The Topps Company and The Sporting News have an extensive history of partnering to produce baseball cards that have been highly popular with collectors for decades. The association between the two companies began in the 1950s and has resulted in some of the most iconic and desirable baseball card sets ever created.
Topps launched baseball cards nationally in 1952, pioneering the modern hobby. They were looking to increase distribution and reach even more fans. This led Topps to strike a deal with The Sporting News, the premier national baseball publication of the time, to use their brand and widespread readership as promotion for a new line of cards beginning in 1954.
The 1954 Topps Sporting News cards were the first in the historic partnership. They featured 165 cardboard cards with player images on the front and biographical info on the back. Some of the biggest stars of the day like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron had cards in the set. Distribution was tremendous through Sporting News, drug stores, candy stores and other outlets. This helped make the 1954 Topps Sporting News set one of the most widely produced baseball cards ever.
In the following years, Topps and The Sporting News continued to collaborate on new annual baseball card releases. Many consider the 1957, 1959, and 1964 Topps Sporting News issues to be among the finest in design and player selection of any vintage card sets from that era. Cards from these particular releases are highly sought after by collectors today due to the quality of the images, statistics included on the backs and the fact that many of the players featured went on to achieve baseball immortality.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Topps Sporting News brand remained the standard bearer for high quality baseball cards backed by the authority and reach of The Sporting News publication. The series went on hiatus after the 1964 set. Topps shifted focus to its larger flagship baseball cardreleases under its own brand name for much of the late 1960s and 1970s.
In 1981, the long dormant Topps Sporting News series was revived with the release of a 168 card commemorative throwback set celebrating the best players and teams of the 1950s and 1960s. This revival proved there was still excitement from collectors for the nostalgic connection between Topps and The Sporting News.
Encouraged by the positive response, Topps and The Sporting News began a period of sustained annual collaborative releases between 1982-1990. These modern era Sporting News issues maintained the classic color photos on the front with stats on the reverse style that made the 1950s/1960s originals so popular. The 1980s run included memorable sets in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1990.
Perhaps the crown jewel of the entire Topps Sporting News series is considered to be the spectacular 1987 release. The design paid homage to the card aesthetics of the 1950s/1960s by using a green backdrop with player images and golden printing. The choice of players in the set from that season is also iconic, capturing breakout stars like Mark McGwire in addition to superstars like Rickey Henderson during one of his best offensive campaigns. In gemmint condition, coveted cards from the 1987 Topps Sporting News set can easily fetch hundreds or even thousands of dollars today.
After 1990, Topps and The Sporting News went their separate ways as licensing partners for baseball cards. Topps entered the 1990s focusing on flagship releases under their own branding like Studio, ProCards and Topps Finest. Meanwhile, The Sporting News maintained other sportscard licenses of their own with manufacturers like Fleer. Collectors never forgot the special connection and amazing cards produced through the classic Topps Sporting News releases from 1954 through the late 1980s golden era.
In 2018, Topps rekindled their legendary partnership with The Sporting News by launching the first new Sporting News branded baseball cards in nearly 30 years. The retro inspired 2018 Topps Sporting News Baseball Collection featured 200 cards highlighting top players and key moments from the 2017 MLB season. While a modern update, the new Sporting News set paid tribute to the designs, large player photography and biographical details of the beloved 1950s/1960s originals. Time will tell if Topps and The Sporting News decide to continue collaborating on more Sporting News baseball card releases to thrill collectors with a brand that created some of the most prized vintage issues in the hobby’s history. For almost 75 years, the Topps Sporting News partnership has resulted in numerous iconic baseball card sets that remain close to the hearts of many players and collectors today. Their influence on the industry cannot be overstated.
