Topps Now The Exclusive Baseball Card Maker

[Flip217]

I just read about this on Slate.com.

I'm not a huge baseball card collector but I do have a few boxes in the basement, and a couple favorite cards on display in my office (Cal, of course; an old Bob Gibson and an old Willie Mays; and the infamous Billy Ripken card). Anyway, I think this is a terrible idea. I'm not sure why I think that. The other companies can still make baseball cards but they can't show the players in their uniforms, which seems really silly.

I understand that the baseball card industry has been in serious trouble in recent years, though I wasn't aware that Fleer had gone under and Donruss wasn't making baseball cards anymore. And I get that, largely, the problems they face are of their own making.

Anyway, it's an interesting article. And it makes me want to go dig through those moldy old boxes in the basement again.

[Sports Guy]

Interesting...I used to be big intp collecting baseball cards...Had no idea that companies like Donruss and Fleer were gone.

They can try and tie it into the strike all they want but the baseball card industry went down because of all the subsets all the companies put out..They made the industry way to expensive and just way too much.

[elsid]

Interesting...I used to be big intp collecting baseball cards...Had no idea that companies like Donruss and Fleer were gone.

They can try and tie it into the strike all they want but the baseball card industry went down because of all the subsets all the companies put out..They made the industry way to expensive and just way too much.

Donruss is still around, owned by an Italian company now. They just make bubblegum, mainly, though they will make some cards. Fleer is owned by Upper Deck. They went by the wayside when all these other companies started coming out with new, better, brighter cards. Score is another that is gone. Topps, Upper Deck are all that are left. Topps even owns Bowman, so that is another of their line of cards.

[csgordos]

Interesting...I used to be big intp collecting baseball cards...Had no idea that companies like Donruss and Fleer were gone.

They can try and tie it into the strike all they want but the baseball card industry went down because of all the subsets all the companies put out..They made the industry way to expensive and just way too much.

The baseball card industry imploded when it went from a hobby to a business. It is not alone. Anytime something becomes "profitable" people will try and make a quick buck out of it and ruin it. Think about all those poor beanie baby collectors. It was a joke that people would pay 2.50 for a pack of cards just to throw them away when they didn't get the "golden ticket." I grew to love baseball and cards with my dad before he died and the other part of me died in 1992-1994 when the card industry imploded. Sold my dad's collection at auction and used the money to finish the basement. Saved all the Orioles memorbilia except most of the Orioles Phantom WS tickets. Saved some from 1977 and 1982 to frame though. Neat conversation pieces.

[orayole]

I used to collect cards, but when they started coming out with all the flashy cards and 50 different brands, it just became too much. I think it's better having just 1 company making them. Makes them more special having that 1 Matt Wieters Rookie card (example) instead of 50 different ones.

[ChaosLex]

Only cards I buy are Sweet Spot, Bowman and the occasional Topps Sterling box. :thumbsup1:

[tennOsfan]

I used to collect cards, but when they started coming out with all the flashy cards and 50 different brands, it just became too much. I think it's better having just 1 company making them. Makes them more special having that 1 Matt Wieters Rookie card (example) instead of 50 different ones.

When they make it impossible to say "I have all of Cal Ripken Jr.'s cards," it makes it less appealing to collect them all.

[JTrea81]

Interesting...I used to be big intp collecting baseball cards...Had no idea that companies like Donruss and Fleer were gone.

They can try and tie it into the strike all they want but the baseball card industry went down because of all the subsets all the companies put out..They made the industry way to expensive and just way too much.

Wieters' rookie card that is most recognized by collectors is actually his Donruss Elite Extra Edition card. And Donruss still provides cards for draft prospects. They just can't show anybody in a minor or ML uniform. Ditto for Razor.