Fanatics to take over MLB trading card license?

[RNCoyote]

Could this be end of Topps after end of 2025?

Fanatics in Deals to Take Over Trading Card Licenses in Multiple Sports; Topps Merger Deal Dead

Fanatics looks to enter the trading cad space in a big way while Topps confirms it will remain a private company in the wake of the news.

www.sportscollectorsdaily.com

 

[gt2590]

Bad news for a company trying to go public…

And IMO for the hobby.

 

[zyceoa]

For the love of God, why?

 

[phillyfan0417]

Its MLB, NFL and the NBA....


Wow.

 

[dano7]

Sure hope they put some effort into it, then!

 

[gt2590]

Well, money spending and their dedication to the quality of work shouldn’t be an issue but still…

 

[Captain Feathersword]

Well, at least I'll still be able to get my 2022 Topps Heritage 1973 retro set next year. That's all I'm holding out for now.

 

[popguynyc]

Bad news for a company trying to go public…

And IMO for the hobby.

View attachment 311283

Why must it be an exclusive deal? Why can’t MLB split it and let the collector win? (I know the answer is $, but how much is enough??) ((I know the answer is: never enough.))

 

[finestkind]

I'll stay with vintage.

 

[WCTYSON]

If Topps/Bowman baseball goes away, which is the only thing I collect, so will my collecting days. The only way my collecting continues is if Fanatics buys the brands.

 

[Super Mario]

‪The sports card industry may be at its ‘peak’ now, but in my opinion it’s completely sucked since Topps became the sole licensee. Upper Deck & DLP MLB cards were great too, & Topps being the only choice brought prices to a ridiculous level and forced out a lot of collectors. ‬

‪2005 was ‘peak’ collecting for me.‬

‪Products were jam packed with autographs and memorabilia cards at an affordable prices.‬

‪It was a great time to be a baseball card collector.‬




Sent from my iPhone using Freedom Card Board mobile app

 

[nevermore]

First off, I can't believe we are soon approaching 20 years since 2005 and the end of the DLP era. Man, where does the time go!

It is hard to imagine a Topps-less baseball card world. If so, it would mark the logical end point of my Topps run as well. Having an end point would be nice in a way.

I feel a licensing deal or merger is likely to happen. A simple way for Fanatics to instantly acquire an archive of 70+ years of cards and a loyal base.

 

[gt2590]

Why not just limit the products released?

20 per year to Fanatics, 10 to Topps, 5 to Panini.

Sounds reasonable to me. And Probably would be more revenue for the PAs and leagues…

 

[gt2590]

First off, I can't believe we are soon approaching 20 years since 2005 and the end of the DLP era. Man, where does the time go!

It is hard to imagine a Topps-less baseball card world. If so, it would mark the logical end point of my Topps run as well. Having an end point would be nice in a way.

I feel a licensing deal or merger is likely to happen. A simple way for Fanatics to instantly acquire an archive of 70+ years of cards and a loyal base.

And 70 years of potential NFTs, posters and other sellable merch…

 

[banjar]

I really miss the days when there were several licensed brands. This decade+ long run of the Topps monopoly has been ****. Not that Topps itself is ****, just the whole incestuous idea of one and only one company with a full license. It really sucks.

So if MLB would like to bring another company into the fold, I'm 10000% behind it. But no way should it be another monopoly. Like @gt2590 said, they should license Fanatics, Topps, Panini, and hell, Upper Deck too.

Should they base the licenses on a certain number of sets per year? I dunno. I can't say what the right way to do this would be. But for the love of Jebus, please allow more than one f*king company to print legit licensed baseball cards. The entire universe of sportscard collecting will be better for it.

