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BASEBALL CARDS HISTORY PROJECT

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The history of baseball cards spans over 150 years and provides a unique lens into not just the sport but American culture and history over that time period. While cards featuring baseball players date back to the late 1860s, the modern era of baseball cards truly began in the late 19th century as cigarette companies like American Tobacco began inserting cards into their packs and boxes as a promotional item. This helped popularize the collecting and trading of cards among children and fueled tremendous growth of the hobby.

Some of the earliest known baseball cards were produced by a company called Goodwin and Company in the late 1860s. These cards did not feature images and instead had profiles and statistics of major league players printed directly on the card. The first widely produced baseball cards with images likely date to the late 1880s with the production of trade cards – cards handed out by merchants to promote their businesses. Companies like Old Judge and Leaf produced these early trade cards with images of stars from the National League and American Association.

In 1886, the American Tobacco Company began the first major insertion of baseball cards into cigarette packs as a promotional tool. Players from the National League like Mike “King” Kelly were featured. Over the next 15 years, other tobacco companies like Allen & Ginter and Mayo Cut Plug followed suit by inserting baseball cards as incentives to buy more of their product. This helped greatly popularize collecting among children. The tobacco cards of the 1880s-1890s are now highly valuable, with some in near mint condition selling for over $1 million. Stars of this era featured included Kelly, Cap Anson, Cy Young, and “Wee” Willie Keeler.

In 1909, tobacco manufacturer T206 issued one of the most significant sets in card history. Known as the “White Border” set due to the white border around the player images, the 511-card T206 set featured major leaguers, minor leaguers, managers, umpires and more. What makes the T206 set so desirable is several factors – the large checklist size, the colorful and artistic images, and the fact that examples in high grades are quite rare today. Top stars in the set include Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, and Walter Johnson. The legendary Wagner card has sold for over $3 million.

Through the 1910s and 1920s, tobacco companies like T206 and Sweet Caporal continued issuing high quality baseball cards. The 1930s would see a decline in tobacco issues and the rise of gum and candy companies taking their place. In 1933, Goudey Gum began a modern era of modern cardboard size cards with colorful player images on the front and stats on the back. The Goudey set featured major leaguers as well as Negro League stars. Other notable pre-WWII issues included Diamond Stars (1935), Play Ball (1936), and Leaf (1939).

After WWII, the golden age of baseball cards was set to begin. In 1948, Bowman Gum issued highly collectible and iconic sets each year through 1955. These post-war Bowman issues are considered classics by collectors. Top stars included Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and more. Bowman’s 1948 set was the first to feature rookie cards of future Hall of Famers like Roy Campanella and Stan Musial.

Topps Chewing Gum took over the baseball card market in the 1950s after acquiring the rights from Bowman. Their 1952 Topps set began the modern era of design and size that is still used today. Topps issued highly popular and high quality annual sets each year of the 1950s featuring the biggest stars and future Hall of Famers. Their designs became instantly recognizable. The 1956 Topps set is particularly notable for rookie cards of future all-time greats like Koufax, Mays, Aaron and Mantle.

The 1960s saw Topps maintain their monopoly on the baseball card market. Their annual issues remained highly collectible icons of the era. Notable rookie cards from the 1960s runs include Reggie Jackson, Tom Seaver, and Johnny Bench. The late 1960s also saw the rise of oddball issues from companies seeking to challenge Topps. Fleer issued sets in 1961-62 and 1966-67 while Leaf produced issues in 1964-65. However, Topps maintained dominance.

In the 1970s, the hobby experienced renewed growth thanks to the rise of star players of the era like Nolan Ryan, Pete Rose and Reggie Jackson. Topps continued their annual issues and the designs evolved to feature action shots and team logos. Fleer returned in 1971 and issued parallel sets each year of the decade. Their innovative “fleer sticker” issues of 1971-1973 were particularly popular. The 1970s also saw the first mass-produced rookie cards for stars like George Brett and Mike Schmidt.

The 1980s marked another boom period for the hobby. More companies entered the marketplace like Donruss in 1981 and Upper Deck in 1989 which produced the first premium baseball card set. Stars of the era like Wade Boggs, Kirby Puckett and Roger Clemens had their rookie cards produced. The arrival of the Upper Deck brand marked the first serious challenge to Topps in decades thanks to their superior quality, design and focus on statistics and biographies over photographs.

