[QUOTE=CxL;17589549]All topps has left is F1, WWE, and Soccer....... I feel like they are the new Upper Deck.[/QUOTE]

For now all they have left

Fanatics will not go into this without an established brand to release under. They're not a dumb company, they clearly know how to make money.

Whether they acquire Upper Deck, Topps, or something else, I don't know.

[QUOTE=CxL;17589549]All topps has left is F1, WWE, and Soccer....... I feel like they are the new Upper Deck.[/QUOTE]

they might have to try to grab bellator or PFL before someone else does.

I’m in shock this week… first PWCC goes out of biz, now Topps… what’s next?!?


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[QUOTE=pewe;17589574]I’m in shock this week… [B][U]first PWCC goes out of biz[/U][/B], now Topps… what’s next?!?


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PWCC is not out of business SMH:doh:

If as reported by WSJ Fanatics is pursuing deals with all the player unions it would destroy unlicensed product. Player unions sell the rights to the images and names of the players, leagues sell the rights to the logos. Fanatics is taking on Topps and Panini here. Given the 5 year timeframe I wouldn’t be surprised if they do buy Topps for the IP/designs, but it gives them plenty of time develop products with only the MLBPA license. And Topps/Panini already use same manufacture so Fanatics can always use them too.

[QUOTE=dev6015;17589556]Holy cow. Couple of quick thoughts:

1) I'm not an emotional person and am certainly not a Topps shill, but this does kinda bum me out. End of an era.
2) There is no way in hell that this is the end of Topps-branded cards. Topps is as synonymous with baseball as hot dogs and Cracker Jacks, which leads me to...
3) There's a 100% chance that Fanatics will either outright buy Topps or lease all of its brands, designs, and trademarks. There is massive value in those assets. Because...
4) Fanatics wouldn't just start with Fanatics Flagship 2026 as its first set. It has to have a toehold in the market with legacy collectors and - at least for the first few years - they will have to gradually shift to their own branded products. Due to this...
5) The Topps name will still be around for a while. Less hallowed brand names such as Donruss, Playoff, and Fleer have seen some of their brands resurrected in recent years in Basketball / Football as Panini tries to appeal to collectors from the 90's (and before)

Still...this is shocking and I am not often shocked.[/QUOTE]

Panini has already done partnerships with Panini. I think it will be a battle for which company acts as the manufacturer. And Panini has shown in the past that they have no problem throwing any amount of money out there to get exclusive. I'd say Panini has the slight edge right now.

All the people saying they'll be done once Fanatics takes over, LOL. The majority of this hobby is degenerate gamblers that are going to be all in on the Fanatics 2026 autos of some 17 year old Dominican prospect that they only know from grainy home video footage of home runs in a little league park

Acquiring Topps would be a drop in the bucket to Fanatics. I don’t see why they wouldn’t do it.

I feel exactly the same way I did when we heard Panini was the new exclusive for NBA.

This will not be good for the first half decade or so if Topps isn't being absorbed by the Fanatics capital group.

Imagine if this news hit before the Topps Q&A at the National

I have been pushed so far out the last year or so

I would say once topps is done then so am I

No more heritage ginter etc

All this talk about "1st Bowmans" and "flagship" Fanatic releases...

Why would Fanatics try to remake any of that? Bowman-type releases may be done for good. Maybe Fanatics doesn't want to make huge base card type products, maybe they do all high end products or get rid of memorabilia cards altogether.

The point is, we dont know and wont know for years.

[QUOTE=marterburn;17589570]Fanatics will not go into this without an established brand to release under. They're not a dumb company, they clearly know how to make money.

Whether they acquire Upper Deck, Topps, or something else, I don't know.[/QUOTE]

Ding ding ding.

This 100%.

They'll have to license/outright purchase one or more brands, at least to get a toehold.

[QUOTE=KhalDrogo;17589584]Acquiring Topps would be a drop in the bucket to Fanatics. I don’t see why they wouldn’t do it.[/QUOTE]

Exactly. They wouldn’t want to kill off the products that sell well. I think they slowly introduce new products while maintaining the old lines.

I don't understand why MLB & MLBPA only want to do exclusive deals. Things were fine just 20 years ago with a ton of major brands producing high-quality cards.

[QUOTE=tjforce;17589577]PWCC is not out of business SMH:doh:[/QUOTE]


Neither is Topps (yet), but we are all crying “sky is falling” so I took my cue from the crowd ;)


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[QUOTE=marterburn;17589570]Fanatics will not go into this without an established brand to release under. They're not a dumb company, they clearly know how to make money.

Whether they acquire Upper Deck, Topps, or something else, I don't know.[/QUOTE]

Not how they run things. Everything will be under the Fanatics brand

I remember where I was and that crappy feeling when I read on FCB that UD would not longer have an NBA license. It was a dark dark day for the hobby.

Today is just as bad.

[QUOTE=Cavaliercards;17589347]Looks like fanatics could get it all.

This is gonna hurt Topps Stock[/QUOTE]Yep, my 60 shares of MUDS, just got muddier.
Vinny :doh:

[QUOTE=discostu;17589543]They just acquired one of the most valuable assets that Topps had.

Topps is now Yoda and Joe Blow, and frankly, how much more water can you squeeze out of that Star Wars rock?[/QUOTE]

Topps is worthless after this to anybody other than fanatics. Topps should take what they can get. Save Bowman

[QUOTE=imbluestreak23;17589536]Fk this sh** I'm out[/QUOTE]


Where are you going??? May I join?


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I, too, think it makes way too much sense for Fanatics to buy Topps and continue at least some of their product lines. Don't know if Fanatics would care about continuing on the legacy of products like Heritage or Ginter in either the short or long term, but money clearly is no obstacle for them and using the Topps name/brand will make products sell themselves even under a new parent company. At the very least for a few years while they start working out some true Fanatics brands and let them get a foothold

If nothing else think of the infrastructure. Topps has years and years of figuring out how to create, print, and distribute cards (though some would say that needs to be trashed too...). Would imagine it'd be a big help to Fanatics to acquire something that works and learn the ropes rather than trying to reinvent the wheel from scratch, financially or as a production process

Its still going to be baseball players printed on cardboard with manufactured limited color variants, tacky gold foil, and layers of gloss coating, right?

[QUOTE=NYBBFAN;17589595]I don't understand why MLB & MLBPA only want to do exclusive deals. Things were fine just 20 years ago with a ton of major brands producing high-quality cards.[/QUOTE]

Better business and better control.