Anyone changing their collecting plans when Topps is gone?

[deweyinthehall]

Right now, I have Topps base master sets from 1969-1996 (used to have more in both directions, but needed some cash a few years back and sold some off). I am planning on going back (1968, etc.) and forth (1997, etc.) in coming years. The thought of Topps leaving the hobby, even if it stays alive in name if not in spirit, is depressing, but it does give me impetus to "fill in" the missing years. When they stopped doing football a number of years back I was still collecting that sport - I had Topps sets from 1970-2013, and though OK I'm going to fill out the run - then I lost interest in the NFL for a number of reasons, and sold all my Football, so that went by the boards. Won't lose interest in baseball, though. If the Topps name survives, I MIGHT be interested, but if the name goes away, I'm done with anything past 2025 for sure.

Question for those more plugged into the hobby than I am - I know Topps stopped doing Football, Basketball and Hockey over the last 15 years or so. Other than baseball cards, what do they print these days??

[53toppscollector]

Topps has soccer rights for the big European leagues. And I think F1 too

[toppcat]

Star Wars, tons of non-sports, etc too.

[jgannon]

I won't be changing how I collect, because I collect vintage. But who knows - maybe Fanatics will do a good job. I mean, other card companies have come in and put out stuff comparable to Topps. Fanatics may not have any experience making cards, but I would have to imagine that they are serious about learning the business given they have the concessions to the big three.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by jgannon

I won't be changing how I collect, because I collect vintage. But who knows - maybe Fanatics will do a good job. I mean, other card companies have come in and put out stuff comparable to Topps. Fanatics may not have any experience making cards, but I would have to imagine that they are serious about learning the business given they have the concessions to the big three.

The players are looking for a bigger cut. I would think they would be looking for innovative individuals who can deliver on that expectation.

Does anyone know how long the Fanstics contract runs?

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[stkuhl]

I have Topps Baseball sets from 1969 to present with the last 4-5 years as Factory sets. The one thing that will change with Topps leaving the business is I won't be buying UV cards and will get to focus more on filling the large gaps I have in 1960's Topps BB sets. With Topps last Football set in 2015 it gave me a nice goal of finishing a set run from 1955 to 2015. 3 more High Number 1972 cards and that run will be complete.

[jchcollins]

As much sadness as the headlines inspired, when I really consider what it means to me - I don't think this will be of huge impact. I have tried multiple times since getting back into the hobby in 2015, but I just can't get into modern. 95% of my hobby involvement right now is in the area of postwar vintage. I will admit to liking Topps Heritage, but if they don't make it all the way up to the 1980's with that run - it won't exactly be the end of the world for me.

In the interim, a lot can happen in 5 years. Fanatics might buy the name, and even if they don't, there are any number of things which conceivably happen that would mean the Topps name isn't completely dead. Any of that impacting my desire to collect modern cards one way or another just seems kind of doubtful to me right now.

While I hate that it's come to this for Topps, I don't think they are 100% innocent either in terms of how the game was played and things went down, and you have to remember too that this kind of thing is not unprecedented in the hobby. There has not been a Goudey or Bowman Gum Company for quite some time. Baseball will go on, and the hobby will go on as well.