In the 1990s, the hobby experienced explosive growth fueled by speculation and interest among collectors both young and old. More companies than ever issued sets including Score, Leaf, Pinnacle, and Finest. Overproduction and loss of interest caused a bust by the late 1990s. Still, stars of the era like Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones, and Derek Jeter had their rookie cards distributed. The 1990 Score set is also considered one of the most iconic of the decade due to its innovative horizontal design.

The baseball card industry contracted significantly after the bubble burst in the late 1990s. Interest remained strong among core collectors. In the 2000s, companies focused on producing fewer, higher end sets with premium materials, autographs and memorabilia. Top stars of the 2000s like Albert Pujols, Ichiro Suzuki and Ryan Howard had their rookie cards produced during this era by manufacturers like Upper Deck, Topps, and Bowman. In recent years, the rise of e-commerce has also opened new opportunities for collector interaction and growth.

Through its long history, baseball cards have not only captured the performances and faces of the game’s legends but provided an economic and cultural window into the evolution of America over more than 150 years. As a hobby, collecting has brought generations of families and communities together and remains a vibrant part of the national pastime. Whether a tobacco card from the 1890s or a modern parallel autograph relic, baseball cards continue telling the story of America’s favorite game.

TOPPS BASEBALL CARDS PROJECT 70

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In 1969, Topps had the contract to produce baseball cards again after losing it for several years to competitors like Fleer. They decided to introduce an innovative concept for their 1970 baseball card project – code named “Project 70” within the company.

For the first time ever, Topps decided to photograph each Major League Baseball player individually and feature just a single image on each card rather than the classic posed team photo on the front and stats on the back. This was a huge undertaking as it required scheduling and coordinating photo shoots with every single MLB player. Topps Photography Director Dick Bailey spearheaded the project and went about working with team publicity directors and photographers to arrange for each player to visit the nearest Topps photo studio location.

Altogether, there were over 800 individual photos taken between 1969-1970 across Topps various studio sites. Bailey and his team had to work tirelessly to get each player booked for their shoot, make travel arrangements as needed, and ensure quality control of the many thousands of prints that were developed from the negative rolls. It was an enormous increase in production effort versus the team photos of years past but Topps felt it important to try something new and capture each player individually.

One big challenge was that not every player cooperated fully. Some showed up visibly out of shape or disheveled since they knew it was just card photos. Others flat out refused to participate at all citing various complaints. Still, Bailey was successful in obtaining quality portraits of nearly every MLB player that year across both the National and American Leagues.

With the individual photos in hand, Topps designers then worked to lay out mockups of the cards. Something novel they experimented with was including vibrant rainbow colored borders around each photo instead of the typical drab gray or white. These borders could then be customized with a small graphic, icon or texture to help distinguish between teams, roles or other categories. Additional innovations included only printing the player’s position on the front rather than their full name, position and team which was typically included.

When finalized and sent to the printers, the 1970 Topps baseball cards were unlike anything collectors had ever seen before. Overall design was simplified with large photo, colored border and minimal text. The cards featured a very “close-up” portrait style that offered collectors an intimate view of each player. And of course, the switch to individual photos rather than team shots was groundbreaking. Reaction was mostly positive though some griped it was too different from previous designs fans had grown accustomed to.

The intricate planning and innovation required for Project 70 paid off. Topps sales were very strong that year as collectors were drawn in by the novel appearance and greater focus on each specific player rather than a classic posed group shot. Inspired by the success, Topps would continue featuring individual player portraits for subsequent series. And the competition took notice too, with both Fleer and Kellogg’s returning to the baseball card market in 1971 with a similar portrait-style format.

In the decades since, the 1970 Topps baseball cards have become amongst the most iconic and valuable in the hobby. They represent not just a great vintage release but a turning point that changed the style of modern sports cards forever. Project 70 showed Topps willingness to take a creative risk through an extensive undertaking. The results pushed the entire baseball card industry in a new direction and remains one of the most influential sets in the collecting world today.

CIVIL WAR BASEBALL CARDS PROJECT

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The Civil War Baseball Card Project is a unique initiative started in 2011 that aims to honor the lives of soldiers who fought in the American Civil War through baseball cards featuring their portraits and biographies. Baseball cards are a quintessential part of American culture and have long been used to memorialize athletes, so the project’s founders thought they would be a fitting way to remember the ordinary men who participated in America’s defining conflict.

