Topps is an American trading card company founded in 1938 by Morris Shorin. The company began producing baseball cards in 1950 and quickly became one of the most popular brands in the hobby. Over the years, Topps has produced cards for a variety of sports and non-sports subjects, including football, basketball, hockey, wrestling, and more.
One of the most important Topps sets of all time is the 1952 Topps Baseball set, which is considered the company's first true baseball card set. The set featured 407 cards, each measuring 2-1/2" by 3-1/2", and included players from all 16 Major League Baseball teams. The cards were sold in packs of eight for a penny and were originally intended as a gum-based confectionery product. However, the cards quickly gained popularity with collectors and the set is now highly sought after by vintage card collectors.
In the years that followed, Topps produced a wide variety of baseball card sets, including the popular "Mickey Mantle" cards, which featured the New York Yankees star outfielder and are some of the most valuable baseball cards of all time. Topps also produced a number of non-sports card sets, including sets featuring popular TV shows and movies such as Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back.
In the 1980s, Topps faced increased competition from newer trading card companies such as Fleer and Donruss. In response, the company began producing more specialized sets, such as "Pro Debut," which featured minor league players, and "Traded," which featured players who had been traded to a new team.
In the 1990s, Topps continued to produce a wide variety of sports and non-sports card sets, including sets featuring the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the popular Pokémon franchise. In recent years, Topps has continued to produce popular baseball card sets, including its flagship "Topps Baseball" set and specialized sets such as "Heritage," which features vintage card designs, and "Update," which features players who were not included in the original release of the "Topps Baseball" set.
Topps has had a long and storied history in the world of trading cards, and it has produced some of the most iconic and valuable cards of all time. Here are a few examples of some of the most important Topps cards:
- 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle: This card, which features the legendary New York Yankees outfielder, is considered one of the most valuable and iconic baseball cards of all time.
- 1961 Topps Roger Maris: This card, which features Maris breaking Babe Ruth's single-season home run record
- 1971 Topps Reggie Jackson: This card, which features the future Hall of Famer as a member of the Oakland A's, is considered one of the most iconic cards of the 1970s.
- 1976 Topps Walter Payton: This card, which features the legendary Chicago Bears running back in his rookie season
- 1982 Topps Cal Ripken Jr.: This card, which features the Baltimore Orioles shortstop in his rookie season, is considered one of the most important cards of the 1980s.
- 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr.: This card, which was produced by Upper Deck but licensed by Topps, is considered one of the most valuable modern baseball cards.
- 1992 Topps Stadium Club Derek Jeter: This card, which features the future Hall of Famer in his rookie season
- 1993 Topps Finest Refractor Derek Jeter: This card, which was produced as a limited edition, is considered one of the most valuable Jeter cards of all time.
- 1993 Topps Derek Jeter: This card, which features Jeter in his second season, is considered one of the most important cards of the 1990s.
- 1997 Topps Chipper Jones: This card, which features the Atlanta Braves third baseman in his fifth season
- 1998 Topps Mark McGwire: This card, which features McGwire breaking Roger Maris' single-season home run record
- 1999 Topps Ichiro Suzuki: This card, which features the Japanese baseball star in his rookie season
- 2001 Topps Albert Pujols: This card, which features Pujols in his rookie season, is considered one of the most important cards of the 2000s.
- 2002 Topps Chrome Albert Pujols: This card, which features Pujols in his second season and is printed on chrome technology
- 2003 Topps LeBron James: This card, which features the future NBA superstar in his rookie season
- 2004 Topps Dwight Howard: This card, which features Howard in his rookie season
- 2005 Topps Alex Rodriguez: This card, which features Rodriguez as a member of the New York Yankees
- 2006 Topps Rafael Nadal: This card, which features the tennis star in his rookie season
- 2007 Topps David Beckham: This card, which features the soccer star in his first season with the Los Angeles Galaxy
- 2008 Topps Michael Phelps: This card, which features the Olympic gold medalist swimmer
- 2009 Topps Stephen Curry: This card, which features the future NBA MVP in his rookie season, is highly sought after by
- 2010 Topps Tim Lincecum: This card, which features the two-time Cy Young Award winner
- 2011 Topps Clayton Kershaw: This card, which features the future Hall of Famer in his fourth season
- 2012 Topps Andrew Luck: This card, which features the future NFL MVP in his rookie season
- 2013 Topps Mike Trout: This card, which features the future MVP and Hall of Famer in his second season
