As a child of the 80s, perhaps no company impacted me as much at Topps did. And the history of the company is a wild ride with unexpected twists and turns.
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The history of the Topps baseball card company is a remarkable journey of innovation and dominance in the trading card industry. Founded in 1938 by the Shorin family in Brooklyn, New York, Topps Chewing Gum, Inc. initially focused on producing chewing gum. It wasn't until 1949 that the company ventured into the trading card market with the release of "Magic Photo Cards," setting the stage for its future in sports memorabilia​​​​.
In 1951, Topps released its first baseball card sets, known as the "Red Backs" and "Blue Backs," which were designed as part of a playing card game. However, it was the 1952 set that revolutionized the industry. This set introduced the iconic Mickey Mantle rookie card and established the standard 2-1/2" by 3-1/2" card size still used today. The 1952 series is widely regarded as the most significant in the hobby's history, both for its design and its impact on baseball card collecting​​​​.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Topps cemented its dominance by acquiring its main competitor, Bowman, in 1956, effectively monopolizing the baseball card market. This era saw the introduction of several key innovations, such as including player statistics on the card backs starting in 1952 and the use of photography instead of painted images by 1957. These features added depth and realism, making the cards more appealing to collectors and fans alike​​​​.
The 1970s and 1980s brought further growth and changes. In 1972, Topps went public, and by 1974, it had stopped producing cards in multiple series, opting instead to release the entire set at once. This decade also saw the introduction of the first "Traded" card sets, adding new layers of interest for collectors. The company continued to innovate with the launch of premium card lines like Topps Stadium Club in 1989, which featured high-quality photography and glossy finishes​​​​.
The 1990s and early 2000s marked a period of diversification and adaptation to new technologies. Topps began producing digital cards in 2001 with the launch of eTopps, and by 2012, it had entered the mobile app market with Topps Bunt. These digital ventures expanded the company's reach and modernized its approach to card collecting​​​​.
In recent years, Topps has continued to innovate while celebrating its rich history. The Project 2020 series, launched in 2020, featured artists' reinterpretations of classic cards, blending nostalgia with contemporary art. In 2022, Topps was acquired by Fanatics, marking a new chapter in its storied history​​​​.