The brainchild of Kentucky history professors James Ramage and Kevin Watkins, the Civil War Baseball Card Project seeks to collect information on at least one Union and Confederate soldier from every county in the United States that contributed troops during the Civil War. Their names, hometowns, military service details, and fates are then printed on baseball-style trading cards along with a photo or likeness of the soldier when possible. Over 250,000 men lost their lives in the Civil War, yet many remained nameless and faceless in the history books. This project personalizes the enormous human cost of the war by putting names and biographies to some of the individuals who fought and died.

To assemble the cards, Ramage and Watkins enlist the help of students, genealogists, historians, and others to research soldiers from each county. Vital records, muster rolls, pension applications, cemetery listings, and other primary sources are mined to uncover biographical details on particular soldiers. Photos are sought from libraries, archives, and private collections. If no image exists, artists are sometimes commissioned to render a likeness. Each card contains information like the soldier’s full name, birth/death dates, military unit, rank, key battles participated in, and fate such as killed, wounded, POW, or surviving the war.

So far over 1,200 baseball cards have been produced representing soldiers from 44 U.S. states and territories. The cards are available for free on the project’s website as well as through various history organizations and Civil War round tables. They have also been featured in local and national media outlets. Printed sets of cards for each state are distributed to schools, libraries, and historical sites to help teach students about the war’s human toll. Teachers have found the cards engaging for students by bringing the distant past to life through individual stories.

In addition to preserving soldiers’ memories, the project aims to spark new historical research. Researchers comb through records to find just enough biographical information to fill out a single card, but their work often uncovers many new details left undiscovered. This sheds new light on the service of lesser-known regiments and helps uncover lost stories from the home front. Genealogists in particular have been able to use the cards to break through brick walls in their family history research by identifying an elusive Civil War ancestor.

The project has also received support from professional sports organizations. In 2016 the Louisville Bats, a Minor League Baseball team, partnered with the project to produce a special set of baseball cards featuring local Civil War soldiers. The team sold the cards at games and donated proceeds to support further card production and research. Other teams have since followed suit. These partnerships have helped expand the project’s audience and financial backing while tying American national pastimes of baseball and history more closely together.

Looking to the future, Ramage, Watkins and their team of volunteers plan to continue researching soldiers to represent all 3,000 U.S. counties that supplied troops. They also aim to digitize and make searchable their entire card database online. This will allow for easy access to the biographical information and stories of soldiers from any location. As more primary records are digitized each day, the project founders are optimistic even more lost stories can be uncovered through continued collaboration. Their goal is that through creative history initiatives like the Civil War Baseball Card Project, we never forget the price paid by ordinary Americans on both sides of the conflict that shaped the nation.

PROJECT 70 BASEBALL CARDS

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Project 70 was a government effort by the United States Postal Service from 1969 to 1970 to issue paper currency-sized baseball cards showcasing prominent players of the era. The unusual large-size format of the cards was seen by the USPS as an experimental way to help promote stamp sales and interest in baseball memorabilia collecting at a time when the hobby was really starting to take off in popularity.

The project got its name because the plan was to release 70 different baseball cards over the course of the two year period. Each card would feature a current major league star on the front along with baseball-related imagery, and brief player biographies on the back. What made Project 70 cards particularly unique was their large 7 1⁄4″ x 4 5/8″ dimensions, identical in size to a U.S. dollar bill at the time. This was notably larger than standard Red Man or Topps baseball cards which measured around 2 1⁄2″ by 3 1⁄2″.

The large format was chosen partly because it allowed for more visual interest and stats to be included on the cards compared to the smaller and more common issues of the time. It was also meant to help the cards be instantly eye-catching and stand out on newsstands, bookstores and other retail outlets where they would be sold individually for 10 cents apiece in little plastic sleeves. With their large slick size and uniquely patriotic Americana design aesthetic using team colors and images of baseballs, bats and gloves, Project 70 cards had tremendous collectible appeal that captured the interest of both casual fans as well as serious memorabilia enthusiasts.

The first series of cards was issued in July of 1969 and featured 14 players including superstars like Hank Aaron, Carl Yastrzemski, Roberto Clemente and Tom Seaver. Subsequent smaller series followed at roughly quarterly intervals over the next year until the full run of 70 cards had been released by Summer 1970. Some of the bigger names featured in later series included Johnny Bench, Reggie Jackson, Rod Carew and Gaylord Perry. Along with MLB players, a few cards also commemorated MLB milestones like Roberto Clemente’s 3,000th hit and the Opening Day of the first season of Montreal’s expansion franchise the Expos.

