Topps to be replaced as the BB Card Manuracturer

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by JustinD

I understand you are likely strictly a vintage collector but as was stated topps has had the exclusive license since 2010. For an example of how it can be done, just google any non-topps mlb release for the past 11 years. The mlb license is for logos not players.

Understood, but this deal also includes the Players' Association.

"That longevity was threatened Thursday, as The Action Network confirmed that Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association have given their exclusive licenses to Fanatics."

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Mark17

Understood, but this deal also includes the Players' Association.

"That longevity was threatened Thursday, as The Action Network confirmed that Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association have given their exclusive licenses to Fanatics."

Apologies, I did not read the mlbpa note. It leaves me to wonder if they will issue multiple licenses for additional cash even as it says exclusive as they have no history of exclusive deals. If the players see additional cash not taken it could cause more problems than on the mlb side. I don’t see this working in a positive way to give exclusivity to a private company with zero production or distribution experience outside their own sites.

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by JustinD

I don’t see this working in a positive way to give exclusivity to a private company with zero production or distribution experience outside their own sites.

If the deal involves huge, guaranteed, up-front cash, I could see it.

[Mungo Hungo]

Originally Posted by JustinD

Apologies, I did not read the mlbpa note. It leaves me to wonder if they will issue multiple licenses for additional cash even as it says exclusive as they have no history of exclusive deals. If the players see additional cash not taken it could cause more problems than on the mlb side. I don’t see this working in a positive way to give exclusivity to a private company with zero production or distribution experience outside their own sites.

Issuing multiple licenses seems very unlikely, since Fanatics, or whatever it is they're called, paid for an exclusive license. MLBPA would most certainly be in breach, and subject to substantial damages.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by JustinD

Apologies, I did not read the mlbpa note. It leaves me to wonder if they will issue multiple licenses for additional cash even as it says exclusive as they have no history of exclusive deals. If the players see additional cash not taken it could cause more problems than on the mlb side. I don’t see this working in a positive way to give exclusivity to a private company with zero production or distribution experience outside their own sites.

MLB and MLBPA have ownership in the new company. They gave themselves the exclusive license. The NFL and NFLPA have ownership, too. NBAPA does, too. So Panini can kiss their NFL license goodbye as well. The players from the NBA and NFL have already signed deals with the new company.

And these guys have 4 years to figure this stuff out. I expect distribution and production to be minor issues at best.

[BobC]

So the question becomes, does Fanatics find and hire their own, new staff and people to start to work on the upcoming design, production, and distribution of baseball and other sports cards in the coming years, or do they start to go after and poach as many Topps people as they can, or lastly, do they wait till this new licensing goes through and wipes out Topps' attempt to go public and just swoop in and buy them out for pennies on the dollar (and get all their employees that way)?

[Snowman]

If Fanatics is smart, they'll try to acquire Topps as well. I think a Panini acquisition would be less likely though. Or perhaps they'll just enter into some sort of licensing agreement with all the card manufacturers that effectively just allows them to skim profits by being the middleman to all the players associations. To me, this looks like it's all coming from the players themselves. They see the money being thrown around in the hobby and they want more of it. Every time a modern card sells for a million dollars, they probably complain about not getting a cut of that. Card prices are probably going up. At least for the distributors and card shops that is. No more buying a case from Topps for $4,000 and reselling it for $20,000. They're going to squeeze the middlemen out and take over that role. That's my guess.

[packs]

I think they would have to buy Topps to maximize profits. Topps doesn’t only trade on commodity. Topps trades on brand recognition too. Donruss and Pannini baseball cards aren’t worth anything and it’s not only because they don’t carry logos.

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by packs

I think they would have to buy Topps to maximize profits. Topps doesn’t only trade on commodity. Topps trades on brand recognition too. Donruss and Pannini baseball cards aren’t worth anything and it’s not only because they don’t carry logos.

Agreed the Brand Recognition and value of the Topps name and intellectual properties exceeds the others and not even close