 

[abide]

‪The sports card industry may be at its ‘peak’ now, but in my opinion it’s completely sucked since Topps became the sole licensee. Upper Deck & DLP MLB cards were great too, & Topps being the only choice brought prices to a ridiculous level and forced out a lot of collectors. ‬

‪2005 was ‘peak’ collecting for me.‬

‪Products were jam packed with autographs and memorabilia cards at an affordable prices.‬

‪It was a great time to be a baseball card collector.‬




Sent from my iPhone using Freedom Card Board mobile app

I agree, 2005 was a great year, and the few years before that.
Personally, I went for 05 Topps Finest everything + 05 Donruss Throwback Threads Polo Grounds inserts + 05 Donruss Prime Patches relic cards

However, lets remember that around 2002 we have the explosion of sticker autos, which by 2005 it seems was about 90% of auto inserts, and remains that way today, unfortunately.
I hate sticker autos. I'd rather have an Archives "buyback" [supposedly] numbered and encased auto. [though I wish quality control was better, and they did not issue the same buyback auto in multiple years]

I also loved 2001 as a year of non monopoly. Many Great and inventive products by Topps/Bowman, Fleer/ skybox, Upper Deck ... for me it was 01 Fleer Futures + 01 Fleer Platinum

.... and 1997 was a great year, with great products from Pinnacle & Pacific in addition to the big 3

 

[abide]

the monopoly is blamed by some in the hobby for pack / box prices becoming unaffordable.
I'm not sure I agree. I think that demand, in particular speculation demand, is driving up the cost of wax.
Topps is increasing prices because they see demand greater than supply, and hey also see the secondary market turning a $90 box of flagship jumbo into $500 on the secondary market.
I don't blame Topps for doing this. They deserve some of that margin.

IMO, the bigger problem for the hobby, is Over the past 10 years, hobby shops being squeezed out of the business, by the 4 headed monster of
1. consumers can purchase direct from the manufacturer [Topps / Panini ]
2. Increased amount of sales at discount stores [Walmart / Target]
3. increased amount of breakers establishing themselves as wholesalers and purchase direct from the manufacturer.
4. Topps / Panini distribution system selling product as a package. A hobby shop that wants to sell Topps Flagship must also take Finest, Museum, Tier 1, Tribute, Triple Threads and so on, even if they don't have customers for the product.
and lastly, but not really #5, the ever growing footprint of ebay, which the shops seemed to figure out how to coexist with, if not for 1,2,3,4

A hobby with no "traditional" hobby shops will be a sad day. I don't really want to go to a hobby shop that is one display case and 50 square feet, that is just a front for a massive breaker business.
There is only so much room for the super hobby shop [Burbank Sports Cards]

 

[JoshHamilton]

I’m still not sure what to think of this. Glad I only buy about 5 modern cards a year

And the monopoly has nothing to do with wax prices becoming unaffordable. You can thank Mike Trout + 2017 Judgemania and every hot RC since for that. Topps had a monopoly from 2010-1016 and most wax ended up selling for lower than SRP after release.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[abide]

While it appears to be a distasteful money grab .....

I don' blame the MLB + MLBPA agreeing to get on board for joint exclusivity. [and NFL + NFLPA and so on]
The hobby itself has a problem with the unlicensed product being put out there by Panini, which is entirely a result of the non exclusive MLBPA license
It seems to me that 50% of collectors refuse to touch a Panini product, and it is more than just loyalty to Topps
I know a few people who say: "Panini ruined the hobby," [by putting out too many products, bad service, bad quality control, etc., even as Topps produces about 50 products it seems.]

But, also the manufactuers that have gone before have hurt the hobby too, in so many ways.
They "invented" game used relic cards in 1999 .... and then got caught faking the relic cards, by just cutting up a jersey they bought at Target.
They let cards get out the back door.
They bought up counterfeit autos, and released them in product.
They overproduced and gave us the "junk wax" era.
To name a few.

 

[jmc855]

Fanatics will buy Topps I think, and keep the name and label/logo, because they arent stupid, and have people monitoring all our discussions. It's the logical and simple business move. Topps can either sell for whatever Fanatics offers, or wacth their business die quickly and have ZERO to show for it. I dont think people will support Topps if they cant use player names, likelness and team images and names.

That said, I have not enjoyed the exclusivity of Topps since 05, and liked the days of multi brands. I dont buy Panini stuff now though, solely because its ugly and "fake" seeming without team logos. I have no allegiance to Topps other than it's been the tradition. But people in 1952 could have said the same thing........

I dont buy new wax, and am only interested in my PC of Clemens, so I probably have a skewed perspective here.