While issued as collectibles by the USPS rather than card manufacturers like Topps, Fleer or Donruss, Project 70’s were considered semi-official issues since each player had to agree to their likeness being used. They lacked any explicit licensing from the MLB or individual teams which was still a evolving area in the late 1960s. Nevertheless, the large sized cards with their high quality glossy photo reproductions and stat dense bios on the back gained quick popularity with both adults and children. Many of the early run cards from series 1 quickly appreciated in value as they sold out in stores.

Not every part of Project 70’s went smoothly. The unusual large size made the cards more expensive to produce than regular issues which increased costs. Handling and storing the oversized cards also presented logistical challenges. Some players disliked having their photos included without compensation or contractual agreements in place. This led to smaller later series featuring fewer superstar players who demanded payment for their likenesses.

Disputes arose between the USPS and mainstream card manufacturers like Topps who saw Project 70 as unfair post office competition encroaching on their lucrative baseball memorabilia business. With complaints mounting about postal subsidies and licensing issues, Project 70 ended after releasing its full planned run of cards in Summer 1970 rather than continuing on as an annual project as originally envisioned. By the completion of the experimental two year program, the largest and most famous names in baseball had all been featured.

Despite its short lifespan, Project 70 went down in history as one of the most visually distinct and recognizable sets in the entire culture of baseball card collecting. The cards achieved their goal of generating interest both in collecting and postal memorabilia. Today among enthusiasts, complete unopened sets in high grade can fetch thousands of dollars at auction. Meanwhile, single rare high numbered cards of 1960s stars like Seaver, Aaron and Clemente remain prized possessions for many lifelong collectors. Though brief, Project 70 left an indelible stamp on the collecting hobby through its uniquely sized large format cards celebrating the biggest stars and moments of baseball’s golden age during the late 1960s.

TOPPS PROJECT 70 BASEBALL CARDS

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In 1968, Topps announced a momentous undertaking that would have far-reaching implications for the baseball card collecting world. They called it “Project 70”, with the goal being to photograph and produce cards for every eligible professional baseball player from the past 70 years, dating back to the 1890s. It was an incredibly ambitious project that aimed to document the history of the sport in card form.

Topps had produced baseball cards since the early 1950s, focusing mainly on current major and minor league players each season. But the idea with Project 70 was to go back and create cards for thousands of players that never previously had cards made. These included legends from the early days of professional baseball who had retired long before the modern baseball card era. Toppswould have its photographers track down surviving older players across the country for photo shoots.

The project got underway in 1968 with cards issued that year featuring over 500 players from the 1890s to 1910s. Subsequent releases would highlight additional decades, with sets issued each year through 1971 covering players up to the 1950s era. In total, over 1800 different baseball cards were produced as part of Project 70 before the endeavor concluded.

Many of the featured players were true pioneers and pioneers that helped grow the sport in its earliest professional days in the late 1800s. This included stars like Cy Young, Roger Bresnahan, Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker, and Grover Cleveland Alexander. For collectors and fans, seeing actual photographic images of these legendary players on cards decades after their playing days was an amazing thrill.

Tracking down and photographing some of the oldest living former players proved quite difficult. Many had passed away in the decades since retiring or their whereabouts were unknown. Topps investigators had to do a lot of research to locate surviving players, often having to travel to small towns and cities to find some of the more obscure names from the 1890s-1910s.

Even with those challenges, the photos that were taken and featured on the Project 70 cards became invaluable historical documents. They captured images of these baseball pioneers for posterity at a time when few photos existed of their playing careers. Topps really went above and beyond to properly chronicle the early decades of professional baseball that laid the foundation for the modern game.

Each year’s Project 70 set included statistical nuggets and biographies on the back of many cards as well. This provided younger fans with insights into how the eras of baseball in the late 1800s through the 1950s differed greatly from the modern game. It gave collector’s a glimpse at the backgrounds, careers and accomplishments of these legends from earlier generations.

The pricing of the Project 70 cards also helped drive interest, as the early series were generally cheaper than contemporary cards. This made it feasible for collectors to try and obtain full sets during the course of the multi-year project. Topps ensured continued excitement by issuing the cards in serial fashion over several years instead of all at once.

When all was said and done, Topps’ ambitious Project 70 effort had brought to life over a century of baseball history in collectible card form. While not every early player was included due to limitations, it represented the most comprehensive retrospective account of the game put out by any manufacturer. The photos and biographical details preserved the legacy of stars and role players alike for future generations of fans to appreciate.

