history of baseball cards thus far. This unprecedented production volume helped make the 1987 Topps set one of the most successful and collectible card issues ever.

ARE UPPER DECK BASEBALL CARDS STILL MADE

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Upper Deck was founded in 1988 and revolutionized the baseball card industry by introducing innovative printing techniques and card designs. They were the first company to use state-of-the-art printing technology that provided sharper images and cleaner lines on the cards compared to their competitors. Upper Deck also popularized the inclusion of swatches of game-used memorabilia in high-end cards. These innovations helped Upper Deck rise to dominate the baseball card market in the late 1980s and 1990s.

While other companies have seen their sales and popularity decline in recent decades, Upper Deck has remained one of the top baseball card manufacturers. They have maintained their reputation for high quality card stock, printing, and exclusive memorabilia relics by continuing to invest in the latest printing technologies. Upper Deck also differentiates their product by focusing on innovative collectors-oriented insert sets rather than mass-produced base sets. Examples include their annual “Artists Proof” set where various artists create one-of-a-kind renderings of players, as well as serial-numbered parallel versions of star rookie cards with coveted autographs or memorabilia pieces.

Upper Deck’s enduring popularity is a testament to their ability to evolve with the dynamics of the hobby. As the card industry transitioned from the “junk wax era” of the early 90s into the information age, Upper Deck was quick to embrace new technologies. They were one of the first companies to release insert sets only available as redemptions in hobby boxes that could be redeemed online. Upper Deck also launched collector-focused social media pages, online group breaks of cases, and live-streaming of meetings with players early on to better connect with their community.

The hobby today looks much different than when Upper Deck first started. While the collecting of base rookies and stars remains popular, many buyers are now focused on rare memorabilia cards and prospects. To satisfy this evolved demand, Upper Deck selectively includes coveted autograph and relic cards of up-and-coming stars even in their mainstream products like Series 1 and 2. High-end seasonal releases like Tribute and Elite Extra Edition offer sought-after autograph and memorabilia rookie cards of the game’s future phenoms at serial numbers less than 10 copies. For collectors chasing the rarest cards, Upper Deck’s Luxury Suite and Best of Sports issues come with premium patches, autographs on card, and 1/1 printing plates.

Upper Deck also utilizes their printing technology advantage to offer specialty parallel cards for discerning collectors. In recent years they’ve created parallel rainbow collections with colors like Gold, Sapphire, Rainbow Foil, and Topps Chrome-style refractor for star players. Numbered down to singular copies, these ultra-premium parallels command prices in the thousands of dollars. The company even sometimes collaborates with jewelers to physically infuse gems into exceptionally rare parallel cards.

A key part of Upper Deck’s long-term success in the baseball card market lies in their ability to secure high-profile players for autograph signings and memorabilia incorporation. Their exclusive multi-year partnerships with star players allow Upper Deck to design dedicated autograph and memorabilia cards for release over several seasons. Recent examples include deals struck with Mike Trout, Ronald Acuña Jr., Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani where Upper Deck gets first access to game-used memorabilia and signatures for inserts. These sorts of exclusive player arrangements keep collectors coming back to Upper Deck products year after year for the closest relics and autographs of their favorite stars.

The company has also expanded beyond baseball into other major sports over the years like football, basketball, hockey, soccer and MMA. Baseball remains their flagship sport as the origins and history within the hobby run deepest. From mainstream annual sets to high-end serial-numbered releases, Upper Deck continues producing a wide array of baseball cards that appeal to collectors across all levels. As long as the hobby retains devoted fans and the sport produces new stars, Upper Deck shows no signs of slowing down or relinquishing their position as one of the baseball card industry’s premier manufacturers. Their consistent application of cutting-edge printing technology and focus on rare memorabilia keeps collectors investing heavily in Upper Deck products decades after their founding.

Yes Upper Deck remains a major producer of baseball cards today through their application of innovative printing techniques, relationships with star players, and emphasis on exclusive memorabilia relics for discerning collectors. They have sustained relevance through adapting to changes in the hobby while preserving the traditions that made them famous. As long as those integral elements stay core to Upper Deck’s model, it is reasonable to expect they will continue making baseball cards for passionate collectors to enjoy.

HOW IT’S MADE BASEBALL CARDS

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The process of making baseball cards begins with photography. Sports card companies work with professional photographers to capture high quality images of baseball players on and off the field. Extensive photo shoots take place during spring training or throughout the MLB season to ensure each player has multiple images available to use on cards. For particularly popular players, teams, and rookies, extra care is taken to capture memorable action shots that collectors will want.

Once the photography is complete, designers at the sports card company begin working on card artwork and templates. They decide what images will be used for each player, background designs, textures, colors, fonts, stats to include, and any special artistic elements. Templates are created digitally so individual player information and photos can easily be added later in the production process. Additional templates are made for special insert cards, memorabilia cards, parallels, and variations that may feature autographs or rare materials.

The raw card stock paper used by top companies is specially treated paper designed for longevity. It needs to hold up well over years of handling without fraying, warping or discoloring. The paper thickness and quality can vary between base cards, parallels, and premium cards containing autographs or swatches of game worn fabric. Higher end materials may include special foils, embossing, and UV resistant coatings.

Once the templates and card stock are prepared, digital files containing all the photographed players, designs, and text are compiled into a master database. This file serves as the blueprint that will be used to print the thousands of cards needed for each release. Printing is done using advanced offset lithography machines that can rapidly print, score, and collate cards at very high speeds. The process involves transferring card images from metal or polymer plates onto large rolls of card stock paper as it moves through the printers.

Before packaging and distribution happens, quality control procedures thoroughly inspect every card printed for defects. Issues like miscuts, smears, scratching or doubles are flagged for reprinting so only pristine cards reach the public. During inspection, parallels, short prints, and insert cards are also pulled out and prepared for special packaging and inclusion rates. Autographed memorabilia cards receive additional authentication checks.

After passing quality standards, cards move to the final production stages of boxing and assorting. Here they are arranged into the specific mixes intended for retail packs, hobby boxes, and high end case breaks. Memorabilia cards, hits, and chase cards are distributed according to statistical odds. Precise assorting machines quickly sort thousands of cards into the pre-planned pack and box configurations.

Boxes and factory sealed packs are then packaged, labeled and prepared for shipping. Distribution to retailers, distributors, and online sellers begins. From there cards reach the hands of collectors through retail purchases, group breaks, and individual hobby boxes. The detailed planning, high tech production processes, and quality control put baseball cards in a collector’s hands ready for enjoyment, appreciation, and storing memories of America’s favorite pastime for years to come.

The modern baseball card production process requires sophisticated technology, craftsmanship, and meticulous quality standards. With digital design, lithographic printing, and automated sorting equipment it can output thousands of perfectly preserved cardboard pieces of history each year for a beloved hobby. With care taken at every step, the end result is a fun collectible that preserves the legacy of the game and its legendary players.