Even after the formal project concluded in 1971, Topps continued issuing additional cards spotlighting more decades of players throughout the 1970s and early 80s. Other companies like Fleer also got involved producing retro-themed sets of their own. Project 70 truly set the standard and influenced how subsequent vintage and retro offerings were conceived going forward. It is still considered the crowning achievement among baseball card producers in terms of historical documentation and preservation.

Today, complete Project 70 sets spanning all four primary series from 1968-1971 in high grade are among the most coveted collections for dedicated vintage collectors. Individual key cards also carry premium values in the marketplace. The set defined the hobby’s vintage and retro segments for decades to come. It also helped fuel the antique/memorabilia aspects among collectors interested in tangible pieces of baseball history. Most importantly, Topps’ ambitious Project 70 effort succeeded in its mission to chronicle the origins and growth of America’s national pastime through the collectible card medium in a way never seen before or since.

PROJECT 100 BASEBALL CARDS

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Project 100 Baseball Cards

In 1990, Topps trading card company embarked on an ambitious project to create special baseball cards featuring the top 100 players of all time as chosen in a vote by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). Known as the Project 100 baseball cards, this special collection aimed to honor and commemorate the greatest players in baseball history on premium quality collector’s cards.

The project began with Topps working with the BBWAA to conduct an extensive poll of its members to determine the Top 100 players of all time. BBWAA members, who are baseball writers and journalists that cover the sport professionally, voted on who they believed were the top 100 performers in history based on their stats, accomplishments, and overall impact on the game. This ensured the list was compiled by those most knowledgeable about the history of baseball.

Once the list of the Top 100 was finalized, Topps’ design team got to work on creating special collector’s cards showcasing each honored player. The finished cards featured elegant graphic designs with historic photos of the players and descriptive bios highlighting their most impressive career stats and achievements. More premium materials and production techniques were used compared to standard baseball cards to really make these special Project 100 cards stand out in any collector’s album or display case.

The prestigious list included many of the usual suspects widely regarded as the greatest to ever play such as Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Ty Cobb, and Walter Johnson. Some more modern stars that had recently retired like Reggie Jackson and Rod Carew also made the cutoff for the Top 100 as their careers had stood the test of time. An interesting inclusion was that of 19th century pioneer player Moses Fleetwood Walker, one of the first Black players in the Major Leagues before the color barrier.

Upon completion, the full set of 100 Project 100 cards was released by Topps in 1991. Each card came in a protective plastic case and featured the official BBWAA logo, paying proper respect to the association that compiled the list. While scarce at first, over time they grew in availability as collectors traded and the supply increased on the secondary market. With Topps only producing the set once, the Project 100 cards remain a prized piece of any vintage baseball card collection today.

For dedicated players, managers, coaches and all other personnel, Project 100 provided quality custom baseball cards highlighting their accomplishments.

In addition to honoring the top individuals to play the game, Topps also produced special Project 100 cards for a small selection of managers and coaches that greatly impacted the sport throughout its history. Figures like Connie Mack, Casey Stengel, John McGraw and Sparky Anderson were showcased with these unique managerial cards that focused on their managing careers and teams led.

For true vintage card aficionados, being able to obtain even a single Project 100 baseball card of their favorite old-time star was a real coup. Despite mass production, the set has maintained its aura of prestige. In the decades since its 1991 release, the Project 100 cards have only grown more revered as a truly unique collector’s item chronicling baseball’s storied past. While pricey, they remain a Must-Have for the most dedicated fans and investors in the hobby.

While the initial run in 1991 enshrined the first official Top 100 as voted on by the BBWAA, Topps has revisited the concept a few times since to update the list. In 2007, they produced a new set highlighting the Top 75 players from 1975 onward as chosen in another BBWAA vote. And most recently in 2020, yet another Project 100 set was created to showcase the top 100 players from the past decade leading into the 2020s.

This has allowed newer all-time greats like Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera to receive their own special Project 100 cards commemorating their amazing careers. Collectors now have the opportunity to add these modern legends to their collections alongside the stars from baseball’s earliest eras. The Project 100 concept has proven an effective way for Topps to pay tribute to the game’s greatest talents, both past and present.

For serious collectors, the 1991 Topps Project 100 baseball cards remain the holy grail of the set. Finding high grade specimens of players like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner in mint condition would be an incredible coup. Even well-centered, sharp examples of more common players are highly valued today. On the thriving third party marketplace, mint Project 100 cards can command thousands of dollars each for the all-time greats. As a one-of-a-kind historical set assembled with the input of the sport’s top scholars, the appeal and prestige of Topps’ Project 100 cards seems sure to endure for decades to come. They provide a unique window into appreciating baseball in all eras.

In summarizing, the Topps Project 100 baseball card sets from 1991, 2007 and 2020 have proven an excellent way for the iconic card company to honor the very best professional baseball players throughout history. Produced in partnership with the BBWAA, the curated lists and specially crafted cards pay proper tribute to the athletes that have made the most indelible marks on America’s pastime. For dedicated collectors, finding and owning examples from these sets is a lifelong quest and true testament to one’s fandom. Project 100 has undoubtedly cemented itself as one of the most prestigious initiatives ever within the hobby of baseball card collecting.

PROJECT 2020 BASEBALL CARDS

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Project 2020 Baseball Cards: A Unique New Way to Collect During the Pandemic

As baseball fans anxiously awaited the start of the 2020 MLB season, one thing was clear – the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic would make this season unlike any other in our lifetimes. With fans barred from stadiums and players facing an abbreviated 60-game regular season, the collectibles industry was bracing for an uncertain year. Thankfully, Topps came to the rescue with an innovative new baseball card concept called “Project 2020.”

Rather than releasing standard packs and boxes featuring the standard photo or artwork on each card, Topps unveiled Project 2020 as a unique way for collectors to stay engaged while sports were sidelines. Under this concept, Topps produced virtual “blank” cards without any images, stats or written content included. Instead, collectors could “claim” these blank cards and design their own custom fronts and backs however they choose. Using the Topps online platform, fans could upload any photo, graphic, statline or writing to personalize each card in the manner they saw fit.

It was an immediate hit among collectors locked down at home with extra time on their hands. Project 2020 offered a welcome creative outlet and allowed fans to design cards honoring their favorite players, teams or even commemorating particular moments from that strange 2020 season. There was virtually no limitation on the possibilities for customization. While Topps still determined the official print run and rarity breakdown of each players’ cards, collectors took complete artistic control over the physical designs themselves.

Naturally, many fans paid homage to icons of the game with incredible reproduction cards. Legends like Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and more were honored in impeccable style through various custom designs. Others paid tribute to 2020 heroes like UCLA alum Josiah Gray, who made his MLB debut that year pitching for the Reds. Plenty of collectors highlighted breakthrough stars as well, designing eye-catching cards for up-and-comers such as Marlins sensation Trevor Rogers. With the ongoing health crisis weighing heavily on everyone’s minds, numerous collectors also created touching “Thank You” cards saluting healthcare workers and first responders.

Beyond individual players, many Project 2020 cards commemorated iconic MLB moments too. Amazing replicas of Mike Piazza’s homer after 9/11, Kirk Gibson’s 1988 World Series walk-off and other seminal playoff moments sprang up. Plenty also focused upon the pandemic itself, designing cards in remembrance of the season’s rollercoaster path – from delays, to the truncated 60-game sprint once play resumed in empty ballparks across the country. Some honored niche milestones as well, like Freddie Freeman’s 1,500th career hit for the Braves that autumn.

The level of creativity displayed by collectors was truly astounding. Photoshop wizards recreated vintage designs from decades past. Stat geeks crafted info-packed cards breaking down advanced metrics. Artists innovated with abstract, comic book-like styles. Meme-makers had fun with inside jokes and playful puns. No theme was off limits. While Topps retained control over printing and distribution of real, physical cards from each Project 2020 design, the excitement of the customization process created a vibrant online community all its own.

After initially planning a one-year run, Topps ultimately extended Project 2020 into 2021 as well due to its runaway popularity. While this year saw a return to normal spring training, opening day and a full 162-game schedule, the customizable card series remains a special way for collectors to get involved. Just like the prior year, Topps issued a fresh batch of blank “shells” for fans to personally design each month with their own themes, styles and vision. Through another unique MLB season amid an ongoing pandemic, Project 2020 maintains its status as a special collectible unlike any other in the hobby.

In the end, Topps’ bold concept proved the perfect antidote for energizing baseball card fandom during unusual times. By empowering creative collectors online, Project 2020 organically generated enthusiasm among fans sidelined from stadiums and their normal way of enjoying America’s pastime. Now firmly established as part of Topps’ lineup, the innovative initiative shows no signs of slowing entering its third successful year on the market. It has undoubtedly raised the bar for the entire memorabilia industry, setting a precedent for engaging customers in new ways even through periods of disruption to traditional sports. For baseball card aficionados, Project 2020 stands as a bright reminder of both the game’s storied past and its exciting future.